Gecewicz Imperial Edict--ALL FIELD TRIPS ARE BANNED

February 3, 2009 Sandy Gecewicz email to all principals in VUSD:

"The budget issue has not yet resolved. As such, we are continuing to deny travel, purchases and even field trips. Many of you have been very creative in maintaining your field trip activities, but having parents pay for everything has created a new set of issues on equity for the district. In some instances children whose parents cannot pay for a field trip are placed in classrooms with other teachers while classmates travel. (No, place I have heard of. But if this happens why not just ban this practice? Why ban all field trips?)This is not an acceptable practice. (We all agree here. So again, why ban ALL field trips?) Parents and children feel they are being discriminated against because of financial limitations.
Additionally, we are now receiving complaints (How many Sandy? One? Two? Did you talk to the site principals or teachers that were being complained about? Did you do the minimum investigation to find out if the allegations of the complaint were even true? Or was it easier for you, and so much more personally satisfying, to just imperiously ban all field trips?) from parents at schools where funds for field trips cannot be paid for by the parents as their budgets are too tight. This has created inequity within the district. For the purpose of equity and fairness, we are asking that schools stop scheduling fieldtrips (sic) for the students where parents pay for everything to include subs.(Putting aside the question of when are subs ever needed for field trips, does this statement mean other field trips, for which no subs are hired, would be allowed?) We are a unified district and the budget burden should be shared by everyone. Please have the courage to share this with your parents and staff. (Those cowardly principals that are just not as brave as Sandy. How can we get those site principals to have the same back bone and moral fortitude as Gecewicz? Perhaps we can post her picture in every site principal's office.)VUSD cannot afford to be divided by families who can and cannot fund a field trip. Once the financial picture is clear, we will once again look at travel opportunities for all children. (Not approved mind you, but looked at. Gee thanks Sandy.) This is prime learning time now that the holidays are over. (Field trips are not learning opportunities? They are just fun days for teachers to shirk their duty of actually teaching the children? Is that what Sandy is saying? Does she have any idea how much MORE work and stress a field trip is than a regular day of school? Does she have any idea why teachers go to all the extra work of planning a field trip?) Our children need as much time in the classroom as possible with their teachers. (Yes, that is what she is saying. Gecewicz thinks that field trips do not benefit our children. I guess she has never considered, how many of our kids ever would ever have the opportunity to go whale watching if not on a school field trip, or see Rancho Guajome and better understand early European settlement in Vista. Oh yes, Sandy you are right, a book and a hand out will be much better than actually seeing the adobe buildings and making adobe bricks.)If we all tighten our belts and share the burden equally, we will survive and we will be stronger as a district. Please accept the denials when are returned to your site. ( Here Sandy's message is clear. All field trips will be denied no matter how many pages of Gecewicz garbage forms the teacher fills out. Gecewicz does not even care how the field trip is funded. Money could fall from heaven but Sandy will still just stamp "denied" on any request. Remember the old days when VUSD principals were considered grown up enough to make these decisions by themselves for their own site? We are all so glad that our great invisible parent on the hill now makes field trip decisions for us instead of the poor pathetic and incompetent site principals. Hey Sandy, why don't you come visit a school site some time? You could see what really is happening at the sites instead of imaging it from your $2000 office desk in your fine private air conditioned office.) Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation in this matter."