Saturday, October 27, 2012
Positive changes at VUSD: Vodicka and the iPad
My wife just finished entering grades for her third grade class with the district issued iPad. She was thrilled with how fast and easy it was this time compared to the last year when the only option for entering grades was a computer. This year instead of having to laboriously type everything in, she was able with the iPad to enter using quick touch screen movements. Using the stylist is even faster. She recommends every teacher give it a try.
Besides the iPad another thing that is less stressful for teachers this year is the leadership of the new school superintendent. Dr. Devin Vodicka has changed the tenor at the district office. Teachers are no longer despised as impediments. He is not letting Matt Doyle run rough shod over the teachers the way that Joyce Bales adversarial approach apparently encouraged. Jeanie Luckey's attitude has changed as well. She seems to be quite capable of being a good chameleon. Under Joyce Bales she was dismissive in her contacts with classroom teachers. Now she seems to like teaches again. She has taken in Vodicka's "new view" of teachers as collegues to be trusted and helped instead of the former district office view of teachers as enemies to be crushed.
Congrats to all who had a hand in bringing in Dr. Vodicka and his technological innovations like the iPad to our district. He seems to be an examplary superintendent in the mold of Dr. David Cowles and Dr. Rene Townsend. I am so glad to see Vista Unified with a good, strong and fair leader again.
Voting Recommendations for Vista School Board and beyond
I recommend Elizabeth Jaka who has done a superb job on the board. She always puts the needs of our students and district first. This school district owes her a great debt of gratitude for her work in getting the school bond passed and especially her work on getting the new high school built. She kept pushing and pushing against the impediments that Jim Gibson put in the way of our third high school. She got that high school built despite Jim's best (worst) efforts. She deserves to be re-elected.
For Vista City Council I recommend:
Garry Garretson and Cody Campbell. The Vista Firefighters have endorsed Garry which is good enough for me. Cody was a voice of sanity who was willing to speak up and correct the excess of Stephen Guffanti and Jim Gibson when he served on the VUSD school board as a student representative. He is fearless.
For Vista City Council I recommend:
Garry Garretson and Cody Campbell. The Vista Firefighters have endorsed Garry which is good enough for me. Cody was a voice of sanity who was willing to speak up and correct the excess of Stephen Guffanti and Jim Gibson when he served on the VUSD school board as a student representative. He is fearless.
Let's talk teacher evaluations and test scores
I found the link to a great article about the inherent unfairness of evaluating teachers by looking at student tests scores at the Diane Ravitch. The link was under a short posting entitled "Do we all love teachers?"
http://dianeravitch.net/
The article itself is found here:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/17490/romney-loves-teachers-what-teacher-evaluations-and-tests-mean-for-american-teachers
Below is a small excerpt from that article:
Now, I don't know a single educator who outright opposes the idea of fair evaluations and/or some level of teacher accountability. But as I sat quietly in that little red plastic chair, a voice in me cried:
"You want to evaluate me? Great. No problem.
"But let's also evaluate the misaligned (or nonexistent) curriculum I was given to plan for my classes."
"Let’s evaluate the number of chairs huddled around single desks, because there are more students in the room than there were last year, and the copy machine, the one that never works.
"Let’s evaluate the number of students with IEPs that aren't being adequately serviced, and the number of English Language Learner students sitting voiceless in the back of the room, because they have yet to be admitted into nonexistent ELL classes.
"Let’s evaluate the employers who are smugly underpaying/underemploying my students’ parents or guardians, forcing them to work multiple jobs, likely without ever securing benefits for themselves or for their families. Or the number of students who have lost parents or loved ones due to gang violence, substance abuse, or the labyrinth that is our failing criminal justice system. Or the number of my students who didn't eat dinner last night.
"Let's evaluate how many hours of sleep I got last night, because I was not afforded adequate prep time during my 10 or 11 hour day in the building, or how many times I've skipped out on doctor's appointments and family events to be here for my students.
"And, finally, let's evaluate my motivations for being here — because it sure as hell isn't for the money."
http://dianeravitch.net/
The article itself is found here:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/17490/romney-loves-teachers-what-teacher-evaluations-and-tests-mean-for-american-teachers
Below is a small excerpt from that article:
Now, I don't know a single educator who outright opposes the idea of fair evaluations and/or some level of teacher accountability. But as I sat quietly in that little red plastic chair, a voice in me cried:
"You want to evaluate me? Great. No problem.
"But let's also evaluate the misaligned (or nonexistent) curriculum I was given to plan for my classes."
"Let’s evaluate the number of chairs huddled around single desks, because there are more students in the room than there were last year, and the copy machine, the one that never works.
"Let’s evaluate the number of students with IEPs that aren't being adequately serviced, and the number of English Language Learner students sitting voiceless in the back of the room, because they have yet to be admitted into nonexistent ELL classes.
"Let’s evaluate the employers who are smugly underpaying/underemploying my students’ parents or guardians, forcing them to work multiple jobs, likely without ever securing benefits for themselves or for their families. Or the number of students who have lost parents or loved ones due to gang violence, substance abuse, or the labyrinth that is our failing criminal justice system. Or the number of my students who didn't eat dinner last night.
"Let's evaluate how many hours of sleep I got last night, because I was not afforded adequate prep time during my 10 or 11 hour day in the building, or how many times I've skipped out on doctor's appointments and family events to be here for my students.
"And, finally, let's evaluate my motivations for being here — because it sure as hell isn't for the money."
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Devin Vodicka visits more VUSD school sites in a month than previous superintendent did in five years
He seems to care about the full extend of his job as superintendent unlike our previous disaster, Joyce Bales who only seemed to relate to numbers.
Imagine a superintendent tweeting something good about a teacher. Never could have happened under Bales. (Did she seem a little autism spectral disorder-ish to any one else?)
When does Vodicka find time to sleep? I remember being young and full of energy but nothing like the energy, drive and vigor of this new superintendent even on my best day in my twenties. How long can he keep it up? I mean any good superintendent would be trying to do what Vodicka is doing (except the really exceptional tweeting) but not at such a phenomenal rate. This guy so far looks like a sprinter in a marathon. (Hopefully he is part Kenyan and can sprint the whole way.)
I have read and heard nothing but good stuff about Superintendent Vodicka so far. We seemed to have gotten a great hire. Congrats to the school board on their pick. Even Jim Gibson voted for him only, of course, after he and his group of malcontents first whined about how the other mean trustees should wait until November to hire a superintendent. What good hires would be available seven months after prime superintendent hiring time? Silly Jim.
Also should be noted that the Gibson Gang posters on North County Times complained about the "outrageous salary" that Vodicka was given (see my July 17th post) of 229K, never mentioning that Joyce Bales salary was 270K plus a 12K car allowance.* For that salary she had to be ordered to visit school sites by the school board because she spent so much time hidden in her office at the district office. (Even when ordered to make regular visits, I am told she merely checked in with the site office at the schools and then left immediately.) So for a tax payer savings of 41K, we get an actual superintendent who does the job he was hired to do in an outstanding professional energetic way and Gang Gibson still finds a way to complain but what else to expect from the gang?
But who wants to dwell on the negative.
So far this Devin Vodicka is a breath of badly needed fresh air for the parents, students and staff of VUSD. Let's hope the good stuff from Vodicka continues. So far the honeymoon is grand.
*"Her (Bales)compensation package was about $270,000 annually, including a $12,000 annual car allowance." http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/13/vista-unified-announces-new-superintendent/?print&page=all
Diane Ravitch blog--my new favorite education blog
Diane Ravitch is fighting for public education in America like a fierce tiger mama protecting her own. After decades of employment in a "think tank" dedicated to trashing teachers and public education, she had a 'road to Damascus' moment. She realized that the folks she worked for were only about enriching themselves and cared not a fig for the destruction they wrought on one of America's greatest success stories--K-12 public education.
Here is her post from today:
August 21, 2012
//
Reformers constantly deny any evidence that contradicts their narrative.
They insist that our public schools are failing, despite the clear evidence in the national assessments that test scores have never been higher for every group tested.
They insist that merit pay is necessary, even though it has never “worked,” in any sense of the word, not in raising test scores or in making teaching more attractive as a profession.
They insist that charters are better than public schools, even though study after study shows this is not true.
They insist that vouchers will “save” poor children, even though this has not happened in any of the districts that have vouchers (Milwaukee Cleveland , D.C.
Their goal is privatization.
Their goal is to push schools into a market-system despite any evidence that such a system makes any sense for anyone except those selling stuff to schools or wanting to take over schools and make a profit by cutting costs (teachers).
They are deniers.
This reader sees the denial strategy as part of a larger pattern:
They will not stop denying it [the evidence about charters], and they will continue to get promotion and protection from both silent support from fundraising and legislative action groups, and open PR/policy forwarded by elected officials. Truth is moot or arbitrary to them, and once light is shed on one false narrative (see “cake walk”, “shock and awe”, “shared sacrifice”, “lavish salaries…) they scurry for the shadows to gnaw away at another spot.
Right now the narrative is that public schools are the burden fueling the poverty cycle, as opposed to the truth-that the poverty cycle burdens families and students, hampering academic success. The genius of the jokers driving the reform agenda is they have turned the struggling classes upon each other, fully intending to further dis-empower them all economically, and politically. Siphoning of the easiest to educate; protecting their own in gated communities and private schools others will never see; cementing a caste system that will entitle some to the education and knowledge they can afford, relegating the rest to street vendor markets or tech-support phone banks.
Here is her post from today:
Denial as a Reform Strategy
Reformers constantly deny any evidence that contradicts their narrative.
They insist that our public schools are failing, despite the clear evidence in the national assessments that test scores have never been higher for every group tested.
They insist that merit pay is necessary, even though it has never “worked,” in any sense of the word, not in raising test scores or in making teaching more attractive as a profession.
They insist that charters are better than public schools, even though study after study shows this is not true.
They insist that vouchers will “save” poor children, even though this has not happened in any of the districts that have vouchers (
Their goal is privatization.
Their goal is to push schools into a market-system despite any evidence that such a system makes any sense for anyone except those selling stuff to schools or wanting to take over schools and make a profit by cutting costs (teachers).
They are deniers.
This reader sees the denial strategy as part of a larger pattern:
They will not stop denying it [the evidence about charters], and they will continue to get promotion and protection from both silent support from fundraising and legislative action groups, and open PR/policy forwarded by elected officials. Truth is moot or arbitrary to them, and once light is shed on one false narrative (see “cake walk”, “shock and awe”, “shared sacrifice”, “lavish salaries…) they scurry for the shadows to gnaw away at another spot.
Right now the narrative is that public schools are the burden fueling the poverty cycle, as opposed to the truth-that the poverty cycle burdens families and students, hampering academic success. The genius of the jokers driving the reform agenda is they have turned the struggling classes upon each other, fully intending to further dis-empower them all economically, and politically. Siphoning of the easiest to educate; protecting their own in gated communities and private schools others will never see; cementing a caste system that will entitle some to the education and knowledge they can afford, relegating the rest to street vendor markets or tech-support phone banks.
http://dianeravitch.net/
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Strike Fears Ended! VUSD and VTA come to a tenative agreement
The Vista Unified School District website is announcing that after 13 hours of negotiations a Tentative Agreement has been reached. This agreement for all intents and purposes means an end to chances of a strike or other work actions by the school teachers. Of course T.A.s have to be ratified by the Vista Teachers Association membership, agreed to by the majority of VUSD school board members and reviewed by the County Office of Education, but all of those steps usually are more or less pro forma.
Congrats and a big thanks to the VTA Bargaining Team for their many, many long hours of work while the rest of us enjoyed summer vacation.
Read more at the VUSD website home page : http://www.vusd.k12.ca.us/Pages/default.aspx
which says:
"Vista Unified School District (VUSD) and the Vista Teacher’s Association (VTA) reached a tentative agreement at 10:32pm on Friday, August 3rd, 2012 after roughly thirteen hours of mediated negotiations. Next steps will include ratification of the agreement by VTA, review by the County Office of Education, and approval from the VUSD School Board on August 16th. The tentative agreement is for 2012-13 and 2013-14. Details of the agreement will be released soon."
or Superintendent Devin Vodicka's twitter account which is also on the VUSD splash page and says:
Congrats and a big thanks to the VTA Bargaining Team for their many, many long hours of work while the rest of us enjoyed summer vacation.
Read more at the VUSD website home page : http://www.vusd.k12.ca.us/Pages/default.aspx
which says:
"Vista Unified School District (VUSD) and the Vista Teacher’s Association (VTA) reached a tentative agreement at 10:32pm on Friday, August 3rd, 2012 after roughly thirteen hours of mediated negotiations. Next steps will include ratification of the agreement by VTA, review by the County Office of Education, and approval from the VUSD School Board on August 16th. The tentative agreement is for 2012-13 and 2013-14. Details of the agreement will be released soon."
or Superintendent Devin Vodicka's twitter account which is also on the VUSD splash page and says:
dvodicka After 13 hours of mediated negotiations, VUSD and VTA sign Tentative Agreement for 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
My Favorite Educational Blog On-Line--Seattle Education
Best site for a teacher's perspective of the disaster that has become American public education as directed by billionaire bullies without consciences, Bill Gates and Eli Broad--http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/
Today's topic how the collosally arrogant and egotistical monster, Bill Gates is completely wrong with the 'facts' he uses to justify his viscious assault on innocent public school teachers and their students entitled "Bill Gates needs to get his facts straight on test scores."
Today's topic how the collosally arrogant and egotistical monster, Bill Gates is completely wrong with the 'facts' he uses to justify his viscious assault on innocent public school teachers and their students entitled "Bill Gates needs to get his facts straight on test scores."
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Jim Gibson's Gang outrage over new VUSD superintendent's salary
Today's announcement of the salary being offered to our new superindent has generated anger and outrage from those who like to feel angry over nothing.
J-Dub wrote:
"I've got to agree. $229K is an obscene"
V Resident wrote:
"Oh My gosh! That kind of money, between the two of them, could be spent on the kids. This IS the mentality of our School Boards which is why they should be voted out! When they keep making cuts to balance the budget and then approve salaries like this, CRAZY!"
pnpmiller - wrote:
"And you wonder why school districts are suffering, The superintendent does not need a salary that high. It is rediculous(sic) how much money these administrators make. I struggle for my job every year, because of budget cuts, when the cuts need to start at the TOP!!!!!!"
Of the five unified school district (K-12) in the North County, the VUSD superintendent salary is on the low side. Below are last year's salary for the other four unified school districts in our area.
Oceanside Unified School District superintendent pay in 2011: $228,837
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=982306647367302
San Marcos Unified School District superintendent pay for 2011: $241,090
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=405306648348373
Carlsbad Unified School District superintendent pay for 2011: $229,952
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=640306650987427
Poway Unified School District superintendent salary: $253,280
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=563066555381000
Those Unified district's superintendent salaries are a tremendous bargain over non-unified school districts that pay TWO superintendents for K-12. The combined salaries for NON-unified school districts TWO superintendents are far, far more than any unified school district's SINGLE superintendents salary. In non-unified school district the elementary schools (K-8) are in separate district from the the high school district (9-12) in their towns. Each separate district pays for its own separate superintendent.
Below we see how much more NON-unified Fallbrook and Escondido school districts pay for their TWO superintendents each.
Fallbrook Union High School District superintendent pay for 2011: $170,000
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=318306648959843
Fallbrook Union Elementary District superintendent pay for 2011: $163,200
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=756306649472714
The combined salaries of the two Fallbrook school district's superintendent salaries is over 100K more than the single VUSD superintendent salary. What a savings for tax payers. The combined student enrollment for both Fallbrook school districts is much smaller than VUSD. Even the most impaired Limbaugh listener or FOX News viewer should be smart enough to understand what a bargain $229K is for the vastly larger K-12 Vista Unified School District.
Escondido Union High School District superintendent pay for 2011: $184,433
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=535306649854600
Escondido Union Elementary School District superintendent pay for 2011: $210,185
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=911306650341342
The combined salaries of the two Escondido school districts' superintendents is almost 400K!
There are more than fifty school districts in California with higher salaries for superintendents that Vista Unified is offering. (http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=563066555381000)
Sorry to the our angry friends who seem to so enjoy feeling outrage, but the truth is that the Vista school trustees got a real bargain for their superintendent. He was well loved in his previous district. Not to mention that the salary for the immediate former VUSD school superintendent, Joyce "Dixie" Bales was at one time; third highest, not just in the North County, but in all of San Diego County.
Did any of our Tea Party trouble making/Limbaugh listening/FOX viewing angry friends ever complain about Joyce Bales' salary? No!
Wonder why? Could it be that she was a Republican who prominently supported 'W' re-election campaign in 2004 She was also favorite of VUSD school board trustee Jim "Carrie Prejean Day" Gibson. Interesting how selective our angry friends are with their outrage.
J-Dub wrote:
"I've got to agree. $229K is an obscene"
V Resident wrote:
"Oh My gosh! That kind of money, between the two of them, could be spent on the kids. This IS the mentality of our School Boards which is why they should be voted out! When they keep making cuts to balance the budget and then approve salaries like this, CRAZY!"
pnpmiller - wrote:
"And you wonder why school districts are suffering, The superintendent does not need a salary that high. It is rediculous(sic) how much money these administrators make. I struggle for my job every year, because of budget cuts, when the cuts need to start at the TOP!!!!!!"
Read the article and comments in full here:
Here is some common sense for our angry friends:
Of the five unified school district (K-12) in the North County, the VUSD superintendent salary is on the low side. Below are last year's salary for the other four unified school districts in our area.
Oceanside Unified School District superintendent pay in 2011: $228,837
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=982306647367302
San Marcos Unified School District superintendent pay for 2011: $241,090
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=405306648348373
Carlsbad Unified School District superintendent pay for 2011: $229,952
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=640306650987427
Poway Unified School District superintendent salary: $253,280
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=563066555381000
Those Unified district's superintendent salaries are a tremendous bargain over non-unified school districts that pay TWO superintendents for K-12. The combined salaries for NON-unified school districts TWO superintendents are far, far more than any unified school district's SINGLE superintendents salary. In non-unified school district the elementary schools (K-8) are in separate district from the the high school district (9-12) in their towns. Each separate district pays for its own separate superintendent.
Below we see how much more NON-unified Fallbrook and Escondido school districts pay for their TWO superintendents each.
Fallbrook Union High School District superintendent pay for 2011: $170,000
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=318306648959843
Fallbrook Union Elementary District superintendent pay for 2011: $163,200
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=756306649472714
The combined salaries of the two Fallbrook school district's superintendent salaries is over 100K more than the single VUSD superintendent salary. What a savings for tax payers. The combined student enrollment for both Fallbrook school districts is much smaller than VUSD. Even the most impaired Limbaugh listener or FOX News viewer should be smart enough to understand what a bargain $229K is for the vastly larger K-12 Vista Unified School District.
Escondido Union High School District superintendent pay for 2011: $184,433
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=535306649854600
Escondido Union Elementary School District superintendent pay for 2011: $210,185
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=911306650341342
The combined salaries of the two Escondido school districts' superintendents is almost 400K!
There are more than fifty school districts in California with higher salaries for superintendents that Vista Unified is offering. (http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/995141/see-how-well-your-school-district.html?appSession=563066555381000)
Sorry to the our angry friends who seem to so enjoy feeling outrage, but the truth is that the Vista school trustees got a real bargain for their superintendent. He was well loved in his previous district. Not to mention that the salary for the immediate former VUSD school superintendent, Joyce "Dixie" Bales was at one time; third highest, not just in the North County, but in all of San Diego County.
Did any of our Tea Party trouble making/Limbaugh listening/FOX viewing angry friends ever complain about Joyce Bales' salary? No!
Wonder why? Could it be that she was a Republican who prominently supported 'W' re-election campaign in 2004 She was also favorite of VUSD school board trustee Jim "Carrie Prejean Day" Gibson. Interesting how selective our angry friends are with their outrage.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
North County Times Attacks School Teachers Rights Again--Seniority the Target
Another day, another attack on public school teachers by the uber conservative "editor" of the North County Times who apparently thinks teacher rights are evil.
Read his screed here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-fresh-air-on-pink-slips/article_b40017df-8a63-5647-acc8-b346487f921c.html?mode=story
In his editorial, our uber conservative editor follows the typical script of billionaire bullies, Bill Gates and Eli Broad. His propaganda piece extols how wonderful beginning teachers are while casting aspersions on experienced older teachers. The agenda of the billionaire bullies is to get all school districts staffed exclusively with poorly paid young teachers. Our bully boy friends love the idea of education on the cheap because it means they can contribute even less to the community good and welfare of others even though they made use of tax funded opportunities that past generation gave them. Selfish, selfish, selfish.
As far as the billionaire bully lie that young teachers are better teachers, better human being, harder working and more exciting than experienced teachers, NO STUDY SUPPORTS THIS LIE. NONE. NOT ONE. All carefully controlled education studies find just the opposite. Experience in the classroom is the single most important factor in being an effective teacher.
What about the other billionaire bully lie that seniority is unfair to young teachers. The truth is just the opposite. All teachers are protected by seniority, even the newly hired ones. If seniority lay offs are scheduled, then even the beginning teachers are laid off in order. Here is an example, let's say that Joe was hired on August 2, Jill on August 3, and Jose on July 31. The lay offs go in reverse order of those hire date. In this example Jill is laid off first, then Joe and last Jose. Jose is more protected than Jill and Joe and knows that fact. That knowledge is security.*
Further being laid off as a result of seniority carries NO STIGMA when looking for the next teaching position. If a laid off teacher gets a good reference from their former principal, getting another teaching job at equivalent salary is more than easy. Districts are constantly looking for good young teachers with good references. Young teachers are very inexpensive. Because of the poverty wages paid to young teachers, they are about half cost of a more experienced teacher. Their low cost only becomes a liability if they are so inexperienced that they are ineffective. But there is no problem for an well referenced, "seniority laid off" teacher to get another job--those folks are gold. Often the districts, from which they are laid off, soon find another opening for them.
Once a young teacher has seniority with a district, they can feel safe to start a family and buy a house. That happens very quickly. Two years in a district and most get permanent status. At that point banks will make house loans. Homes can be purchased and families begun.
Right now we are in a very rare time of vicious blood letting that means even a very few of new teachers who have permanent are being laid off. This is not normal and will not last. No reason to change a seniority system that protects teachers from horrendous abuse of the past for this anomaly. Why go back to a time when teachers were laid off so principals could create an opening for relatives or school board trustees could make jobs for their political friends (patronage abuse). That is how it was in the fifties. Is that what we want to go back to?
Sacramento Republicans are entirely responsible for the current fiscal crises in our state and lack of funding for schools. About half California's state budget is spent on education. So when the state budget declines teachers are laid off.
Sacramento Republicans using the very UN-democratic and archaic two thirds rule, have forced revenues in only one direction--down. No state revenue, no money for school districts which get 80-90 percent of their money from Sacramento. Good bye to small class sizes and newly hired teachers (many of which are middle aged folks who wanted to start a second career.)
If you want new teachers not to be laid off, don't vote Republican. Say what? you ask.
All Republicans in our state capitol, Sacramento, have sworn an oath of loyalty to a Washington DC lobbyist named Grover Norquist. "King" Norquist has said he wants to strangle government (services for middle class and poor, school, roads, veterans, medicare social security, etc.) until it is small enough to drown in a bath tub. He controls a vast pool of money given to him by uber rich, uber right wing billionaire bullies. King Norquist uses this money to destroy any elected state house Republican who does not follow his imperial commands to destroy government services by de-funding them.
How you ask? His "imperial majesty' runs and funds a challenger in the next Republican primary against any Republican who will not take his imperial orders.
Our Sacramento Republicans are terrified of King Norquist. They NEVER cross him. Their loyalties are to him first and to you, the voter, never.
In the next election, VOTE for ANYONE but a Republican to stop King Norquist and get funding levels for schools, hospitals, the elderly, the poor, the disabled, state parks, veterans etc. back into reason.
King Norquist is extremely well paid for his disreputable service to the billionaire bullies. His salary and benefit packages are worth in the high hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. He never has to worry about bills for house payments or health costs. He lives in a bubble of privilege and cares not what happens to those who don't. Remember the King and his Sacramento servants in November.
Read more about "the king" here:
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/05/washington-tax-activist-norqui.html
or here:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/25/3651880/jerry-brown-grover-norquist-spar.html
or watch Samantha Bee's take on his pledge here:
http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/node/36142
*(Although if Jose has less than two years with a district, there is really not much security at all. He can be laid off for any or no reason at all because he is a probationary teacher with absolutely no rights at all (except seniority). One probationary teacher I know was laid off for refusing to coach a third sports team in his second year on the job. Each coaching position takes HOURS every day after school and there is little extra pay. Very tough for newbie teachers who need the time to prepare lessons for class but if you are probationary and refuse the "voluntary' extra coaching assignment you can find yourself fired--referred to in educational-ese as being non re-elected.)
Read his screed here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-fresh-air-on-pink-slips/article_b40017df-8a63-5647-acc8-b346487f921c.html?mode=story
In his editorial, our uber conservative editor follows the typical script of billionaire bullies, Bill Gates and Eli Broad. His propaganda piece extols how wonderful beginning teachers are while casting aspersions on experienced older teachers. The agenda of the billionaire bullies is to get all school districts staffed exclusively with poorly paid young teachers. Our bully boy friends love the idea of education on the cheap because it means they can contribute even less to the community good and welfare of others even though they made use of tax funded opportunities that past generation gave them. Selfish, selfish, selfish.
As far as the billionaire bully lie that young teachers are better teachers, better human being, harder working and more exciting than experienced teachers, NO STUDY SUPPORTS THIS LIE. NONE. NOT ONE. All carefully controlled education studies find just the opposite. Experience in the classroom is the single most important factor in being an effective teacher.
What about the other billionaire bully lie that seniority is unfair to young teachers. The truth is just the opposite. All teachers are protected by seniority, even the newly hired ones. If seniority lay offs are scheduled, then even the beginning teachers are laid off in order. Here is an example, let's say that Joe was hired on August 2, Jill on August 3, and Jose on July 31. The lay offs go in reverse order of those hire date. In this example Jill is laid off first, then Joe and last Jose. Jose is more protected than Jill and Joe and knows that fact. That knowledge is security.*
Further being laid off as a result of seniority carries NO STIGMA when looking for the next teaching position. If a laid off teacher gets a good reference from their former principal, getting another teaching job at equivalent salary is more than easy. Districts are constantly looking for good young teachers with good references. Young teachers are very inexpensive. Because of the poverty wages paid to young teachers, they are about half cost of a more experienced teacher. Their low cost only becomes a liability if they are so inexperienced that they are ineffective. But there is no problem for an well referenced, "seniority laid off" teacher to get another job--those folks are gold. Often the districts, from which they are laid off, soon find another opening for them.
Once a young teacher has seniority with a district, they can feel safe to start a family and buy a house. That happens very quickly. Two years in a district and most get permanent status. At that point banks will make house loans. Homes can be purchased and families begun.
Right now we are in a very rare time of vicious blood letting that means even a very few of new teachers who have permanent are being laid off. This is not normal and will not last. No reason to change a seniority system that protects teachers from horrendous abuse of the past for this anomaly. Why go back to a time when teachers were laid off so principals could create an opening for relatives or school board trustees could make jobs for their political friends (patronage abuse). That is how it was in the fifties. Is that what we want to go back to?
Sacramento Republicans are entirely responsible for the current fiscal crises in our state and lack of funding for schools. About half California's state budget is spent on education. So when the state budget declines teachers are laid off.
Sacramento Republicans using the very UN-democratic and archaic two thirds rule, have forced revenues in only one direction--down. No state revenue, no money for school districts which get 80-90 percent of their money from Sacramento. Good bye to small class sizes and newly hired teachers (many of which are middle aged folks who wanted to start a second career.)
If you want new teachers not to be laid off, don't vote Republican. Say what? you ask.
All Republicans in our state capitol, Sacramento, have sworn an oath of loyalty to a Washington DC lobbyist named Grover Norquist. "King" Norquist has said he wants to strangle government (services for middle class and poor, school, roads, veterans, medicare social security, etc.) until it is small enough to drown in a bath tub. He controls a vast pool of money given to him by uber rich, uber right wing billionaire bullies. King Norquist uses this money to destroy any elected state house Republican who does not follow his imperial commands to destroy government services by de-funding them.
How you ask? His "imperial majesty' runs and funds a challenger in the next Republican primary against any Republican who will not take his imperial orders.
Our Sacramento Republicans are terrified of King Norquist. They NEVER cross him. Their loyalties are to him first and to you, the voter, never.
In the next election, VOTE for ANYONE but a Republican to stop King Norquist and get funding levels for schools, hospitals, the elderly, the poor, the disabled, state parks, veterans etc. back into reason.
King Norquist is extremely well paid for his disreputable service to the billionaire bullies. His salary and benefit packages are worth in the high hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. He never has to worry about bills for house payments or health costs. He lives in a bubble of privilege and cares not what happens to those who don't. Remember the King and his Sacramento servants in November.
Read more about "the king" here:
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/05/washington-tax-activist-norqui.html
or here:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/25/3651880/jerry-brown-grover-norquist-spar.html
or watch Samantha Bee's take on his pledge here:
http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/node/36142
*(Although if Jose has less than two years with a district, there is really not much security at all. He can be laid off for any or no reason at all because he is a probationary teacher with absolutely no rights at all (except seniority). One probationary teacher I know was laid off for refusing to coach a third sports team in his second year on the job. Each coaching position takes HOURS every day after school and there is little extra pay. Very tough for newbie teachers who need the time to prepare lessons for class but if you are probationary and refuse the "voluntary' extra coaching assignment you can find yourself fired--referred to in educational-ese as being non re-elected.)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
More on Crazy Gary Cass founder of "Christian" Anti-Defamation Commission
Gary Cass was allowed to publish a fact free editorial in North County Times yesterday. It was full of sound and fury, hate and loathing for public school teachers in VUSD. Statements written as facts had no substantiation at all. Read the diatribe here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/forum-labor-bosses-run-vista-school-district/article_a34db6e3-bafc-54c3-ba8a-fd5c8c9c8b0c.html?mode=story
More on Gary Cass--He was a Grossmont School Board member who was elected according to Concerned Women of America to get rid of pro gay agenda and crooks in 2002. Grossmont is the second most infamous school district in San Diego County, after VUSD, for conspiracy theorist's attacks on public education.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bush2003/message/3681,
"Voters in Grossmont School District Throw Pro-'Gay' Crooks Out of Office"
(The original article was removed from the Concerned Women of America website--hence its posting on yahoo groups).
Cass moved to Vista in 2008 where he vowed to form the "Christian" Anti-Defamation Commission. http://www.christianadc.org/about-us/founders
He is a member of an anti-Gospel, anti-Jesus group whose message of hate and rejection of those less fortunate or different is the very opposite of the Gospel message of love and tolerance taught by Jesus.
These folks are also known as "little god" Christians because their god is so small compared to the God of the Bible. They worship a god only six thousand years old whose rules a universe only six thousand light years across. The actual universe is just over 13 billion light years across. Their 'god's' universe is 2.2 million times smaller than the size of the actual universe we live in--hence their nick name "little god christians."
Gary Cass also believes Barack Obama is so different from 'real' Christians that he could not possibly be one. He intends to 'prove' that in a series of videos leading up to the this coming
election in 2012.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/people/gary-cass
Gary Cass is also associated with the Family Research Council and Coral Ridge Ministries. Concerned Women of America have four audios featuring Gary Cass as speaker:
http://search.freefind.com/find.html?si=4208944&pid=r&mode=ALL&query=Gary%20Cass&t=s
BEST COMMENT about Gary Cass forum:
mac4me said on: March 20, 2012, 10:03 pm
Wow. This forum article totally panders to the uninformed, uneducated, and mindless followers who do not question what an author writes or its validity and truth. Cass writes like his statements are facts, yet there is no journalistic backup whatsoever. Reminds me of the Nazi propaganda against the Jews in WWII - all inflammatory/incendiary remarks, without any stated basis in fact as proof. Sentence after sentence is devoted to unfounded, gratuitous, vain attempts to influence folks who can't think for themselves. The only follower he may get is the Scarecrow in Oz. The rest of us have a brain, and see this article for what it is - one person's opinion.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/forum-labor-bosses-run-vista-school-district/article_a34db6e3-bafc-54c3-ba8a-fd5c8c9c8b0c.html?mode=story
More on Gary Cass--He was a Grossmont School Board member who was elected according to Concerned Women of America to get rid of pro gay agenda and crooks in 2002. Grossmont is the second most infamous school district in San Diego County, after VUSD, for conspiracy theorist's attacks on public education.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bush2003/message/3681,
"Voters in Grossmont School District Throw Pro-'Gay' Crooks Out of Office"
(The original article was removed from the Concerned Women of America website--hence its posting on yahoo groups).
Cass moved to Vista in 2008 where he vowed to form the "Christian" Anti-Defamation Commission. http://www.christianadc.org/about-us/founders
He is a member of an anti-Gospel, anti-Jesus group whose message of hate and rejection of those less fortunate or different is the very opposite of the Gospel message of love and tolerance taught by Jesus.
These folks are also known as "little god" Christians because their god is so small compared to the God of the Bible. They worship a god only six thousand years old whose rules a universe only six thousand light years across. The actual universe is just over 13 billion light years across. Their 'god's' universe is 2.2 million times smaller than the size of the actual universe we live in--hence their nick name "little god christians."
Gary Cass also believes Barack Obama is so different from 'real' Christians that he could not possibly be one. He intends to 'prove' that in a series of videos leading up to the this coming
election in 2012.http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/people/gary-cass
Gary Cass is also associated with the Family Research Council and Coral Ridge Ministries. Concerned Women of America have four audios featuring Gary Cass as speaker:
http://search.freefind.com/find.html?si=4208944&pid=r&mode=ALL&query=Gary%20Cass&t=s
BEST COMMENT about Gary Cass forum:
mac4me said on: March 20, 2012, 10:03 pm
Wow. This forum article totally panders to the uninformed, uneducated, and mindless followers who do not question what an author writes or its validity and truth. Cass writes like his statements are facts, yet there is no journalistic backup whatsoever. Reminds me of the Nazi propaganda against the Jews in WWII - all inflammatory/incendiary remarks, without any stated basis in fact as proof. Sentence after sentence is devoted to unfounded, gratuitous, vain attempts to influence folks who can't think for themselves. The only follower he may get is the Scarecrow in Oz. The rest of us have a brain, and see this article for what it is - one person's opinion.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Gary Cass attacks without facts. Paranoid screed published in North County Times
The North County Times continues the attack on Vista Unified school teachers. Today they published an attack on school teachers. This one was written by Gary Cass apparently the Gibson Group has been 'talking among themselves.' Whenever they do they turn their most paranoid fears into gibson group "fact". This process allows them to hate and still feel good about themselves.
Read the Cass crazy rant here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/forum-labor-bosses-run-vista-school-district/article_a34db6e3-bafc-54c3-ba8a-fd5c8c9c8b0c.html
Below the three most inflammatory false charges highlighted in red:
Cass accuses teachers in VUSD of malfeasance and corrupt practices when he writes:
"Now the labor union bosses, who had been using the kids' reading money for their friends"
Where is his evidence? Why doesn't he take these charges to the district attorney? If his charges were true, then folks should go to jail.
But then we all know why he didn't. Cass is just making stuff up.
Sadly he has been allowed to get it published in the newspaper. Why?
"Union officials have in the past complained to the board that they wanted to give teachers a raise with the money required by law for reading improvement."
This is simply not true. Cass provides no evidence to back up this smear. It does not even pass the smell test. Where is the name of the person who asked for this? When did this happen? At what meeting?
There are minutes taken at EVERY meeting of any importance in the district, including school board meetings. Board meeting minutes are published on line. Yet Cass cannot reference any meeting or any speech or any person? He writes it, so we are to believe it's true? Really?
Without any evidence of any kind the North County Times publishes such an incendiary charge?
Remember when newspapers had standards?
Next paranoid raving:
"Because teachers get more pay when kids are not able to read English. That's right. There's an insidious incentive to hold kids back for the economic benefit of teachers."
Wow, that's pretty inflammatory stuff. Teachers are paid more when students learn less. This could be national news! Gosh darn his evidence must be rock solid to get such a contrary- -to-expectation charge, printed in a newspaper. So where is Cass' evidence?
Oh he doesn't give any? Therefore we must just trust that his OUTRAGEOUS, INSULTING, and INFLAMMATORY charge is correct because after all, he said it?
Really? What happened to standards and fact checking at the North County Times? So now anyone is allowed to get published any paranoid rant without anyone at the North County Times requiring the writer to verify his "facts"?
Apparently so. Another sad day in the slow, painful death of this once fine newspaper.
Read the Cass crazy rant here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/forum-labor-bosses-run-vista-school-district/article_a34db6e3-bafc-54c3-ba8a-fd5c8c9c8b0c.html
Below the three most inflammatory false charges highlighted in red:
Cass accuses teachers in VUSD of malfeasance and corrupt practices when he writes:
"Now the labor union bosses, who had been using the kids' reading money for their friends"
Where is his evidence? Why doesn't he take these charges to the district attorney? If his charges were true, then folks should go to jail.
But then we all know why he didn't. Cass is just making stuff up.
Sadly he has been allowed to get it published in the newspaper. Why?
"Union officials have in the past complained to the board that they wanted to give teachers a raise with the money required by law for reading improvement."
This is simply not true. Cass provides no evidence to back up this smear. It does not even pass the smell test. Where is the name of the person who asked for this? When did this happen? At what meeting?
There are minutes taken at EVERY meeting of any importance in the district, including school board meetings. Board meeting minutes are published on line. Yet Cass cannot reference any meeting or any speech or any person? He writes it, so we are to believe it's true? Really?
Without any evidence of any kind the North County Times publishes such an incendiary charge?
Remember when newspapers had standards?
Next paranoid raving:
"Because teachers get more pay when kids are not able to read English. That's right. There's an insidious incentive to hold kids back for the economic benefit of teachers."
Wow, that's pretty inflammatory stuff. Teachers are paid more when students learn less. This could be national news! Gosh darn his evidence must be rock solid to get such a contrary- -to-expectation charge, printed in a newspaper. So where is Cass' evidence?
Oh he doesn't give any? Therefore we must just trust that his OUTRAGEOUS, INSULTING, and INFLAMMATORY charge is correct because after all, he said it?
Really? What happened to standards and fact checking at the North County Times? So now anyone is allowed to get published any paranoid rant without anyone at the North County Times requiring the writer to verify his "facts"?
Apparently so. Another sad day in the slow, painful death of this once fine newspaper.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Number of Million dollar a year Californians up sharply
Jim Gibson who apparently thinks that funds for school children will appear magically if we slash taxes and slash teacher salaries might be shocked to know that as the number of his million dollar A YEAR friends increase dramatically the jobs they DON'T CREATE don't appear. I wonder why after all Gibson's God, Rush Limbaugh, says he never got a job from a poor person. Aren't the filthy rich job creators the way the Rush, the Republicans, and Jim Gibson say?
Of course not, we all know rich people don't create well paying jobs, only DEMAND creates jobs. If there is no demand, our rich friends are happy to keep every cent safe in their vaults. If there is demand, they pay as little as possible to the "servant" class, to meet that demand. But it is that demand that makes jobs. Nothing else.
Make the rich pay their fair share. Increase benefits and salary to what the billionaire bullies call the rabble or the "servant class" (folks like you and me), and we will spend the money to create demand. Silly billionaires strangling our wages strangles the economy and ultimately strangles their income.
To create demand their must be decent salaries and benefits. Only strong unions create high paying middle class jobs that make the demand. Jim Gibson and his rich friends don't get it. Never have, never will.
----------------------------
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/01/californians-with-million-dollar-incomes-up-sharply.html
January 11, 2012
Number of Californians with million-dollar incomes up sharply
The number of Californians reporting incomes of more than $1 million increased sharply last year, as did their share of the income stream, a new report from the Franchise Tax Board reveals.
The new data will fuel the political debate over whether high-income Californians should pay higher taxes.
There were 10,000 taxpayers in the million-dollar income club during the 2009 tax year -- just one-third of one percent of all returns -- but that number jumped 27 percent to more than 13,000 for 2010, based on tax returns filed in 2011.
The income millionaires reported adjusted gross incomes of $22.4 billion in 2009, an average of $2.2 million each. In 2010, the total jumped 30.2 percent to $29.1 billion, with the average remaining virtually unchanged.
Those increases were by far the largest of any income group, the FTB said, while that group's share of all adjusted gross income increased from 3.7 percent in 2009 to 4.5 percent in 2010, while its share of taxes jumped from 9.5 percent to 11 percent.
The top 1 percent of income taxpayers, about 140,000 returns with incomes averaging $1.1 million in 2009, saw their share of personal incomes drop sharply during the recession years, from a high of 25.2 percent in 2007 to just 18.4 percent two years later. Their income tax burdens also dropped, from 48.1 percent of the state's total in 2008 to 36.9 percent in 2009 -- a decrease that hit the state budget, which is largely dependent on income taxes, hard.
The 2010 data indicate that the wealthy are rebounding, which explains the recent surge in state revenues, but how extensive that recovery will be is the source of great controversy, especially the varying revenue estimates of the Brown administration and the Legislature's budget analyst. Gov. Jerry Brown also hopes that voters will agree to impose income tax surcharges on the highest income Californians this year.
Categories: California by the Numbers, State budget
Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/01/californians-with-million-dollar-incomes-up-sharply.html#storylink=cpy
Of course not, we all know rich people don't create well paying jobs, only DEMAND creates jobs. If there is no demand, our rich friends are happy to keep every cent safe in their vaults. If there is demand, they pay as little as possible to the "servant" class, to meet that demand. But it is that demand that makes jobs. Nothing else.
Make the rich pay their fair share. Increase benefits and salary to what the billionaire bullies call the rabble or the "servant class" (folks like you and me), and we will spend the money to create demand. Silly billionaires strangling our wages strangles the economy and ultimately strangles their income.
To create demand their must be decent salaries and benefits. Only strong unions create high paying middle class jobs that make the demand. Jim Gibson and his rich friends don't get it. Never have, never will.
----------------------------
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/01/californians-with-million-dollar-incomes-up-sharply.html
January 11, 2012
Number of Californians with million-dollar incomes up sharply
The number of Californians reporting incomes of more than $1 million increased sharply last year, as did their share of the income stream, a new report from the Franchise Tax Board reveals.
The new data will fuel the political debate over whether high-income Californians should pay higher taxes.
There were 10,000 taxpayers in the million-dollar income club during the 2009 tax year -- just one-third of one percent of all returns -- but that number jumped 27 percent to more than 13,000 for 2010, based on tax returns filed in 2011.
The income millionaires reported adjusted gross incomes of $22.4 billion in 2009, an average of $2.2 million each. In 2010, the total jumped 30.2 percent to $29.1 billion, with the average remaining virtually unchanged.
Those increases were by far the largest of any income group, the FTB said, while that group's share of all adjusted gross income increased from 3.7 percent in 2009 to 4.5 percent in 2010, while its share of taxes jumped from 9.5 percent to 11 percent.
The top 1 percent of income taxpayers, about 140,000 returns with incomes averaging $1.1 million in 2009, saw their share of personal incomes drop sharply during the recession years, from a high of 25.2 percent in 2007 to just 18.4 percent two years later. Their income tax burdens also dropped, from 48.1 percent of the state's total in 2008 to 36.9 percent in 2009 -- a decrease that hit the state budget, which is largely dependent on income taxes, hard.
The 2010 data indicate that the wealthy are rebounding, which explains the recent surge in state revenues, but how extensive that recovery will be is the source of great controversy, especially the varying revenue estimates of the Brown administration and the Legislature's budget analyst. Gov. Jerry Brown also hopes that voters will agree to impose income tax surcharges on the highest income Californians this year.
Categories: California by the Numbers, State budget
Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/01/californians-with-million-dollar-incomes-up-sharply.html#storylink=cpy
See Video that Jim Gibson and Rush Limbaugh don't want you to see
Here is a link to the Kardashian video that Rush Limbaugh, FOX News owner Rupert Murdoch, and Jim Gibson don't want you to see:
http://www.millionairestaxca.com/
http://www.millionairestaxca.com/
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Rusty Harris lie: Teachers are given more time to speak than others
Rusty Harris charge that teachers are allowed to speak to the school board longer than non teachers is just as phoney as the rest of his error filled screed. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/harris/harris-vista-teacher-union-stakes-out-big-win/article_6b4453cc-5ca9-508e-b897-8eb35b889d57.html
Rusty writes: "The trio took a "some are more equal than others" stance and upheld the practice of giving union representatives an unrestricted amount of time to speak."
The fact is that at each board meeting reports are made to the school board by various committees appointed by the school board. The two employee associations are also allowed to give reports. They are allowed the same amount of time that the committee reports have. This is a longer time than given to individuals, NOT ON THE AGENDA, who show up to speak to the board. The proposal of Jim Gibson was to reduce the time of the association report to the time allotted to those NOT ON THE AGENDA.
The Gibson motion was rejected by the majority for good reasons. It is important for the school board to know what their thousand plus employees are thinking. Hearing a brief report is a good way for this to happen. There had been no case of abuse by the two associations, so the majority of school board members voted not to reduce the time for association spokesman to report to the board.
Besides Gibson's motion also struck many as petty politics. Why give in to that? The majority chose not to.
Rusty writes: "The trio took a "some are more equal than others" stance and upheld the practice of giving union representatives an unrestricted amount of time to speak."
The fact is that at each board meeting reports are made to the school board by various committees appointed by the school board. The two employee associations are also allowed to give reports. They are allowed the same amount of time that the committee reports have. This is a longer time than given to individuals, NOT ON THE AGENDA, who show up to speak to the board. The proposal of Jim Gibson was to reduce the time of the association report to the time allotted to those NOT ON THE AGENDA.
The Gibson motion was rejected by the majority for good reasons. It is important for the school board to know what their thousand plus employees are thinking. Hearing a brief report is a good way for this to happen. There had been no case of abuse by the two associations, so the majority of school board members voted not to reduce the time for association spokesman to report to the board.
Besides Gibson's motion also struck many as petty politics. Why give in to that? The majority chose not to.
Harris lie: Bales was forced into retirement
This crazy break from reality was also in Rusty Harris' editorial found here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/harris/harris-vista-teacher-union-stakes-out-big-win/article_6b4453cc-5ca9-508e-b897-8eb35b889d57.html?mode=story
According to the North County Times article Joyce Bales retired at age 65 after forty years in education. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f8ff610c-75c6-50c8-9d61-b4bc86554f2e.html
She is going to Tennessee to retire, not to look for another job as a superintendent. She made no mention in the article about wishing she could stay on longer. She was allowed to become FULLY vested in the California state teachers retirement system when she was re-hired in 2008. She will have retirement income from at least two states. The California amount should be more than six figures a year. Why would she want to stay any longer?
Where does Rusty Harris come up with the fantasy that she wished to stay?
Does he realize that she is doing virtually no work now?
At the cabinet meetings at the district office, she hardly ever even utters a word. All the work is done and presented by associate and assistant superintendents. At least that is the skinny I have heard from one person who attends those meetings.
Joyce is no longer has the ump or enthusiasm for the job. She has been treading water since the 2008 election. Some have hinted at cognitive decline. Who knows?
What we do know is she has NEVER indicated she wanted to stay here any longer. She is the one who set her retirement date not the school board.
Where does Rusty Harris get off writing, "the board's ruling trio made clear to Bales her contract would not be extended, thus forcing her retirement." There is zero evidence of that except perhaps in the fantastical stories Jim Gibson makes up to entertain his gullible supporters.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/harris/harris-vista-teacher-union-stakes-out-big-win/article_6b4453cc-5ca9-508e-b897-8eb35b889d57.html?mode=story
According to the North County Times article Joyce Bales retired at age 65 after forty years in education. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_f8ff610c-75c6-50c8-9d61-b4bc86554f2e.html
She is going to Tennessee to retire, not to look for another job as a superintendent. She made no mention in the article about wishing she could stay on longer. She was allowed to become FULLY vested in the California state teachers retirement system when she was re-hired in 2008. She will have retirement income from at least two states. The California amount should be more than six figures a year. Why would she want to stay any longer?
Where does Rusty Harris come up with the fantasy that she wished to stay?
Does he realize that she is doing virtually no work now?
At the cabinet meetings at the district office, she hardly ever even utters a word. All the work is done and presented by associate and assistant superintendents. At least that is the skinny I have heard from one person who attends those meetings.
Joyce is no longer has the ump or enthusiasm for the job. She has been treading water since the 2008 election. Some have hinted at cognitive decline. Who knows?
What we do know is she has NEVER indicated she wanted to stay here any longer. She is the one who set her retirement date not the school board.
Where does Rusty Harris get off writing, "the board's ruling trio made clear to Bales her contract would not be extended, thus forcing her retirement." There is zero evidence of that except perhaps in the fantastical stories Jim Gibson makes up to entertain his gullible supporters.
Rusty Harris lie: Olive School was dismantled
Rusty Harris tried to show that three of our duly elected school board members were controlled by the union because "the Olive team was dismembered for showing lackluster fealty to the union by adhering to Bales' ideas, methods and goals"http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/harris/harris-vista-teacher-union-stakes-out-big-win/article_6b4453cc-5ca9-508e-b897-8eb35b889d57.html?mode=story
Ridiculous. This is fantastical and paranoid charge with no basis in fact or evidence or reality.
The school was not dismembered. It was not closed. It was moved several hundred yards to save the district money.
Is Harris pro-waste of taxpayer funds?
There are as many VTA and CSEA members (a majority) at Olive school as at any other campus in the district. Is that is "lackluster fealty"? What?
Come on Rusty get your facts straight. Next time talk with someone besides Jim Gibson when deciding what is true and what is not true in VUSD. There are FIVE school board trustees, not just one.
Ridiculous. This is fantastical and paranoid charge with no basis in fact or evidence or reality.
The school was not dismembered. It was not closed. It was moved several hundred yards to save the district money.
Is Harris pro-waste of taxpayer funds?
There are as many VTA and CSEA members (a majority) at Olive school as at any other campus in the district. Is that is "lackluster fealty"? What?
Come on Rusty get your facts straight. Next time talk with someone besides Jim Gibson when deciding what is true and what is not true in VUSD. There are FIVE school board trustees, not just one.
Rusty Harris lie: Teachers demolished Linda Mood-Bell reading program
Rusty Harris in his editorial said that teachers demolished Joyce Bales, "costly but effective reading program." http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/harris/harris-vista-teacher-union-stakes-out-big-win/article_6b4453cc-5ca9-508e-b897-8eb35b889d57.html?mode=story He is referring to the Linda Mood-Bell program that Joyce Bales mandated for every school site in the school district.
(http://www.lindamoodbell.com/)No one argues that it was not effective for the small number of students cherry picked by LMB staff to be helped. The problem was there are equally effective reading programs recommended by the State of California that are far cheaper that helped all students.
More importantly it was not the teachers who were upset at this waste, so much as the parents who previous to Joyce Bales had LOCAL SITE DISCRETION to choose and purchase for their own kids the program they wanted through funds provided to the state mandated School Site Council (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=edc&group=52001-53000&file=52850-52863)
The parents at several school campuses opposed Joyce Bales grab of SSC money for her LMB program. They spoke against Bales plan at school board meetings and pursued legal challenges. However the parents lost at the school board meetings and in their other challenges. So the parents did what all disgruntled folks do in a democracy. They organized and elected two new members of the board who were more parent friendly (former PTA officers Jaka and Chunka) and re-elected another (Herrera).
The new majority decided SSC's could once again use their site money and make their own local site decision instead of having a district wide decision rammed down their throats.
NOTE: No other school district in California besides VUSD under Dr. Bales used LMB as their primary reading supplement. There are over one thousand school districts in the state.
Also note: LMB is NOT on the California Approved List of Intensive Interventions for reading.http://www.vusd.k12.ca.us/Departments/BusinessServices/BAC%20Meetings/BAC%20Minutes%202-12-09.pdf
(http://www.lindamoodbell.com/)No one argues that it was not effective for the small number of students cherry picked by LMB staff to be helped. The problem was there are equally effective reading programs recommended by the State of California that are far cheaper that helped all students.
More importantly it was not the teachers who were upset at this waste, so much as the parents who previous to Joyce Bales had LOCAL SITE DISCRETION to choose and purchase for their own kids the program they wanted through funds provided to the state mandated School Site Council (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=edc&group=52001-53000&file=52850-52863)
The parents at several school campuses opposed Joyce Bales grab of SSC money for her LMB program. They spoke against Bales plan at school board meetings and pursued legal challenges. However the parents lost at the school board meetings and in their other challenges. So the parents did what all disgruntled folks do in a democracy. They organized and elected two new members of the board who were more parent friendly (former PTA officers Jaka and Chunka) and re-elected another (Herrera).
The new majority decided SSC's could once again use their site money and make their own local site decision instead of having a district wide decision rammed down their throats.
NOTE: No other school district in California besides VUSD under Dr. Bales used LMB as their primary reading supplement. There are over one thousand school districts in the state.
Also note: LMB is NOT on the California Approved List of Intensive Interventions for reading.http://www.vusd.k12.ca.us/Departments/BusinessServices/BAC%20Meetings/BAC%20Minutes%202-12-09.pdf
False Harris charge: District caved into a union friendly settlement
In Rusty Harris' editorial, he charges that there are three members of the VUSD school board are controlled by the teachers union. (What an insult to both our fine school board members and the voters of VUSD who elected them!)
Harris writes: VUSD "Caved into a union-friendly settlement of a lawsuit focused on the fact district taxpayers had been subsidizing the teacher association president's pay for decades."
This is twice wrong.
First district tax payers had never subsidized teacher association presidential pay. The VTA paid more than the full cost to the district of a release time president under the old fairly negotiated, MUTUALLY AGREED UPON, collectively bargained contract. The VTA paid slightly more than the cost of a replacement teacher for the president's classroom position.
This MUTUALLY AGREED UPON arrangement was not unique to VUSD. Close to one hundred other school districts in the state used similar language in their contracts. For more than a decade this provision was considered legal and passed all tests. But the VUSD vs VTA lawsuit overturned this precedent not only VTA, but for ALL other school districts and associations in the state. Hardly a "union friendly" thing to do.
Second the amount the school teachers were forced to pay in the settlement was the full amount allowed in the law due to statue of limitation rules.
Now all teachers in our district and every other district in the state are forced to subsidize their school districts for a release time president. Associations must pay not the actual cost to the district for a replacement for the released association president but far more. This lawsuit's success now means the FULL amount of an identical teacher with same place on salary schedule must be paid even when the district hires a much lower price replacement teacher. This is far above and beyond the districts costs. It amounts to a subsidy for the school district taken from the salaries of every teacher in the school district.
This lawsuit means the salary expenses for a school district actually go DOWN when an association president is given release time. This is blatantly unfair and not the intent of the original legislators nor would any fair minded average person think this arrangement fair. Sadly a poison pill was quietly inserted by Republicans into the original legislation that allowed this unfair and undemocratic ruling to be made by the court.
Neither the lawsuit or its settlement were in any way "union friendly." To call them so is to be either ignorant or worse.
Harris writes: VUSD "Caved into a union-friendly settlement of a lawsuit focused on the fact district taxpayers had been subsidizing the teacher association president's pay for decades."
This is twice wrong.
First district tax payers had never subsidized teacher association presidential pay. The VTA paid more than the full cost to the district of a release time president under the old fairly negotiated, MUTUALLY AGREED UPON, collectively bargained contract. The VTA paid slightly more than the cost of a replacement teacher for the president's classroom position.
This MUTUALLY AGREED UPON arrangement was not unique to VUSD. Close to one hundred other school districts in the state used similar language in their contracts. For more than a decade this provision was considered legal and passed all tests. But the VUSD vs VTA lawsuit overturned this precedent not only VTA, but for ALL other school districts and associations in the state. Hardly a "union friendly" thing to do.
Second the amount the school teachers were forced to pay in the settlement was the full amount allowed in the law due to statue of limitation rules.
Now all teachers in our district and every other district in the state are forced to subsidize their school districts for a release time president. Associations must pay not the actual cost to the district for a replacement for the released association president but far more. This lawsuit's success now means the FULL amount of an identical teacher with same place on salary schedule must be paid even when the district hires a much lower price replacement teacher. This is far above and beyond the districts costs. It amounts to a subsidy for the school district taken from the salaries of every teacher in the school district.
This lawsuit means the salary expenses for a school district actually go DOWN when an association president is given release time. This is blatantly unfair and not the intent of the original legislators nor would any fair minded average person think this arrangement fair. Sadly a poison pill was quietly inserted by Republicans into the original legislation that allowed this unfair and undemocratic ruling to be made by the court.
Neither the lawsuit or its settlement were in any way "union friendly." To call them so is to be either ignorant or worse.
Rusty Harris falsely villifies Vista school teachers
Rusty Harris continues the long tradition at the North County Times of one sided vilification of the Vista Teachers Association today. http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/harris/harris-vista-teacher-union-stakes-out-big-win/article_6b4453cc-5ca9-508e-b897-8eb35b889d57.html
As usual the attack is without merit and without fact. Apparently the only source Rusty Harris has is VUSD school board member, Jim Gibson. Gibson whose ability to tell fantasy tales is legendary also seems to have an anti-public education bias that filters everything he understands, sees or hears so that even the most ordinary school business is turned into dreadful tales of union and teacher maleficence. His accounts of what happened at a school board meeting are so tinged with this bias that they bear no relationship to the reality reflected in the recordings of the meeting, the minutes of the meeting or the heard or seen by the rest of the folks in attendance including the North County Times report Stacy Brandt.
Harris in the editorial today simply repeats the old Gibson shibboleth that the teachers control the school district with the additional paranoid touch that now the teachers will pick the new superintendent to get as Harris puts it "the big award it has diligently strived for during the past six years ---- total control of the school district."
This last bit of paranoia strangely contradicts the standard Gibson group propaganda lie that the teachers took control of the district in 1994 when two trustees were recalled by the VUSD community. The Gibson group use as proof of their false "control" accusation the democratic participation of Vista teachers in school board elections. The Gibson group views democracy by teachers as threatening or demonic.
As you may recall the Vista Teachers were forced into politics for the first time when radicals took majority control of our board in 1992 and made national headlines by their antics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vista,_California
Apparently it is an outrage when school teachers avail themselves of the same democratic right as every other American. Even when they only did so to save the district from the circus that occurred during the take over of the school board with major network satellite trucks stationed outside our school board meetings and national reporters from many national news papers assigned to cover the meetings. Hundreds of radical religious right showed up to yell support for gutting FACT based sex education and diluting science programs with superstition.
I presume since Vista Teachers have one of the lowest median salary in San Diego County and since the school board we "control" sued us, the lie that the false allegation that teachers control the district just will not fly any more so now it has morphed into teachers 'will control' the district soon.
As to controlling the process of picking the new superintendent because the VTA "controls" three school board members what an insult to duly elected representatives of the school district. Besides the president of the VTA was informed by the school board that neither she nor any teacher will be involved in the search for a new superintendent. There will be no seat at the table for teachers even a non-voting, non-speaking seat. No teacher will be able to listen in or have input in the selection process at all until possible the field has been narrowed to three candidates. And then perhaps if the board is in a good mood that day, they might inform the VTA of just who the top three candidates are. Wow, that sure sounds like control of the process to me, yeah right.
Poor Rusty, he needs to go back to basic Journalism 101 and get facts from more sources than one, grouchy old man (Jim Gibson) who frequent statements show a disdain, even hatred, for fact based public education, who refused to allow his four children to attend public schools, who pushed religiously based discrimination issues (Prop 8, Carrie Prejean Day) and never has one nice thing to say about any school or any teacher in Vista
.
As usual the attack is without merit and without fact. Apparently the only source Rusty Harris has is VUSD school board member, Jim Gibson. Gibson whose ability to tell fantasy tales is legendary also seems to have an anti-public education bias that filters everything he understands, sees or hears so that even the most ordinary school business is turned into dreadful tales of union and teacher maleficence. His accounts of what happened at a school board meeting are so tinged with this bias that they bear no relationship to the reality reflected in the recordings of the meeting, the minutes of the meeting or the heard or seen by the rest of the folks in attendance including the North County Times report Stacy Brandt.
Harris in the editorial today simply repeats the old Gibson shibboleth that the teachers control the school district with the additional paranoid touch that now the teachers will pick the new superintendent to get as Harris puts it "the big award it has diligently strived for during the past six years ---- total control of the school district."
This last bit of paranoia strangely contradicts the standard Gibson group propaganda lie that the teachers took control of the district in 1994 when two trustees were recalled by the VUSD community. The Gibson group use as proof of their false "control" accusation the democratic participation of Vista teachers in school board elections. The Gibson group views democracy by teachers as threatening or demonic.
As you may recall the Vista Teachers were forced into politics for the first time when radicals took majority control of our board in 1992 and made national headlines by their antics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vista,_California
Apparently it is an outrage when school teachers avail themselves of the same democratic right as every other American. Even when they only did so to save the district from the circus that occurred during the take over of the school board with major network satellite trucks stationed outside our school board meetings and national reporters from many national news papers assigned to cover the meetings. Hundreds of radical religious right showed up to yell support for gutting FACT based sex education and diluting science programs with superstition.
I presume since Vista Teachers have one of the lowest median salary in San Diego County and since the school board we "control" sued us, the lie that the false allegation that teachers control the district just will not fly any more so now it has morphed into teachers 'will control' the district soon.
As to controlling the process of picking the new superintendent because the VTA "controls" three school board members what an insult to duly elected representatives of the school district. Besides the president of the VTA was informed by the school board that neither she nor any teacher will be involved in the search for a new superintendent. There will be no seat at the table for teachers even a non-voting, non-speaking seat. No teacher will be able to listen in or have input in the selection process at all until possible the field has been narrowed to three candidates. And then perhaps if the board is in a good mood that day, they might inform the VTA of just who the top three candidates are. Wow, that sure sounds like control of the process to me, yeah right.
Poor Rusty, he needs to go back to basic Journalism 101 and get facts from more sources than one, grouchy old man (Jim Gibson) who frequent statements show a disdain, even hatred, for fact based public education, who refused to allow his four children to attend public schools, who pushed religiously based discrimination issues (Prop 8, Carrie Prejean Day) and never has one nice thing to say about any school or any teacher in Vista
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)