Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Wow. What Just Happened?

If you missed the school board meeting tonight, find a colleague who was there and ask what happened. Not the speakers who requested the reinstatement of the Pregnant Minors' Program, not the speakers who complained about the firing of the cheerleader advisor and the cancellation of their trip to Nationals, and not the parent speaker who chastised them on behalf of the teachers. No, ask your colleagues about what happened after the YCEA president spoke about the ongoing bargaining crisis.

You see, it's against the law for board members to engage in debate with speakers during public comment. It's also unprofessional to shout at them, interrupt them, pound on the table, and tell them they're providing their members with false information.

Are we providing false information? No - we merely took the salary schedules of 14 other districts, and provided charts that show that at all 6 major benchmarks, YCJUSD teachers are paid less than teachers at ANY other district. We're dead last. We have the lowest salary schedule around. We pointed out that the District needs to quit hiding behind the myth of "average teacher salaries" - that any fool can see that it's deliberately misleading. Apparently the District's financial experts haven't shared that with the board, or the board doesn't understand all the data and charts we've been giving them. We guess this post just doesn't make sense. We're just going to have to give them the complete charts.

We are appalled at the meltdown we witnessed tonight. But we won't back down. If she can't take the heat, we know of several candidates who would love to take her place.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am embarrassed to say that I voted for this woman!

First we have the district superintendent acting like a mad man and now one of the school board members!

Things need to change quickly before we come the laughing stock of California.

Anonymous said...

Three cheers to YCEA President Cyndi Holman for keeping her cool and presenting the facts.

Anonymous said...

This does not surprise me in the least when Patty verbally attacked a 13 year old student ( who did make a bit of an inappropriate remark to her telling her that the school board sucked) outside the district office this evening and lowered herself to the level of a 13 year old or lower, and told him to go tell his mom she shouldn't be giving him false information, and then told him to just get away . The hatred of students and teachers displayed by her, a school board member was not only unacceptable, but down right wrong for her position. How long will Yucaipa put up with this outragous behavior? Does she even know what her job is? Does she understand that she is there to work for the parents and students? Apparently not, nor does she understand an appropriate way to deal with a child. Maybe why she is a board member and NOT a Teacher?!

Anonymous said...

What the heck happened???

Anonymous said...

Way to go Cyndi! You're the best!

Anonymous said...

Too late, we ARE the laughing stock of the Inland Empire; which in turn is the laughing stock of California.

Anonymous said...

Grow up dear Board Memeber. You are messing with people's financial and emotional lives. We do have the data and we have examined it beyond average salary. Of all the board members I would think you are math-minded enough to understand the data. You know how you felt last night? That's how 450 of us have felt for 578 days! You have the power to fix this, do the right thing.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the district will "fix things" by voting to make her "Board Member of the Year?"

Appalled said...

To the board members and administrators who read this blog:

Let's be sure you understand. In now way does your anger and frustration with US deter us. Every time you misbehave or mismanage, it strengthens our resolve.

Lashing out in anger when you don't like the facts is pathetic. Emotions won't change the facts, and you should be ashamed that instead of doing the right thing, and treating your LOYAL teachers fairly, you publically castigate them and vilify them using taxpayer money.

Our next counter should be a count down to the next election. OOPS!!! You've decided to change that! What a coincidence. Hopefully Yucaipa voters will have a long memory, and remove the incompetent (should be a rather happy housecleaning day....lots of empty space around the horseshoe on 3rd St.)

YCEA thanks you for unifying our members by making us realize the caliber of people we are working for. Nothing brings people together like a common foe.....On a closing note, bullying only works when the bullied are fearful. When the bullied realize that the bully lacks the ability to withstand a large number of victims standing up together for what is right, the bullying ends.

We are the bullied, and we are no longer fearful.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps it is time to stop saying "the board" this and "the board" that and start focusing on the individual(s) who are playing this sad power game with our children.

Any word on how what color the carpet in the new district building will be?

Anonymous said...

"and told him to go tell his mom she shouldn't be giving him false information, and then told him to just get away"

If any of us were to do this in our classrooms, we'd be looking for other employment.