Yucaipa-Calimesa Teachers

Letter to YCEA Members

2009-08-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

August 17, 2009

Dear YCEA Members,

Welcome back to a new school year – one that we know is going to be a fabulous one for our students, and challenging for us. I know that all of you are concerned about the financial situation in California and the District, as emphasized by the letter we all received from Dr. Kendrick during the summer.

Yes, indeed, it will not be “business as usual.” We acknowledge that the situation is dire. We will not stick our heads in the sand and refuse to participate in cost-cutting measures. However, we also acknowledge that there are many different ways to make cuts, and not all of them need to be on the backs of students and educators. Last year, in addition to agreeing to a furlough day, for the first time we agreed to pick up the increase to the cost of the health benefits. Also, we lost approximately 24 YCEA MEMBERS – some of which still do not have a job. We lost approximately 19 POSITIONS – so cuts were indeed made IN the classroom, not just close to it.

The Superintendent referred to “team spirit” in her letter. It’s that “team spirit” that is going to get us through this financial crisis. We fully intend to participate in the discussion, but before we even begin to consider further concessions on our part, we need to be able to see a District commitment to cost-cutting away from the classroom.

To that end, we are asking for your input. We are soliciting your suggestions as to where the District can save money. You may give us these suggestions in several ways:
1. Email your suggestions to budget@ycea.org
OR
2. Visit the ycea.com website and use the “Email Us” button
OR
3. Write us a note or letter and send it via District mail to the YCEA Office
OR
4. Write us a note or letter and send it via regular postal mail to:
Budget Suggestions
Yucaipa-Calimesa Educators Association
504 Myrtlewood Drive, Suite A
Calimesa, CA 92320
Please provide us your input NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 11. Thank-you for your assistance. We hope you have a great year!

Cyndi Holman Patrick Smith Tom Herron
President Vice-President Negotiations Chair

-------------------------------------------------
If you would like to leave a comment/suggestion below, it will be considered ONLY on two conditions:
a. You are a YCEA Member
b. You identify yourself BY NAME

Anonymous comments will be rejected.

Don't let them mislead you....

2009-08-18T13:23:00.001-07:00

I read with interest a handout from the District, meant for the school board, in which they outlined "Administrative Position Adjustments." They're trying to say that they lost two positions. Hmm. Which ones, do you think? They claim they lost the assistant principal at WES and the assistant principal at OVEC. They rightly point out that they added a principal at WES, and an assistant principal at MVMS, but try to claim that they really lost "two positions that would ordinarily be filled with new personnel."

What they failed to put in their chart is that they DID fill two administrative positions with new personnel! They created a new "Dean of Students" at OVEC, which is pretty much the same as the assistant principal, and they created a "Coordinator" of the Special Education Pre-School (also an administrative position).

The District now has 33 administrators, 2 more than last year. I don't see where that could be considered a loss of positions.

Evaluate principals based on student test scores?

2009-08-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hmmm. Interesting concept. Probably just as controversial to principals as basing teacher evaluations on test scores is to teachers.

San Diego is trying to do it:

First Test for Principals: Getting Judged on Test Scores

Don't Believe the Press!

2009-02-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

No local newspaper - News-Mirror, Press-Enterprise, or Sun - has contacted any person in YCEA for information on the budget crisis and related issues. Every quote we see in the paper is from a District administrator or school board member.

It is irresponsible reporting to NOT get both sides of a story, and even more irresponsible to get a huge part of a story WRONG.

The first example is the Yucaipa News-Mirror's article from two weeks ago, which stated that YCEA supported the elimination of Class Size Reduction - and misstated it twice in the same article. As a matter of fact, SAVING Class Size Reduction was our #2 item on the list, after our proposal to reconfigure elementary school boundaries and eliminate elementary APs (one item). YCEA wrote a letter to the News-Mirror pointing out the error and requesting a correction, but so far nothing has been published correcting this error. Had reporter Bill Brown contacted YCEA for input, which would be fair and impartial journalism, then this glaring error would not have been printed.

Second, the Press-Enterprise quoted school board member Sue Brown: " 'The district's management team will take five furlough days, and cuts are being made in district office administration,' Brown said." Excuse me? There are NO cuts being made in district office administration! They converted two accountant positions into one in the business office, and didn't rehire a clerk position in human resources. But NO administrator has been let go or reassigned. Not only is Ms. Brown misrepresenting the facts, had a reporter from the Press-Enterprise contacted YCEA for input, which would be fair and impartial journalism, then this glaring error would not have been printed.

A Word About Comments

2009-02-17T06:40:00.000-08:00

The authors of this blog respectfully request that the nasty, personal comments stop. We will not publish them. Not only are they contrary to the point of this blog, they are misinformed. We'll give three examples:

1) The board did NOT make a choice between "saving" Dunlap and saving CSR. There isn't an "either-or" choice to be made, by either the board OR the negotiations team. The board merely pulled the Dunlap decision from consideration that week, delaying it until the next meeting. Then, because of the layoff timeline, it voted to approve the administration's cost-cutting recommendations. It did this just in case an agreement of any kind could not be met with the Association in time for the RiF notices. The YCEA negotiations team continues to work to save all possible jobs.

2) You cannot offer to take more kids in your classes in order to save jobs. Taking more kids into your class eliminates jobs. We HAVE to keep CSR classes at 20:1 in order to keep all of our members.

3) Two, possibly four jobs are subject to elimination if the closure of Dunlap is approved. Yes, many Dunlap members and parents are concerned about other issues related to Dunlap, but our priority in this matter has got to be the jobs.

We will continue to moderate the comments.

Pink Friday is Coming to Yucaipa

2009-02-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

Unless something is done NOW, many outstanding Yucaipa educators will be receiving pink slips in March.

Learn more about what you can do to help at the Pink Friday Website.

Small Ariz. District saves $500K with 4 day week.

2009-02-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

The Bisbee Unified School District (under 1000 students) has figured it could save 13 teaching jobs and $500,000 if it added an hour to the instructional day and switched to a four day week.

Link to MSNBC.com article

Link to Sierra Vista Herald article

How many jobs and how much $$$ could Yucaipa (~9,700 students) save if it followed suit?

Just a thought to consider...

2009-02-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

Save Class Size Reduction!!!

Contact your school board members:
Chuck Christie: chuck_christie@ycjusd.k12.ca.us
Jim Taylor: jim_taylor@ycjusd.k12.ca.us
Patty Ingram: patty_ingram@ycjusd.k12.ca.us
Jane Smith: jane_smith@ycjusd.k12.ca.us
Sue Brown: sue_brown@ycjusd.k12.ca.us

Contact your elected representatives:
Arnold Schwarzenegger: (213) 897-0322 e-mail form
State Senator Paul Cook: (909) 790-4196 e-mail form

Visit the Save Dunlap Site

2009-02-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

A group of dedicated parents has created a website with more information about their efforts to save this valuable school.

Link to website.

District Figures Out Creative Solution To Upset Parents, Students and Teachers

2009-02-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

In total disregard to the First Amendment the district has sent a letter home to Dunlap parents informing them that public comments regarding the proposed closing of Dunlap will be severely limited or possibly not permitted at the February 10 board meeting -- the same meeting where the board will be voting on closing Dunlap.

We'll Miss You Dunlap!

2009-01-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

In a move that shocked the community and district employees, the leadership at 3rd Street announced, via an article in the News-Mirror, that they are proposing to close Dunlap Elementary and lay off large numbers of district teachers.

Here is a link to the article.

It is sad that the district decides to close a school that has been a fixture of this community for over fifty years without any consultation whatsoever with the parents, teachers or staff members directly involved.

Feeling Cool and Comfortable?

2008-05-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Community member, Andrew Matlock wrote a great letter to the editor in this week's News Mirror...take a look:

Budget cuts should not affect students

In its latest cost cutting effort, the YCJUSD has decided to raise the thermostats in classrooms throughout the district so that the air conditioning does not come on until the temperature reaches 78 degrees.

Now I don't know when the last time you were in a small classroom with 30-35 students during a heat wave, but it makes for an unbearable situation that is in no way conducive to effective learning.

To make matters worse, state testing, the benchmark by which schools are judged, is scheduled to begin soon and suffice it to say, taking a series of tests in excruciating heat will probably not lead to high scores.

However, the most troubling aspect of this situation arose last week when I attended a school board meeting. Apparently the temperature in the board room is not regulated as district officials lowered the thermostat not once, but twice during the meeting to ensure the temperature remained in the low 70s.

Now while no one will argue the blame for the current budget crisis facing schools throughout the state lies solely with politicians in Sacramento, one has to question the leadership of this district when it continually looks to cut programs and costs closest to the classroom and students instead of those furthest from the classroom.

And I can think of no place further from the classroom, both literally and figuratively, than a district office board room.

It is time for this district to actually make a positive difference in the life of each child instead of just saying it does in a mission statement.

Andrew Matlock
Calimesa

How do you feel? You can send a follow up letter to:
cteeters@newsmirror.net

or write The News Mirror at:

Yucaipa News Mirror
35154 Yucaipa Blvd.
Yucaipa, CA 92399

Feel free to post your own comments and observations here.

Teacher Layoffs in Motion

2008-03-03T09:21:00.001-08:00

Just the Facts:

At the February 26, 2008 board meeting, the Board authorized a resolution to lay off 17 teachers. They have eliminated the Agriculture position at the high school, stating they intend to convert the program to ROP. They are also eliminating one secondary English position, one middle-school Math/Science position, 4 PE positions, and 10 elementary positions.

They plan to use CLAD as a "bumping criteria," meaning teachers who don't have their CLAD will be the first to go (if they're in one of the RIFd positions).

They give three reasons for these layoffs: 1) they state they're overstaffed, 2) the state's budget crisis, and 3) the March 15 requirement for issuing layoff notices.

Personal Notes:

I sat in on 5 meetings on Friday with teachers receiving notices. It was heartbreaking. I could offer only words of support, and promises of representation, while these members are learning that they're losing their jobs.

Things are hopeful for some of them - the District is advertising for reading specialists, and if current members take one or more of those jobs, positions will open back up. In addition, there might be more resignations or retirements coming in, and those would open positions back up, too.

Additional Information:

Many of you have asked about administration and classified, since it appears that the District targeted teachers only. No, they targeted teachers first (while Redlands, San Bernardino, Chino, Murrieta, Los Angeles, and other districts refuse to lay off teachers).

On Friday, they notified four administrators that they are losing their positions - though one of them has already made it clear he's leaving anyway. Two will go back in the classroom (they get to keep a job), and the last one is undecided as to whether she'll go back in the classroom or to another district.

CSEA will suffer, too - unfortunately. They have a 45-day notice requirement, so the District will decide later as to how many/who will be laid off.

We (YCEA and CSEA) have consistently stated that the cuts don't have to be the people who work with and for the kids. The cuts need to be as far away from the classroom as they can be:

1. The artificial turf and the all-weather track, for example.
2. Excess staff at the District Office. (Don't get me started - they've gotten HUGE the past few years)
3. SROs (School Resource Officers - for which we pay 4-5 times the amount we could pay a campus monitor to do the same job. )
4. Do we really need brand-new textbooks in these lean times?
5. Buffet spreads for board members on board meeting nights.

Other ideas? Let us hear from you. In the meantime, I have a dozen or so more layoff meetings to attend.

Did She Really Say That?

2007-10-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, it’s not a rumor. At the September 11 board meeting, board member Sue Brown questioned the need for K-3 class size reduction. Her exact words were:

“And then finally, going over all the budget things with Jim and Ted, I am reminded that we have a $1.7 million encroachment because of class size reduction in grades K through 3. And I am just wondering, besides the fact that we know that we all benefit from extra attention and what not, is that investment paying off for our kids? An are we using the money in the best way possible when we are spending that kind of money for a very small group of kids?”

(What not?) YCEA would like to gently point out that all students in YCJUSD have to attend kindergarten, first grade, second grade and third grade. EVERY SINGLE child in YCJUSD benefits from this program.

In a time when the District is NOT in financial difficulties, do you really want to be represented by a board member who questions the need for class size reduction?

As the board begins to look forward to next year, do not stand by and let them eliminate or curtail valuable programs. Talk to them. Let them know what you think!

Administrative Changes

2007-08-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the new-found concept of promoting from within, the board has approved former CMS/MVMS principal Melissa Moore to the position of Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources.

In addition, the following administrative changes have been announced:

Principal - Canyon Middle School - Eric Vreeman (formerly Principal of YAS)
Principal - Yucaipa Elementary - Elizabeth Chronister (formerly AP at YHS)
Asst. Principal - Yucaipa High - Joe Hyde
Asst. Principal - Park View Middle - Joe Maletesta (formerly science teacher @ PVMS)
Asst. Principal - Park View Middle - Frank Tucci (formerly AP at RES & CES)
Asst. Principal - Valley & Yucaipa Elementary Schools - Dana Carter (former PE teacher @ CES)
Asst. Principal - Calimesa & Wildwood Elementary Schools - James Cherry (formerly AP at DES & YES)
Assistant Principal - Dunlap & Ridgeview Elementary Schools - Kristie Marino (formerly AP at PVMS)
Assistant Principal - Canyon Middle School - Mike Bennett (formerly AP at PVMS)

So, vacant positions include:

Principal - Mesa View Middle School
Principal - Yucaipa Adult School

YCJUSD has a new Superintendent

2007-06-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are still checking the blog, yesterday morning, the District announced (via a brief email) that Dr. Sherry Kendrick was appointed our new District Superintendent. Let's hope that she is up to the task of rebuilding the relationship between the Association and the district administration.

YCEA Featured in California Educator

2007-05-25T04:38:00.000-07:00

Take a look on pages 24 & 25 of the print issue or read it online here:

Link to article

It's official, Hovey's packing his bags for Fullerton!

2007-05-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here's the article in today's N-M.

We wish him well.

When Will Mesa View Open?

2007-05-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

“In the best case environment, we could open up some time during the 2008/09 school year. If the timeline slips for any reason, then we may have to push back until the 2009/10 school year.”

Ted Alejandre, quoted in today's News-Mirror.

And how much will it cost?

Take a look at the article in the N-M to find out all the details.

Pics from our Recognition Event

2007-05-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Teachers' Choice Award - Linda S. from the Specialists

Teachers' Choice Award - Susan A from Wildwood

Teachers' Choice Award - Lori H from Meadow Creek

Teachers' Choice Award - Melody F from Calimesa

Teachers' Choice Award - Marilyn S. from Ridgeview

Retiree Donna H listens to praise from her friend Pat P

Retiree Linda C receives her plaque

Susan A talks about her friend, retiree April K

A great crowd, great location - we'll be back!

20 year service pins
Grete L, Gayle T, Kay P

10 year service pins

Retiree Kay P shares the moment with her friend Adrienne M

Retiree Lana S listens to her friend Chris K

Valley Elementary

Dunlap Elementary and Teachers' Choice - Jan M.

A Visit With Some Old Friends

2007-05-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Friday night we held our annual recognition event, where we honor our retirees, give out the service pins, and (beginning this year) announce the teachers' choice awards. We held this year's event at the Mill Creek Cattle Company in Mentone, and it was very well attended. In our next post, we'll show some of our honorees, but we thought we'd share pics of some of our former colleagues who joined us for the festivities.

Chris K.

Bonnie M.

Norma W. and Jack B.

Ellen G. and Ann M.

Dave G.

Should the Blog Continue? Sound Off!

2007-05-18T06:22:00.001-07:00

Now that YCEA has finally reached a fair settlement with the district, has this blog served its purpose? Should it fade away into the Twilight Zone of the internet or should it remain---a sort of "virtual teachers lounge" where we can share ideas freely?

What do YOU think? Post a comment and let us know.

Congratulations, John!

2007-05-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Mark Watkins.

Yucaipa High School teacher John Hawkins proudly displays his CTA Communications Award, presented to him at the San Gorgonio Service Center Council WHO (We Honor Ours) Awards Dinner. John received this award from the California Teachers Association for his informative, illustrated set of emails called "Postcards from Orlando" sent from the NEA Representative Assembly last summer. CTA bestows only a small number of Communications Awards, for newsletters, websites, and for this "special" category in which John was selected. We're very proud that one of our members has received this statewide honor.

Contract Ratified By Membership!

2007-05-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

Local Businesses to Thank

2007-05-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Let's start the list - we'll update it as you let us know who/what business to add.

Please write them letters, patronize their businesses, and thank them in person.

These business sported "WE SUPPORT YUCAIPA-CALIMESA TEACHERS" signs:

Las Fuentes
White Rabbit
Big John's Philly Steaks
Hair 'n' U
Farmer Boys
The Water Store
Skat Trak
Dr. Wise Orthodontics
Roadrunner Towing
La Mexicana
El Pollo Loco
Mr. Crum's Donuts
Dr. Jarrett (chiropractor)
Rosa's Beauty Shop
The Training Zone
Valero (Wildwood/California)

Who else?

Presenting the People Who Brought You the Settlement:

2007-05-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

You!

What a heartwarming sight it was to walk out of the district office after 7 hours of sitting to see the hundreds of teachers, parents, and other supporters who came to the rally. Some of the negotiations team were moved to tears. It made us go back in there and continue to fight for a fair settlement.

We could never have done this without all of you.

This is the view we had out of the window after you finished your march around the district office. We found out later that the beginning of the line caught up with the end! How cool was that?!

Settlement Information - As Promised

2007-05-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

You may view the settlement information here.

We hope you'll agree with us that this is indeed a great settlement!

Watch This Space!!!

2007-05-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, after 5:00 pm, you'll be able to see all the settlement information right here! We decided to share it with you now, since we learned that we need to post the TA before the general meeting. This way, you get the information now, and have time to digest it and come to the meeting with your questions.

Thanks so much!!

T.A. Reached!

2007-05-11T03:02:00.000-07:00

We've received word from the YCEA Negotiations Team that a T.A. was signed at approximately 2:15 A.M. this morning. We don't know any details about it yet but we're assured that all members will be presented with a complete explanation at a General Membership meeting next week.

638 Days to reach a
Tentative Settlement!

Huge Turn-out Today

2007-05-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Well over 450 teachers and supporters turned out...do you think the school board got the message?
Here's a teaser picture (thanks MW) more to come...

Rally starts at 4:00

2007-05-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

Let's hope that the Negotiations Team will be able to announce a settlement and that it will become a celebration instead of a protest.

637 Days Without a Settlement!

Great Job On the Picket Lines!

2007-05-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Mail your pictures to yucaipateacher@gmail.com and we'll post them here!

Dunlap Elementary had an AWESOME turnout:

See You On The Picket Lines This Morning!

2007-05-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

Make sure that ALL of your staff is out there---show the parents, community, administration and BOARD that were are united and determined for a fair settlement.

Check back tonight for pictures.

636 Days Without a Settlement!

California Day of the Teacher - May 9

2007-05-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

How will the Board recognize us for all that we do?

Will they offer us a fair salary settlement?

Will they have the courage to stop by school sites and talk with teachers to find out what they could do to make things better?

Or...will they send out a cheap, Xeroxed proclamation and try to ignore us?

635 Days Without a Settlement!

Let's have a GREAT turn out Wednesday morning!

2007-05-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Remind your colleagues! Picketing BEFORE school at your respective school site Wednesday morning. Check with your site crisis captain about what time your site will start and end.

Let's put an end to the crisis THIS WEEK!

634 Days Without a Settlement!

Lessons Learned from Colton

2007-05-06T19:56:00.001-07:00

Our school board members should read this!!!!

In Saturday's Sun, Colton school board member Marge Mendoza-Ware discussed the lessons she learned from the crisis in Colton. We are impressed. Her words should be required reading for all school board members, especially ours.

Here's her letter:

If we learn from our mistakes, then our mistakes may very well be worth the pain. If we share with others the lessons we learn and they take heed of those lessons, then we can see the fruit of our labor.

As a school board member for the Colton Joint Unified School District, I recently made some mistakes. It is my hope that school board members and administrators in other school districts will benefit from what I have learned..

• Lesson No. 1: Play fair. Do not insult your teachers by making a ridiculously low first offer.

• Lesson No. 2: Listen to your teachers. They are not trying to break the bank–they understand that if the bank is broken, they won't have a job.

• Lesson No. 3: Listen to your parents. Parents in the CJUSD wanted the district to dig deep and compensate the teachers with as much as we could.

• Lesson No. 4: Communicate openly, honestly and frequently with all stakeholders: teachers, parents, administrators and classified staff. Above all, be absolutely sure you are making your best possible offer.

• Lesson No. 5: Broken relationships are much harder to mend than those that remained honest and respectful. Do not let negotiations become a battle of us vs. them. If you do, your students will lose.

• Lesson No. 6: Your students are aware, and they are watching. They love their teachers and want the to be in the classroom, undistracted and ready to teach.

• Lesson No. 7: Visit your schools as frequently as possible.

• Lesson No 8: Remember your job is to facilitate the best possible education for your students. Having happy, well-compensated teachers and classified staff who feel you support their efforst is the quickest way to happy, well-educated students.

County Schools Superintendent Herb Fischer once told me about a time in his career when he thought he was absolutely correct in a position he had taken until one day he heard another side of the issue he had not considered. The argument was so compelling that he changed his position. I have always respected him for sharing that story.

I hope somewhere in my lesson you, too, will listen with an open mind, and if you have heard a compelling argument, you will change your position.

Jim, Patty, Sue, and Joyella - SHE'S SPEAKING TO YOU!!!!

Visit the Parent Site

2007-05-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Parents In Support of Teachers have their own blog...visit it at:
pistparent
be sure and leave a comment or two to show them that everybody in the Yucaipa-Calimesa community appreciates their hard work in helping to retain quality teachers in the YCJUSD.

633 Days Without a Settlement!

Let my people go!

2007-05-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon, YCEA was informed that the District has filed yet another unfair labor practice charge; this time, it concerns our notification that we intend to terminate the contract this month. Apparently they argue that we have no right to exit a contract even though we entered into it voluntarily. In fact, they seem to contend that our current contract will last, day to day, forever!

What will it take to make our Superintendent and the board change their minds? How about a horde of locust, frogs falling from the sky, a plague, or …

460 really frustrated teachers outside the District Office on May 10?

As promised...more pictures!

2007-05-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

631 Days Without a Settlement!

"I know we hid it around here somewhere!"

2007-05-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

School board members, under the direction of Superintendent Mitch Hovey go on a treasure hunt, looking for all the taxpayer dollars that they have hidden away.

630 Days Without a Settlement!

Your Tax Dollars at Work

2007-05-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

So, do you really believe the District when it tells you “Mesa View Middle School didn't cost local taxpayers?” Hmmm. Where do YOUR taxes go? Arizona?

For your information, take a look at these numbers:

In addition to the approximately $31 million dollars of taxpayer money from the state,

- $1,000,000 transferred out of the CFD (Community Facilities District)* to the General Fund “for construction of Mesa View Middle School gymnasium.”
- $391,153 out of the CFD to pay for environmental consulting and traffic studies for MVMS.
- $15,000 out of the CFD to pay for inspection services for the road.
- $35,670 out of Maintenance and Operations to pay for asphalt for MVMS.
- $5,283 per month, plus benefits, out of the General Fund, for a full-time custodian and groundskeeper to take care of an empty school.

* For our readers who don’t know what a CFD is: It’s a “Special Tax” paid by local property owners to finance public improvements and services. In this case, the CFD was established by YCJUSD, and the local property owners have a “Special Tax Lien” placed against their property.

Source: YCJUSD School Board Minutes for 6/29/04, 9/13/05, 2/7/06, 3/21/06, 5/2/06, 8/8/06, 11/7/06

629 Days Without a Settlement!

We're on YouTube!

2007-05-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

629 Days Without a Settlement!

Great Turnout!

2007-05-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

Let's hope that this sign of unity shows the Board we're serious about fighting!

Watch the blog for more pictures.

628 Days Without a Settlement!

BIG Protests Planned For Tuesday

2007-04-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

Come join your colleagues, neighbors and family members at the corner of Oak Glen Road and Yucaipa Blvd. Tuesday from 3:00 to 5:00 for some good old fashioned picketing! It's important that we show our strength and unity before we have fact finding next week.

627 Days Without a Settlement!

How do we compare to Rancho Cucamonga?

2007-04-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

When we look at the visitor logs for this blog, we find that many of the visitors are from Yucaipa, Redlands, Calimesa, Beaumont, Loma Linda and other cities where our teachers live. We see occasional visits from throughout the state as well as worldwide. However, something that's interesting is that Rancho Cucamonga residents seem very interested in what's happening in the Yucaipa-Calimesa School District. It's amazing that this blog is regularly visited by visitors from Rancho Cucamonga even though a quick check of the district directory shows that no teachers live in Rancho.

To show our appreciation to Rancho Cucamonga residents for being so concerned about the plight of Yucaipa teachers, we'd thought we see how teachers in Rancho Cucamonga are paid versus their counterparts in Yucaipa-Calimesa.

At Rancho Cucamonga High School, teachers make anywhere from approximately $4,500 to more than $15,000 more per year than their counterpart at Yucaipa High, doing the same job with the same credentials.
Here's some examples:
Mrs. Z is a chemistry teacher at Yucaipa High, she is in her seventh year teaching and has just recently completed her masters degree. She makes $53,568 per year at Yucaipa High but if she taught at Rancho Cucamonga High School she would make $62,241 per year---$8,673 more which equates to almost 16.2% more.

As teachers reach retirement age, the difference gets even greater. A teacher with 33 years experience, a masters degree + 30 additional graduate units makes $15,122 more at Rancho Cucamonga High---more than a 19% difference. That kind of difference can have long lasting implications into retirement.
You can see the salary schedule for the Chaffey Union High School District (which includes Rancho Cucamonga High) here:
Yucaipa's salary schedule is available online here:

To be fair, we must point out that Rancho Cucamonga is not served by a unified school district, so that means that elementary teachers work in different districts than their secondary counterparts. So lets look at how things look on the elementary front:

Mr. Z is a fourth grade teacher at Valley Elementary School in Yucaipa. This is his first year teaching and he has a bachelor's degree plus 30 units of classes required to get his teaching credential. At Valley Elementary he makes $39,250 but if he taught at Terra Vista Elementary in Rancho Cucamonga he would make $44,002--$4,752 or 12.1% more. If he continued teaching in Yucaipa and moved all the way over on the pay scale, he would find himself falling farther and farther behind. A teacher with 24 years of experience and 75 units of graduate work (including a masters degree) only makes $75,329 at Valley Elementary whereas their counterpart at Terra Vista in Rancho makes $85,255 per year---$9,926 or nearly 13.2% more.

Terra Vista Elementary is part of the Etiwanda School District. Their salary schedule is available here.

626 Days Without a Settlement!

Something Fishy Is Going On!

2007-04-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

Does the board NOT think the public and teachers will notice that they cancelled their May 1st board meeting (the same day YCEA had rallies scheduled in the afternoon) and then scheduled a "special" board meeting for the same day, May 1st, but at 2:00 in the afternoon. They have guaranteed that they won't have to hear any input from from teachers since they are holding their board meeting at a time when all district teachers are required to be in their classrooms.

Teachers and PARENTS are TIRED of the board's unwillingness to resolve the pressing issues in the district. Let's hope and pray they take action Tuesday to give the district's bargaining team the parameters they need to reach a settlement.

625 Days Without a Settlement!

Let's Hear it for the Non-Teacher "Teachers!"

2007-04-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Just to remind everyone that it's not just classroom teachers who are in this fight, we would like to post this fabulous letter submitted by our psychologists:

As student support providers (School Psychologists) for YCJUSD we wanted to publicly voice our support for our union’s stance in the current negotiation crisis. We believe that YCJUSD teachers, counselors, psychologists and speech therapists deserve fair compensation for the service they provide to the communities of Yucaipa and Calimesa. We firmly believe that a high quality and well rounded educational system is vital to both communities. However, for Yucaipa and Calimesa to have a high quality educational system it needs to recruit highly qualified and highly motivated certificated staff. This is not to say that Yucaipa-Calimesa is not already a high quality educational system but rather we believe in order to maintain its level of excellence Yucaipa-Calimesa certificated staff should be reasonably compensated. This would also create a competitive salary schedule to further recruit and maintain quality staff. After reviewing all of the facts, it seems reasonable to us that the request of being compensated the full COLA amount for salaries is a reasonable and realistic demand. We as student support providers deal with some of the neediest students in the communities of Calimesa and Yucaipa. These students bring many different issues to the classroom, from behavior disorders, to learning disorders, to cognitive disabilities, to autism and other disabilities. Yearly, teachers are asked to get students to meet higher and higher levels of academic standards and achievement goals despite the increasing needs that students bring to the classroom, thus placing increasing demands on teachers. These demands should not be the primary responsibility of the classroom teacher, rather should be the responsibility of a strong network of highly qualified student support providers, who are experts in the field of counseling, mental health and educational psychology. Along with fair and competitive compensation for teachers, YCJUSD student support providers should also be fairly and duly compensated. Failure to competitively and fairly compensate all YCJUSD certificate staff will put the communities of Yucaipa and Calimesa in a less competitive position to recruit high quality teachers and student support staff. Without high quality teachers students receive a less quality education. Without high quality student support staff students with behavior, emotional, learning, cognitive and other disabilities receive less quality support. Less quality education leads to more illiteracy and less quality student support leads to crime and other societal problems. Board members, community leaders and business leaders should then contemplate which is worse: paying YCJUSD certificated staff the full amount of Cost Of Living Adjustment or possibly having more illiteracy and delinquency in their communities.

YCJUSD School Psychologists

NOTE: We also include our counselors and our speech therapists!

624 Days Without a Settlement!

Kudos to Kathryn!

2007-04-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

Today, The San Bernardino County Sun published a great letter to the editor from Kathryn Elliot from YHS. Way to go Kathryn! Yesterday it was the Press-Enterprise and today it's The Sun.

You can view Kathryn's letter online at the SB Sun website.

Great Words of Support from Up North

2007-04-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we received this GREAT comment from a colleague who is a member of the Hayward Educators Association.

This comment was a follow-up to the great letter from Kathryn Elliot at Yucaipa High that was published in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Kate Day's words of solidarity and encouragement are ones that we think all members of the Yucaipa-Calimesa educational community should read so we are also posting this comment on the front page of the blog:

Hello Kathryn,
I am writing to you on my first day back in the classroom after our 10 day extraordinarily excruciatingly painful and glorious (yes, both) strike in Hayward. (See You Tube and search: husd strike) [link added] Today I am living in a different universe then when we began. I can't explain it in words. I was running on adreneline, fear, hope, dispair and most of all shere and utter determination to stick it out. Fortunately, 98% of my colleagues stayed resoulutely on the picket line.
The ace up our sleeve, beyond teacher solidarity, was the unprecedented support and incredible organization of our working class and largely, though not exclusively, Latino community. If you can stick together, teachers and community, and you hang on to the belief that you WILL be victorious, you will win.
All my prayers and leftover energy are with you. I will continue to monitor your struggle. Oakland teachers took personal and sick days off from work to join us on the picket line. I will do the same for you, if it comes to that. I will also send $ to your strike fund (and raise more from our union members) as so many districts around us did.
Keep strong and united, bottom line: eyes on the prize. Your cause is just.
In solidarity,
Kate Day
Park Elementary School
Hayward, California

BTW: Hayward teachers ratified their agreement yesterday. You can read about here.

624 days without a settlement!

Way To Go Kathryn!

2007-04-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

If you take a look at the "Letters to the Editor" page of today's Riverside Press-Enterprise, you will find this great letter:

Be fair to teachers

The Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District is risking a great deal in its continued conflict with teachers. In the absence of a fair offer, Yucaipa is losing wonderful teachers, and it is no longer the progressive workplace where new graduates are eager to begin a teaching career. It is past time for the district to offer teachers the full cost-of-living adjustment settlement the district has been banking since July 2005, when the last contract expired.

A public school is not a business, and the funds distributed by the state are meant to be spent, not hoarded. The students and teachers of Yucaipa deserve better.

Parents, look beyond the "spin" you are hearing. The facts are that the teachers to whom we entrust our children every day are very dissatisfied, and they have been working without a contract for more than 620 days. This demonstrates extreme patience and loyalty.

The good results demonstrated in the district are not an accident; they are the result of the hard work of teachers, students and site administrators. As state fact-finding approaches, let the school district and board know you expect this impasse to be resolved. Our children deserve highly qualified, fairly compensated teachers.

KATHRYN ELLIOTT

We sincerely thank Kathryn for the time she took to wrote this letter and submit it to the Press-Enterprise. We also thank the editorial staff of the Press-Enterprise for being fair and objective.

In Other News: Gerald Bean, publisher of the Yucaipa News-Mirror, was recently honored by the school administrators association for the News-Mirror's "support of education in the community." You can read the entire text of the article (and find out about two YCJUSD administrators who were also honored) here:

623 days without a settlement!
Congratulations Hayward Teachers for finally reaching a settlement!

Help Wanted!

2007-04-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Know of any SCIENCE TEACHERS who are credentialed and qualified to teach biology, chemistry, physics, etc?

If they don't mind teaching in one of the LOWEST PAYING districts in the region, they may be able to get a job in Yucaipa.

Word has it that Yucaipa High is going to be needing a boat load of science teachers next year to replace all the ones who have jumped ship to take teaching positions with higher pay and better working conditions in neighboring districts.

Oh...we forgot. Yucaipa doesn't have any problems attracting highly qualified teachers despite having rock bottom pay. The over supply of eager applicants must be why the administration chose to not show up at teacher job fairs sponsored by the University of Redlands and UC Riverside. Please disregard the above announcement.

622 days without a settlement!

¿Habla Espanol?

2007-04-24T05:26:00.000-07:00

Take a look at item #30 on tonight's board agenda: Amendment to Consultant Agreement

"District administration requests Board approval for Axiom, Inc. to provide translation services (into Spanish) for the School Accountability Report Cards, for a total of $16,285.00 per year (for a three year total of $48,855.00) to be paid with general funds and possible reimbursement through mandated costs."

We don't question the need to translate this information into Spanish for parents and community members.

What are your thoughts about this expense? Any thoughts on how the district could have better managed taxpayer dollars?

PS: Axiom, Inc. has offices in Rancho Cucamonga. Maybe they're the one from Rancho that checks this blog ever evening at about the same time.

621 days without a settlement!

Thank you parents, friends and fellow CTA members!

2007-04-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Notice something when driving around Yucaipa and Calimesa? Those yellow and red signs are everywhere! Drive down Third Street and you'll see them from one end to the other. Businesses on County Line Road have them posted on fences and in windows. Everytime YCEA receives another box of 500, they're quickly exhausted and more have to be ordered.

YCEA is expecting a new shipment in a couple of days...if you don't have one in your yard, call the office at (909) 790-3320 or e-mail ycea@ycea.org with the address and a volunteer with the crisis team will make sure one is placed in your yard.

620 days without a settlement!

14,856 hours or 891,360 minutes or 53,481,600 seconds

2007-04-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

which is the same as:

619 days without a settlement!

Write a Letter This Weekend!

2007-04-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

The News-Mirror is not the only paper to think about when you want to share your sentiments about the labor relations crisis that Dr. Hovey and the Board of Education have created here in Yucaipa and Calimesa.

During the recent bargaining crisis in Colton, both the Press-Enterprise and the San Bernardino Sun both did a decent job carrying pro-teacher letters from parents, students as well as educators.

It's easy to submit your letter:

The Press Enterprise allows you to do it online at this link:
-Press Enterprise Letters to Editor-

The San Bernardino County Sun has an e-mail address or mailing address you can use:
E-mail: voice@sbsun.com
US Mail:
Voice of the People
The Sun
2239 Gannett Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407

And letters to the good 'ole News Mirror can be sent to:
E-mail: cteeters@newsmirror.net
Yucaipa News Mirror
35154 Yucaipa Blvd.
Yucaipa, CA 92399

618 days without a settlement!

BEWARE OF THE POISON PILL

2007-04-20T22:05:00.001-07:00

As YCEA and YCJUSD draw closer to Fact-Finding on May 10, it is likely that we will see a change in their strategy. A time-honored management negotiations strategy is that of the poison pill. Management offers something close to what the union wants, but then adds a stipulation that is unacceptable, and makes that stipulation the focus of the negotiations process. This has the effect of taking attention off of the broad reality of the situation, and refocusing it on a single, controllable issue. Last spring, the healthcare cost increase was an unintended poison pill to teachers voting on the contract, what will be the poison pill of choice this time? Perhaps today's News-Mirror offers an insight in their article on the Budget Committee findings:

"And while things like competitive salaries, increased discretionary funding to school sites and maintaining safety issues appeared on all three lists and the subsequent final list, surprisingly, maintaining class size reduction in kindergarten through third grade only appeared on the parent list."

We need to be aware that our Board and District Office will be making every effort in the next few weeks to divide and conquer us. Now more than ever, we need to stand together.

Will This Be Another "Snotgram" Friday?

2007-04-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

What new misleading information will the district administration and board try and brainwash us with? They have a tendency to distribute this information late on Friday afternoons...will this be one of them?

Will they go back to the lower cost method of placing fliers in our boxes or will they choose to squander more taxpayer $$ on postage and envelopes. The one time they e-mailed their snotgram to us it backfired when countless teachers hit "reply" and responded to the e-mail. Maybe they will try something new and drop their propaganda from the sky?

617 days without a settlement!

Where is Dr. Hovey Leading YCJUSD?

2007-04-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Rather than trying to negotiate a fair settlement with his teachers, Dr. Hovey seems to think the labor unrest is a better way to lead a school district.

What would a teacher strike be like in Yucaipa?

Right now, in California, there is just one teacher strike going on...that is in Hayward.

Between 97 and 99% of the members of the Hayward Educators Association have joined in unity on the picket lines.

Less than 20% of students are attending class. Some of them sign in in the morning and then leave.

Despite offering substitute teachers $300 a day, qualified substitutes are lacking. According to news reports, there were 8 substitutes for 800 students at one large campus and according to another news report there were no substitutes at Hayward High School.

The district superintendent claims that students in these classrooms are being taught standards based curriculum. According to television news reports, newspaper articles and parent complaints, little learning is taking place. At some schools children are watching the Disney Channel all day, at another student the closest thing that came to teaching in the classroom was a game of hangman and at another elementary school students were making underwear out of paper to wear over their clothes while other students watched Sponge Bob videos.

Encourage Dr. Hovey to do the right thing and work with the board to offer teachers a fair settlement.

Ask Dr. Hovey to not jeopardize the education of the students in Yucaipa and Calimesa.

616 days without a settlement!

Are Yucaipa & Calimesa Residents NOT California Taxpayers?

2007-04-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

The school board and district office administration want the community to think it's o.k. for Mesa View to remain shuttered despite tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money being spent on its construction.

Yes, it's true that the state provided the money to construct this school. However, where does state money come from? You've guessed it....taxpayers like you, your neighbors and friends.

Perhaps we should invite residents of other California cities to protest the district's mismanagement of this costly, taxpayer funded asset. I'm sure the taxpayers in Redlands, Banning, Rancho Cucamonga and Calexico would be upset to know that their tax dollars went to fund a "ghost school."

Members of the Yucaipa-Calimesa community should also keep in mind that keeping this school shuttered is costing the district considerable money on a daily basis. The school is staffed with a custodian, there are utility bills to pay, grounds to maintain (that nice landscaping isn't an illusion), insurance to pay, and much more. A couple of months ago flooding from a pipe that broke in a classroom building required emergency response by numerous district maintenance personnel.

We challenge the administration and board to do what's right and reasonable and work to resolve the Mesa View crisis just like they should be trying to resolve the negotiations crisis that exists.

615 days without a settlement!

Congratulations YHS TEACHERS & STAFF!

2007-04-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yucaipa High School teachers and staff deserve the recognition for this accomplishment that the district office administration and school board will surely brag about.

President Oedekerk and Supt. Hovey need to be reminded that without QUALITY teachers, a school is just a collection of buildings, fields, asphalt patches and concrete. Yucaipa teachers are the LOWEST PAID in the region. You can't expect to attract quality teachers in the future or retain the quality teachers you currently have when you insult them. We don't want to see the Distinguished School Banner become the backdrop for teachers striking on Yucaipa Blvd.

Do the right thing! Settle now!

614 days without a settlement!

Feeling the pinch?

2007-04-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Remember, every time we receive a salary adjustment that is less than COLA (cost of living) we are taking a pay cut. Yucaipa-Calimesa teachers are not being greedy, we're just trying to keep our heads above water.

613 days without a settlement!

Hayward Teachers Go On Strike!

2007-04-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Will Yucaipa be next?

You can learn more about the situation in Hayward and lend some words of encouragement by visiting their blog:

http://haywardteacherstogether.blogspot.com/

Community support for the strike is strong. According to a poll by a local television station, 85% of parents in the community support the teachers going on strike.

Link to News Story

News coverage from the picket lines show parents pulling their children out of school when learning that schools are lacking substitutes despite $300 day pay for substitute teachers.

Link to video

612 days without a settlement!

Could this be the board's new mission statement?

2007-04-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

"If you repeat a lie enough times, it will resonate."

611 days without a settlement!

District finds way to waste even MORE $$$ sending out "Snot Grams"

2007-04-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Can you think of some better ways the district could have spent the $$$ they spent on postage, Xeroxing, and envelopes plus all the time for a clerk to stuff, address, apply postage and mail the "snot gram" you received today?

Obviously the senior administration of the district and the school board think it's better to waste taxpayer money sending out garbage rather than fairly compensate teachers.

610 days without a settlement!

We are Strong, and We are Together!

2007-04-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

608 Days Without a Settlement!

So, you want to do something? Here are a few ideas:
1. Write a letter to the publisher of the News-Mirror, and let him know how you feel about the lack of coverage this bargaining crisis is getting. We are one of the city's largest employee groups, and we deserve fair treatment by the press as well as the District. Tell him that there are 1050 CTA members in Yucaipa and Calimesa, and we will be encouraging them to take action - like maybe cancelling their subscriptions.
2. Write a letter to the editor of the News-Mirror, and hope it can get published.
3. Talk to parents. Encourage them to contact board members and push for a settlement.
4. Talk to business owners and community leaders. They have a lot at stake, and labor unrest is not something that brings new business and new residents. Encourage them to contact board members and push for a settlement.
5. Talk to any of your colleagues who so far have been inactive or absent from negotiations support activities. Encourage them to participate!
6. Sign your name to the newspaper ad, which your reps have been circulating. Don't be afraid to go public with your name and support.
7. Sign your name to the "WE ARE YCEA" posters that identify you by site. Show the District that it's not just YCEA leadership pressing for a fair settlement.
8. SHOW UP at the picketing on May 1.
9. SHOW UP at the picketing on May 9.
10. SHOW UP at the rally on May 10.
11. Write letters to the editors of the San Bernardino Sun and the Riverside Press-Enterprise. You can do these either on paper or via their websites/email.

Any more ideas? We'll add them to the list.

How's that for a formal statement of the obvious!

2007-04-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

Instead of the traditional prevacation "snotgram" the District mailed each teacher a form explaining that if we had accepted the T.A. back in June with what amounted to a 6.5% pay increase (over 2 years) we would currently be making MORE money.

The Blog Committee would like to formally thank Mitch and Ted for spending district funds to provide us with a statement of the painfully obvious.

What would really be helpful is to see the same calculations for ... let's say ... a Colton-like settlement of more 10% for the same period. Why should Yucaipa and Calimesa teachers settle for less?

Teaching Jobs 2nd Hardest to Fill

2007-03-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

According to a survey by Manpower Inc. released Thursday:

Hardest jobs to fill

Following are the hardest jobs to fill, according to a survey of employers:

1. Sales representative
2. Teacher
3. Mechanic
4. Technician
5. Management/executive
6. Truck driver
7. Driver/delivery
8. Accountant
9. Laborer
10. Machine operator

595 Days Without A Settlement

What Does the District Hope to Accomplish?

2007-03-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

For nearly two years, the YCJUSD has been working hard to ensure that its teachers are the lowest paid in the region. The Second Interim financial report filed by the district lists a 1.2 million dollar increase in the legal fees and consulting budget (this is an increase above the previously budgeted amount). A 1.2 million dollar expenditure is approximately a 4% raise for every district employee. So, since saving money is not the goal, we ask what is the goal of this decision? The money just budgeted for attorneys to fight on the district's behalf could have funded a full COLA raise for district employees, plus continuation of district health and welfare benefits. Instead of attempting to repair the damage done by an increasingly large gap between Yucaipa salaries and other local districts, our district seems bent on "winning". Perhaps our board and district administration would do well to familiarize themselves with the concept of a Pyrrhic Victory. Sometimes, even when you win, you lose.

591 Days Without a Settlement!

Happy Spring Break!

2007-03-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

We hope that all the hard working teachers at all the schools in Yucaipa enjoy their Spring Break! Who knows...maybe we'll come back to a board that realizes that WE are the key to student success and DESERVE to be FAIRLY COMPENSATED for all the HARD WORK that we do.

590 Days Without a Settlement!

Help Name Elementary School #8!

2007-03-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

From a recent district flyer:

The Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School Distrtict welcome the Yucaipa-Calimesa Community to help name Elementary #8

Groundbreaking will soon begin for the construction of Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District's eighth elementary school.

The Board of Education welcomes suggestions for naming the new Elementary #8 which will be located at the intersection of Cramer & Chapman Heights Road (above the golf course).

Please submit your name suggestions by Wednesday, April 18, to the following:
Mr. Ted Alejandre
Assistant Superintendent, Business Services
Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District
12797 Third Street
Yucaipa, CA 92399

589 Days Without a Settlement!

The Sky Continues to Fall at the District Office

2007-03-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

Ted Alejandre as quoted in today's News-Mirror:

“The budget is very bare and dry.”

Any ideas on how Ted could fix things? He's concerned about water bills being $25,000 over what was originally projected....could this have anything to do with the fully landscaped school that's sitting idle at the end of a long, dirt road?

588 Days Without a Settlement!

How much did the district office increase the conference and travel budget to?

2007-03-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

After increasing the conference and travel budget 1000%, our hard working district administration has found it necessary to increase the budget again.

How much did they increase it to? Check your mail box Thursday for a YCEA alert.

587 Days Without a Settlement!

North Monterey County Parents Show Support for Teachers

2007-03-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Parents with children in the North Monterey County School District staged a MAJOR "sit-out" Friday to show their support for teachers who recently declared impasse for 2005-07 salary negotiations.

Parent Laurie Greco summed up things very well when she stated to the press, " I think this might show the district that parents will continue to stand behind their teachers." Greco's children attend Prunedale Elementary School where nearly 25% of students were absent Friday.

You can read more about this at TheCalifornian.com.

586 Days Without a Settlement!

Interesting quote from district website...

2007-03-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

From the front page of the YCJUSD website:

YCJUSD students receive a high quality curriculum from some of the best teachers that the state has to offer.

Isn't it ironic that they offer teachers some of the lowest salaries in the state!

585 Days Without a Settlement!

Just a little reminder...

2007-03-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

584 Days Without a Settlement!

Well look what we found?

2007-03-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t seen YCJUSD’s crown jewel (a.k.a. Mesa View Middle School) we suggest you take a trip to the end of Ave. L (that’s on the Jack in the Box side of I10 in Calimesa) and check it out. You will be as impressed as we were with the full athletic facilities including a gym, the spacious grounds, the impressive entrance, the ample parking, and the beautifully maintained lawns and plantings. However, if you do want to take a look at it …

... you had better bring along a pair of binoculars, since you can’t get within a country mile of the buildings. You had also better wear your hiking boots since the front of the school is only accessible via a short hike from Ave L. or a long trek from Jack in the Box. It’s a good thing that the Trump Tower of the YCJUSD is so isolated. Can you imagine our Board having to face a constant reminder of its little oops had it been more accessible? But wait a minute, if it had been built in a more accessible location it would not be sitting unused, nor would the existing YCJUSD middle schools (sorry PVMS, the folks have a new favorite) would have alittle much-need breathing room. We suppose the Board has its reasons for leaving a beautiful, multi-million dollar facility unused for more than two years, but apparently you have to be a school board member to have the “technical skills” to understand such reasons.

What do you think the board will come up with next?

2007-03-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

It's less than a week until Spring Break. If the board follows their past practice, they will distribute a misleading "Snotgram" (aka: Negotiations Update) just as teachers are about to leave their sites for a two week break.

Will they declare our salaries to be the "highest in the region"?

Will they compare us to to districts hundreds of miles away?

Will they falsely claim that Yucaipa teachers are not allowed to go on strike?

What will they come up with this time? Can't wait to see!

583 Days Without a Settlement!

Yard Signs Sprouting Up Around the Community

2007-03-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

From tract homes in Chapman Heights to business windows on Yucaipa Blvd. to rural properties in Calimesa, signs are starting to go up in the community.

If you live or own a business in Yucaipa or Calimesa and want to show that you care about Yucaipa and Calimesa attracting and retaining quality teachers please stop by the YCEA office to pick up a sign to display in your yard or at your business.

582 Days Without a Settlement!

Send Us Your Stories

2007-03-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Tell us your worst/most embarrassing/saddest administrative bureaucratic problem during your time in the Yucaipa Calimesa JUSD. One of our unit members related the following story:

"It was the week before my father-in-law's wedding. My mother-in-law had passed away due to cancer, and my father-in-law had been devastated by the loss. He was fortunate to find a loving, caring woman he fell in love with, and they had decided the time was right to marry. I was scheduled to be their photographer. The YCJUSD Human Resources department called me and informed me that my interview was scheduled at 3:00 on the day of the wedding (the wedding was at 4:00 in Phoenix). I asked if there was any way I could either interview earlier, or do a telephone interview at the appointed time. I was coldly informed that if I was interested in the job, I must be there at 3:00, period. I missed the wedding and attended the interview. My wife and her family said they understood, but they were hurt by my non-attendance. Hindsight is 20/20! I could have stayed in the district I used to work in, and been treated better and paid more fairly than I have been for the past several years. I should have realized then what I now know: This district does not care a lick about fairness and decency."

Anyone have any others? Board Tour stories, nightmare administrator stories welcome!

The Public "Gets It" -- Why Can't the Board???

2007-03-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Excerpts from two letters printed in today's News-Mirror:

"It is very important to my wife and me that our children get the best education available. This can only be possible if our school district hires qualified, skilled teachers. In order to attract these teachers, or keep the ones currently teaching in Yucaipa, we need to pay them a competitive fair wage."

"I don't know of any business or industry that doesn't give their employees a raise in pay annually. The Yucaipa/Calimesa teachers haven't seen a pay increase in over three years."

"I am sad to say that I voted for some of the current school board members."

-Greg Stuart

"It's time for a school board change this year not in 2008."

-Paul Thomas

You can view the entire text of these letters at:
Yucaipa News-Mirror

581 Days Without a Settlement!

Do Your Own Comparison!

2007-03-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Are you confused? Not sure who to believe? You've heard that Yucaipa teachers are the lowest paid in the region yet the district administration tells you that you're among the highest paid.

Do your own unbiased comparison and decide for yourself. It's easy to do.

Step 1: Pick some comparison points to use. Use your own salary placement (step and number of credits) as well as a few others that may be of interest to you (for example, a beginning teacher with 30 credits, a teacher with five years and 45 semester credits, you decide.)

Step 2: Look at what the YCJUSD salary is for these steps. Here is the link to YCJUSD's current salary schedule:
YCJUSD Salary Schedule

Step 3: Take a look at the ACTUAL salary schedules for some local districts. You can do this by visiting the district's websites or by calling their personnel departments. For your convenience, here are links to many local districts that have current, up-to-date salary information on the web: (please note, Adobe Acrobat required to view most of these schedules):
Corona Norco
Redlands
Beaumont
Colton
Moreno Valley
Riverside
Jurupa
Fontana
Hemet
Banning
San Bernardino
Chino Valley
Rialto

When you look at the other district websites, it is important to remember that not all districts use the same number of units for column placement (ie: Yucaipa uses increments of 15 units but some other districts use a different number) so be sure and look at the appropriate column.

580 Days Without a Settlement!

Wow. What Just Happened?

2007-03-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Some Things Just Never Change!

2007-03-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

One of our veteran colleagues was cleaning out her classroom the other day, and found an old "Mini Bolt" from 1986. In addition to some information about health benefits and professional growth, there was this:

Negotiations Update - September 1986

The negotiations team has now met with the board's representatives eight times for over fifty hours, including a meeting on Thursday, September 18. Not only is progress slow, but the two sides are still a considerable distance apart, particularly on money issues. The negotiations team is concerned with the need to maintain the position of Yucaipa's salary schedule as competitive with comparable districts.

579 Days Without a Settlement!

Rockin' for a Settlement

2007-03-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

"We’re trying to make a living,
And we’re at the bottom of the scale,
If they don’t offer more,
Then we’re all going to bail!"

These lyrics sound like they were written about Yucaipa teachers but actually its our colleagues up north in Hayward. Like Yucaipa teachers, Hayward teachers find themselves at the dead last when compared to surrounding districts.

To learn more about the struggles the Hayward teachers are experiencing with their district, visit: http://www.heaonline.org/updates.html

Great suggestion left yesterday!

2007-03-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, "Grassroots Campaign" left a great comment on the blog...this comment is worthy of being a regular post-here it is:

Time for all of us reading this blog to get the word out!

1) Compose a short, supportive email, then paste in the blog’s URL:
http://www.yucaipateacher.blogspot.com/

2) Send it to supportive parents, colleagues, friends, relatives, anyone who is concerned about quality education in Yucaipa.

3) Email them again in a few days and ask them what they thought.

4) We all need to realize that if we are not our own advocates, then we have no advocates.

578 Days Without a Settlement!

Will YCJUSD have the courage to show up???

2007-03-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

With salaries that compare DEAD LAST to other Inland Empire school districts, will the Yucaipa administration have the courage to make an appearance at the UCR Teacher Job Fair?

Come find out for yourself:

Wednesday, March 14 - UCR Extension Center, UC Riverside. 4:00-7:00

Who knows...you may come home with a job offer from a district paying $10,000 to $15,000 more per year!

577 Days Without a Settlement!

How much did you DONATE to YCJUSD students last year?

2007-03-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

How much did you spend last year on your students, school and professional education?

Take a look at your tax return and let us know. Leave us a comment with the $$$ amount.

The Board of Education would like the public to believe that Yucaipa teachers are greedy, overpaid and not deserving a fair cost of living increase. They seem to quickly forget how much we subsidize the YCJUSD through the purchase of books, Xerox copies, field trip costs, science supplies, etc.

576 Days Without a Settlement!

How much does YCJUSD spend on all employee salaries?

2007-03-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

NOT ENOUGH!

District........................... % of total funds spent on salary

Corona/Norco....................................86.35%

Jurupa.............................................85.50%
Rialto...............................................85.12%
Redlands..........................................84.54%
Fontana............................................84.37%
Chino Valley......................................84.27%
Hemet Unified...................................83.82%
Colton..............................................83.55%
Riverside..........................................83.19%
Alvord..............................................82.60%
Moreno Valley...................................81.97%
San Bernardino City............................81.96%
Beaumont.........................................81.28%
Banning............................................80.73%
Yucaipa-Calimesa...............................78.43%

Data source: CTA

Why can all of these other school districts afford to spend more on salaries than YCJUSD? Perhaps their business departments know how to plan a budget. Perhaps their School Boards feel that employees are a priority. It is the employees, after all, who make a difference in the life of every child. Perhaps the other districts are not spending $600/hr on an attorney to clean up their mistakes and fight with their teachers. We would like the School Board to tell us why!

We're #1!

2007-03-09T06:55:00.002-08:00

We may be DEAD LAST in salaries but Google says we're the tops!

That's right, do a Google search for Yucaipa teacher, Calimesa teacher, Yucaipa blog, or Calimesa Blog and see what search result comes back #1---it's this site!

575 Days Without a Settlement!

YCJUSD Appoints New Public Relations Director

2007-03-08T05:56:00.000-08:00

The blog committee apologizes to those who were offended by or felt this satirical post was not appropriate. After re-examining the post, we have decided to delete it so that our message can remain focused on our goal of achieving a fair settlement for Yucaipa-Calimesa teachers.

We appreciate the anonymous commenter who wrote in with this comment:

"I am long time teacher in this district, well-respected by peers (I hope), and, more importantly, respected by students. I am very upset that the D.O. management and the majority of the Board looks upon me and my colleagues with contempt.
Why and when the usually collegial nature of the negotiation process in this small district soured, why this change of culture occured, is open to speculation..."

574 Days Without a Settlement!

Here We Go Again...

2007-03-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we received an anonymous comment. We're pretty sure we know who it's from, and instead of publishing it and letting it go unnoticed, we've decided to let our readers see it. We invite our readers to respond as well–perhaps you have more to add to the conversation.

The comment is in blue, and our response is in red.

"Here is some information you should be sharing with your readers:

First, the average teacher in Yucaipa earns about $62,000 for working just 9 months, plus nearly $9,000 in health benefits that can have NO monthly premium for the entire family."
Here we go again with that ridiculous “average teacher” term. The District likes to trumpet that our “average teacher” salary is one of the highest in the area. Yes, it’s indeed about $62,000. But they’re talking about the salaries paid to teachers who have advanced degrees and who have committed their careers to Yucaipa-Calimesa. They’re talking about teachers who have the highest longevity rates of any district in southern California.

What they’re NOT talking about is our salary schedule, which is the LOWEST in southern California. (See this post below).

"This is equivalent to about a $90,000/year job if they worked the entire year like most people do."
So are you saying we should all take second jobs? Give me a break. We work our tails off from August to June, and you want to criticize us for being in a profession that still gives students time to work on the family farm.

"Also teachers only work six hours a day so the average teacher in Yucaipa earns the equivalent of about $56.00 hour."
Oh my, are you soooo wrong there. No teacher in the world has ever worked six hours a day. Oh, wait–you’re talking about student “face time.” I guess you don’t think doing lesson plans, grading papers, filling out MADD sheets, tutoring kids during lunch, giving makeup tests before and after school, calling parents, going to IEPs, watching the bike rack, sitting in faculty meetings, serving on the leadership team, creating curriculum maps, wiping runny noses, counting heads for lunch, holding back-to-school nights and open houses, filling out endless forms, and so on is work. What do you call it if it’s not work?

Let’s talk about how much a board member makes for his/her “volunteer” job. Hmm. Two meetings a month, each meeting averaging three hours, if you count closed session. $240 a month PLUS a $9000 health benefits plan (since they get the same one teachers do)–that works out to $165 an hour. That’s three times what you think WE make per hour.

"This is very high pay for a job that doesn't require a high degree of technical skills."
Technical skills? I could have gone to DeVry or ITT Technical Institute if I wanted technical skills. Instead, I went to a four-year university for a bachelor’s degree, then I went to another university four more years and got a master’s degree. I also completed student teaching, along with hundreds of hours of professional development coursework just to remain qualified to be a teacher. How interesting that you need to compare teachers to other careers instead of to other teachers. Those of you in other careers think cogs and widgets are more important than students. A teacher's number one priority is the student. We therefore have a much more important responsibility - children's lives.

"Second, the union has received some significant raises--as much as 10% within the last few years!"
Really? Where are they? I guess you’re referring way back to 2000-01, when the state of California gave districts tons of new money, and we fought long and hard for 10%. But that was 7 years ago. Since then, it’s been slim pickin’s. We got COLA in 01/02, which was about
3.9%. In 02/03 we got 1% midyear. In 03/04, we got ZERO. In 04/05, we got 1.5% midyear. Add ZERO for 05-06 and 06-07. I don’t believe my colleagues would call those “significant raises.” I know I don’t.

"Third, union teachers in Yucaipa-Calimesa receive an AUTOMATIC raise -called step and column that equates to about a average 1.5-2% raise anyway EVERY YEAR."
Nope. You’re really wrong here. (And why call us “union teachers?” You throw that out like it’s a bad thing. You can thank unions for your weekends, your 40-hour work week, and the fact that your son didn’t have to go to work as a child.) Only about half of our teachers in a given year receive step and column. Over 200 teachers each year have reached a place on the salary schedule where they don’t get any kind of increase at all. And those that do have earned an increase due to their longevity (meaning commitment) or the fact that they’ve spent THOUSANDS of dollars of their own money on college coursework. Those degrees and semester hours aren’t free. The average cost of a college degree is now $20,000, and a masters’ degree takes $50,000-60,000. It’ll take me 8 years to pay off the cost of my master’s degree, and my increase in salary might then be worth the time and money.

"Add to that the 9% the district has already offered the teachers union and that totals 13%, much more than COLA."
The district has offered us 9% for a two-year period, and expects us to use about 2.5% of it to pay for the increased costs of health benefits. That will net us a whopping 6.5% increase to our salaries.

Compare this to Colton, who recently settled for a 14% increase over three years, PLUS no change to their health benefits. They’re not being asked to pay for their own step and column, or for health benefits increases – no, their board finally realized they needed to come up with a fair settlement. So they did.

Compare this to Banning, who recently settled for 9% for this year and next, on top of 4.2% they got for last year – PLUS an additional 2% added to health benefits to keep them covered. Their total comp package for three years is 15.2%.

Compare this to Riverside, who settled for a 6.6% raise for 2006-07 (fully retro), on top of last year’s 4.23% increase. They also compressed their salary schedule, eliminating the first four columns! One more thing – they increased the rate for buy-backs to $292, while YCJUSD continues to pay a measly $25 an hour.

And we’re supposed to think the district’s offer is fair? You really DO think we’re stupid, don’t you? Why do you even TRY to pretend to respect us? Oh, that’s right. You don’t even pretend.

There you have it. Anyone care to add their own comments?

573 Days Without a Settlement!

YCJUSD comes up with plan to open Mesa View!

2007-03-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

By purchasing a new fleet of busses, the district expects to save billions in legal fees.

Just kidding!

Riverside School Board Says NO To Artificial Turf

2007-03-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

In a 5-0 unanimous vote Monday night, the Riverside Unified School Board rejected plans to install artificial turf at Martin Luther King High School.

Here's some other wise decisions the Riverside Unified School Board made recently:

Gave teachers a 6.6% FULLY RETROACTIVE pay increase for the 06/07 school year.
Increased the pay rate for teachers attending buy back days from $270 to $285. (note: YCJUSD cut our buy back rate, in violation of the contract, from $251 to $150 last year.)

Maybe it's time for the Yucaipa board to start taking some lessons from their counterparts in Riverside.

572 Days Without a Settlement!

Concerned Community Members Discuss Recall.

2007-03-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

Community members are looking into a RECALL of the YCJUSD governing board. Sighting a lack of positive leadership, a disregard for the concerns of the parents and teachers, and a track record of questionable decisions, a group of parents and concerned business people from Yucaipa and Calimesa have requested information from YCEA regarding the procedures and timelines for initiating a recall election. Especially troubling to the group was the board’s recent decision to extend its own terms by adjusting the election cycle to coincide with general elections.

What about Calexico?

2007-03-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Downtown Calexico:
A few years ago YCJUSD searched far and wide to come up with districts to "compare" our salaries with.

If they do this again, they're going to have to search a bit farther to come up with districts that pay lower than Yucaipa. They'll definitely have to cross Calexico off the list.

Here's how the salaries now compare:

1st year teacher with 30 units: Yucaipa-$39,250 Calexico-$40,413
Step 5, 45 units: Yucaipa-$49,478 Calexico-$50,517
Step 13, 60 units: Yucaipa-$67,887 Calexico-$68,558

571 Days Without a Settlement!

Teacher Job Fair - Tuesday, March 6

2007-03-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

The University of Redlands will be hosting a teacher job fair on Tuesday, March 6 from 3:00 to 5:00 in the Orton Center. A large number of Inland Empire school districts are expected to be there.

Rumor has it that Yucaipa will not be there. Could it be that the administration is ashamed of having the LOWEST salary schedule for beginning teachers? Is the administration afraid that they face the uncomfortable position of seeing their own teachers at the fair seeking employment elsewhere? We'll never know!

According to a comment left on this blog last week, a group of YHS teachers are planning a happy hour at Jose's in Yucaipa after they attend the fair. All Yucaipa teachers, whether they attend the job fair or not, are invited to attend.

570 Days Without a Settlement!

What Kind of Legacy Will Dr. Hovey Leave?

2007-03-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

When Dr. Hovey leaves Y-CJUSD, and we know he's trying to leave by the published newspaper articles of him applying to other districts, what will his legacy be?

Will he have resolved the legitimate concerns the City of Calimesa has and get Mesa View open or will Mesa View remain a ghost school?

Will he have attracted a new generation of high quality teachers to the district or will the district continue to struggle to attract new teachers with the lowest salaries in the Inland Empire?

Will he have the loyalty and respect of the administrators, teachers and classified staff working under him or will they be celebrating his departure?

We'll just have to wait and see.

569 Days Without a Settlement!

You Want Some Facts?

2007-03-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Let's talk about salary comparisons. When a fact-finder looks at the information presented by the two sides, by law, one of the criteria is comparison. Yucaipa-Calimesa is in a "comparison group" with 14 other districts, all of whom are in the Inland Empire area, and are "unified" districts (K-12). Our comparison districts are: Alvord, Banning, Beaumont, Chino Valley, Colton, Corona-Norco, Fontana, Hemet, Jurupa, Moreno Valley, Redlands, Rialto, Riverside, and San Bernardino.

As of this date, let's look at 5 "benchmarks" on the salary schedules.

At BA - Step 1, YCJUSD pays $35,170. That's 15th out of 15. Dead last.

At BA + 30 units with a credential, YCJUSD pays $39,250. 15th out of 15. Dead last.

BA + 45 units, Step 5: YCJUSD pays $49,478. 15th out of 15. Dead last.

BA + 60 units, Step 10: YCJUSD pays $61,750. 15th out of 15. Dead last.

"Super Max," or the maximum salary a teacher could possibly make: YCJUSD pays $78,834. 15th out of 15. Dead last.

Now for the most important fact: If you add on the District's "last, best" offer, which equals approximately 6.5% over two years, WE'D STILL BE LAST!!!!!!!

How do you argue with those facts?

568 Days Without a Settlement!

"Let's Start Being Truthful..."

2007-03-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

Excuse me? Now we're being accused of being untruthful?

One of the joys of owning your own blog is you get to moderate comments - meaning you get to decide whether or not a comment is going to appear. Well, the blog committee just rejected its first comment. But we WILL respond to some of it, since it would be hypocritical to complain about censorship by the District (regarding its blocking our blog from its server), and then turn around and censor someone who clearly disagrees with us.

In response to the post and comments about the artificial turf project at YHS:

"The board asking for bids does not mean that they are going through with the football field project." Well, yes it does.

"Where did we get the information that the high school principal donated $10,000 a year to this project?" That rumor, posted in the comments section, didn't come from the blog committee. But you need to know that Mr. Cavanagh OFFERED to donate $10,000 from discretionary account at the February 20 board meeting.

"This board was not elected to do the bidding of the teachers." Yup, we'll agree with you there. But they WERE elected to do the bidding of the electorate, which expects an employer to treat its employees well, to compensate them fairly for the work they do, and to ensure they have the facilities, supplies, and other important resources to do the work they do.

"They were elected to do the bidding of the students." No, they weren't.

"Who should be the priority here? Students or teachers?" We won't argue with the concept that students should be a priority. But we're not talking about writing checks to students, we're talking about providing students with experienced, educated, talented teachers. Now that our salary schedule has us at the BOTTOM of our comparison districts at all 6 major benchmarks, attracting those teachers is next-to-impossible. Keeping them is also hard - once Redlands makes its hiring decisions, you'll see some pretty key staff members at one school disappear. It's not official yet, but they're GONE.

"Let's start being truthful and things will get better." We think you're talking to the wrong folks. Send that comment over to the District.

PS:

2007-03-01T17:53:00.001-08:00

567 Days Without a Settlement!