Organize!!

Organize!!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Don't Panic People....

The district is going to file a new injunction on Monday, but that may just be precautionary. We are still going to the table tomorrow. Let's keep our fingers crossed!!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am not even worried in the leastabout the request for an injunction. They don't have a leg to stand on. By their own words HUSD has stated state standards are being taught and everything is fine... unless Vigil lied to the people of Hayward again.So get an injunction and admit the people were lied to, I am down with that.!!! Here are some more random thoughts!!And I do loop back to the injunction so read on!!!
Anyway, if it is true, which I doubt, but for the sake of argument let's grant the districts figures that they are only spending 3% on adminstration salaries vs 5 % average and we know teachers salaries are 44% vs. a 56% average and these are both lower than the average for surrounding districts what are they spending the money on??? $40 million for phones??? I saw that on a parent picket sign !!The last strike they tried to hide the funds in a phone contract as well. But it was only a few million and the phones never did work right.??? ... Come on HUSD we know that trick, be original. Also if HUSD had 8.7 million in Categorical funds left over than how did they fund the categorical programs ??? They borrow From the general fund right? .. and then they pay themselves back later so the 8.7 million categorical suddenly appears as general funds after the contract is settled.??? DO you think they are saving it for fixing sinks and teachers salaries. Back to what they are spending the money on. What are they spending it on? Is it on maintenace and repair?? After 6 months I still have a classroom with sinks and fauscets that do not work which makes it difficult to do hands on activities. I have written repeated requests only to have the 1400 worth of repair work approved, scheduled, and then cancelled. HUSD priority is not in the classroom. If you are a HUSD teacher be advised the kids are great, and the parents are supportive, but you are on your own here in many ways. The district can't even get sinks fixed, I have contacted Williams act people twice, filled out work orders etc. now I have been told to file a grivance.
Oh, and by the way, the folks downtown don't give much support to the site administrators either.
When will they figure out that if you want to implement systemic change you need to train the teachers and adminstrators and then keep them to implement the program. Now, back to their claim that in the injunction that basic education is not happening,I agree that Basic education IS severally affected,... but it has nothing to dio with the strike, basic education is adverseley affected by HUSDs inability to retain a stable consistent core of teachers and administrative leaders , becuase the wages are poor and their priorities are far from the class room.We are aconstantly in training mode due to high turn over. They have instead adopted the Mcdonalds model of having high turn over, low pay , combined with scripted lessons and timelines that are akin to the buzzers you hear at Mcdonalds. It works for french frys and hamburgers if they are the same quality. It doesn't work for kids in hayward because of the great ,wonderful diversity of our community and students. The Superintendent to his credit calls for differentiated instruction but his assistants are implementing a one size fits all approach through scripted lessons which in their implementation at some sites is much more than a frame work it is an inflexible artifice with deadlines and weekly tests ready or not , keep or ..., which has left many students behind and permanently damaged their desire to learn the particular subject. When the strike is over there will still be much work to be done.
Veteran HUSD teacher
George Moore

Nick Carlson said...

Thanks George for your revealing comments from the classroom.

Yucaipa-Calimesa Teachers said...

Isn't it surprising how some districts would rather litigate than negotiate. I wonder what kind of bonus your district's law firm will hand out to their lawyers this year? I know that our district's law firm is racking up tons of billable hours

There's a saying that goes: "If you're not part of the solution there's good money to be made in prolonging the problem."