Thursday, July 03, 2008

Administration is blind and counterproductive.

If folks at the ESC are angry at the whistleblowers, they have only themselves to blame. It is not unusual for those who create the problems to not be able to take responsibility for them.

They have mismanaged many District assets including the most precious-their workers. Whether they are folks in the warehouse who have apparently put up with an extremely poor manager or teachers in the buildings who may have been subjected to bullying treatment bordering on illegal age or racial discrimination or just your average worker who is trying to keep their head down and their nose clean so that they won't be the next target, the Edmonds School District has NOT been a SAFE working environment for many. Working in such an environment is very likely to make you physically sick as well as heartsick.

If you don't feel safe, you don't do your best work. If you do not feel safe in the classroom, you aren't able to give the students your best.

That means the "what's best for kids" slogan is not a valid description of the result of some key administrative actions. The actions of the administration have been counterproductive to that stated goal.

If they are angry at people who are pointing out the contradiction, that becomes their burden, not those of us who are saying that the emperor has no clothes. People who speak truth to power in spite of the dangers-physical, psychological, and economic-should be thanked by those who cannot (for truly personal and understandable reasons) gather the courage to do the same.

We are thrilled that the matter is heading to court. Perhaps their anger will continue to blind them to their responsibility until the court corrects them.

Richard Reuther

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The warehouse employees have not only had a poor manager, but have also been subject to bullying up there. Funny that somebody so meek and scared would try to pretend to be a tough guy on the job. I see right through that. People like that crack me up. These are the same kind of people you find having dinner Ruths chris, and shopping at Wilsons Leather for that imported fake cow smell. Good thing all the "Obsession Men" covers up all the cow stink. Do you still have to get your cologne at Nordstrom? Nice white Nike crosstrainers buddy. If you pull a calf muscle playing old mens pickup basketball, those white nikes will last you a lifetime. You are no athlete though. I WILL BE GOD, JUDGE AND JURY OF WHAT IS A GREAT ATHLETE! GUESS WHO I AM PUNCHING BAG?????

Anonymous said...

Are you referring to the " I broke my calf muscle... I mean I think I strained something." Boy? I like listening to how he did something to his hip, so the doctor took a picture of something, then gave him something to make it feel better, but if they don't work, the doctor is going to do this other thing to help make that thing go away, so he won't have to have it operated on. What planet is this guy from? It is sad that in 4 years only his excuses are we able to laugh at.

Anonymous said...

I heard he is going to be a Chair Warmer until August 29th. He may as well continue to do what he has done for the last four years,huh? Tracy is out today. Probably using more of that sick leave vacation that her and her husband don't have. Again if you don't have it, don't document it. Makes things appear nice and tidy. Something else that the district has encouraged them to do while they have been employed with us.

Anonymous said...

Who cleaned out Tracy's area so quick? I'm not thinking her, because that would be too much work! Poor Dear!