The blog is pleased to announce the receipt of another negative comment about the blog. Including this recent arrival, the grand total is now three.you people are are seriously uninformed. What I see in these postings are comments filled with hate and spite. You really have NO idea what Madrona and Maplewood families deal with in their daily lives. I am sure I will get some hateful responses to my posting because that is what happens on this blog. First, get your information straight before you start trash talking about people you don't know. Secondly, name calling shows your ignorance. I won't be comming back to this blog. I don't need your kind of "bias" telling me that everyone who doesn't agree with you are "stupid"
Redmond, WA
Let's study this entry, one point at a time.
1. The writer appears to suggest that you people are seriously uninformed. This statement is in direct conflict with statements made by Nick Brossoit that the blog is a one man show. It may leave the impression with casual readers that more than a single person is at work here and that even this statement could not have been written by the same, single individual.
2. The reader suggests that these postings are filled with hate and spite. A statement such as this appears to suggest that the writer is a recent arrival to the blog, otherwise they would be well aware of the fact that we are a force for change and a conduit to enlighten the community as to what happens to public money when left in the hands of the misguided. It is more likely that suggesting the presence of hate and spite may provide new readers with a motivation to draw conclusions without reading more of the blog. It also appears to be indicative of a response to a recent topic, as opposed to a sweeping condemnation of the blog and its mission.
3. The writer is correct in assuming that I have NO idea what Madrona and Maplewood parents deal with in their daily lives... which is why this blog exists. Parents generally have a lot on their plates and cannot always dedicate the time and energy to perform an effective evaluation of the manner in which their school district is being managed and public funds are being wasted. For the record, it is also quite likely that I have NO idea as to what other parents at other schools deal with in their lives.
I am not sure what the writer is attempting the achieve by only mentioning Madrona and Maplewood. I am aware that the parent community at these schools is very vocal and incredibly active, but perhaps this has more to do with the amount of time they can afford to dedicate to their children's educational needs. Does this make such people better parents? Does this make their children more deserving of public resources? Again, I am not sure I see why mentioning two specific schools validates your argument. Are you suggesting that because parents deal with more important things in their lives they warrant greater protection and funding from the District?
4. No one affiliated with this one man show will respond hatefully to your comments. We always appreciate constructive comments. It is clear that the budget reductions are impacting your life as they are impacting the lives of everyone around you. People are being laid off, teachers are being let go, programs are being slashed, librarians at smaller schools are being threatened with reductions, kindergarten programs are in danger of being dismantled. We are all aware of the suffering in the District and this blog is a mechanism for positive change. We seek to illuminate the questionable calls that result in the senseless waste of public funds. Whether capital funds or general funds they are still public funds and should be spent with our children in mind.
5. If "straight information" is something you believe the blog is lacking, please provide it. We take every reasonable step to ensure that our information is correct. The blog receives innumerable accounts deemed unreliable and we don't publish any of those. For instance, yesterday there was a rumor floating around the District that the soon-to-be Executive Directors of Human Resources and Business Operations will each be taking a $25,000 a year pay cut when they move into their new titles. Unfortunately, this was determined to be nothing more than a rumor. Salaries are governed by contractual arrangements and though the impression may be left with others that pay reductions are forthcoming, it is more than likely a tactic to encourage other unions to accept reductions in pay and benefits. If someone is telling you that an administrator is reducing their own pay - believe it when you see it.
As far as talking about people I do not know, you should know, if you have been reading the blog, that I had been an employee of the Edmonds School District for more than six years. I know a lot of people and have seen many things that should have never happened.
6. I am not entirely sure if you are writing about the contents of our entries or something someone may have said in a comment to an entry. Either way, name calling is not the goal of the blog. Offering a position is what we are all about. Dissent in government is a good thing. In order for any meaningful system of checks and balances to occur, there must be an alternative source for information and ideas. It is through the expression of opposition that arguments strengthen and organizations become better. We all want a better school district.
This forum also believes that Nick and his Governors are doing the best job they possibly can ... and that, my faithful readers, is the problem.
6 comments:
I feel very bad for this person. They sounded very angry, spiteful and insulting, even hateful, towards people they've never even met. I really wish they would have told us about some of the things Madrona and Maplewood famlies deal with. You know, make an effort to inform us ignorant people.
I think this is a classic example of taking a comment and posting it out of context. The original post is #7 under the previous topic, and it is in response to comments about the Maplewood and Madrona communities, including commment #6 in which the writer accused Nick and Marla of building "little enclaves of white supremacy" at the two MA schools. I'd have to agree with the person who called that hateful and spiteful. It's been a long day, and there's so much more that needs "fixing" than Nick and Marla, and I resent anyone referring to any school in the ESD as an enclave of white supremacy. So much hate and so much anger, but my heart still finds reason for hope because I just saw Obama on the evening news calling Palestinians and Israelis to find common ground. Do you think we could find that in the ESD, or shall we keep hurling insults, because that's a whole lot easier?
I suppose if this was an actual "one man operation", I would have caught that statement and rejected it. However, now that it is here, and people are discussing it, all I can do is apologize if it seems hateful or spiteful.
Well, look, the 'Publicans are complaining about Sotomajor's comment about a Latina being able to come to a better legal conclusion than a white male because of her life experiences. This is a difference in point of view. We all carry our own baggage filled with experiences. If somebody sees "little enclaves of white supremacy," that's probably an honest expression of their feelings, observations, and experiences. It may or may not be accurate within the context of the real world. The person writing that comment could probably make a case if they would take the time. They may not be able to convince very many people but they should be able to support their conclusion with facts (at least that's what we were trying to teach our students until we left the district). If they don't have any facts, then we can point that out, too.
But the discussion should always be done in a respectful way, which is sometimes hard to get across in this type of forum. We can't look each other in the eyes; can't hear the inflection in each other's voices; can't see each other's body language. Because you can't see or hear me, you may not understand that what I write is intended as humor, so you may take offense. I may be thinking of an odd experience from my life and applying it to a dissimilar current event and you may be thinking, "Where did that come from?" I'll give "white enclaves" the benefit of the doubt because of that.
My father was the manager of a grocery store on the "redline" during the '50's in Seattle. To the east was the Madronna area populated by well-to-do whites; to the west was the Central District populated by African-American and other poor families. In those days, realtors weren't allowed to show blacks houses outside the "redline."
While we have worked hard over the years to erase that line, I still know people who would just as soon put it back on the map. While I disagree with that philosophy, I understand where it might come from. And I will look for other, more pleasant character traits in that person, if I am in frequent contact with him/her. Sometimes there are changes of heart over time, as sometimes unpleasant realities become more obvious.
Richard,
I'm with you mostly. Yes, the feeling that something is wrong may be an expression of what the poster is feeling. I too personally feel something is wrong here. The disparity between these schools (and others) and the rest of the district along with the distribution of resources in the district (especially now with the economic crisis) is something that seems to be hidden from the light of scrutiny, and speaks to a systemic moral failing. I don't think I'd go so far as to say that this is a purposeful failing, rather one that stems from a lack of leadership, and not just from the top - we all have to own up to this one.
Where I diverge is in the comparison of families in our district to white supremacists. I think a statement like that, even in the heat of the moment, goes way too far. The white supremacist movement is evil and yes, hateful. I think the posting shows an ignorance that, while ultimately may be forgivable, has no place in a forum to make our schools better.
Were you talking about the special treatment that the special kids get when their parents have a little extra money to give to there school? Or were you talking about all the extras that come along with those schools that other kids don't get? If any of these things are what your talking about, you just have NO cents to you!
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