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There used to be a time when offering high salaries brought the best and brightest to your company. With all things being equal, the prospective candidate for a position within your organization could consider things like compensation as a determining factor. However, things have clearly gotten out of control.
The mentality of many public agencies is to automatically assume that higher pay means a higher set of qualifications being brought into service to advocate for an agency's priorities. Sadly, when everyone offers obscene wages to their leaders, while retaining a board that doesn't understand the work these "leaders" do, there is a disaster just waiting to happen. That disaster is now devouring us.
What happened to the days when a candidate for superintendent wanted to lead a school district and be a part of its community? What happened to developing a reputation as a great place to work and attracting stellar candidates that want to be involved in cutting edge work and the provision of exceptional services? What happened to developing leadership from within an organization and investing in our community resources, like employees? There doesn't appear to be any real concern for leaving a constructive and positive legacy. We recruit random outsiders that rave about the random success of their respective organizations... organizations they appear to be in a hurry to leave.
These days it is all too common for "leaders" to move between organizations and demand high salaries under the pretense of perceived success. As we survey the industrial and commercial landscape in search for a representative sample of what this strategy has created, one cannot help but take notice of the innumerable casualties and countless programs that have withered under the pressure of misguided leadership.
When a "leader" tells our community that no meaningful research exists to support the assertion that five half days of kindergarten each week is better than two full days and one half day and then protects half day programming at Madrona and Maplewood, what conclusions must this community draw?
Why slash half day programming everywhere else? If it works at Madrona and Maplewood, why doesn't it work everywhere else? If it doesn't make any difference everywhere else, why protect the programs at Madrona and Maplewood? Perhaps the answer has more to do with the inclination toward vocal dissent among those parents than any real educational objectives.
Just how much money would you think the Edmonds School District would spend on renting tables for the WASL exams in 2009? If you guessed $23,712.98, you would be right.
Every year, the District spends upwards of $20,000.00 to rent a bunch of tables from the same vendor - year after year. This annual migration to the District's trough begs a few questions... Just how did this happen? What other vendors competed for this business? Is this within a pre-defined threshold for directing business without competition? Who made the decision? What connection does this decision maker have with the vendor? Are there professional affiliations? Are they related? This issue has to be investigated.
We already know that when a friend of management struggles to make ends meet in his practice, the District's decision maker just issues a directive to hire his spouse - after making space, of course. Just ask her supervisor if he thinks she is a productive member of staff. I suspect he'll tell you in private that someone else made the decision to hire her.
In this current economic climate, and considering the direction the WASL will be heading, why not just skip the test all together or just send students home with a "take home" WASL? The outcome would likely be the same. Let's make it happen.
No one on the Board seems willing or capable to ask real questions or hold anyone accountable. When will this condition change? How much longer do we have to pay a bunch of bobbleheads to blow through our "pre-ordained" property tax? It appears that this board thinks that any money spent in the District is money well spent. Any money thrown in the direction of schools is money well spent. Well, for the 70% of us that don't have children in district schools, we would disagree. Public funds must be spent responsibly and there is very little evidence of responsible spending going on at the District over the last several years.
These quotes are from a paper presented by Alan McEvoy of Wittenburg University to the Hamilton Fish Institute’s Persistently Safe Schools Conference in Philadelphia, September 11 - 14, 2005. Material is under copyright and needs to be properly credited. While this is a paper addressing teacher-to-student bullying, it is applicable also to teacher-to-teacher or administrator-to-teacher behaviors.
Teachers who bully feel their abusive conduct is justified and will claim provocation by their targets. They often will disguise their behavior as “motivation” or as an appropriate part of the instruction. They also disguise abuse as an appropriate disciplinary response to unacceptable behavior by the target. The target, however, is subjected to deliberate humiliation that can never serve a legitimate educational purpose.
This reflects on the principal/student bullying (removing students from school/dressing them in coveralls) that I witnessed on Monday March 6, 2006. The last two sentences are most appropriate-RR
Similar to peers who bully, teachers who bully may employ a number of methods to deflect anticipated or actual complaints about their offensive conduct. One common method is trying to convince targets that they are paranoid or crazy, that they have misperceived or misrepresented the behavior in question, or that it is all in their mind. It is also common for bullies to impugn the motives or performance of students, colleagues, and supervisors who register a complaint. For example, an abusive teacher may argue that a student who complains is simply trying to excuse his or her “questionable” academic performance. This shifts attention from the teacher’s inappropriate conduct to a discussion of “standards” and to the student’s motivation for complaining. This also has the minimizing effect of suggesting to others that what is at stake is merely a “personal difference,” rather than a systematic abuse of power.
This reflects on the treatment we endured. We were frequently told by administration and others that we had "misunderstood" the "if you don't like it here, go someplace else" comments directed toward me personally (Also the frequent use of the phrase "That's just your perspective" in the pejorative). It also speaks to the general perception that "you have to be crazy" to stand up and speak your mind and voice your objections to administration. Any disagreement with the administrative line leaves an employee open to bullying and possible charges of "insubordination" which in too many cases means simply that you disagree openly with policy.
Bullying by teachers produces a hostile climate that is indefensible on academic grounds; it undermines learning and the ability of students to fulfill academic requirements. In this it shares core attributes with more recognized abuses of power such as sexual harassment, stalking, and hate crimes, each of which is, in fact, a form of bullying…
I once asked the union for a clarification of "hostile workplace" thinking foolishly that I worked in one. I was told that it only had to do with sexual harassment. So bullying was OK but sexual harassment wasn't? The only difference as far as I can see is that the expected result of sexual harassment is having sex under duress; the expected result of bullying is that you mentally break someone in order to establish power over them so that they will do WHATEVER you want them to do; the same techniques are used, the same coercion is used.
Victims of bullying by teachers often feel emotionally distraught and fearful, with no place to turn for help. The victim’s distress is compounded by the inaction outright complicity of the larger group. The function of such inaction is to further enable the bully and to affirm his or her “right” to use professional authority in an arbitrary manner. By not defending the victim, others are confirming his or her selection as an appropriate target, thus endorsing and tacitly legitimizing the abuser’s mistreatment of that individual. Although not every member of the victim’s environment shares the abuser’s values, some do. Many bystanders remain silent or comply to avoid being targeted themselves.
Again, no one in higher authority did anything about our allegations; colleagues refused to walk in the halls with us; and support was given covertly so as to not be found out. Bullying works when no one else stands with the victims. We were frequently told, even by union leaders, that the principal could do anything he wants, leaving no room for dissent. This is very hard for social studies teachers who teach students that dissent has a legitimate and legally supported place in the American constitutional system.
Bullying by teachers raises the specter of school liability. For example, the Supreme Court's ruling in Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education 526 U.S. 629 (1999) provided a language and a set of principles that should give educational institutions pause…The court ruled that schools receiving federal funds, at all levels of education, may be held financially responsible where officials are “deliberately indifferent” to harassing behaviors that are “severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive.” If the Supreme Court found those principles an adequate basis to expand school liability in one arena, why wouldn’t they apply equally to a decision to expand school liability in another arena (i.e., to liability for teacher/student bullying)? [or administrator/teacher bullying?-RR]
I tried to raise this issue with Tam after the Virginia Tech shootings. If the district continued bullying, as I knew it was at the time, the district was leaving itself open to grave legal consequences. Rather than heed my warning, he/they took my concern as evidence that I was myself preparing an attack on MMS and used it as evidence in their issuance of a "no trespass order" against us because our "continued communication" was "deemed threatening and disruptive" as Limon wrote. This is naked use of power in an inappropriate fashion for inappropriate ends. Limon had never learned that the ends do not justify the means, much less that his ends were wrong in the first place.
This is not just us being crazy. This is an academic paper presented to a group of educators and scholars who are interested in keeping schools safe for learning. This includes everybody who works for the district, not just students. This is a big issue for a school district that continues to deny that it has a problem. How many of us have friends or relatives who deny that they have a drinking problem and then go out and engage in destructive behavior while drunk? Well, folks, that's where ESD is. It needs an intervention.
Richard Reuther
Welcome!
This week, "Betrayed" is addressing issues related to Washington's standardized tests. Soon to come are articles on WASL costs and issues with the WASL's statistical reliability and validity. Articles so far:
WASL is the "floor" of expectationsWashington State Superintendent "Spins" the Data on EducationWashington's Math Standards Failing the StudentsBirth of Reform = Demise of Math Skills
Update on "Betrayed":
The blog settings were modified today to allow anyone to comment. Comments may also be anonymous. Please feel free to add your thoughts.
Education coverage in Spokane is weak, and the general public is not well informed. Teachers, parents and students have little voice, and the situation is dire. Thank you for the great feedback so far and for your suggestions. Please continue to let me know about education-related links you think I should add. I'm happy to do it. There is a lot of great information out there from advocates who have been working on this for a long time.
Knowledge is power.
Meanwhile, your feedback is very welcome. If you feel I have written something in error, please don't be shy. I'm trying to get this right, and I'm trying to get it out in this community in whichever way I can. If you think the articles are of value, please pass the link on to anyone else who might be interested. The election is just over a month away, and time is short. Together, perhaps we can turn this thing around.
Thank you very much.
Laurie Rogers
http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/wlroge@comcast.net
Blog: Thank you for sharing.
The Edmonds School District, like most, will have to cut to operate next year, even without new state cuts this session, officials said.
Officials declined to be interviewed, saying it was "too early" to talk about the subject, but responded to some questions via e-mail.
"If the state cuts us even more, it will result in us having to make further reductions," Debbie Jakala, district spokesperson, wrote in an e-mail. "While we would do our best to work with our staff and community as to how best do these, the magnitude of the reductions based on further state funding shortfalls could be extreme."
Last year, the district cut about $3 million, with cuts to special education and more. The year before, it cut $4.5 million and closed teaching positions.
Losing I-728 money would be devastating, as it would for all districts, Jakala wrote.
The district received almost $9 million in I-728 money last year, which funded about 78 full-time teachers. Mostly it goes to reducing class size, and the rest goes to teacher professional development and extended learning.
I wonder what sort of losses would be taken if Marla's Marsh was sold on today's market. I suspect the District's appraisal of $3,300,000 would be way too much. And that valuation assumed the absence of contamination - which was a theoretical assumption taken as fact by the Superintendent and the School Board.
I predict an increase in sales of frozen cheese sandwiches.
Blog: Read the rest of the article in Lynnwood's best newspaper, The Enterprise, by clicking here.
We went to the movie Changling last night. We were expecting a mystery, but got something much larger. We saw our lives at Edmonds School District from 2003-2006 when we “left.”
The lead character, a single mother, returns home from work to find her son has disappeared. We assumed that we would see the unfolding of the police search for this child. Instead, we saw a corrupt organization, the L.A. Police Department, applying psychological pressure to the lead character in order to cover-up the fact that they had “found” the wrong child. The lead character claims that the replacement child is not hers, but the police pressure her by telling her that she is mistaken, she is wrong, she doesn’t see that her son has changed during his ordeal. They begin to call her an unfit mother, because, now that the child has returned, they claim she wants to get rid of him because she wants to be free of the “responsibility” of motherhood. When she refuses to go along with the police, they bring even more psychological pressure to bear, essentially declaring that she is mentally unbalanced and is therefore not a credible person, not a good mother. She is whisked off to an asylum without cause and without proper judicial procedures; she is essentially “disappeared” from the community. Her supporters had warned her that because she was potentially an embarrassment to the police, they were likely to move against her; she believes that the police are good and would not do such a despicable thing. The actions of the police prove her wrong.
As all good movies do, this one circles back to the lead characters’ central philosophy: never start a fight, but if you get into one, make sure you finish it. As the police continue to pressure her (and some of the tactics brought groans of disbelief from audience members, even though it is clearly noted at the beginning of the film that this is a true story), she doesn’t bend or give in. She has self-doubts but she continues her fight with the assistance of others who are interested in eliminating the corruption in the L.A. Police Department. And she continues the search for her son.
The parallel to the District is clear. If you disagree with management, you are labeled a “disgruntled employee,” even to outside agencies that might be drawn into an investigation of the actions of the District, potentially tainting any investigation they might conduct. It is made very clear to all other employees that if they stand up against District actions (or inactions, as the case may be), they will suffer the same treatment as the “disgruntled employee.” If you object to the way you are being treated, there are a variety of ploys the District has to minimize your ability to bring those concerns to light. When you take your complaints public because the administration has failed to deal with them through proper channels, the District suggests that you are mentally unbalanced. If you try to explain to a colleague that their concern for the safety of the bullies is misplaced because victims of bullying are 5 times more likely to harm themselves than the bullies, the District reacts by issuing a no trespass order against you, and they assemble your former colleagues and they lie, calling you a threat to the safety of the students and faculty. And there is no one brave enough to speak up in your defense because it is clear that they will be treated the same as you if they speak up. Oh, and remember, you are still under a no contact order with any past or present employee, so you are not legally able to tell your side of the story to any of your former colleagues.
This is the Kobayashi Maru scenario; the no-win situation. No matter which course of action you choose, you will fail. This is what the District has done to us. Stay in the situation where students and older faculty are being bullied by the principal, office manager and their allies or try to get the District to stop the bullying; but they, unknown to you, are openly or tacitly approve the behavior. Either choice will end with bad results. I was encouraged that among the several e-mails excoriating me for my actions (these writers were never disciplined for electronic bullying which is banned by Board policy) there was one faculty member who gave me the benefit of the doubt and suggested that my actions were uncharacteristic and there must be something else going on that others were not aware of. Chris was not in a position to tell others what had happened; she would have been open to greater bullying (which ultimately did come her way even after [or perhaps because of] asking Osborne to make sure that the next principal be made aware of the truth of the situation) and, theoretically, I could have been additionally charged with violating the terms of the administrative leave that I was placed on in that I was not to talk to any present or former district employees. (I asked Tam how that was supposed to work since I was married to a staff member who was perfectly aware of everything that had gone on; he had no suggestion.) So, just as the lead character in the movie, I was “whisked away” from sight, unable to talk to any potential allies; unable to say “good-bye” to my students; unable to clear my name; unable to tell the truth to colleagues or the public. I was branded a “disgruntled employee,” as if that were MY fault. Actually, I was perfectly happy until I was set up for failure by Houser and watched as he went about harassing other staff as well.
To state this again, I was not the one bullying staff members of a certain advanced age; I was not the one bullying students; I was not the one who would do nothing to stop the bullying or make excuses for it or to warn the bullies that I was on to them so that they could bully me more. No. That was Houser, Bradshaw, Limon, Wilson, Woods, and Osborne.
How much higher in the system does this behavior go? Read the blog; it will soon be clear to you that it is a behavior pattern that is endemic to a significant segment of the administration. It is not a valid argument to call my sanity, or anyone else’s, into question just because I am opposed to this behavior from my superiors. Issuing a “no trespass order” against BOTH of us without going through the court system is neither fair nor appropriate nor in the spirit of the Constitution. Name-calling of employees (disgruntled, crazy, lazy, old, traitor, worn out, old-fashioned) who oppose the administration is not appropriate. Placing targeted employees on administrative leave with a gag order is not democratic behavior; what about freedom of speech rights? Administrators often bully employees that they cannot control in order to get rid of them so that they can hire others who are then beholden to the administrator for their job and who will therefore do as they are told (especially if they are related or socially connected to the person hiring them). Every time someone leaves the employ of the District, willingly or unwillingly, administration has the opportunity to hire people who will bow to their every desire.
That is the object; to hire sycophants who will never question the authority figure so that the authority figure doesn’t have to explain or defend any of their stupid moves.
This is a bankrupt management style. This is management by intimidation and coercion. It is wrong. It is not the model that should be presented to our children. Somebody needs to stand up to it.
Look guys, I didn’t start this fight. But I intend to be around to end it.
At the last Board Meeting, I specifically asked the Board to be accountable and RESPOND to the public in their requests – not just the "Thank you for your comments" – truly respond, state their positions and be accountable to the community they serve. Simply, they did not and acted as if I was not even in the room.
The only time this Board responds to issues is when they are addressed by the media (or to an issue that the Administration requests – of which it is a "rubber stamp") - NEVER to the public or the "rank and file staff". This is unacceptable when there are huge cuts in services being proposed by the Superintendent. A partial list of issues and abuses brought to them over the last year includes:
Children being denied food and embarrassed at school
School Lunches rising over 100% in a single year (no other school district has prices CLOSE to this)
A multi-million dollar overpayment of a contaminated land purchase
The implementation of a policy to charge PTAs rental fees so they can volunteer their time for our kids
Clear circumvention of procurement procedures to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars for pianos
Clearly ignoring the active promotion of a culture of fear amongst district employees
Ignoring repeated calls to address school closures and dismantling the Terrace Park Middle School Program in a responsible manner
Ignoring fraudulent actions on the part of a Board member, Dr. Bruce Williams and spending thousands of dollars in legal fees that should be going to our kids
Ignoring a clear conflict of interest by another board member, Mr. Gary Noble, to run for a seat he was ineligible to run for (and did anyways with full knowledge of the violation).
And the list goes on, and on.
We need a fundamental change in the School Board to allow us to create a District that is representative of our community, operates effectively and independently from the Administration, provide QUALITY education to our kids and communicate with our parents and district staff.
We need to vote the entire board out of office and start fresh. We need a board that is RESPONSIVE to the needs of the community and is ACCOUNTABLE to the community they serve.
Rick Jorgensen
Layoff notices have been sent to some teachers of art, vocational education and Chinese in the Edmonds School District.
Altogether, the district did a reduction in force of 1.5 full-time equivalent, or FTE, certificated positions, said Debbie Carter, assistant superintendent of human resources. The teachers taught part-time.
The positions were reduced because of declining enrollment, which brings in less funding from the state. Enrollment in those specific areas was low, and the teachers had limited certification so couldn't be assigned to other areas, Carter said.
The programs, including Chinese, will still be offered, she said.Altogether, the district closed 21 certificated positions this year due to declining enrollment. Most of those people were reassigned and not laid off, thanks to retirements and resignations.
The district had a deadline of May 15 to send layoff notices to certificated employees.In addition, the district has eliminated other positions to help fill a roughly $3 million budget gap. The gap comes from declining enrollment and other factors, including raises for teachers that are mandated but not fully funded by the state.
The district has closed 3.5 FTE administrative positions that worked out of the district office and 12.5 FTE classified positions.
The 12.5 FTE classified positions closed include office personnel at the schools and the district office, though the majority of them are at the district office, Carter said. It also includes some paraeducator positions, professional technical positions and volunteer coordinators.
In addition to that, officials are looking to cut about $269,000 in paraeducator hours.
Job cuts and other cuts related to the budget gap will be discussed at community meetings this month and in June.
Read the rest of the story by clicking here.
By Sarah KoenigEnterprise reporter
Editor: Chinese character above means "Get Out!"
Preliminary Election Results
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members:
The first County count of ballots for our May 20th Replacement Levy for Technology and Capital Projects shows the measure passing by 63%. There will be another count of ballots on Thursday, May 22nd at 5:00 p.m. by the County. We will provide an update later in the week.
This measure is only subject to a “simple majority” threshold for passing; therefore, this is a fantastic result. It is prudent to wait for more ballots to be counted given those that come in by mail after May 20th; however, historically later ballots cast for school measures tend to be more favorable. Thus, we won’t make a final declaration until it IS official; still, this is really positive.
It is extremely heartwarming to have this level of support in any school election, in particular when the economy and the public’s concerns for their real costs of living are so profound. To have voters express this degree of support in this environment, is testimony to the tremendous commitment our voters have for students and public schools. Your continued caring and competent service for students, learning, and our community – are essential for this community support. Thank you!
We will develop some “district” ways of thanking our community for their support with this measure; however, please extend yourself in any appropriate way to thank those (including yourself) who shared information, volunteered, and/or voted. We are a great district and always working to be even better.
Sincerely,
Nick Brossoit, Ed.D.
Superintendent
It is important to keep this "victory" in perspective.
The total number of votes cast in support of the Tech Levy is 83% of the number of students in the District. It would stand to reason that if each child came from a supportive home and had influence (earned or otherwise) over .83 adults, these would comprise the individuals that actually voted in favor of the Tech Levy.
This assumes no involvement from registered voters without children in district schools.
This does not include all of the employees living in the District that would naturally vote to financially support their employer.
Worse still, thirty-six percent of the votes cast were against the Tech Levy. So, if you apply the comparison mentioned above, more than one third of those that took an interest in voting actually voted against the Tech Levy. It might be more prudent for the District to focus on all of that negative energy, not just trying to win over people who don't care enough to vote anyway.
That sort of apathy is entirely unacceptable.
Fun Factoids:
(figures are approximate and as of 5:28 on 05.22.08)
Cost of the District mailer regarding contaminated site: $6,500
Portion that was spent on postage: $6,000
Total number of households based upon .41 stamp: 14,634
Approximate multiplier for potential registered voters per household: 1.7
Approximate number of potential voters that received mailer: 24,877
Total number of ballots cast for or against the Tech Levy: 25,848
Total number of votes supporting Tech Levy: 16,535
Total number of votes rejecting Tech Levy: 9,313
Editor: Congratulations, Nick. Please spend the money appropriately. A dollar goes further if you trim the unnecessary fat and honor the promises you made to voters.
The result of the election was predictable. The uninformed public gets what it deserves; to throw away money in this disposable society. As long as parents believe that their little Johnny or Susie is getting their fair share, what do their care? Why look beyond the surface and get involved?
But what kind of return are they getting for their investment? Or the more appropriate question; how much more could they be getting if they had competent, qualified staff spending their tax dollars? The taxpayers of the Edmonds School District will not know, at least for now. For that we can thank the news media and the State Auditor’s Office.
The news media lacks the guts to even publish that there are allegations of mismanagement. Why do they hesitate? Are they too members of the Rotary in line for a handout? Or perhaps it’s something more sinister at play: Apathy. Why rock the idyllic boat ride they take on placid waters? Why shatter the myth of the idyllic Northwest life of beautiful vista’s, political correctness, and the good-life; after all isn’t it just coffee, computers and the Cascades here?
As for the State Auditor’s office, is it a coincidence that the report was not available before the election? I honestly think not. When it comes to education dollars, enforcement agencies are coached not to do anything that would take tax dollars away from schools lest they be painted ‘as stealing from education.’
How much of a scandal does it take? How much waste does it take? Five million? Fifty? At the Port of Seattle, management and the board of directors had the gall to suggest that corners were cut in hiring “friends” as a means of expediting work. That explanation is pure crap. In time I predict the same thing will be said once the Auditor’s report is released and the spin begins.
Where will it end? Exactly where the taxpayers put it; of that I am sure.
Editor: Thank you to another anonymous contributor.
The real problem with this community is as clear as the front page of the Herald - or every page inside. If you visit Heraldnet.com and try to find any meaningful story about educators, education or the plight of students in our community, you find absolutely nothing. Visiting the quick links on their web page doesn't yield much either. The only "newsworthy" stories appear to be related to sports. I pay property tax to support education, not prepare Johnny for the minor leagues or Susie for the WNBA.
If I were a superintendent in Snohomish County, I would seek to change such irrelevant and inadequate coverage.
Some months ago, Nick Brossoit mentioned that he would never advertise the success of the Edmonds School District in and effort to increase enrollment at the expense of a neighboring school district. Why not advertise success so that our community might have a clue as to what the District does to our children every day? And by "advertise" I mean have someone not on the District's payroll write something meaningful.
Everyone in administration knows that 70% of this community doesn't have children in district schools. When there is a public relations problem, a mailer goes out to parents so they can circle the wagons. The last mailer was totally reactionary (and intentionally misleading) and cost more than $6,500 to promulgate. What about the rest of us? I pay my fair share of property tax and yet only receive a quarterly newsletter - which, quite frankly, is far too often. I don't need the District's propaganda machine weaving drivel into something that looks like news. I want something spontaneous, not some old swill cooked up in the District lab for the general population.
Where are the stories of student success? Where are the stories of personal struggle and the fight to overcome adversity? Where are the stories about a diverse workforce and efforts to strengthen community cohesion?
The knee-jerk response from the District would likely involve pointing to a number of unsophisticated publications and websites. But no doubt they are targeted at a defined audience - Parents. The time has come to broaden your definition of an audience and pretend like there is some degree of community accountability - not just parental accountability (if there is such a thing).
[Richard Reuther]
The book is great. [WHITE CHALK CRIME: The REAL Reason Schools Fail] It is THE investigative book that we have been looking for. This puts most of our trials in the Edmonds School District (Washington) in focus. If you are inclined, go to www.esd15.org for a blog and archives of evidence of District highjinx. It was started by a former employee at the head shed and we have been contributing our prespective from the (former) classroom side. It has been absolutely amazing to read the book and see how the two worlds are related. This is a deeper sink hole than the one in Texas that opened up this week.
[Karen Horwitz]
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you agree with me. Even I sometimes question my own judgment having worked on it so long and so by myself if you know what I mean. I got the first review of it from a member, who wrote the following on Amazon.com:
[Review]
A shattering expose of how the multi-billion dollar world of education in America has been turned into a business. This seminal work by an expert who has spent her entire life in the field of education pulls back the curtain and exposes the almost unbelievable degree of corruption that exists in the Wizard of Oz world of educating our nation's children.
It has become less about what is good for children and more about how tens of thousands of people, reaching to the highest levels of government have found countless ways to skim and milk the system of money that should be going towards helping educate children in the classroom.
Teachers nationwide who dare to expose this corruption, that manifests itself in countless different forms, (both within schools proper as well as inside the labyrinthian bureaucracies that control the funding), are dealt with swiftly and harshly.
I myself was one such Whistle-blower who attempted to report massive corruption, financial mismanagement and ongoing Federal Civil Rights violations occurring in schools in New York City. My reward for doing the right thing was that I was removed on trumped up allegations and found myself fighting a "David versus Goliath" legal battle for the past four years and counting.
Should anyone wish to know the real reason/s I was removed from my position, it is only necessary to visit the United Federation of Teachers website:
http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/top/axed/
There one will see a photograph of me being decorated by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in New York's City Hall as a "Teacher of the Year" for Exceptional Achievement in Education. I had designed, built from the ground up, and personally funded, the first premiere Medical Illustration Program in the United States for gifted Minority students. The goal of the program was to serve as a launching pad to propel those highly intellectually gifted students from socio-economically deprived backgrounds into Ivy League Universities and into careers including Medicine, as Physicians and research Scientists.
The success of this unique program was such, that it attracted the attention of Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist, Clara Hemphill.
But once I became a Whistle-blower the New York City Board/Dept of Education went after me with a blistering degree of vengeance and retaliation not witnessed in decades and has led to the Legal arm, known as NYSUT, of the United Federation of Teachers, filing a $ 30,000,000 (thirty million) NOTICE OF CLAIM against schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq. and the New York City Board of Education on my behalf.
My case, in the way the press and other assorted news media have reported the above story, in the most skewed and distorted manner possible, makes the case one of the poster children of Karen Horwitz's amazingly factually detailed book. Ms. Horwitz recounts dozens of stories, like my own, all part of an ultimately shocking and illuminating expose of how the world of Education has become a form of billion dollar "piggy bank" for those in a position to raid and feed at the trough of publicly funded Education budgets.
The countless stories of the fates that have befallen teachers nationwide and the abusive, often sadistic and illegal methods that have been utilized to retaliate against and silence teachers who have tried to report egregious wrongdoing and outright theft of taxpayer money is ultimately heartbreaking but a story that must be told.
This is a landmark and seminal book, painstakingly researched over a decade, that will hopefully serve and assist the long overdue need to expose the rampant theft of the enormous financial resources that are intended to educate our children. This monumental work will also hopefully call the public's attention to what has happened to the lives and careers of hardworking, dedicated educators nationwide, who at great personal and professional risk to their careers, have spoken out about WHITE CHALK CRIME: The REAL Reason Schools Fail.
If you have time, when you finish, be sure to write a review because I am sure a bunch of EducRAT$ will write horrible reviews once they hear about this!
The Thursday article about the candidates for state superintendent of public instruction candidates ("Teachers union tries new tactic to defeat schools chief," Associated Press) and Terry Bergeson's comments on education funding leave me confused.
The assessed value of my home has doubled in the past three years, even though a fire rendered it uninhabitable for two of the three years. It's a stretch to say that property tax revenues are down, and are having an effect on education funding. I have read reports that the cost of administrating the WASL runs in the millions, and because of the new grade levels being added every year, those costs are expected to double in the next year or two. Is it worth spending millions of dollars to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind to receive $500,000 in federal money? Seems like Bergeson, and our state lawmakers, should a have special session to learn applied math.
Read the rest of this great letter by clicking here.
Deborah Cummings
Snohomish
Another thing that Tracy probably doesn't understand is the organizational race to spend money. Budgets are built upon a department's perceived level of need. If a department fails to spend all of their allocation, their budget essentially gets trimmed for the following year. That is how a department decides to spend $11,000.00 for a reconfiguration when they didn't actually need to change their work environment. It wasn't the value of the work being performed but the value of maintaining their budget for the following year.
Now, imagine that the District was in the middle of a budget "crisis". Wouldn't it stand to reason that if money was left over in a budget it might be expected that a responsible steward of public funds would return it to the General Fund? Those precious dollars could be used to save an educational program or save a teaching position.
It is discomforting to know that simple-minded people don't bother checking their facts before making sweeping statements. This blog has been delivering the news as we uncover the corruption. We rarely speculate and we seldom take the word of anyone without authenticating the claim. Tracy, on the other hand, probably called Marla or Nick and asked "Is the District spending money wisely?" Their answer would have been "Of course!", because their image depends upon it.
Tracy has no reason to complain about how the District spends money. She has three children being supported by taxpayers. Those of us that don't have children, happily pay our taxes but demand a level of responsibility that should accompany the receipt of public assistance.
This District has no motivation to spend money wisely. They are guaranteed an annual income and just have to make sure they don't spend more than they receive. They can make foolish decisions as long as the money is available to blow. No one will hold them accountable because most people (70% don't have children in district schools) just see their property tax as a necessary evil and the parents among us rejoice at having a place to park their children during the day. They are involved but only at the surface. Question district management and watch how fast your children become a problem at school.
Laptops, carpet and mobile computer labs in south Snohomish County schools are on the line in the May 20 election. Voters in the Edmonds School District will decide the fate of a technology and capital facilities levy that would replace a levy that expires this year.
The proposed $31.5 million levy is expected to cost residents 28 cents per $1,000 of their property's assessed value. The owner of a $400,000 home would pay $112 each year.
The expiring $44 million levy cost voters 52 cents per $1,000 of the assessed value of their property.
The new levy would help replace outdated computers and buy laptops for classroom use, said Cynthia Nelson, director of technology for the Edmonds School District. The state usually doesn't pay for computers, so most districts buy their computers with levies or grants, she said. Every school in the district has at least one mobile cart of laptop computers that is wheeled into classrooms so students can use computers in their room instead of having to work in a computer lab. Additionally, around 30 percent of the classrooms in the district have a set of seven laptops for classroom use.
Most of the computers were bought in 2004, with funds from the previous technology levy. Nelson said many are having issues and need to be replaced. "We've done a lot of work to pretty much bring the Edmonds School District into the 21st century -- and renewing this levy will allow us to continue that good work at an even lower tax rate than we're currently running," she said. "It is pretty amazing if you talk to a lot of teachers, they're not real sure how they could go back to the old way of doing things."
The levy would also pay for security system improvements, roofing upgrades and changes to make schools more energy efficient.
There is no organized opposition to the levy, but a few people have criticized it online and in letters to newspapers. Although he thinks technology is important, Edmonds resident Mark Zandberg plans to vote against the levy because he doesn't like the district's management style.
"I think the levy is a fantastic thing," said Zandberg, a former planning and property management specialist for the district. "This community needs that levy to pass. However, the manner in which the district manages those funds, I can't tolerate at all. I'd rather take a hit in the short term."
Read the rest of this article by clicking here.
Kaitlin Manry
425-339-3292
kmanry@heraldnet.comEditorial: Gee, what were they expecting the president of Citizens for Schools to say? She is clearly detached from reality if she thinks the District spends money wisely. But then, if I had three kids attending school in the District I might want lots of everyone else's money paying the way - even if a small fraction actually gets to where it needs to go.
Recent articles about declining enrollment left out an important reason: more parents dissatisfied with public schools are homeschooling. Nationwide, over 2 percent of students are being home-schooled this year.
Although "cyberschool"/online school is offered through local public school districts to retain funding, many more home-schoolers are operating independently and with great success. Local home-schoolers enjoy many support groups and activities such as orchestras, speech and debate clubs, sports teams, and hundreds of classes through local co-ops and park districts.
Home-schoolers have received full scholarships to Ivy League schools, have significantly higher SAT and ACT average scores, and are sought after by universities for their strong academic skills, community involvement and independent learning skills. With home-schoolers winning many national spelling and geography bees, science contests and sports awards (Heisman trophy!), coupled with the finding that the average home-schooler is involved in 2.5 activities, the old questions about academics and "socialization" have become laughable. Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, a third of our presidents, George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington, Einstein, Clara Barton and Sandra Day O'Connor were all home-schooled for at least part of their education. Homeschooling is efficient, can be done inexpensively (using Internet and library), and takes much less time than people assume, thus homeschooling parents include those who are single, working, handicapped, chronically ill and grandparents.
Read the rest of this letter by clicking here.
Elizabeth Scott
Edmonds
Article in the Herald
Dear Editor,
While it is terribly unfortunate that our local schools are suffering as a result of declining enrollment and increased operational costs, I find it difficult to remain sympathetic.
The Edmonds School District, for instance, has been actively tracking student generation rates since 2002 and their own Capital Facilities Plan has been clearly demonstrating a downward trend in enrollment. It troubles me that conclusions drawn by their own staff are not incorporated into their planning processes.
What is equally perplexing is that everyone in our community must make concessions in their personal finances to keep up with the increasing costs of utilities, fuel and basic commodities. How would any agency, solely dependent upon public assistance, not manage their finances under the same basic principles?
It is a tragedy that school administrators are now left with the daunting task of hand-picking programs to eliminate. During such times, it is critically important that we have the right people working on budget reductions. In the Edmonds School District, for instance, they just paid $2,300,000 more for a piece of contaminated property than it was actually worth. Such an obvious detachment from the real world and the value of money cannot be helpful during a budget crisis.
This is the same school district that pays people to sit at home, funnels money to piano-selling friends and violates every conceivable board policy that is intended to prevent public funds from being wasted.
Mark Zandberg
Edmonds
Is it just me or does it seem odd to have seven finalists for seven elementary schools? Why are there so many people leaving? One third of our elementary schools will have new principals when classes start in the Fall. Does this seem peculiar to anyone else?
I wonder if Human Resources will conduct exit interviews to help determine the reason why so many principals are leaving. Of course, there wouldn't be any need to interview if the reasons were already well known. I suspect these departures can be attributed to atmospheric pressure or philosophical differences. Whatever the case, I hope our "dearly departing" find greener pastures elsewhere. In most cases, they will be sorely missed.
The vacant principal positions are located at Beverly, College Place, Edmonds, Meadowdale, Mountlake Terrace, Spruce and Woodway. The seven finalists are Margaret Mesaros, Doug Johnson, Carol Frodge, Dan Davis, Betsy McGregor, Justin Irish and Steve Hopkins.
Editorial: Be sure to attend the Community Forum if your neighborhood elementary school is slated for a change in leadership.
I read, with interest, the article in The Everett Herald about Jan Link, retired Edmonds School District Principal, who has created a small student tutoring business, which has included an after-school tutoring program at a Lynnwood apartment complex, which is funded by a grant.
Ms. Link participates with the tutoring 2 days a week according to the article. What a wonderful opportunity for kids, especially those living in low income service areas.
My point: There are educators out there who CARE about kids' learning, both in the classroom and beyond. Kudos to Jan Link for her efforts.
Julie DeNoma
Edmonds, WA
Editor: Thank you for pointing out this great piece of news. Sometimes we can get so distracted by all of the bad news - and there is a lot of it - that we might miss a shining example of greatness.
I would like to shine the light on the infamous, but never found, named or listed BAC - Budget Advisory Committee. Who is this? What kind of advisers are they? There are NO community members in this group. They are ALL a part of the Supt staff or department heads.
What kind of results can we expect the group farthest away from students to create? Searching the district website yields NO results. Telephone calls all shield the identity of the members.
It is certain that no one wants their name attached to the "proposal" to slash 4 million dollars.
And when is the "proposal" unveiled?
Regarding your last post-
Librarians HAVE been surplussed. The six smallest schools are being reduced to half time librarians. Six at the six smallest schools were asked to "give input" on their next assignment. Coincidentally, there just happened to be enough vacancies due to leave/non-continuing contracts. The spin is already underway to say that no librarians lost their jobs. How can this be a proposal? Let the double speak begin.
The difference between the sixth smallest and seventh smallest schools is less than ten students; possibly 1 depending on when and how you count. And why not cut partial FTE at a greater number of schools? This also plays the envy card between schools- the big vs the small. Who is responsible for boundary lines? Who is watching enrollment numbers? or is this a matter of convenience?
This is wrong in so many ways. To what extent is it a proposal, when you've already told six schools to plan on getting by with a half time librarian? Which means a library staffed half time; and dark half the time. Librarians who work hard to integrate technology? (so why get more with a levy?) Another way it's wrong is in creating second class schools. It may be more painful to close a school, but the levels of service should be equitable between schools. They all pay the same taxes. Other points briefly include curriculum collaboration, instructional support, access to books and technology, reading promotions, etc.
Of course, no one is suggesting part-time principals, or part-time supt. staff. There work is going down with fewer students right?
Librarians are inspired by the esd15 blog and have created an esd15lms.blogspot.com communication vehicle.
Please enjoy occasional entries from this blog with more details for librarians.
Our big goal is to get a huge crowd wearing red symbolic of bleeding at the April 22 Board Meeting. Cutting librarians cuts the wrong spots, and one too close to students.
Would you consider republishing your million dollar list of cuts? It was a great entry which will certainly be timely again very soon. Add to it the mailing of any PR to the households of the 6 cities. Mail runs every other day. No assistants to the assistants. etc. Transportation cuts. Outsourcing. Maybe you've got another million dollars out there?
Other item of interest-
Here is the "party line" which has gone out to staff, parents and others in the exact same form.
March 28, 2008
Dear Mountlake Terrace Elementary Staff,
I understand there are questions regarding the budget process. All school districts in the state are facing this type of fiscal challenge and are having to seriously look at reductions that none have ever wanted to consider, just to meet operational levels.
We do appreciate the service of all staff and we understand the need to pay employees a competitive wage; the issue is a lack of state funding to meet these obligations.
At this point there are a number of ideas that are being reviewed. Included is the idea of reducing the 6 smallest elem. school LMS positions to .5. Details associated with this type of change are still being reviewed. Also, the enrollment of special education students has been declining in the district; special services staff are processing reductions to match that decline. We will still be supporting special services with general fund dollars, well beyond state and federal funding.
These concepts and many others, including reductions to central office administrators, have started to be processed yesterday with the work of the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC). It will progress to the P-12 group later in April, then to the Board in a study session. The budget development process will continue through the end of the school year and results in our final recommendations to our Board in July and an August approval by the Board.
To even think about reducing staff we all value and know make a difference in children’s lives is painful. Any ideas generated that would help the district meet its fiscal realities for 08-09, are welcome and will be considered. However, few if any have been able to come up with ideas or areas we have not already reduced as a system in prior years. Thus, we are looking at reductions and changes in how we do the work, reductions in what work is done, and reductions in the number of staff available to do the work.
Thank you again for your dedication and passion in working with our students. I appreciate your patience as we work through this difficult task. We will keep you informed as the process continues.
Sincerely,
Sue Venable
Assistant Superintendent
Edmonds School District #15
(425) 431-7155
venables@edmonds.wednet.eduEditorial: Thank you to another anonymous contributor.
Fun Factoid: Mark Zandberg is the son of a Librarian.
There used to be a time when offering high salaries brought the best and brightest to your company. With all things being equal, the prospective candidate for a position within your organization could consider things like compensation as a determining factor. However, things have clearly gotten out of control.
