The teacher’s union is trying to get a majority on the SD Board of Education. They have a unique opportunity to do this because one of the people running (Barrera) is unopposed, which of course means he’s automatically in. He plus Sheila Jackson, who most often supports union positions, will give them two votes out of five The critical vote in this election is the Mitz Lee/ John Evans contest, with Evans being the union-supported candidate. If he wins, the Board will have a union-supporting majority which will be disasterous for the challenges facing us including possible teachers strikes and budget cuts.
We simply can’t stack the deck against our new superintendent and any possible semblance of what’s good for our kids education as opposed to what’s good for ther teacher’s union,by handing over the Board majority to the union. We must return Mitz Lee to another term.

It’s a topsy-turvy world in which we live, and I’m always surprised when women are treated unfairly because of gender roles.  My turn for a surprise was yesterday.

In our family, I’m the home parent.  Yes, I have a business I keep alive, but mostly between 8 am and 1:30 pm daily. It’s not easy.  But for our son, it’s the best possible- he has a parent pick him up from school, a parent to help with homework, a parent to which he must answer should he misbehave in class.

As the home parent, I’m also tasked with the school volunteer duties.  Tasked sounds like burdened, but it’s our family’s way of pulling our civic weight.  We’re not a family that can easily donate piles of money, but I have flexible hours, and am willing to use that time to benefit our school.  That means, my son and I are on campus a LOT.  The teachers and staff know me very well and, as best I can tell, are not “unfond” of me.

Months ago, our son ran and fell at school resulting in a broken arm.  My mobile phone is the first number in the emergency contact lineup, followed by my office number, and our home number.  But the office scrolls down and finds: The Mom.  That’s who they call.  

Now, my wife is an incredibly capable person, but she’s rarely on campus, and few of the staff and teachers could pick her our of a line-up of similarly beautiful women as my spouse.  Actually, they might consider me undeserving of her- “Her?  With Bowers? Nah-impossible!”.  Nevertheless, they called her first when the arm was broken.  I gently asked that, in future emergencies, please call the number my wife and I specified- that will likely result in the quickest response, with the least confusion.  No problem, I was assured.

Fast forward to yesterday, when our son was involved in a minor skirmish in class with another child.  Both children were dispatched to the school counselor, a bright and hugely talented individual who does great work for our school. The counselor counseled both kids, and as a matter of procedure, contacted a parent of both kids.  And who do you think was called?  Yup.  The Mom.

So, I’m chopped liver?  I had to ask why- were all my phone numbers skipped over?  You know, the numbers specified to call in an emergency, or situations just like this?

“I’ve always just called the Mom.”

In the grand scheme of things, like global warming, financial bailouts, and odd behavior from Superintendents, this is truly a minor issue.  But for me, it’s like that single mosquito on a hot summer night.  It bugs me.

p

But he does make his mistakes, and this one’s a doozy.

Prop S (a bond measure to fund repair and upgrades of the set of shacks we call schools) has been hammered by the Union Tribune.  If you missed the editorial, nearly half it’s content was an excellent summarization of why the measure is flawed. [edit:I still support the prop- it has it's flaws, but the flaws in our schools are far greater-thanks, reader VSL] The greater half was about the U/T’s growing dislike for Grier, specifically about the so-called gag order issued by the Board, essentially saying not to speak ill of the Superintendent in public.  Newspapers hate things like this- it makes casual journalism a lot more difficult.  Casual journalism is a style fully embraced by the UT, mainly because their lack of commitment (meaning number of reporters) makes anything but casual journalism impossible. If you want real news about education, go to voiceofsd.org.

Grier, obviously unhappy that he may not get his bond for Christmas, has rallied the troops.  With a single stroke of his keyboard, he summons all the principals for a MANDATORY off-hours meeting down at the Girl Scout HQ, possibly the legendary undisclosed location from which Dick Cheney creates policy.  Ok, not that last part.

At this meeting, Greir (no doubt rubbing his hands together like a global tyrant) launches his plan for the Grier Phone-o-Rama!  The Phone-o-Rama moniker is mine- just play along. The GPOR is a boiler room in some location downtown from which Greir wants each principal to take their turn at a phone tree, making calls to someone, presumably parents, to rally support for Prop S.

If you, dear Reader, are a Human Resources professional, if you have ever hired an employee, ever attended a business 101 class in Community College, or simply just fell of the turnip truck, you will, at this point have a goofy look on your face and an imaginary question mark is appearing over your head, as you utter: Wha?

How can an employer call for a mandatory meeting off-hours?

Why not the comfortable theater of the Eugene Brucker Education Center, the HQ of the school system?

How can an employer require an employee to take a position on a political issue?

How can an employer require employee’s action and support of that political issue?

How can an organization fairly assess an employee’s performance should that employee have a differing view on that political issue?

For a man thwarted daily by the teacher’s union, why would he add fuel to the rising fire of the Administrator’s Association?

I’m just a parent blogger, and am often dwarfed by the complexity of the gargantuan SDUSD.  And frequently, I’m stymied for blogging subjects.  I suppose I should be happy that Grier has lobbed a slow pitch so I can happily blog my snarky prose.  But it ain’t true.

I’m surprised how poorly Grier has treated his employees.  Principals are possibly his most important set of employees.  Clearly the low opinion he has for these boots-on-the-ground workers will cost him their support. 

From a San Diego Unified Parent point of view, it’s just another Here We Go Again.  Here We Go Again with the over-compensated swaggering Chief who looks like he’ll blunder his way to another SDUSD early retirement.  Here We Go Again with the upheaval of choosing another Superintendent.  Hey, Board of Education:  What kind of employee did you hire? Oh, wait- you can’t say anything negative publicly…sorry I asked.  Hey- do you work for me, or the Superintendent?

I like Terry Grier, and I hope he’ll continue to do good work. He’s done some very good things so far. I hope he’ll stick around and help SDUSD- we really need it.  But, for all the sauce, (vinegar or mustard style, depending on which side of the 95 you’re on) in North Carolina, will you please make nice with the principals?

I know- it’s awful that I like them.  After all, am I not the snarky commenter about education reform?  Aren’t these tests a gigantic step backwards in education, perpetrated by the Bush Administration, and possibly (only rumors) by a partnership between Karl Rove AND dead-eye Dick Cheney?  Shouldn’t I be ashamed of myself?

Maybe. But I’m really not. And I don’t believe these tests, by themselves, are evil.  

Certainly these tests, like any evaluation, can be misused.  To believe that this test is perfectly and scientifically accurate is foolish.  To base education policy solely on this test is even worse.  And to base teacher’s compensation on these results is stupid and unfair.

But I like having them.  I like to know how our child compares to his peers.  This one of the ways parents can see if there child needs help, and if so, where are the areas help could be effective.

As a businessman, I do believe in accountability.  I like to see the API scores of schools in (and out) of our area.  I like to know there is some minimum education standard students must meet before they successfully graduate from our public school system.  

STAR testing is a good thing.  Misuse of the data is not.

Why am I filling out all these forms again?

Why not, like the rest of business worldwide, have a password-protected database where I can make the changes required, if any?  I strongly suspect the information will be input into a database at some point, why the duplicity of effort?  Yes, written forms can always be provided as an option.  But how much money is wasted by all this inputting?

Are you police officers?  No, ma’am, we’re musicians.

The Blues Brothers

Are you an education expert?

No,I’m not an educator, I’m a photographer.  And a dad, cook, chauffeur, nurse, mechanic, IT wizard, handyman and blogger.  I wanted to know what teachers need to tell me and other parents, based on their observations in the classroom.  And it was fun, because I got to use an old standby, the complete-the-sentence quiz. I’m lucky enough to have several amazing teachers still speaking to me, and here is what they wrote:

Complete the following sentence:

As a teacher, I see parents help their child when they:

As a teacher, I see parents help their child when they spend time with them doing things like reading, playing outside, going to the park, talking with them and taking a vested interest in what the child is saying.

As a teacher, I see parents help their child when they are as invested in the child’s future enough to work with the child, not for or through them.

As a teacher, I see parents help their child when they read to and with them, and expose them to as many different experiences as possible.  Reading is obvious, so I won’t go into that, but the experiences I think are so important.  This means everything from folding laundry and working in the yard to going to Disneyland and anywhere else the parents can afford.  But while Disneyland is great, it’s more important to do REAL stuff, like building a sand castle at the beach, hiking at Mission Trails, climbing trees, helping to change a tire, going to the Symphony, whatever.  I think especially in an urban environment like San Diego kids need to get out into nature as much as possible.  We have so many different ecosystems near us– coast, desert, mountains, forests– that our kids can learn  to understand and appreciate if they get a chance.

But first, let me tell you the little I know about Zombro.  I like her.  I think she does a heck of a job for the teacher’s union.  She’s tasked with furthering the interest of the union in every way possible.  Clearly, she’s a person of great integrity- she never deviates from her goals, she is obviously passionate about her job. I believe we need more people like her in our world.

That does not mean, however, that I support her goals and tactics.  As faithful reader(s) of this blog know, I am a supporter of teachers, not a union.  The mantra: Teachers, YES! Unions, NO!

So- this interview.  Let me pull excerpts and try to provide helpful commentary.  

QUESTION: How would you describe the relationship between the administration of Superintendent Terry Grier and the teachers union?

ANSWER: On shaky ground. Our teachers are very skeptical and very angry at the actions Grier has taken, which appear to fit a familiar pattern. He failed us with the layoffs. He needs to be reeled in. 

Really?  And by whom?  Who, exactly is this powerful, arrogant and superior force that will clip the wings of the Grierman?  

The union wants people to believe that they are a governing body, equal (or superior!) to our elected officials on the Board of Education.  The union wants to position itself as a partner in education and education’s management.  But they aren’t. The union is an adversary to both the BOE and our children.  Let’s be clear: The union acts ONLY in the interest of the union.  And frequently against the interest of teachers- and I’ll get to that.

Is that why the SDEA has yet to offer any endorsement or support of the $2.1 billion November bond measure to repair and upgrade schools?

To ask us to work all collaboratively with people who are punching us in the stomach is a lot to ask. Our priorities are with our teachers and the layoffs. When we see a viable initiative, we’ll take a position on it.

And there it is, literally the bottom line.  They don’t consider the bond measure “viable”, because it does not fund teacher pay raises.  Teachers deserve better working conditions- better buildings, improved technology tools, more space, classrooms with ventilation, etc. As parents, we have an obligation to those that teach our children to provide these amenities.
But the union could care less about those teachers.  The union is seeking political power and the clout of a schoolyard bully.  They are withholding support of the bond measure because it puts them in a powerful position via extortion.  Translated: Load gun, shoot foot.
Teachers, let me be clear: as a parent (and the views of parents I know)-  We want to make your work environment better.  We know the state will not fund raises, but are willing to pay taxes to change our schools for your benefit and that of our children.  The union, however, wants something else entirely, and demonstrates this by withholding support for the bond measure.  They’ll fight for power and control instead of improving the lives of teachers in the classroom.

But after attending most of a workshop meeting today, I have to type to you that I was impressed.  I saw a LOT of material fly across their desk today, and each was discussed in detail, sometimes painstakingly, driven to try to make the best decision while mired in hopelessly complicated detail.  It ain’t easy.

The frustration I had at the last board meeting was significantly diminished, primarily due to a lack of public participation.  Instead of the circus that prevails at the Ed center meetings, this was a group of dedicated individuals with business to conduct.  Outside of a disappointing fit of pique and stomp-out-of-the-room from John de Beck, differing points of view were tolerated well.

Sadly, I had to leave (pick up the kid from camp) just as the budget was getting reported.  But it was an interesting and informative way to spend the morning.