627 replies to this topic

[sanmateo60]

SpecialEDF, where were you tonight? You would have had a live audience of over 700!

[39 degrees]

No specialEDF? What does that mean?

Well, I did it. But, I have to say, I was greatly disappointed in a few things.

1. When you observe a moment of silence, you don't look at your watch and visibly count the seconds while everyone else is watching you. Especially if you are leading the meeting. Being a parent, this started off the meeting in a bad way. I didn't know you were supposed to introduce yourselves to the audience at each meeting. Although I knew a few by face and name, most of the faces remain just that, faces.

2. Too many people went over their three minutes and it was nice that the board made several extensions, reluctantly, to allow people to speak.

3. The school board presidents body language may be part of the reason why so many people who do not know her personally do not like her. Too many histrionics while people were speaking. Everyone can see your lack of attentiveness to the speaker. Even the kids, not just the parents and teachers. I said to same thing to my spouse after seeing just two speakers and although I do not condone being "catty" and attitudinal by the speakers, I was almost rooting for the teacher who used sign language to get you to at least look at her while she spoke.

4. I left with a new feeling of despair from this meeting. As soon as the last person spoke you immediately set your daughter to get trampled by the leaving masses. Even I saw right through that. The prudent thing to do was to have coordinated a few minutes for people to clear and then move on with the meeting. I don't think anyone will have sympathy for the board for all of those people leaving at that point. I still had to drive back to Folsom, pay the babysitter and get my kids to bed.

I told my teacher that we would support them whichever way the wind blows. I hope they will settle, but the anger of the teachers and the lack of attentiveness by the board are any indication, things are not looking good.

Today's comments in the Bee didn't make me change any of these sentiments.

Thank you

[supermom]

I really wanted to go to the meeting but some issues came up at home. So what was accomplished at the meeting? Did the school board attempt to renegotiate their postion even a little bit? Or the teachers?

[mylo]

So what was accomplished at the meeting?

'Accomplished" and "meeting" in the same sentence. HA!

[39 degrees]

Nothing was accomplished as I believe both sides are waiting for the April 18th impasse meeting. The board could come out with a new offer, but my feeling is that they will not do this. I spoke to another parent who went to the meeting as well and she told me that Teresa Stanley was text messaging while parents, children and teachers were speaking to the board. Again, she has been very gracious to me on this board, but unfortunately her public displays do not do portray her in a very positive light.

Also, both times that the superintendent and CFO heard that they received big raises last year, they both nodded that they did not. I’m confused. Did they or didn’t they receive either a raise or an increased salary amount compared to their predecessors? Doesn’t really matter, but no one can tell what is going on.

Is it true the district spent over a million dollars to recruit speech pathologist overseas, I heard something like that or was it the district is paying 1.3 million to pay for counselors they cannot normally attract with the wages that are currently present.

The more I dig and talk to people the more distressed I feel.

[mylo]

If I went to the meeting, do I get a raise too?

[Teresa Stanley]

1. When you observe a moment of silence, you don't look at your watch and visibly count the seconds while everyone else is watching you. Especially if you are leading the meeting. Being a parent, this started off the meeting in a bad way. I didn't know you were supposed to introduce yourselves to the audience at each meeting. Although I knew a few by face and name, most of the faces remain just that, faces.

Assuming "you" is me, I will respond:
1. While it appears you were spending your time staring at me instead of joining us in the moment of silence, I was not looking at my watch. (I can't even see my own watch because it has a dark face so it wouldnt' have served had I been trying to "count the seconds." Actually, I pray during our moments of silence and I would love to ask the audience to join us in a moment of prayer, but that would not be sensitive to all.

The board does not introduce themselves. In 11 years on the board this has never been done nor requested. We have name plates and we operate as a board, not as individuals, so it really doesn't matter who is who. Our teachers should already know who their board is, and you voters elected us.

2. Too many people went over their three minutes and it was nice that the board made several extensions, reluctantly, to allow people to speak.

2. Except for the judgment in that statement (reluctantly), thank you. We truly wanted to accommodate everyone who wanted to speak, and the risk of letting everyone go on without a limit put others at risk of running out of time. We did take action to suspend our board bylaws and let the comments continue for 1-1/2 hours.

3. The school board presidents body language may be part of the reason why so many people who do not know her personally do not like her. Too many histrionics while people were speaking. Everyone can see your lack of attentiveness to the speaker. Even the kids, not just the parents and teachers. I said to same thing to my spouse after seeing just two speakers and although I do not condone being "catty" and attitudinal by the speakers, I was almost rooting for the teacher who used sign language to get you to at least look at her while she spoke.

3. Again, you were spending far to much time trying to judge my posture apparently. How is it that you were able to be attentive to anyone if so much of your evening was focused on me personally? I listened to every single speaker and appreciated many of them. Ms. Leeson came to address the board and inappropriately and rudely immediately turned her back to us and started addressing the audience. The time at the podium is to address the board with your comments. Then, she directed the attention of the audience to the side of the room to my right. Now, when I dared to look that direction, she finally stopped turning her back to us and got nasty about the fact that I was actually looking where she directed? I certainly did not appreciate that, and it got the teachers no closer to getting their point across. You don't attack the people you are trying to persuade.

4. I left with a new feeling of despair from this meeting. As soon as the last person spoke you immediately set your daughter to get trampled by the leaving masses. Even I saw right through that. The prudent thing to do was to have coordinated a few minutes for people to clear and then move on with the meeting. I don't think anyone will have sympathy for the board for all of those people leaving at that point. I still had to drive back to Folsom, pay the babysitter and get my kids to bed.

4. Since this is your first board meeting, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one. We have a set agenda that we follow each meeting. I had already discussed with our student board member that is was likely that her report would immediately follow the contention and anger expressed by her teachers. She understood that and did not object. She's an adult and quite mature. She is not getting involved in this particular dispute because she represents the students and not the teachers nor the board/administration. While we did not express it over the microphone by outyelling people, I spoke to her at the table and told her to wait until the room cleared, then signaled her when the majority of the people left with no further interest in the ongoing business of the district. Kudos to those who actually remained and participated.

I told my teacher that we would support them whichever way the wind blows. I hope they will settle, but the anger of the teachers and the lack of attentiveness by the board are any indication, things are not looking good.

Today's comments in the Bee didn't make me change any of these sentiments.

Again, there was no lack of attentiveness, only perceived lack of attentiveness (and only by some). I feel like I'm at the Oscars with you people critiquing me about what I wear, whether or not I move my neck to a new position during a 1-1/2 hour session, whether I take a sip of water. . . It's ridiculous, and none of this is about that!

[Teresa Stanley]

I really wanted to go to the meeting but some issues came up at home. So what was accomplished at the meeting? Did the school board attempt to renegotiate their postion even a little bit? Or the teachers?

Legally, the board cannot negotiate in public. There are laws about that, and the only thing board members can publicly talk about is an offer that has been discussed in negotiations. If you think that coming to a board meeting to comment will create some sort of on-the-spot action, it is just a misunderstanding of public meetings. Negotiations are always done in closed session and behind closed doors in bargaining meetings (which the board does not attend). Public participation affords people the opportunity to let the board know their thoughts on items within our jurisdiction, such as teacher compensation, but it does not allow for even board discussion at the meeting. We can only listen and make brief, limited responses (per Brown Act). Hopefully what was accomplished was that people feel they have been given a forum in which to express their concerns about the lack of agreement on the issue of teacher compensation.

An action item was taken to approve compensation increases for our classified employees and for our administrative group (not the Supt. and Deputy Supt.). Those groups have settled, classified settled after PERB mediation.

I spoke to another parent who went to the meeting as well and she told me that Teresa Stanley was text messaging while parents, children and teachers were speaking to the board. Again, she has been very gracious to me on this board, but unfortunately her public displays do not do portray her in a very positive light.

What? Sigh. Some of you are absolutely cukoo. I saw one lady taking pictures of me. After the last meeting a lady sent me an email saying she had pictures of me that she was going to send to the governor. For Pete's sake, quit trying to judge my every twitch and read something nefarious into it! I don't mind if my pics go to the governor. It's been a long time since I met him, and I'm sure he would love the reminder. But, really, people who are this focused on me need to get another life.

Also, both times that the superintendent and CFO heard that they received big raises last year, they both nodded that they did not. I’m confused. Did they or didn’t they receive either a raise or an increased salary amount compared to their predecessors? Doesn’t really matter, but no one can tell what is going on.

I could have told you, and I did invite you to contact me to ask. The Supt. has not received a raise since coming to the district in July 2005, and the Deputy Supt. has not received a raise since July 2005. People are comparing what was made in those positions over the course of the three years prior to 2005 (so starting back in 2002), and that is how they come up with those huge increases. They also fail to keep in mind that had our former Supt. stayed with us, he would have been given a contractual increase in July 2005, so any increase over his salary is far, far less than is being reported.

Is it true the district spent over a million dollars to recruit speech pathologist overseas, I heard something like that or was it the district is paying 1.3 million to pay for counselors they cannot normally attract with the wages that are currently present.

This is a mixed bag of potential facts, so it's hard to sort out. To my knowledge we did not spend anything to recruit overseas. Special education services are mandated, and we do need speech pathologists. It would be an interesting conundrum to seek people who have English as a second language as those who were going to help our kids with speech issues.

The governor put up money in this school year to recruit more high school counselors, so maybe that's what you're talking about. The money was available only for counselors, so had we not hired more of them we would not have receive the funds. The point being that we could not divert those funds to teacher salaries.

Everything can be explained. You just need to ask instead of staring at and judging me personally. Facts are far more important than what I wore to the meeting.

[supermom]

Theresa Stanley, I won't presume to know or undertand the way in the board makes decisions regarding the teachers pay raises. Perhaps you can add some insight. does the board intend to give the teachers a raise or not?

Was the meeting productive or not?

[jen]

There's about 38 pages about that. The dispute isn't if they'll give teachers a raise it's if they can afford to give the teachers exactly what they want or 5.25%.

It sounds like the meeting was productive if they gave the other employees a raise. At least the process worked to take care of that. It doesn't sound like it was productive if people were just yelling at the board. Ever hear that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?

[EDF]

SpecialEDF, where were you tonight? You would have had a live audience of over 700!

Hey... I had to work for a living and didin't get off until about 7 PM.... so I went for a work out instead...

after reading some of the comments... I'm glad I did stay away....

I've had my 15 minutes of fame in front of that ugly crowd.. and it would have been the usual Teachers Union mob there with some of our kids that they have brainwashed to also root for them... a despicable thing if you ask me... getting our kids to root against the parents and taxpayers...


After the experience of the Measure O campaign in 1995-1996.. I have no respect left for most teachers and for that matter even the Administrators because when it gets down to it, they all work together to protect their own turf which is what happened back then...

With that said, after reading some of the posts about Teresa... I'm just stunned to say the least...

it looks like you were more focused on her than on what was being said... after about an hour of all the "p-ing and moaning" and the grandstanding of that one teacher Teresa mentioned... give me a break....

I have been to more than my share of school board, planning commission, park and rec commision, city council meetings... local political rallys like the one we had to get the Aquatic Center going... getting petitions signed to get our south of 50 initiative on the ballot only to have it tossed out on a technicality... helping start a neighborhood organization, the Lexington Hills Neighborhood Organization that was instrumental in the construction of Folsom Kids Play Park... so forgive me... if I didn't make the meeting....

All I would have done would have had a bunch of rabid teachers boo me...which I consider a badge of honor... but you know what... after I got off of work... instead I decided that I would go for a work out...then I went home... slurped an "oil can"... aka a Fosters Lager.... 22 ounces of Australia's finest brewsky...

Sounds like old Tess had fun though.... So Teresa... you gonna run again when your term is up... I mean 12 stinking years is a lot of time... Do you think Nancy Mitchell and Marie Carter have a life now....? you bet they do....

[TM70]

Ed,

I owe you an apology. You're a O.K. guy. I just didn't get you before, but now I do.

See you at the next board meeting? I'll be the one laughing as you ham it up. Trust me, I won't boo you.

Thanks!

Also, I have to say I went to the meeting and I listened clapped, cheered, all of that. I never saw Teresa Stanley texting, I just have to say that...that's ridiculous. Also, I think, overall, she did an amazing job of dealing with some teachers who kinda ranted instead of getting to the point. Ed needs to get that sign up at 2:30 each and every time. Rain or shine... Yes, Ms. Leeson, was a little off the deep end, but you can't take that stuff too seriously. It's all part of the playbook. Same stuff happened 8 years ago, so I think Teresa is up for the task and so are the teachers...

Everyone will wait until the impasse meeting and then go from there. Unfortunately, if the playbook is repeated, Teresa knows what is coming and I don't mean to be coy. There are enough upset people to strike. Plain and simple. I hope that doesn't happen, say what you will, but we can all see the writing on the wall.

Thank you, time to go for a week or two...

[tessieca]

Wow, TM, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. I guess I'll keep open my offer to buy you coffee or something after all this blows over.

Yes, I can handle the rhetoric being tossed my way. I understand the broiling emotions. My youngest baby doll did not understand at all and was very protective of me. It was cute. And yes I understand the playbook (there really is one folks), and I know how difficult it will be if we move past mediation to fact-finding and beyond.

Really, truly, I think that people's emotions and anger have caused positions to become galvanized to the point where it will be beneficial to sit down with a neutral and objective mediator. As a mediator myself, I know how well this can work if both sides are willing to give it a good faith effort.

[tessieca]

If I went to the meeting, do I get a raise too?

Okay, but no more than 5.25%.

[EDF]

TM...

I don't have a dog in this hunt....other than I get irritated at the tactics of government employee unions...

this is a philosophical issue with me... government employees should not be allowed to unionize....and that is why we have the problems in government run schools now...

I don't much care really... I was out there back in 99 the last time this happened.. I was the only parent with guts enough to stand up to the crowd... Teresa was there... they booed and laughed at me... and Susan Goodman was afraid to stand next to me after I spoke...

I could feel the love directed to me after I did speak....

hey on the cool side... I got to see myself on TV... too bad I didn't have a recorder then....

but it was the same crowd then as probably yesterday....