Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Disgraceful One Year Anniversary at School District

The Emery School District Does Not 
Support Our Teachers

Opinion
Good public schools don't happen in a vacuum.  They require support from the larger community, at least a little.  Here in Emeryville, the schools haven't gotten a lot of support from the community other than voting ourselves a lot of new taxes.  But that's going to have to change.  Because the Emery School Board is marginalizing our teachers, and we're going to have to step in and pick up what the School Board has dropped.  If we don't do anything, our investment in the schools and our children's expectations for a good education will both turn sour.

One year ago today, the teachers at Emeryville's schools sent the School Board and the people of Emeryville a loud and clear response to a crisis.  That response, a document they called the Teachers Resolution, reveals that the teachers can't work with Superintendent of the Emery Schools, Debbra Lindo as they have no confidence in her.  With the public presentation of the Resolution on June 11, 2012, the teachers appealed to the School Board and to the people of Emeryville to help resolve the crisis.  But their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.  The School Board has made themselves equally clear: they do not support the teachers.

However the School Board hasn't simply ignored the teachers in the wake of the release of the Teachers Resolution, they've actively countered with a resolution of their own, rejecting the teachers and throwing their total support to the Superintendent.  With their counter-resolution, the Board is letting the teachers and the public know where their loyalties lie and anyone who thinks teachers should be part of a functioning school district should know that teachers here are considered expendable.

Mark Davis
Acting President, Emeryville
Teachers Association:

The School Board has
done nothing to help the 
teachers
Damning Quotes From Teachers
Superintendent Lindo for her part told the Tattler in December she has heard the teacher's charges against her in the Resolution and she has "fixed" the problems, a remark that has brought guffaws and indignation from every Emery teacher we approached. One teacher who wishes to remain anonymous called such talk from the Superintendent "lip service" based on nothing.
Speaking last week to this claim that the problems the Superintendent has with the teachers have been resolved, Mark Davis, acting Emeryville Teachers Association President countered, "Not according to the feed back I've been receiving from the teachers".   Mr Davis added that the School Board has shown no interest in helping resolve the problems the teachers are having with Ms Lindo,  "The Board has never inquired or sought an update as to what the teacher's position is regarding the lack of confidence in the superintendent"  he said.

Superintendent Lindo is disingenuous when she claims to support the teachers says the anonymous teacher we interviewed, "Ms Lindo is paying lip service to improving transparency and communications with parents, teachers and even administrators as she pursues her personal agenda.  In the process she has brought chaos and discord to the administration of the District and its schools, and so demoralized teachers that many are making 'escape' plans to work in a less pernicious environment"  the teacher said.
Melodi Dice
School Board President:
She says the Board considers 

the teachers at Emery
as "family"

It's Up to Us
We find it very informative that two School Board members we asked about the one year anniversary of the Teachers Resolution drew a blank; they didn't even know what we were asking about.  It's obvious that the teacher's concerns are not on this Board's radar.  It is obvious to anyone paying attention that the Emery School Board will not support our teachers...not after a year waiting.
Teachers are essential to effective public schools and to diminish them like this School District is doing is to threaten this whole endeavour.  So we the people of Emeryville should act.  Beyond Emeryville residents basic desire for decent public schools in support of our children and our sense of inclusion and fair play, we residents have a lot invested in this school district.  We're spending everything we have and more on the Center of Community Life in support of the schools.  We should accept this discounting and marginalizing of our teachers ultimately presents an existential threat to the schools here.
We are especially concerned that this dysfunctional School Board has recently voted themselves another year in office; a subversion of democratic principles and we're beginning to realize to support the teachers and public education here in Emeryville is to replace these School Board members by recall.

Let's resolve to not be having this same discussion this time next year.

Emeryville citizens should move to protect their investment in the schools and support the teachers.  Here's what citizens can do:

  • Don't vote for ANY of these School Board members when they run for re-election
  • Write or e-mail the School District
  • Attend a School Board meeting and speak out
  • No more School Board appointments; support elections for EVERY School Board member
  • Support a recall of the School Board


7 comments:

  1. Does any reader think a recall of the School Board is feasible? What would this involve? I see that there was a successful recall back in August of 2001.

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    Replies
    1. I don't know how feasible a recall is but I'd sign one if it came my way.

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  2. Very interesting. The school district tells us they DO support the teachers and yet the teachers themselves tell us the district does not support them. Someone is lying. I wonder who?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I think you've got it. You have to ask yourself this: Would teachers lie about a school board that's helping them? Or is it more likely that a board would lie to protect their choice for superintendent? When you look at it dispassionately like this, it's pretty obvious who is telling the truth.

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  3. I'm a teacher with EUSD and to answer the question of who is right......the teachers are. As stated earlier, Dr. Lindo and a couple of board members are showing their faces around each campus more, but in MY opinion, it feels PHONY!!! I've been in education for over 25 years and one thing I know well is BS! We voted NO CONFIDENCE on Lindo a year ago. I understand the board not supporting the teachers, BUT I'm a person who believes in HONESTY! If you aren't going to respond to us, be brave enough to tell us instead of ignoring us. As the kids will tell you, being ignored doesn't feel good. Don't put up Teacher Appreciation signs, send fake flowers and show your face to put on a show for the community because the community knows better. The parents support us and that's what matters. As for the board......they can keep ignoring us for all I care. I've gotten used to it and don't care anymore anyways. It's all about the kids anyways. Shouldn't that ALWAYS be the case? I know someone else who supports teachers....
    Thanks Brian. You're doing a great job making your words and actions count for something. I wish the board would follow suit! LOL! Who am I kidding?

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    Replies
    1. To the Anon teacher-
      Thanks for the kind words. And to disagree with you; I think it's critical to have a school board that supports the teachers. I think actually THEY are the ones that truly matter. After all they are the ones that we, the citizens (Including parents) put in charge to support the teachers...they are our day-to-day intermediaries. Many citizens and even parents don't have the time to continually invest in making sure we have a functioning school district. We hire the school board to do the lion's share. Here in Emeryville, this School Board has turned this compact on it's head.

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  4. Bet you $50 bucks, in 3 years, the school board will have turned over 1 position, but it'll be the same 4 buffoons, and someone new.
    What? No one wants to take me up on it? You say it's a sucker bet?

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