Monday night (May 18th) is the next regularly scheduled school
board meeting. At this meeting, the board will be asked to vote on
the new teacher contract and "Me Too" contract additions for PSEA,
SEIU and APSM. The approval of the APSM raise would also trigger
raises for the Superintendent and cabinet. Seven people are agendized to speak:
1. Chris Garnier – Superintendent salary and compensation (3
minutes)
2. Kim Garnier – Fiscal Sustainability at PUSD (3 minutes)
3. Wayne Rounsavell – Fiscal Sustainability at PUSD (3
minutes)
4. Steve Sarviel – Fiscal Sustainability at PUSD (3 minutes)
5. Xiaodong Zhang – Fiscal Sustainability at PUSD (3 minutes)
6. Jessica Xu – Fiscal Sustainability at PUSD (3 minutes)
7. Tom Moore - Legal and financial issues of PUSD (3 minutes)
All 7 of these are extremely hostile to Dr. Collins and our
teachers. Each of them spoke at the April 13, 2015, board meeting and were
embarrassing in their vitriol. Each, in their own way, called Dr.
Collins a liar, a crook, dishonest, etc and several called for his
outright firing or resignation. Three of them specifically told the
new board members that they were elected to fire the superintendent
and they expected them to do this.
So, for the first 21 minutes of this next meeting, John Collins is going to
get ripped to shreds and he needs our support. I hope those of you who care about teachers and our children's education will come to the meeting and be
willing to speak in support of Dr. Collins during public comment. I'll be
there with others. But we can use more
informed and respected people to push back against this character
assassination. I assume that our teachers will get slammed as
well. We need to stand up for them also and put pressure on the
board to do the right thing and approve these fully negotiated
contracts.
Horace, Would you also like to endorse the PUSD negotiation method as not without conflicts of interest, so endorse all Board members who voted for the salary proposal 5/18, qualify all your claims by citing time, place, and a direct quote from the persons you refer to, define what you mean by character assassination, and detail what drives you to equate all referred to criticism as evidence of dislike/disrespect of teachers.
ReplyDeleteYour statements sound like a very oft repeated script that seems to go no where at all when parents and community members actually dig into the PUSD published official reports and view the recordings of the Board meetings. I'd sure be impressed if you can come up with some new speech to make on this topic and discard the old, worn out script many seem to be fond of.
No Wayne I believe the post speaks for itself. For 20+ years the district functioned well with few issues. The uncalled for attacks of Dr.Collins and using the bond issue to paint everything in a negative light is pathetic. Yours and your friends repeated single minded rants are of no use to anyone. Your vitriol remarks simply paint you in a poor light and make anything you have to say after meaningless. Feel free to post here if you feel the need. Spin as you might, many are not buying what you are selling.
DeleteI shall take this opportunity to point out a a fallacy here. I did indeed speak at the meeting on April 13. I have NEVER been hostile to the teachers of PUSD either in any public statements nor private conversations. To the contrary, I have publicly praised and supported our teachers. I do so in private conversations as well. I was unfortunately unable to make it back into town in time to speak at the meeting on May 18th where I would have done so yet again. Lumping every speaker who cares about fiscal responsibility together based on what some may have said is in itself irresponsible and misleading. Facts can be pesky things but some of us live by them. When you want to assail people, get your facts straight and assail away. I'll stand by anything I have said at any public meeting and I have NEVER disparaged any teacher in the PUSD. To the contrary, I have supported them and called for more of them. I have advocated for increases in their pay in public comments. My criticism of Collins' misleading of the public is out there for the public to see. His written and verbal statements which are not true are similarly a matter of public record. My statements regarding him are always tempered and with respect. Others, not so much. You will better serve your audience by getting your facts straight before making blanket and inaccurate statements.
ReplyDeleteSorry Steve but as I pointed out to Wayne above, your vitriol comments toward Dr. Collins and continued rants about the bond issue are worn out. When you continually attack in the manner you and others have and in the manner you chose, you simply lose credibility. Your comments toward Dr. Collins is an attack on teachers. If you didn't figure that out last night you might want to review the video of last nights meeting. I am very attentive to words and who speaks. You are judged by the company you keep sir. You wish to be judged as one, act as one. Hold hands with the devil and be subjected to the wrath heaped upon him.
DeleteYou claim to only deal in facts. Your portrayal and statements of what I have said are blatant lies (using your definition). I have had nothing but praise for teachers. You can "judge me by the company I keep" if you will. The only group I am involved with is Citizens for Quality Education. Review everything we have said. There is nothing we have ever said to disparage teachers. Check the facts. Everything I have said about Superintendent Collins is true. He has been caught in multiple lies to the public and the board. Although it has been difficult, at any meeting I have spoken at, I have remained respectful and not called him a "liar" (he is). Other citizens may have. Not this one. Just a pesky fact you choose to ignore. You may consider references to the billion dollar bond "worn out". The fact is, it won't be worn out for another close to 30 years until our children are finished paying for it. I do realize some teachers (and I know it's only some) are very supportive of a man who uses taxpayer dollars to enrich them. I also realize there are a considerable number of them who despise his heavy handed and threatening style of rule. I speak with them frequently. Just the facts. I support a vast majority of our teachers. In general, a district could not want for any better teachers. If you desire to maintain ANY credibility your self, I'd suggest you do indeed stick with fact and not falsely level charges against people you do not know and judge people by the "company they keep" when the associations only exist in your clouded mind. I challenge you to find ANY "vitriol comments" I have made about Superintendent Collins in any public session. I challenge you to find any comments I have made about Collins in any public session which are not 100% true.
DeleteAny debate here is futile. I have watched and listened and in my opinion your comments are in fact vitriol and will gain you and your band of others nothing but public disdain. Speaking louder and often does not provide a majority of thought nor support for any particular idea. When the same seven individuals, repeat the same information, one after the other, meeting after meeting, throwing in the personal attacks and accusatory, sideways comments, each of you (YES YOU) lack credibility and will never be taken seriously. You can proffer Beatty and Sellers agenda all you like. Enough of the silent majority have taken notice and will no longer be silent or sit on the sidelines while you continue your attacks and vitriol.
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