Thank all of you who moblilized against Proposition 74.  Your efforts have directly impacted events taking place in our very own school district.  An example of administrators not following due process is now taking place.  Teachers are being disciplined for speaking out. Imagine how much easier it would have been for administation to do as they wish if Proposition 74 had passed.

Five teachers have received letters of warning without having received verbal warnings and without having been insubordinate.  What they did do is write and sign a letter addressing their concerns about curriculum, pedagogy and the programs and process at their school. Hopefully this letter will disappear at a meeting with Brand Krueger on Wednesday.  Hopefully after this letter is thrown out, we can begin a dialog addressing the content of the letter.  If the letter is not destroyed, we need to demand due process.

After Glen Price and Cynthia LeBlanc stated in a video that they have found "top down doesn't work" and after Kate Burnside has told teachers at Downer that we have entered a "new era of how things are done", we need to discuss how involved and by what process the community is to be included.  We need to discuss how much autonomy teachers should have.  We need to ask whether "scripted programs" should trump a teacher's professinal judgement.  We need to demand that the district place their "laser-like focus" on the districts core values: "Treat everyone with courtesy, dignity, and respect (follow due process).

Provide safe and nurturing environment in which to learn, teach work, and participate (not too safe with threats of tranfer).

Take responsibility for our behavior and performance to ensure the highest possible achievement of STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES, and our school community (Take responsiblility for letters with one's name).

Provide EQUITABLE and essential communication and SUPPORT for successful learning, TEACHING, working, and participating (consider the content of what is written and have open dialogs about it).

RESPECT, celebrate, and WELCOME THE DIVERSITY, UNIQUINESS, AND
CONTRIBUTIONS of ALL MEMBERS of our SCHOOL COMMUNITY. (even if it is
counter to one's agenda, let's work together, compromise)."

If any of this is of concern to you, come to the school board meeting Wednesday, November 16 at 6:30 to share your views. We must let the administration and school board know that we will not tolerate an unfair process and that we do want to be included in making our schools a reflection of the great community we are. Let's begin our dialog on Wednesday during the "Public Comment" portion of the board meeting.  There are also two action items about "routine personnel changes". Let's see how routine they might be.