Comments

Posted by Anonymous on September 28, 2007 9:06 AM

The baseball field? Your position is one can only further an opinion on this issue if they've attended school board meetings? In other words, you've done the "heavy lifting" of attending school board meetings so you are so much more well informed? I note that it's pretty easy to take a shot at Mr. Hammond, who has bravely supplied his name, while you sit back under a cloak of anonymity. I submit that this why posters choose to remain anonymous lest they suffer random accusations from cowardly neighborhood gadflies who, it would appear, follow people around and note where they spend their time. Do you have a little spiral bound notebook with notes about people?

Don't express shock and indignation over the fact that the SEA's position does not enjoy 100% approval from parents. I along with many other posters have been asking for solid information about cost saving measures the SEA has proposed that the District has rejected. There have been a couple of responses with answers to this question, but nothing remotely comprehensive. So I suggest that the SEA and their many supporters get this information out so reasonable people...yes, including people who can't attend Board meetings because they have activities with their kids (God forbid) can get the facts. It's not helpful to simply spit venom at those you wrongfully perceive as your opponents. It may make you feel better in the short run, but it doesn't make friends and only hurts your cause.

Posted by Anonymous on September 28, 2007 12:39 AM

I think it's so interesting that people (or one person) can read what Sue Walker writes and take that as the only side to this issue. Don't you think it a bit sleazy that the district waited until after the contracts were signed to disrupt the whole structure of the classroom?

I know that they stated that the full number of students weren't in until after school started, but to that I say B.S. Sue Walker also stated that schools in districts like Everett do not allow for overload compensation in their contracts. Well, this may be because they know their numbers before school begins, and hires teachers according to where he or she is needed.

I sincerely hope that the school board takes this walkout seriously, and perhaps it will impact the way in which they choose to begin the school year for 08-09. I agree with the person who wrote about whether or not anyone (with a teaching certificate) would want to work for 1.5 hours per day. I can tell you that those of us who are certificated and sub in the district, do not. This prohibits us taking jobs at all, and it only amounts to $120 per week. To the person who wants to send the daycare bill out, why don't you send it my way because I'd probably make more money.

As a parent of a child in the district, I'm livid that our children are treated with such arrogance from the school board. Children thrive on structure, they anticipate the first day of school, seeing their friends on recess and lunch, and now in one horrid swoop, it's all changed. How do you explain that to a 1st grader? To the parent who said he or she wants to teach his/her child to negotiate, well this is exactly what the teachers are doing. They have done all that they could, and avoided a strike so our kids could begin school on time, only to have their negotiations thrown in their face. If they didn't make a stand, what sort of lesson is that teaching your kids?

Finally, how is it possible that Shoreline School District is going to be able to attract eager, devoted, and caring educators into the district if they continually put teachers and students on the chopping block? As a recent t-cert graduate, most of my classmates have steered clear of Shoreline. It's quite sad, since there were some incredible educators in my class.


September 27, 2007 8:24 PM
Anonymous said...

I am curious how many people who are criticizing the teachers have actually attended a school board meeting. I have never seen Dave Hammond at a school board meeting. Maybe spend less time in on the baseball field and more time paying attention to what is really happening in the district before making a rambling statement about something you obviously know nothing about.

Anonymous said...
Anyone know the SEA and SESPA mailing addresses? I need to send them an invoice for the child care costs they are creating for me with their strike.Thanks!

September 26, 2007 3:17 AM
David Hammond said...
I would like to support my son's teacher's, but I cannot do so blindly. In this case I have to temper my support because it appears to me the district has taken a reasonable action to control costs while the teacher's union has made an unreasonable response. The fact that a majority of Shoreline Education Association educators opposed the walkout also indicates it is not reasonable.I'll agree the timing and communication of the district's moves could have been better, but they are trying to balance the budget, under great pressure from the community, so I am willing to allow them a bit of grace. They must work within the state's funding mechanism's, in order to maximize the amount of state funding, for good of the district as a whole.I think the walkout was not called for, based on the Shoreline Education Association's assertion that both their unfair labor practice charge and their grievance will be challenging to win. The walkout is an attention-getter, but it is disruptive to the students and their classroom activities. The teacher's union response seems to be focused on the lost wage supplement certain teachers receive for each student assigned to their class, beyond the contractually agreed-to minimum, rather than on what is best for the children. My son's elementary school experience (at North City) included some small class sizes, some large, and a couple of years in split classes. His teachers were able to adapt, I stayed involved, and it all worked out fine.It is unfortunate that the teacher's union and the district administrators have such a combative working relationship. As the Times noted this morning, it reflects badly on our community.

September 26, 2007 8:01 AM
Anonymous said...
David Hammond - Where did you see that "a majority of Shoreline Education Association educators opposed the walkout"? Just curious because I hadn't read that and it puts a lot into perspective.-GTK

September 26, 2007 9:21 AM
Anonymous said...
Regarding the person wanting to bill the SEA for their daycare costs- if that's all this issue means to you, you bring up a good point. I doubt your daycare provider has a college degree or teaching certificate, but even if they do, I doubt they have to teach your kid much of anything and certainly they're not held to WASL standards. Even so, what if we were reverse your logic and pay teachers daycare rates. At $500 per child, a teacher with 28 kids would gross about 14k per month or 168k per year. Feel better?

September 26, 2007 9:37 AM
Anonymous said...
David Hammond- the issue is explained fully on this blog if you take the time to read it before you comment, its not about wages. It's about teachers not getting the support they need which affects all the kids.

September 26, 2007 9:53 AM
Anonymous said...
What is the justification for the attacks on the superintendent and school board? They inherited a fiscal mess and are taking steps to resolve it. Has anyone considered the fact that the reason we are in the current crisis is due to a lack of fiscal responsibility by the prior administrations? Do you think that a different school board or superintendent would magically find money somewhere else or that balancing the budget is simiply not a priority?The union is concerned about lost revenue for it's members and the situation is being wrapped in a "for the children" package to garner community support. The union striking about an agreement that the union recently approved? Fiscal responsibility is not an alternative, it is mandatory for the school district to move forward and address the needs of our students in the future.

September 26, 2007 10:22 AM
Just my opinion said...
What has the SEA done to resolve this new issue regarding the change in class size/imbalances? How have you worked WITH the district to resolve the budget short fall (at this point, not in the Sept 5 negotiations)?I feel strongly that any disruption to students should be an absolute, rock bottom resort. I don't feel as though we are at that last resort step at this point. I also think that this sends a bad message to our children. I want my children to work things out. Compromise. Negotiate. I don't want them to cross their arms, and refuse. Please for the sake of the children, try to work out the differences without disrupting services.Also, make sure that this is truly about the children and imbalanced class size, and not just about the loss of .3 salary for teachers. When balancing a budget something has to give, and with such a tight budget if it's not this it will be something else just as hard to take.

September 26, 2007 10:33 AM
Anonymous said...
Daycare rates? Are you such a simpleton that you think the check you write to a daycare is simply handed over to a teacher? Is your argument deliberately hyperbolic, or do you actually not know that daycares have other expenses like, oh, rent, insurance, utilities, payroll administration, vacation leave, sick leave, etc. You know, BUSINESS expenses. If you are going to refute something, at least try to make sense instead of trotting out some lame and obviously stupid remark. Unless credibility is of no concern, of course. In that case, never mind.

September 26, 2007 10:43 AM
Anonymous said...
Where is the best place to protest on Thursday? Best time?

September 26, 2007 10:54 AM
Ken Altena said...
87% of the teachers present at the meeting voted for the strike. Approximately 250 teachers were in attendance. The superintendent is misleading parents by saying that less than a majority supported the strike. She is using 80% affirmative vote of approximately 50% attending the meeting. Last time I checked, this is not how we report elections in a democracy. Take her spin on the vote in light of the current ballot issue regarding tax measures. Why are school districts supporting the proposed change from a super majority (60%) to a simple majority (50%) in school funding tax measures? Obviously to make it easier for these measures to pass. The super majority was put in place to help protect the majority of people who don't or can't vote in these special elections. The turnout in these elections is often less than 30%. 60% of 30% means only 18% support is needed to pass a tax measure. Does the superintendent talk about the vote in this manner? Of course not. She is putting her own spin on the strike vote. She has no way of knowing that teacher support of the strike was not over 80% across the district. I believe in a democracy we have to believe the vote represents a fair approximation of wishes of the constituents.Additionally, the question should be "why are we in this mess?" Haven't the voters of Shoreline passed every school tax measure presented to us over the last decade? Where did the money go? I don't think the teachers have it.

September 26, 2007 11:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Mr. Hammond, you have unfortunately fallen victum to the Shorelake School district propoganda machine.87%, Shoreline’s teachers voted to conduct the one-day strike, but slightly less than half of the union was able to attend the SEA meeting. The meeting was called last Friday after the union failed to get the district to bargain on the overload issue. Because of the location and the time many SEA members were unable to attend but support was widespread. The Superintendent used the low turnout to give people the false impression that the majority of union members did not support the strike. I think this type of misleading information should give everyone a good understanding for the unethical practices of the district.Your blog is well written but it is based on misinformation provided by the district.

September 26, 2007 3:03 PM
Anonymous said...
Annonymous who asked why the attacks on the Superintendent and School Board. This Superintendent was part of the administration that so royally screwed up the budget. 3 of the Board Members were there at the same time. Sue Walker, Dan Mann, Jim Leigh and Mike Jacobs have shown they don't know how to be fiscally responsible.As for adding teachers. In AP US History, my son's class is 35 in his AP Biology it's 38! Is that conducive to learning? How about the history class at the middle school level that has 38 students in it without always having enough chairs for the students? Doing an overload and giving the teacher an aide for 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day isn't much help. I don't think a new Superintendent or School Board can come up with more money, but how about Sue Walker give up her salary increase in a show of support for what the teachers, students and community are giving up to help balance the budget mess we're in?

September 26, 2007 4:36 PM
Anonymous said...
For those that think this is about teacher's receiving extra pay for overload, consider asking how many elementary teachers choose the extra pay OR the classified support. From what I understand, most choose the extra help in the classroom over the pay, because THAT is what is best for our students and their learning. This is what has been significantly reduced by the district's moving students around. If teachers are to receive the extra support critical for our children, then we parents are going to have to volunteer our time. How many of us are able and willing to do that?

September 26, 2007 6:17 PM
Anonymous said...
TO the person concerned about daycare. While I understand the financial impact to you, it is a darn shame that you aren't more concerned about the quality of your child's education. School is NOT a substitute for daycare, unfortunately I believe many feel that way.

September 26, 2007 7:42 PM
Anonymous said...
FYI, I called all of the School Board members to ask them to present their side to me. I received one nasty return from a spouse stating I wouldn't hear from the Member until next week. I did get Dan Mann on the phone, he was rude, short, told me he was too busy to talk to me and never called back! No one else to date has returned my phone call.

September 26, 2007 7:45 PM
Anonymous said...
Basically what the district is doing is shortchanging students. If a grade level is overloaded, they have taken all the extra kids over the cutoff and moved them into one classroom. Then they offer less support than before by putting in a .2 certificated teacher, who can be there for an hour a day, which also has the added bonus of raising the level at which a classroom is considered at overload. In