Vigilant Vigil
By knoceda
Friday, April 6th, 2007 at 2:49 pm in General, Hayward, Schools.
Hayward teachers are riled up over the prospect of Superintendent Dale Vigil leaving town during a work stoppage. A rumor has spread that the superintendent will spend next week’s spring break vacation basking in the sun of Mazatlan, Mexico.
The two sides have entertained the possibility of meeting during the break to resolve their differences over compensation, and teachers question how a settlement can be reached if the superintendent is out of town.
Vigil, who shot down rumors of crossing the border but indicated he will be spending time with family, said a deal can be reached without him.
“I am not part of the bargaining team,” he said. “Our team will be here and is ready to go back to the table whenever the union is.”
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April 6th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Dr. Vigil says that he can’t give us the raise that we deserve becasue “We are not Pleasanton”. He said that we are a blue collar town. What does that mean, exactly? The tone of this comment, which aired on the local news, was one of elitism and arrogance. Do Hayward students not deserve the same as Pleasanton students? Do Hayward teachers deserve less? What is he saying about our community? The most offensive part of all this…? Dr. Vigil makes $229,500 per year. The superintendent of the school district in Pleasanton makes $197,960 per year. That is a difference of 15.9%. It seems that Dr. Vigil takes no issue with earning a white collar salary in a blue collar town. Perhaps his salary should match his community. Since he won’t take a pay cut….perhaps he should find another community.
April 7th, 2007 at 8:09 am
He can call it a “visit with my family, who live out of town” all he wants, but it’s still going away for spring break in the middle of the teachers’ strike! Can you say ‘equivocation’?? He and Schimmel created this mess, and it’s their job to fix it. But… Is it true that only Cheryl Peterman–director of Human Resources–and the district lawyer, comprise the entire district negotiating team? So Schimmel and Vigil are leaving it all up to them to resolve. What a stroke of genius.
April 7th, 2007 at 8:18 am
I will also be on a well-deserved, but most likely MUCH cheaper vacation than Dr. Vigil. Then I’ll return refreshed and ready to rumble. Dr. Vigil should spend time pondering solutions that get the educators back into his schools.
April 7th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
I totally agree with the first person’s comments. Vigil doesn’t respect the students, teachers and residents of Hayward. I am a lifelong resident of Hayward, attended Elementary School, Middle School, High School and College in this town, and I can tell you, he is an elitist. He is not one of us, does not care for us, does not live in this town, does not have children attending schools in this town, doesn’t shop in this town, etc. In short, he has no connection to this town. He isn’t going into the local supermarket, talking to the check-out person, talking about what is best for the children of Hayward. He couldn’t walk down the streets of Hayward and look people in the eye and say he’s doing what’s best for the community. He is an outsider, and eventually he will take the money and run like the previous superintendents did.
April 8th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
I have this to say about Dale Vigil and his leadership in HUSD. The name Dale is an
anagram of lead, but where is the leadership? What sort of vigil is Vigil providing over
our District, a District in crises? It seems to me there’s not much vigilance, even if he
is as close as a phone call away. He states that he is at the end of a phone line at some
undisclosed location, while Hayward Educators are walking the line. I would characterize
his leadership, expecially while on vacation, as lost leadership.
April 8th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Like many, I am putting in app.’s for districts in the community I line and shop in and where my kids go to school. The district’s handling of teachers– stonewalling, characteristically– is just one more impetus to leave. That, and the idea of winning back 70 minutes of my day, and being able to bicycle to work.
April 9th, 2007 at 10:14 am
Dale Vigil says that we chose to put the health benefits on the salary scale. For those of us with history in the district ) we know that HUSD never offered a good benefits package. All we ever got was a stipend that barely covered a single person.
The cost of our health benefits has increased about 50% in that last 3 years, 24 % in two years. We have not gotten a correlative pay increase.
In addition, HUSD says that they have no money for pay increases. Yet, other districts must pay salary plus benefits (covering the rising cost benefits). Our district has no excuse for not having the money because they are not covering rising health care costs.
As a veteran 18 year Hayward techer I know that teacher salaries have never bankrupted the district. In my history in HUSD, district administrators’ incompetence and misuse of funds have been the only causes of the financial problems in HUSD.
Before Vigil we faced the corruption of Kowal’s regime. Now under Vigil we face a massive build up of adminstrators’ salaries.
In each case of adminstrative incompetence, abuse and use of funds for their own causes, members of HEA and students have always paid the cost.
Not only should we be getting an 8.08% increase in salary, we should also be getting the same increase for our classroom budget. My budget is $68 per section, the same as it was in 1991. As a result I must pay for supplies out of salary.
We, educators, parents, and students, must be able to participate in a full democratic decision-making process in HUSD to turn HUSD around. Remember HEA members are only asking for what the state has given us; these are our tax dollars. The school district in NOT a private corporation, but a public entity and must be held accountable. Recall the Board and defeat Vigil’s administrative regime.
April 9th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
In response to Pete Maloney’s 4:17 p.m. comment on April 7, the school district confirms that Dr. Vigil does live in Hayward.
April 9th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Sometimes people move to a community to collect a giant paycheck and then leave. I wonder if Dr. Vigil will continue to live in Hayward after his time as an HUSD employee is over. His lack of interest in the Hayward community suggests that he has no intention of staying here. That’s just a guess….
April 9th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Lives in Hayward, as in OWNS, or is he renting, in a residence inn, etc. If his family doesn’t live here as well I agree with Hayward Special Ed. Teacher: he is going to bolt, like Kowal did.
April 9th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I am beginning to think that being a superintendent is a big con game. What is the motivation to do a good job? When they are asked to leave they still get paid their full contract. What a racket. Vigil was asked to leave when he was in Santa Rosa. By the way, why didn’t
the Board know that? Why would they hire someone who was asked to leave a job?
April 9th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Pete, I can’t answer that off-hand because I don’t know. But I was responding to your comment that he “does not live here.” The comment didn’t specify as to renting or owning, but either one qualifies as living in Hayward.
April 9th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Being a nine year employee of HUSD, I have too, have seen several superintendent’s
come an go. And each superintendent was hired-in at a very high salary than any other superintendent in the Bay Area and to boot remodel the main boardroom and added more administrators.
Our principals spend less time in their schools and the district office complains that they
are not doing their jobs at their assigned sight. As I see it the district office is their site.
Special Ed teachers are now being pulled form their school sites to meetings. The schools
can barely run with the huge budget cuts, but then we can give top adminstrors raises
forget about the teachers. Shame on you.
April 10th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
I found out at tonight’s City Council meeting (through a reliable source) that Vigil does indeed not own in Hayward. This is not meant as a slight to renters; as a matter of fact I’ve only owned a home since 1999, so I was a renter long before I was a homeowner. But for a person to be in such a position as Vigil AND NOT OWN HERE is unconscionable. Kathleen Crummey said it best at the City Council meeting tonight when she referred to Vigil as a “carpetbagger”.
As defined by Webster’s New 20th Century Dictionary, a carpetbagger is:
“Any wandering or irresponsible politician, promoter, etc.”
” In England, a candidate for or member of Parliament who does not actually live in the district he represents, or who moved there for political reasons.”
I really think Vigil has misread the community of Hayward. He attempts to insult the citizenry by saying we’re not Pleasanton, we’re a blue collar town, etc. Mr. Vigil, blue collar is NOT a derogatory term. On the contrary, the citizens of Hayward are hard , honest working citizens, with dirt under their fingernails. These are EXACLTY the people who deserve to have the best educators teach their children, and to get and keep the best, you have to pay accrodingly. I’ve seen many an improvement in the city of Hayward in my lifetime; the downtown revitalization and the new City Hall come to mind, for example. The Hayward city symbol claims “The Heart of the Bay”. There is sometime fantastic happening here in Hayward, a fresh new beginning after years of being the butt of jokes. Mr. Vigil is greatly underestimating the quality of the community, its citizens, its students, and its teachers.
April 10th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
I have lived in Hayward all my life. I went to Eden Gardens, Rancho Arroyo Jr High (now Ochoa) and Mt.Eden High School. I went to UC Davis, and work in the field of physical therpay until I was drawn into teaching at Mt.Eden. My family lives in the same neighborhood I grew up in and all three of my children attend Eden Gardens. I am committed to my town, Hayward. I love my students and love my school. I am the Freshmen Football Coach, the Head Badminton Coach and the Athletic Director. I work 12 hour days at Mt.Eden, often at the expense of my own family, because I care deeply about Mt. Eden. When I hear Dr. Vigil talk about our community it hurts me deeply. I spend much of my time coaching my players and students on the fact that a value of a human being is not based on where you come from or how much you get paid. All humans have a right to live a dignified life, including our blue collar families. When Dr. Vigil says we are not Pleasanton, he is devaluing our students and community. I have the exact oppsotie belief in the students I teach! I believe I teach the best students in the world. I try to give them vision for what they can become and a belief that they can achieve anything in life as long as they work hard and believe! I only wish our HUSD leadership would believed in our children as much as me and my fellow teachers do!
April 12th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
“Definition of a Strikebreaker,” by Jack London
JACK LONDON, the man who wrote the famous definition of a scab, was born on Jan. 12, 1876 in San Francisco. London’s bloodcurdling definition of a strikebreaker – a person who takes a striking worker’s job and goes to work behind a picketline – follows:
“After God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad, the vampire, He had some awful substance left with which He made a scab. A scab is a two-legged animal with a corkscrew soul, a water-logged brain, a combination backbone made of jelly and glue. Where others have hearts he carries a tumor of rotten principle.
When a scab comes down the street men turn their backs and angels weep in Heaven, and the devil shuts the gates of Hell to keep him out. No man has a right to scab so long as there is a pool of water to drown his body in, or a rope long enough to hang his carcass with.
JUDAS ISCARIOT was a gentleman compared with a scab. For betraying his Master he had character enough to hang himself – a scab has not. Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Judas Iscariot sold his Savior for 30 pieces of silver. Benedict Arnold sold his country for the promise of a commission in the British Army.
The modern strikebreaker sells his birthright, his country, his wife, his children, and his fellow man for an unfilled promise from his employer, trust or corporation. Esau was a traitor to himself. Judas Iscariot was a traitor to his God. Benedict Arnold was a traitor to his country; a strikebreaker to his God, his country, his family, his class.
A real man will never scab.”
This was forwarded to us by a person I won’t identify, but it is great. Thanks!
April 14th, 2007 at 10:52 am
I find it very appalling that Dr. Vigil, Barry Schimmel, Cheryl Petterman and Christine
Quinn whom have all recieved substancial raises and better paying salaries than our
Hayward teachers that TEACH our children to become the next lawyer, accountant
teacher, councilman/women etc. Why not give our teachers what they deserve, give them back their health care benefits (paid by the district) and a raise!! When you look at our Hayward schools you can see that they are all not in the best conditions I am sure there
is plenty of deferred maintanance money to take care of the school sites. I was at the
boundary meet at Mt. Eden when Barry Schimmel made a comment about San Ramon
schools and how nice they looked and then pointed to the curtains in the multi that MUST
have been there for 50 years barely hanging. Do you think that Dr. Vigil and Barry
Schimmel went back to district office and called maintanance to have them replaced, NO athey are still barely hanging. This to me shows me that they only care about #1 themselves.
NOT OUR CHILDREN, who Dr. Vigil stated on TV that they would be getting an education
while at school during this STRIKE, not true. The district has provided each site with the
same material for each grade level and this is all work that they have all completed
with there teachers prior to the strike. WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION IS THIS………FOR
OUR HAYWARD STUDENTS. I will support this strike and keep home my children and
if any principal or district office person want to try and tell me that my student is TRUANT
then maybe the District bargaining team should of though about the KIDS FIRST!!!!
April 15th, 2007 at 9:51 am
As a teacher fairly new to the district i am completely confounded by the logic of our district office…
My classroom floor has NEVER been cleaned – as in with some kind of soap and water- neither BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED in August nor since [it gets swept MAYBE once a week, MAYBE] yet our custodians take great care of our new hallway floors, they sweep and mop them everyday. this is nothing against our custodians as they probably take the orders from the DO but I do wonder.
My curtain must be the original they hung when the school was built. It is STAPLED together because it has split in so many places.
About your children being called TRUANT. Please what a joke…except for high school students and 8th graders who want to participate in their end of year activities and students in sports any other student with a truancy will have absolutely nothing happen to them. The District Office is SO SLOW with attendance/truancy cases that I have students on my attendance who have shown up only a couple of times all year and are still here with absolutely no consequences.
And finally…can someone please do the math for me and explain how HEA’s newest offer is MORE costly than their previous one as the District Office said in their latest bulletin on the District website.
April 16th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Hey, my room’s never been cleaned, either! No wonder I’m always sick…. Ugh!
April 17th, 2007 at 5:06 am
Cleaning? Curtains? You must have the same curtains I do. The upper level curtains in my room cannot even be opened or closed, the cord doesn’t work & they’re too high up for me to fix it. And let’s not even talk about cleanliness. My floors were last washed well in August. And don’t get me going on the mice or roaches in the building.
Actually at my high school, the attendance policy has been suspended, so any student who stays home to support the strike will not be penalized,will not lose any end of year activities or sports.
And yes, the truancy cases – we’ve only been on strike for 3 days, though it feels longer. The only truancy cases the district does anything about are the ones where students are missing literally months of school.
On the math, well, remember this is the district we are talking about. The same district that says that “fully funding the block system” is a big part of the spending. What??? Under the block system, teachers teach 6 classes a year, as opposed to 5. If they are willing to teach extra, they can teach up to 8 classes a year instead of 6, which is less expensive than hiring another teacher to fill those gaps. And only half the textbooks are required as students are only taking a class & need the textbook for half the year.
And to add another frustration, what the heck is Dr. Vigil talking about, “if the teachers return to work, we’ll negotiate.” He & his negotiation team just threw away a week in which they could have been negotiating without work stoppage affecting the children. He & his team should have been on the phone with HEA Saturday April 7th & should have started negotiating then, instead of waiting til the week was mostly over.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I have chosen, and am honored, to work in a ‘blue collar town’. I have lived in the East Bay my whole life and am the first generation of my family to graduate from college. I want every child I teach to benefit from my UC Berkeley education, which is why I have chosen to remain in Hayward despite the last few years of turmoil.
Dr. Vigil’s thinly veiled attempt to use ‘Bush-isms’ to try to trick the Spanish speaking parents into sending their children back to school demonstrates, once again, his disrespect for the community in which he serves.
The use of carpetbaggers to describe the last two administrations is right on the money. Most of the staff at our school is from the East Bay. Does that make us better teachers? No. Does it mean we have more of an emotional and economic investment in the community? Absolutely.
Hayward Unified chose not to pass on the Cost of Living Adjustment that the Governor has been giving out to the teachers and divert the money to themselves and their pet projects. This is exactly what has created the current situation.
I worked in retail for many years. You can pay people very little money if you show them great respect. You cannot give them nothing for too long. And you never, never leave the store to go on vaction if it’s on fire.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
to Kathy Crummey…you may feel this to be a little late in the game however I can’t help but wonder where your intentions lie…other than your own agenda. Personally, I believe that all people deserve a vacation- if Vigil or anyone else in this city has planned a vacation…why should anyone have to cancel their long determined plans on a paradise getaway???Simple put…you as the Union Leader convinced the teachers they would be better off negotiating and going on strike prior to the Spring Break. You all chose the timing, no one else. And if anyone who actually DOES pay attention to you speak at the Board Meetings, half of the time you go back on statements previously made. You chose when to strike and it just so happens that Vigil is NOT a key player in the negotiations and happened to have a vacation already planned. Why should he have had to cancel his “VACATION” for you, or anyone else for that matter? The point is Not that yes he is the superintendent and he should be here to support the District…but why should he babysit teachers on spring break while they are acting like adolescents on the picket lines, when instead he could be on a beautiful beach away from negotiations, which he has nothing to do with, and be able to bask in the fresh air. You chose the dates and whose to say that you didn’t plan it this way to avert attention to him rather than your own inability to control the teachers and communicate what is actually going on. Husd from what I saw in the budget released at the board meetings…doesn’t have the money you claim it does; at least not without tapping into state mandated costs and becoming the next group to hit the headlines. No one is saying teachers don’t deserve better pay. No one is saying they don’t need it or that they don’t do the hours to compensate. The budget was finally brought out of the red after the new adminstration was brought in. No way else you can put it except “they cleaned house”. Just because HUSD is not in the RED right now does not mean it can’t get that way again. And…with the percentages you are asking for right now…gather what you can get without bankrupting the district. HUSD doesn’t need to be taken over by the state as Oakland was. That’s exactly where it’s headed. Take the initial offer that won’t cost everything and leave our children going to other cities for education simply because these teachers have been encouraged to get greedy at a very inopportune time in the budget.coming out of the red should tell you it doesn’t need to be there again. As far as I can see…this level of action being taken is pure greed. teachers do need a raise…but take it in steps as long as the future budgets can permit doing so. these teachers need to be where it matters…teaching our children…if that is even their priority anymore. these teachers need not encourage absences…especially when tallied up at the end of the school year, absences can ultimately determine whether or not they will go on to the next grade, or even graduate. Personnally I think you just like the sound of your own voice…and yes I do know who you are…more than you may think!
April 18th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Also to Kathy Crummey,
You stated in the newspaper that there is no substantial evidence that people are getting hurt or even property getting damaged. I know personally this is a lie when I have had teachers jump in front of my vehicle while in motion figuring I am going to honk in support. If anyone is to jump in front of a moving vehicle it is their own fault if they get hit. AND teachers have also hit my vehicle while trying to pass a local high school. So you tell me where this is not true and I could bet you that if a hotline were put out for callers, half of the parents could say they have either had it happen to them or their children, or they have witnessed it happen to someone else. Stop defending anyone who is suppose to be a model citizen…If they want the higher pay start behaving like the professionals they were trained to be instead of encouraging one another to behave in such immature manners.
Also, to my knowledge, HUSD was given 8% COLA which is equivalent to about 9 Million Dollars. During that time, the District lost 6 Million dollars due to students transferring out for whatever reason. My hayward educators taught me 9-6= 3. What class do you teach?? any common sense can calculate these numbers the same. The remaining 3% is what the board offered to the teachers. Where do you figure the rest is going to come from? I heard the board approved the 6 positions to be terminated that were presented to the board on the 28th of March. Is this the kind of professionalism you seek in order to gain more money? Why should these descent people have to get fired simply because others cannot understand that the money is just not there. Retirement Accounts are mandated by law…you can NOT touch this money and yet you have encouraged the teachers to cash this out. THIS IS ILLEGAL!!! Since Easter has passed, what other hat are they going to pull the money from…without having to go bankrupt or how about without having to lay off more descent employees??? Where do you get off saying that HUSD has the money when in fact you know better? Tell the truth and stop trying to dig this city and our educations into an even deeper hole!!! I think maybe the next position that needs to be retired is yours. After all- a position/person is no longer needed when their effectiveness or usefullness has become expired. Maybe you’re the one that needs a vacation!!! But just make sure your teachers don’t decide to impede on your plans the next time they go on strike.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
VIGIL has a right to a vacation, but any leader in a time of crisis would do everything in her or his power to end the crisis. He or she would cancel the vacation.
The parent comments that the teachers decided when to strike. This is not entirely true–we were not allowed to strike, by state law, until after mediation and fact finding. The fact finding report was not issued until March 15 and there was a negotiation after that. We could not have called a strike until the end of March.
However, the district has had 7 months to negotiate a contract with us. Instead they gave themselves huge raises at the expense of teachers and students. As pointed out by many people, the top district administrators are neither from Hayward nor have worked in Hayward for long periods of times like teachers and much of our union leadership. The only commitment they have to Hayward is to break the union, and to get huge salaries on which to either retire or move to another school district.
Teachers who have worked in Hayward for many years, on the other hand, have a commitment to students and the community. We have spent years developing relationships with families, creating community at our schools, and to developing our practice as teachers.
Only the district can end this stalemate by coming to the negotiating table with a willingness to bargain. Instead they are training scab labor to administer the state tests to students(who are not showing up) and to send deceptive messages into parents and students to scare students into attending school. Instead of negotiating with a team of site administrators and the superintendent, the district sends their three lawyers to the bargaining table. Every day we don’t settle the lawyers earn money. We need an HUSD bargaining team who have an investment in seeing an end to the strike.
Parents contact HUSD and Vigil with your concerns.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
To Undervalued, the only thing worth commenting on that you have said is that none of the administrators are from Hayward. If you knew anything at all, you would know that one is a parent of Hayward in excess of 2O years and felt they could make a difference where her children attended. And yes there are others with no children that may wish to have them more than anything but have devoted their lives to the education of youngsters. The majority of the administrators of this District are either current or former teachers, principals, and or parents of HUSD. so who is dishing out facts and who is running their mouth…gee I wonder!!! Get your facts straight. The One person I DO KNOW has made a significant difference in this district since the administration switch.
However…no one stated by law that you had to Strike prior to Spring Break. This could have waited but for whatever reason, this avenue was not chosen and instead of our children being on vacation themselves, getting away from the same teachers that drive them crazy, they are standing at the picket lines accomplishing what exactly?!! This is NOT their fight. Their fight is in the classroom directly getting their education. They need to be in class regardless of what or whom they support and when they choose to do so. Whose to say whether or not that student will get “extra credit” for participation and support of their teacher and conducing themselves in an activists fight? Setting a prime example is key here and no matter what anyone says our children need to be in the classroom, even if some of you claim that they are only reading a newspaper…at least they’re reading on worldwide and local news. Or is it better for them to be out of school and re-vandalize the recently painted walls by the railroad tracks nearing Tennyson High School on Huntwood. Real Condusive to Learning?!Maybe Art but not contributing to society in a productive manner! The one thing us parents can count on when we go to work is that our children are suppose to be safely tucked in school learning under the supervision of educators and not have to worry about their safety with those same teachers while attempting to cross the picket lines, only because their priority (the students) is their education.
As far as raises at the expense of teachers…upon anyone getting hired promotion pay has to be determined…the only pay inserted in the budget was those guaranteed upon hiring…and if you pay attention not all who deserved the promotional pay got it. And probably because of the impending negotiations so who is paying the cost…NOT just the teachers. AND your principals make more than many of the administrators do and there are teachers that make more than the adminstrators as well. So who is not telling the facts? Who are the underappreciated? Teachers with seniority get the pay they have earned over many years of proving their worth. not all teachers need the increase just some. I say why not give more incentive for the teachers with tenure and the years in to retire and enjoy their lives…since obviously you care about the money and nothing else…how can a teacher make more than 100K…that teacher may have seniority but maybe it’s time for them to truly enjoy life. How’s about adding that 100K to your pot of money you are fishing for! Not all parties striking are being entirely underpaid. Even Duran gets compensated for his time. Being a teacher was you option and the hours of grading papers and staying over for detentions comes with the territory. If you can’t take the sacrifice that automatically comes with the job and cannot appreciate the true worth that not everyone can say they contribute to a childs education…find another profession! Anyone who attends college nowadays knows being a teacher doesn’t guarantee a high paycheck but has higher values that only a true educator could fully comprehend and those values you can NOT put a price on.
7days/7 months/7 years and the still would come out…HUSD does not have more than the 3 Million they originally offered without firing everyone and going into complete Chapter 11 Status. the last offer of 7% +1.6 % COLA and the 3% retro to July 06 …the budget proposed covers the 3% initially offered and even that puts us in the hole…so where is the 8.6% suppose to come from. the 8.6% bankrupts the district by July 2008. so where do we find schools to accomodate all of our children after July since our teachers will be the parties responsible for making it that way???
April 18th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
I am reading these comments and I have a question. I know the following
Dr. Vigil is from Los Angeles
Mr. Schimmel lives in Fremont
Ms. Petermann is from San Jose
The Board members live in Hayward ( I am assuming this)
Who are the other adminstrators that can help solve this strike? Are they from Hayward?
April 18th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
my Angela of hayward you have taken the words right out of my mouth!!
I have had bad experiense at markham school like you would not believe. And if you looked on the other blogs some teachers were attacking parents for speaking the truth about how some teachers have not done their jobs correctly. But those same teachers are on the picket line.
I have been blocked too from entering markham i almost hit another for standing in the middle of the cross walk on the d st. entrance of markham and i have see a teacher yelling at a parent.
really how do they expect our support and respect if they do not respect or support us or our kids.
Has all that info on the districts budget been available for them to see if so than i guess it is really about greed and not about the future of our kids!
April 19th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
pissed markham parent,
appreciate the kudos because my only contention is that the kids are the ones who will suffer. the budget is public info and be accessed anytime by anyone if they ask for it. after all, HUSD is considered a public entity however if people are not careful all teachers and union members may end up with restraining orders if they don’t pursue this in a more peaceful manner. and what is this about meeting up at board members homes and at the superintendent’s home…people get a life! they too deserve to go home and have some peace off the job. personally, we need as much civil disobedience and peaceful action that we can get. Think about it this way…two major holidays are based on civil disobedience and what was accomplished by it. So use their example and be at peace. Even if you disagree, you can still negotiate in a more generous manner. They’re doing their job just as the teachers feel they are doing theirs. People on both sides aren’t so different; Just look at the facts- ANYONE CAN ACCESS the budget that was issued just make sure you ask for the projected budget as well as the actual costs. The school district gets money every year but it has to cover everything and not “hope” for gift monies to dig them out of the hole. Easy way to put it-LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS, not stretch it til it breaks!!
April 19th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
oh George,
fact on schimmel…he lives in san jose not fremont…and his wife is a teacher there. get your facts right.
April 19th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
to angela hayward mother
Easy way to put it-LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS, not stretch it til it breaks!!
that is the perfect way to put it. I could not have said it better
April 19th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Angela: The budget might be a public record in theory, but how can you get it or even request it if you are not allowed into the district office.
I have tried to go in, not while picketing, and was turned away
April 19th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
I think when Mr. Vigil refuses to talk to us parents at his place of work, or let us in to the office to try to request an appointment with his secretary, he opens himself up to people coming to his house, otherwise the only time we “see” him is when he is on the news telling us how much he respects us!
It is a little hard to have a dialogue or ask questions or request what ought to be public information like the budget, when he in never available. I do remember someone posting they tried to contact him and get an appointment for two years now to no avail.
We do pay his salary, and he should not refuse to meet with the community
April 19th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
We can see a budget, but without knowing education code or laws, we cannot see in that budget if money is intentionally placed in certain types of accounts & then called inaccessible. Or perhaps saying a bill due now actually has a several year repayment. (Most of us do not buy our cars or houses all at once!) Or if money is “budgeted”, but then not spent according to that budget. Nor can we see who might have determined the “needs” and if they are actually needs of the children/teachers or could be someone’s personal agenda.
In the classrooms, we are not seeing money being spent responsibly. We are not seeing it in our paychecks, nor are we seeing it in our classrooms. Children should not have to learn, teachers should not have to teach in classrooms with broken furniture, mouse droppings, torn curtains, short on supplies.
Other districts are balancing their budgets with teacher salaries higher than ours & are managing to take care of business, without bankruptcy. Perhaps we need a new accountant or perhaps our current one should get some tutoring.
Teachers are not asking to be made rich by this strike. We are asking to earn what teachers in other districts are earning. And the 40 Williams Act grievances currently filed by parents re: dirty and non-functional facilities are asking the district to take care of business.
Change for HUSD means involved parents asking really hard questions & demanding answers and then asking more questions and demanding even more answers.
April 19th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
We have been denied the Cost of Living Adjustment given to HUSD by the State of California since 2001. We did not push the COLA issue in an effort to help the district become financially solvent during the post-Kowal era.
All we are asking for is the COLA that the State gives to the district to give to us. Other school districts give teachers the appropriate annual COLA each year without a huge fight (I know because I’ve worked elsewhere). It’s been very frustrating to work in HUSD and to be denied money that is earmarked for TEACHERS, not administrators or any other purpose.
I believe that you get what you pay for. Many of us (myself included) came to this district 6-7 years ago because it was offering a competitive wage. I have watched has my talented colleagues have “bled away” in the last 4-5 years in search of better paying teaching positions so that they can afford to purchase homes, start a family, or finance a graduate degree. Each year I grapple with the choice to stay at Hayward High, a school I have grown to love, or leave for a teaching position that offers better pay in a district that offers me more respect and support. So far, my love for my students has won. I do not know how much longer that love will sustain me.
It’s a shame that this district has such a low level of respect for its teachers. Having watched how the district treats teachers, I’d say you parents have a lot more to worry about than this strike. My department has lost 25 good teachers in the last five years. That makes it very hard to provide the level of consistent, collaborative education that Angela and the pissed Markham parent want for their children. When will you wake up and realize that this district’s policies drive the best, most dedicated professionals away to other districts and schools that know how to show their teachers that they are loved and appreciated for their efforts and sacrifice?
Teaching is the hardest, most rewarding job I have ever done. I had many misconceptions about what it means to walk in a teacher’s shoes before I taught, but being a student for 17 years prior to my first teaching assignment did nothing to prepare me for standing on the other side of the teacher’s desk. As a stranger told me once at the grocery store: “God bless the teachers–they are his angels here on Earth.”
April 19th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Fernando that is sooo untrue i walked in there yesterday without problems.
mabe you don’t have the magic touch like me
But i was givin excuses and sure enough they took my number and this morning i got a call back with a appointment.
Angela in hayward i went to the meeting tonight and crummy was not even there like she was ment to be she had teachers taking her place..two women in the begining left after they kinda got the run around after a question about catching the kis up and really they answered There is a lotta great stuff on the internet…
What about the spanish speakers and the parents that dont have the internet???
Teachers will always be far more important than kids and parents and the spanish speakers sadly seem to be at the bottom…
Fernando es tu raza that is affected badly now to what do you think????
April 19th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
those parents that do not speak english how will they help their kids with work from the internet or in whatever books at home it dont have to be only latinos but asians, samoan,arab ect.ect.
Teachers what about them..once again what about our kids education and please i have heard enough welll umms for the night please give a straight answer if this strike continues and teachers do not go back to work until after this year is over what does it mean our kids are held back!
So when my son has to do first grade again next year again you will be dinning at sizzler or red lobster!!! Please explain this to me ..
April 19th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Did you ever stop to think that you got the appointment with Vigil because you agree with him? You don’t think he reads these blogs (or has someone brief him) and knows where you stand? Funny how hundreds of parents that disagree with him are turned away…and you got in. No mystery there.
April 19th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Thanks for the correction. So again who are the other administrators who can help solve this strike? Are they from Hayward?
April 19th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
did i say i agree with him once again another teacher assuming things well hey what can i say we have a district that dont care and what a surprise teachers that dont either wow i ammm so shocked at that once again how is striking with you and making your wallets fat help me feed or educate my son ! SO special ed, what makes you better than the kids or the imigrant parents? Or because you are imbaressed that your fellow teachers are striking for themselfs only and not kids as somany teachers claim that they are!! again lets parents and kids strike and then we will see if the teachers will be on the picket lines with us loosing pay also like how many people are loosing pay because of you!! So special ed if you cannot take the heat then get out of the kitchen!
April 19th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
The district’s statement that we are losing students & therefore can’t pay teachers does not make sense. When we lose students, we hire less teachers & do not replace teachers who leave. We also do not have as much paperwork to process or books & supplies needed. So there are savings that balance out the losses.
I’m so distressed to see the word “greed” used here to refer to myself or my colleagues. I did not go into this profession to make scads of money, nor do I expect to now. We are not asking to become rich or to change the basic level of pay for teachers in this country. We are asking to earn what teachers do in other districts right next door to us. And as I stated above, if those districts can pay teachers the cost of living increases given to the districts by the state, and maintain their buildings, supply their classrooms, WHY NOT US???
There has been some comment that the union & teachers are only talking about money. That is because it is the only part of our contract that was not resolved last year & it is the only part of the contract we are allowed to negotiate at this time. We are not allowed to bring up other issues until 2008.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
why did you not strike last summer or wait til this coming ? oh i forgot another excuse “We thought it would be resolved during spering brake”. well you all thought wrong if you all know vigil was responding to you before then what makes you think he will now it seems he has called your bluff. it is a war between teachers and the district but are kid have been caught in the cross fire why is that????
April 19th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
sorry it was supposed to read not responding
April 19th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
There is a process that must be followed. Negotiations, fact finding, mediation. Each has a set period of time & procedures allotted by law. it has taken us since last June to go through the process. We were only authorized to even call for a vote in March. And once we took the vote, we still wanted to AVOID a strike, so we kept trying to negotiate.
Why was it timed for before Spring Break? For the district to see how serious we are, bargain & hopefully make it a very short labor action. The vacation then gave them 9 days (April 7-15th) to come to the table and negotiate, WITHOUT CHILDREN INVOLVED.
Why are you angry at the teachers? Union leaders did not leave town in the middle of the crisis. The district threw away those 9 days on their vacations.
I work hours of unpaid overtime every single week because I feel responsible to my 90 students. I often study & research new teaching ideas during the summer. I simply do not understand how a man who makes $229,500 a year to be responsible for 22,000 students did not feel the enough responsibility to them to postpone his trip. And re: his statement about the bargaining team still being here… I’ve never received any communications from his bargaining team, but all the teachers received emails from Dr. Vigil telling us the district’s side. The news interviews Dr.Vigil, not the bargaining team. And even setting that aside, why did the district bargaining team wait til Thursday of vacation to call & set up a session?
I HATE that the kids & their parents are caught in the middle. I’ve been through a teacher strike as a student & now as a teacher. It’s not been a nice experience either time. I miss the kids & their energy & excitement in the classroom. I miss my daily routine. I really wish there had been some other way to do this, but I don’t think there was. In 16 years of teaching, I’ve never seen anything like this & hope never to again.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
where was your union leader tonight ? she was not at the meeting with the parents! Where then at the rally well let me educate you High school teacher if parents were so important to her then why did she not show for us especially at a meeting at night where most Working parents like my self are able to attened? It was to be bilingual also but was not why? there were latinos there whom do not speak english ask how i know its because one asked me what everyone was saying! What is the excuse now why should i go back to being a supporter. i was this afternoon but tonight your union leader showed me the same as vigil did that we parents ARE not important at all. Now answer my question WOULD YOU LOOSE PAY TO STRIKE WITH US PARENTS AND KIDS FOR SEVEN DAYS STRAIGHT? ITS A SIMPLE YES OR NO!
April 19th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
THINK ABOUT THE PARENTS WHOM HAVE QUIT THEIR JOBS BECAUSE OF YOUR STRIKE!
NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE FORCED TO WITH NO CHOICE. WOULD YOU OR WOULD YOU NOT? BE HONEST!
April 20th, 2007 at 6:42 am
Pissed Marham parent:
I’m not sure what kind of insult LOL is, it’s not in my vocabulary, but please, I would appreciate being referred to by my name, which heads all my posts.
You really don’t see that King Vigil gave you an audience because you side with him?
I have politelly asked to go in the district office and was turned away at the door. You think Vigil listened to you? He is using you as a pawn so he can get his injunction. Nothing more.
April 20th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Higgh School Teacher,
“The vacation then gave them 9 days (April 7-15th) to come to the table and negotiate, WITHOUT CHILDREN INVOLVED.”
Do you not get it?! The second that they were told to go picket, THE CHILDREN BECAME INVOLVED! The second they stopped going to class because of the strike, THEY BECAME INVOLVED. Don’t say this is only about the COLA…when the COLA that actually remained after truancies being subtracted…is what was offered at the table…this is no longer about just the COLA…not when your union is making offers for less than 16.84% and then pitching a fit, walking out the door and then basically saying forget it we want our 16.84%. You can not tell me this is only about the $$$$$ for wages. COLA WAS ON THE TABLE and & you all chose not to take it. What more do you want?!GREED does play in here when this happens. This not a negotiation any longer…you all have made it a war to prove a point to this district! That alone is childish behavior.
Fernando Rodriguez,
The budget is on the net and you can go to the county to get a copy of the budget. It is also on the City Website also if you look for it. And not everyone should have to rely on the web, which is why it is not ONLY on the web. so the only options are not to enter the District building…And good for them for trying to get an injuction. Personally I think they should get restraining orders on everyone harrassing them at their homes.
And as for getting turned away, HEA picketers would be turned away from me if they were encouraging kids to place potatoes in my tailpipes too. I don’t care what you say about it…people are getting hurt, property is getting damaged, and for that behavior any one of you who is not a key player should be denied access from all district facilities.
Also to that effect, I have entered the building myself, so not everyone is being turned away, maybe just those who seem to have alternate agendas or motives.
April 20th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Fernando let me sat this so you can understand this (iwill also say this on the other blog)
lol is laugh out loud…..you called yourself a “skinny mexican” and i laughed out loud ( it was cute). don’t be so uptight.
As for angela once again you took the words out of my mouth!
If everyone would do the reasearch they would see it for them self.
ALL TEACHERS WHY HAVE YOU NOT ANSWERED MY PREVIOUS QUESTION?
AND BY THE WAY HOW MANY WHITE TEACHERS DID NOT GO TO WORK TO HELP THE MIGRANTS FOR DIA SIN MEXICANOS? DID YOU STRIKE FOR THEM CAUSE I HAVE SEEN THE NEWS AND SO MANY LATINOS WERE OUT TO SUPPORT YOU TODAY BUT WHERE WERE YOU FOR THEIR STRIKE???
April 20th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Pissed markham parent – Well said , I cannot wait to see what the response will be.
Us Latinos are supposed to supprt teachers on strike but will the teachers support us. Considering that the majority of these teachers posting blogs seem to speak spanish. On the Dia Sin Mexicanos did you forget your roots , o no les importaba? Why is it that many parents who do not speak english are also being forgotten about when it comes to updating them on the situations ,
again greed. all I hear from the teachers is I I I I , what about US
April 20th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Have your unions educated you on all the events or are you just going with the flow.
I actually feel bad for the teachers at this point , money lost is outweighing any extra money that could have been had from any raise , now there will be a game of catch up.
this is a very poorly organized strike, complaints about the administration making money , well what about your union dues, years and years of paying them why can’t you be better compensated , or am I misunderstanding the comments on lack of pay during this time , ask you union president how much money she is making , if it is more than you than that needs to be evaluated , union dues are often misspent .
April 20th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
thank you angela !!!
April 20th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Pissed Markham parent:
For some reason, my posts seems to be ending up in the wrong blog, maybe you missed my appology and correction, which I posted about two or three minutes after the post you refer to, since I did some research and found out what LOL means
Hopefuly this note will end up in the right place
Fernando
April 20th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Oh good, I’m back on track here, in any case, my apology is in there, on the other blog,
Fernando
April 20th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
no problem fernando ….
but really think about our state ments did the teachers help our raza???
why was last night only in english when some only spanish speakers was there?
And about us markham parents we all have said that in a way we supported some teachers so it is not like we are on vigils side even though he has givin us facts that are against the law to lie about! Where is the teachers facts at real hard core evidence ?
If leslie cienega walked in and got an appointment then what did you do wrong?
I read her blogs and it was amazing how many people including yourself attact her.
just for explaining her views. It is not fair that i get attacted for expressing mine but it is time to cut the bull and really see what or rather whom is lying? I am leaning towards vigil because of evidence and more because mediators and now even a judge will or have looked at everything.
The metting had wasted my time everything is just what the teachers say and “its about this much we pay a year and this and that and we are broke”.
Cut the bs teachers show us the tax payers your proof of healthcare statements and if you make so little as you claim then go to healthy families …
April 20th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
I agree its hard to believe that they provide nothing for healthcare , no type of benefits , i think there is something fishy does anyone know the truth
April 20th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
angela,
back in 1996 the teachers were given an option because they were complaining that they had to pay for their benefits. They wanted a raise. The teachers chose a $4200 increase for the year rather than paid benefits because at the time, for whatever reason, they felt it more beneficial. Tradeoff here…because they got a raise, they knew they were going to have to pay their own medical. Now that premiums have gone up…over TEN YEARS (DUH!) they’re mad. Kaiser and all other offered health plans have gone up because they can’t ask for an exam for approved benefits whereas if any one person tried to apply for themself individually, they would have to go through a screening process. So for workers, KAISER accepts all pre-existing conditions the second you’re enrolled. It can get really expensive for a family but all your co-pays are either 5/15/ or 50 only it doesn’t cover IV fertilation procedures or cosmetic options unless cosmetic is medically necessary to maintain the integrity of the health of the person.
Way I see it…How could you figure premiums from the 90′s would ever stay the same…and if it got too expensive get other coverage on your own, and then all you have to do is cancel itt showing you have found alternate coverage…the only thing mandatory to have is the dental and boohoo its like 80-90 dollars for the best coverage they have to offer.
So to say it quick…they chose it to be this way and now it seems they’re kicking themselves.
April 20th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
It all goes to show angela that making the uneducated decisions for more money did not
benefit them in the long run , how do we know that in another 10 years it will not be something different , thank you so very much for the clarification , now here is another point , why fight for a raise then why not negotiate for benefits maybe a plan where the district pays a certain percentage and teachers pay a percentage , isnt that what we have to do , all have to pay healthcare as a parent that is one of the most necessary things , so this is still not a unique r
reasoning
April 20th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Angela:
Actually, I don’t think teachers expected their health care premiums to stay the same, they are not stupid.
What they expected was that the COLA money the state gave the school district would be shared with the district’s employees, which it was not. My understanding is that most other districts do pass this money out to their employees, as this is it’s intended purpose, jence the name Cost Of Living Allowance. The district has chosen to redirect this money elsewhere. Where? I’m stil trying to figure it out.
A correction for my letter to Vigil. In the letter I stated that the budegt was available at the county’s site. I read that in some post.
As usuall I try to corroborate the information I post. After going to the Alameda County Office of Education’s site, I could not find it. I called them and I was told that they do not have it in their site. They did tell me to go to the HUSD site and that I have the right to get the info. I could not find it in the HUSD site. They were rather incredulous that it is not in the HUSD site, and that I had been turned away and barred from entering the district’s office.
Who ever posted that they had found it in some web site, would you please post the link. I don’t think I should have to attend a board meeting to get this information.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Some people are concerned that we are only asking for wages–the reason for this is that it took so long last year to bargain for one-year of a three year contract (more on this later), that our bargaining team decided to have re-openers on salary only. The other reason for a re-opener on salary was to see exactly what the state’s cost of living adjustment would be.
Last year HUSD attacked HEA’s bargaining unit’s contract by attempting to “take back” almost everything we have bargained in the past ten years. These “give backs” would have included the democratic decision making process that educatators have had for more than the 18 years I have taught in the district. HEA is also seeking a two-year salary agreement precisely so we won’t have to go to the bargaining table again next year.
After receiving a .83% increase last year (effectively 0.41% for the year since it was not retro), we (HEA) helped the district become solvent.
Over the years it has been the teacher’s union (CTA) that has fought at the state level for education funds. Certainly neither the administrators nor the school boards had the capacity of the CTA to organize in support of education. By our 2005 demonstration in Sacramento we were able to defend Prop. 98 (another CTA effort) funding, argue for and get the funds borrowed by the state from school districts, and get a decent 8.08% cost of living adjustment for this year. So when it looks like teachers are being greedy, people must remember that union members (including classified staff, maintenance and operation staff -SEIU – and paraeducators) were the ones who got the money into the district in the first place. The people who work with the students have always been on the frontlines of fighting for our students.
Teachers are not the greedy ones. And, yes, we do contribute supplies and copies to our classrooms (sometimes spending in the hundreds or thousands of dollars). We do this to help our students, to give them rewards for work that include special school supplies, and to create a better learning environment.
We are not out to bankrupt the district, which is certainly not in our interest either. We are looking for an equitable settlement. If the district is so broke, then let Vigil and his superintendents take a voluntary cut in pay; let Vigil cut district administration to the size it was before Joan Kowal.
It makes sense then all aspects of the educational program, including HEA members, get the 8.08% cost of living adjustment increase. In some states it is the law that teachers get the state C.O.L.A. automatically.
We, as teachers, do want our students to learn, which is why we want to be back in the classroom. Although I have read many complaints on this blog, I would like to say that in my 18 year experience in HUSD I have seen more teachers work beyond required hours to help students, that we take pride in our work and want our students to succeed. I have also worked with many wonderful parents and guardians in all these years, and I am grateful for the support that I receive from them.
Finally, I am sorry if the word “scab” offends some people. But another perspective is that these people are being disrepectful to us by crossing our line, taking our jobs, and helping to extend the strike. If there were no “scabs” the district would have more pressure to settle. The word “scab” has a long usage in union history. In this case, it is insulting to the teachers who do substitute for us when we are ill or have appointments to call the people coming into the schools “subs.” At best, they are high paid babysitters($300 a day). Teachers respect the people who sub for us under difficult circumstances, and we have been happy to have the support of real subs — even on our picket lines.
I hope there is a settlement this weekend. We are ready to negotiate. And anyone who knows anything about how negotiations usually work would know that the ball is in the district’s court. They need to make a reasonable counterproposal to HEA’s proposal so that there can be a genuine back and forth bargaining session. As it stands now, HUSD offers keep getting worse and worse. All this tells me is that HUSD is intentionally stalling the negotiations (in addition, to the injunction they are trying to get).
The demonstration was great today. I hope the school board heard the community loud and clear.
SI SE PUEDE. EL PUEBLO UNIDO JAMAS SERA VENCIDO!
April 20th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
The 8.08% COLA is based on last year’s attendance. So if we lost students this year, and therefore, have a smaller teaching staff, we would still have the money that went with the number of students we had in 2005-06. The same principle will apply next year; funding for 2007-08 will be based on 2006-07 attendance. If we have fewer students next year, we will have fewer teachers to pay.
So if we were to get 9 million dollars from last year’s attendance, we would not lose any portion of that 9 million this year due to lower attendance (in response to earlier comments).
RE: benefits. Many districts pay benefits flat out. Hayward never did. We are all facing a health crisis that some unions and businesses and the CA. state legislature are trying to address. ALL HEA MEMBERS ARE SAYING is that you cannot look at the pay scale and say–”this is how much a teacher makes,” because you also have to subtract out what we pay for medical and dental insurance. Some school districts cry “no money” because they are paying benefits. HUSD doesn’t have this as an excuse. So if HUSD is not paying the benefits as an extra cost, then the district should be able to pass on the state’s COLA to its union workers. Addressing the health care crisis is another issue that is beyond HUSD.
April 21st, 2007 at 3:40 am
angela,
“why fight for a raise then why not negotiate for benefits maybe a plan where the district pays a certain percentage and teachers pay a percentage.”
We can not at this time. The contract for 2005-2008 allowed for a reopening of talks on salary during the mid-contract negotiations.
As to other issues besides salary, the teachers in HUSD have repeatly addressed during contract negotiations; class sizes, working conditions [vermin infestations, lack of heat] classroom supplies, site supplies, elementary preparation periods, professional development, stipends, medical/dental benefits, etc. [someone correct me - over 75 items during the last negotiation] This not a public negotiation process, so many will not know of the details.
As the current contract ends in June 2008, the “dance” will begin again in September.
Please understand that the contract is between the HEA and the Board of Education, Hayward Unified School District. Not with Dr. Vigil.
The superintendent is the education professional hired by the Board to supervise the day-to-day operations of the school district and to advise the Board as to how the funds it is fiscally responsible for should spent to provide the highest quality education to the children of the residents of Hayward.
The superintendent serves at the “pleasure” of the Board. As the Board and Dr. Vigil have stated numerous times, he is here to raise the scores of the students in Hayward!!
The Board of Education serves at the “pleasure” of the voters of Hayward.
April 21st, 2007 at 9:16 am
Pissed Markham Parent: I, for one, have been begging parents to rise up against the injustices that students and parents have to deal with. I have been telling parents for almost 10 years that “you have the power to make change”, “use your voice and let the district know what you need”. If I believed that you were standing up for a just cause, I would certainly stand with you. My job is not only educating children. I feel it is my duty and obligation to inform parents of their rights and encourage them to speak their minds. That’s what I have always been about. When I feel that a student need is not being addressed by administration, I make my request to correct the matter. I do whatever I can internally to get the kids what they need. When the parents begin to ask about facilities, inappropriate student placements and lack of appropriate materials, I tell them to call the district and/or the school board. I am all in favor of a parent revolt…believe me. They don’t listen to us.
April 21st, 2007 at 6:32 pm
If anyone remembers the strike of 1994, they will remember that the district was “top heavey” at that time. Here we are 13 years later and what has happened again? We are once again top heavy. Not only that but the district is still paying for its mistakes of hiring Kowal and her flunkies, not only their salary but also lifetime benefits? Do you think this is fair? Everyone is pointing the finger at the district, but what about the school board? Where lies their responsibility in this fiasco. They are the ones that gave Vigil his outrageous salary and OK’ed Shimmel and Quinn’s 16.84% raise during summer break (when they knew the teachers weren’t around to protest it). I think it’s time to go after the board and clean house and get some responsible people who are not the superintendents puppets. Remember, Vigil asked for the 16.84% for his Asst. Superintendents to keep them in the district. What about a raise to keep the teachers in Hayward. We’re not asking to be the top paid teachers in the Bay Area. Just to put us back at the median. Obviously he doesn’t care about the turnover of teachers that we’ve had in the past 3 years. The district websited claims that on an average that 11% of teacher in California transfer each year. I don’t see teachers making a mass exodus out of New Haven Unified or Pleasanton for example?
And since everyone is worried about where Vigil lives, does he rent or own? What about the district bargaining team. I know they don’t live in Hayward. They’re only worried about Hayward because that’s where they get their check from. None of them have roots or planted roots in our city.
And to Angela and pissed Markum parent. Don’t play the race card. I’m a Mexicano who attended Ruus, Tyrrell (when it was a Jr. High), La Vista (now Chavez) and graduated from Tennyson. I was born in East Oakland and raised in South Hayward and still live in South Hayward. Whenever people run out of ammunition they always run to the race card. Stay with the facts! Before Vigil was here the teachers gave up their raises to help this district out of the red. Now that we’re in the black, isn’t it time to reward those who sacrificed for the good of the district. I know it wasn’t Schimmel and Quinn who gave up their raises to get the district out of the red. They weren’t even here! And yes, I did go to work on dia sin Mexicanos because if I didn’t it would of affected the reason I’m a teacher in Hayward and that is the students! Not the black, white, asian, latin, etc students, but the STUDENTS. No rae or color needed.
April 21st, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Ok I think one thing needs clarifying…the COLA- it was not designated by the 9 million received from the state. the state had one time incoming monies for general usage. If you want to know how bad this district was off, any administrator in the know can tell you that the state being in arrears for reimbursing all schools,is a big reason why the district, or any district in the state doesn’t have the mooney they should…or how about the embezzlement case that popped up in the newspapers. Real cute to fix your own cars on company time guys! And you wonder why the hole is so deep. This strike is about more than just salaries because ultimately many things factor in to why they don’t have the money. Read the newspaper and ask ????
There’s way more than what meets the eye to the budget but if you ask real questions rather than get on the offense…you will get answers. I have and that’s how I can understand the situation.
the reason the administrators are getting paid what they are is because without a little incentive to fix the mess Kowal and prior administrations made, No way in heck would anyone bother to fix it. Lights are constantly on till all hours of the night in the District building. For the last two years these people have slaved to fix the problems and keep uncovering more problems. AND…if you want to complain about their salaries, your principals get paid MORE!!!
All of us who remember…Back in high school we had teachers class budgets going in the red half way through the year…and you know what I found out by asking a few simple questions at the time…TOO MANY TEACHERS WERE MAKING UNAUTHORIZED EXPENDITUES. that is what contributed to the deficit before…teachers getting collections for items because they hadn’t dedicated the money before actually ordering the products. If the money is not authorized to spend, don’t touch it, or at least verify that the money is even there. Simple budgeting tactics should be done by ALL employees. Years of overspending caused the deficit.
Oh and to the morale of teachers, not all but some of you, wake up and smell the coffee. Not all of the teachers deserve raises. Some are very hard working and some look at it as the next days chores. I grew up attending Hayward schools. One great teacher, DURAN, was one of the best mentors a student could ask for. He definitely deserves everything he has gotten. But mind you, he takes on more jobs/duties not just for the stipends of additional monies, pros and cons included, but to be with the students. NOW DURAN IS A GREAT TEACHER!!!
Or how about Orosco at Tennyson or Sherman at King. Ms. Ballard at Mt. Eden. Or better yet…Mrs Lloyd former principal of MLK and administrator. These people embrace additional time with the students not just for the stipends. Anyone one who pays attention would know Sherman is highly unappreciated for what he has done over the years for his students. No one is saying nothing is deserved, But give those who have not only put in the time and effort, but have put in their hearts and souls to only their students. Take the 3% COLA they offered now. Unfortunately some people may have to decide whether Hayward has the $$$ to pay what they feel they deserve and if not, find another district.
This is not a compromising situation if Kathy Crummey is saying on the news that HEA is not going to compromise for anything less than 16.84%. Who is negotatiating the figures in bad faith with no intention of committing to it. Get another representative to handle who has no motives to settle. She IS GETTING PAID while you teachers ARE NOT!!! Either way she gets paid. Who else on the teachers side are still receiving their pay while negotiating?? So who benefits by this “negotation” continuing. If you teachers with HEA are serious about getting salaries, find an impartial person to represent or delegate with you as a whole. HEA does have history however I truly feel that history has been “compromised” in this instance as coming from her own mouth, Kathy has no intention of compromise here. If the District can request the County Superintendent to look over the budget independently, you all have the same rights!!! She is not your only resort. This could all be over!!!
Put the teachers back in the classrooms!!! Parents…fight together and let the teachers fight their own battles…all school district rules flat out state that no absences can be tolerated so only your kids will suffer in the long run. It doesn’t matter if they read a newspaper right now or draw pictures of pixie sticks…Attendance will ultimately be a key factor in all students going forward to the next grade. And for the High school parents…your kids have already missed nearly 10 days of school…they have almost met the annual limit of absences…make them go. Attendence does count. From what I am hearing, the year is scheduled to end as planned without an extension…
April 22nd, 2007 at 1:53 am
Dr. Vigil – He is divorced and his children live with his ex-wife and if I’m correct – somewhere in the San Jose area. Rumors are that he needs two years to retire.
Barry Schimmel – Comes from the San Jose area and surrounding school districts. I’m not sure about his family situation. ALL I KNOW IS THAT HE NEEDS TO BE FIRED!
Cheryl Petermann- She comes from Alum Rock (Santa Clara Valley) and was also a teacher being who was on picket lines before becoming an administrator. She was also involved in another picket line when she was a principal after teaching. She has a song and daughter if I’m correct, who are already adults. Rumors are that she is retiring in June.
Christine Quinn – I do not know anything about her! Just about two weeks ago I found out who she is. She doesn’t even bother to say Hi to anyone in the hallways. Whatever!
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:43 am
So I guess I have seen the same woman and now know who she is also. Every time I go to the district office, she snubs me too.
16 year HUSD teacher & 1982 THS grad Says: Myth: Kowal is still receiving a paycheck. FACT: NO SHE IS NOT nor is she receiving lifetime benefits. Another myth: schimmel and quinn were given a raise to bring them up to standard median. FACT: they were given this raise when they were offered positions elsewhere. district met that offer to keep them as their positions since 2004 wer showing to be positive; getting out of the red was attributed to the administrators they brought in to clean up Kowal’s mess. So to keep them continuing on this same mission, they met the offer even. Ask the board. WE DID! People concerned already have asked. That raise was well deserved for the “cleanup” even if some of you feel they didn’t deserve it. Other adminstrators that participated in the cleanup should also be credited as much in their pay. It’s a shame some teachers make more than administrators and they are on the strike line!
Also the race card you mentioned…wooptie doo. You lived in East Oakland and grew up in South Hayward!!! I grew up in East Oakland almost my whole life…and you know what…my mother had me go to school in Hayward because it did have a better reputation. iT’S NOT ABOUT RACE UNLESS YOU MAKE IT BE by bringing in the statements that a meeting is going to be multi-lingual when that statement is not met!!!
April 24th, 2007 at 5:26 am
Teachers don’t make more than administrators. Attributing the rise into the black entirely to the administrators is insulting. Teachers voluntarily put off receiving adequate raises in years past, including last year, when this incredible administration suggested getting rid of PE and music prep teachers as yet another way to save money. We deserve just as much credit for the fiscal solvency of this district as Barry Shimmel and the gang. That is exactly what this is about. They are saying with these raises that the administration is worth it, and we the teachers are not.
April 25th, 2007 at 10:14 am
Dear Angela and Pissed Markham Parent,
Wow!! Such anger toward the people who spend everyday helpint to shape and mold your child into hopefully becoming well rounded, productive, intelligent individual. I only wonder how you will feel when the shortage of teachers becomes a problem in the public schools and you will have to pay $15k-$20k for your child’s education? This is not an isolated case, only an insight into what is ahead for many school districts around the country.
April 25th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
ok , the teachers deserve a raise , the parents deserve respect and the right to voice themselves , the district has alot on the plate in order to keep their heads up . why can’t there be a compromise ?
April 27th, 2007 at 4:42 am
There has been a pathetic compromise that will keep the teachers well below the pay of surrounding districts and continue to enable Dr. Vigil and co. to spend the money as they see fit, presumably with the continued rubber-stamping of the complacent board.
Community, wake up. You deserve better. When this contract ends, and your teachers are still the lowest paid in the east bay, what will happen then? Get involved and demand better.
Stop listening to rumors. Stop petty arguments about where people live. What matters is what’s in their hearts and what they do.
Again, sorry to use a retail analogy, but that’s my prior career. When I worked at Macy’s I knew every Senior Executive in the company. When I bought I visited every store often. This is not how the Admisitration acts in Hayward.
I’ve been in Hayward Schools longer than that now and I must tell you that I feel comletely removed from and ignored by the District. It’s fine for some people, but for new teachers that need concrete and moral support, it doesn’t work, thus the difficulty in recruitment and the huge turnover.
Now that the strike has ended with such weak results for teachers’ salaries, you will see an even more difficult situation regarding the recruitment and retention of qualified people. Why does the community accept the highest paid administrators and the lowest paid teachers? What has an administrator done for your child or their teacher lately?
Wake up!
Editor’s note: Actually, according to our story today, the county Office of Education says Hayward teachers will rank in the top eight of the county’s 17 unified school districts in February 2008 in terms of compensation. -Kim
April 27th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Dear Kim,
Actually, since the number given for our top scale in your story is, I believe, grossly inacurate, I’m wondering if the county also used current salaries for the surrounding districts or actual 2008 contractual agreements. Your response?
April 27th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
In fact, I just went online and current salaries for 06/07 top out as follows for the surrounding districts. (putting us one year behind, at least)
Castro Valley 88 ( not counting master’s or phd)
San Leandro 88
San Lorenzo 87
Union City 96
I’m guessing the county compared out 2008 midyear contractual agreement, with current 06/07 schedules? Even so, we are surrounded by districts that pay better NOW (since August) than we will be paid beginning mid 2007/8 thus, actually, putting us a year and a half behind. No?
April 27th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Kim thanks for the info …Tryin to keep up but there is always something new!
Debra,
My kids teacher explained everything to me today and my question is…Why go back into the classroms befor seeing what the deal was?
My understanding is that if the teachers rejected this deal they would go back on the picket lines but you were placed in a bad situation because you all went to class yesterday and later found out all your info then was unhappy about it but dtill excepted because you all did not want to hurt the kids again(thanks for that) but now are angry! WHO’S at fault fault for that?Hea or husd i am thinking more the hea for giving a false hope! YOUR RESPONSE?
April 27th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Is it not ms.crummeys job to negotiate for you?? Did she mess this up in the end?
I heard that even teachers were crying because it was not what they expected!
So i am starting to think ms.crummey has a lot in commin with vigil in making mistakes.
April 27th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
There are rules in life that one needs to follow and the rules of the labor disputes are, in fact, laws. As regard Ms. Crummey vs. Dr. Vigil. I can state that Ms. Crummey has never lied to me or the parents, to the best of my knowledge.
April 27th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I did not mean she was a liar i am saying that she has not givin out all the info!
If she did would you have still excepted or instead of going to class would you have striked again? There should have been a better choice for the teachers one that would not have involved the kids. but you were all called late wed. night and told to go to class and that everything looked great
April 27th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
and then later you all found out the details did not like them but accepted them because you did not want to hurt the kids! So how i see it is that teachers were pushed into a corner and had to take the offer! If they did not then today they would be on strike again and the kids would have been hurt by having false hope! And by accepting this offer means that when it comes to be the next raise there might be another strike than another one right after another! If it is like that or if it will always be an ongoing fight then changing distrcts does look better! Am i right or wrong?
April 27th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Leslie:
You’re right, we were pushed in a corner. Whose idea was it for us to be back in the classroom on Thurs? I don’t know. Probably the district’s, but the union played along. Teachers got back with their students and then didn’t have the heart to vote down the settlement.
There are MANY unanswered questions regarding the settlement. HUSD needs to answer why it’s said over and over that paying an 11% raise in three years will bankrupt the district and then that’s the final settlement. Apparantly, that was a lie.
HEA needs to answer why it said over and over that the district could afford an 8% fully retro to Sept. ’06 raise and then agreed to 8% beginning in April (and considering we didn’t work most of April, it’s really more like beginning in May).
So, once the full 11% kicks in next February, it’s a great deal. But that’s a long time to wait and a lot of teachers (not to mention the community!) were sacraficial lambs for this. Why did we strike for so long for this settlement??? I’d like an answer to that.
Basically, by the time the 11% kicks in fully in 08-09, other districts will have caught up and surpassed HUSD and we’ll be back in the same situation.
The real answer is that HUSD needs to stem the tide of students who are leaving–figure out why students leave and FIX THE PROBLEM so that we do not have declining enrollment.
Just my thoughts.
April 27th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Thank you i am glad i am not the only one that caught that! lol I am not even a teacher!
But i thought that the hea had all the controll right now since the board wont approve it until next week? Why would ms.crummey accept this? I thought she was on the teachers side so why did she seem to let you all down ? Or is that how all unions work? I wonder why she too let this end like this? As for the district how did they play a part besides lying?
April 27th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
I’m not sure we’ll ever know the answers to the questions we’ve both asked. It’s unlikely the board won’t approve the settlement, though I do believe you’re right and they still have to vote on it.
My first thought is that HUSD had the money for the 8% retro at the beginning of the year, but dragged out the negotiations and spent the money (repainting schools, new phone systems, rekeying all district locks). I’d hate to think the money was never there…but seeing as it’s next to impossible to get a copy of the HUSD budget to take home and really pick apart, who knows!
My second thought is that HUSD was a testing ground for all of the other districts in the Bay Area who are nearing impasse and a possible strike–a sort of sacrificial lamb. Our settlement looks good at first glance, other districts facing a strike see how long HUSD’s lasted and settle w/ their unions quickly and at a comprable rate rather than face a strike.
My third thought is that the HUSD administration and HEA leadership so absolutely distrust one another because of so many years of strife that they locked horns from the beginning due to their dislike for one another. I do know that HUSD left an outside lawyer to do most of the bargaining–in fact, administrators at the district didn’t really get involved until the last few weeks of bargaining. Its seems like both sides spent up through March saying they had only one solution–it wasn’t until late March that the proposals started to change.
My forth thought is that the rumor that Vigil was brought in to union bust is true. The union thought it could fight back and lost. 10 days is a long strike, teachers were getting tired of not having resolution and scared we’d never see our classrooms again. The union heard that concern and got what they could from the district. At any rate, I believe that Vigil’s approach will indeed weaken the union if union leadership doesn’t take quick steps to start a healing process amoung it’s members. I think union busting is particularly sad because union’s have played such an important role in securing workers’ rights in this country. The anti-union sentiment in this country makes me sad.
I’m not sure who is “at fault” any more and I don’t really care. I just wish it hadn’t taken 10 days of striking to get to this very sad little settlement. By the time it pays off, HUSD will be at the bottom again and in July of 2008, bargaining begins again. That’s 14 months away.
Community, this strike is your call to action. Parents have way more control than they think they do. How can this community:
1. Make HUSD more accountable for how it manages money.
2. Make HUSD support in money and fact the programs it says it supports in theory.
3. Support new teachers–teahcers will often stick around in a lower paid district if they feel supported and respected. The lack of support and respect is more of a problem than the money (though th emoney is a part of the support).
4. Make HUSD renegotiate the health care packages so that teachers don’t pay $10,000 per year in health insurance (that’s a big number).
5. Keep HUSD from packing classes to the max with students, particularly intervention classes that need to be kept small.
6. Make HUSD truly support second language students. Did you know that most of the students in the sheltered classes by high school were born in Hayward? Seems to me if you’ve been living all of your life in Hayward, you ought to be able to have high enough skills to be in mainstream classes.
7. Make HUSD spend money for teachers to go to training and professional development that supports student performance.
8. Make HUSD reinstate the bottom up decision making process–HUSD makes choices for our schools without consulting teachers and then implements these choices with no regard for how these choices affect the students.
9. Make HUSD figure out why so many students are leaving. What can HUSD do to stem this tide?
10. Make HUSD figure out why so many teachers leave and what it can do to keep them here.
11. Make HUSD stop overworking teachers so that the teachers burn out.
12. Make HUSD stop overworking school level administrators so that they burn out.
Basically, HUSD needs to stop the turnover of staff at the school sites (teachers, counselors, and administrators) and stop its students from leaving the district (via moving, going to private/charter schools, or transfers)
April 27th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Ms. Teacher,
thank you for saying what I have been trying to say for weeks in here. I guess I was too tired and defensive to be able to communicate well and be heard. I guess it came out in an offensive way.
April 27th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Another Tired Teacher:
I think that we teachers are tired (no pun intended) and exhausted by this district. I think that parents find this district next to impossible to work well with. And I think that few people truly understand what it means to be a teacher–it looks like such an easy job from the outside! I know I didn’t know what I was getting myself into until I was on my own as a first year teacher in a dysfunctional district.
HUSD neesd to figure out what other districts do to be successful instead of blundering around in the dark.
Perhaps the entire Hayward community could start by reading Parker Palmer’s “The Courage to Teach” and Linda Darling-Hammond’s “The Right to Learn”.
But, I’m not in charge nor do I want to be. It’s back to my classroom, where I will try to do my very best to positively affect the children I see each day.
Take care, tired teacher!
April 27th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
so MS TEACHER what we the parents need to do is now get down to the bottom of this! Figure out our next move into changing things. But what is the next move where do we begin ? I am working with my kids teacher to see what we can do for a field trip but since it is the end of the year it is too late! Some places are free you need to pay only for transportation and that is a pretty penny and the money that would go for that would have been the cola but i guess it is all gone! So that new phone system cost the kids supplies field trips assemblys and the teachers raise! Why cant we have someone like a parent represenitive on the board? That way he/she can express what we want and feel since the district dont know. To me it seems that this strike was a lost cause , it wasted students time it caused teachers to loose pay some parents had to quit a job because of no daycare and so on….why was a health benifit not part of the contract or do you need to wait for that? this strike created problems for everyone and to end like this is horrible. Like i said it seems more better for some parents to change districts cause this one has too many problems? Nobody is going to look at this strike and district and say” wow lets move to hayward”. Parents want to be calm and relaxed and not have to worry about school and what needs to be done there! I for one want my kids in one school but a few weeks after school started i found out it was going to close next year ! then with the new boundaries there new school is east and than i found out that markham would stay open for one more year! It is too confusing…parents do not want to deal with this stuff…so they see another district thast is calm and has good scores and they say “lets go there”. The district needs to look at the cola and pay all the bills but they need to add the teachers raises as a bill something that has to be done if not paid it gets cut off!! I really dont think anyone has learned their lesson! except the teachers and kids cause they are the ones who lost now(it used to be only the kids lost). not one person came out a winner!
April 27th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I feel truly sorry for everyone…and i am ready to do what i can to help but to be honest if it keeps up like this i rather put my kids in all saints!
April 27th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Teachers are better off. 16.84% was always a bargaining point, not an expectation. Granted the district pushed us to the point of personal financial ruin, but that does not discount that teachers achieved something here. They said 3% and we said “NO!” Now it’s 11%, and it will take into the second month of next year to realize those gains, but those are real gains, and real dollars in your pocket. I’m gone, so I get nothing but the sacrifice, but I am so happy to know that sacrifice I made achieved something, so please don’t be upset with it, because it makes me feel less accomplished for my hard work on your behalf. As for the prospect of the next negotiation 18 moths out, this is a golden opportunity to grab this momentum and go with it. Don’t let this be the end. Teachers, you know the power our unity on the lines had because you where out there. Let’s extend that unity to the community and make this the first step along a path instead of the endpoint of a short journey.
April 28th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Reading through this blog chaff one easily decerns it becoming chafe.
I do not believe my suggestion that blog folks ought resort to studying City
of Hayward’s web page, as a means of understanding the short comings as
well deterioration of HUSD web page and present uselessness, was a
criticism of the individual bloggers whose submissions were poorly conceived.
Had HUSD raised the quality as well as the maintenace of it’s web site,
frustration of the community would not have become so intense. Especially
is this true when parents interest in administrative matters are understood to become intense when not well iinformed.
My several recent blogs centering on that line of thought have been removed
and those who might have benefited……. well you know !
…. it’s really gone down from being a blue collar town…… now it’s just a
tattoo colored flesh town……
As at the conclusion of Saturday matinee cartoons used to remind….’THAT’S ALL FOLKS !”
30
April 28th, 2007 at 10:31 am
ohh god , what does tattos have to do with teachers ,the strike , and their rasie!
your in the wrong blog i think…..
April 28th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Leslie,
Araceli Orozco of Families in Action is going to run for the School Board. I do not know when the next elections are, but she truly seems to be a dedicated individual with the students in mind and in her heart. The community of Hayward can still move to remove the current board. They have not done their job. They allowed Vigil to play a big game. He was not honest. The district offered less than 3% many times on many different ways that is why we were so mad. Then in the end they had 11% to give, after all their statements of becoming bankrupt if they offered more than their last best offer which was 7%, and 1.6% more if 108 teachers retired next year. This district has the highest paid administrators in the area, and they caused the first teachers strike in the area in years over being the lowest paid. What is wrong with that picture? Hayward deserves better. People should not have to move or pay for private
schools. Good public schools are a right, not a privelage! (And incidentally, I hope the truth about the CST and STAR tests starts coming out to the general public because they are a BOGUS attempt to discredit public schools (especially urban) and get everyone to put their kids in private and charter schools, but that is a whole other blog, and discussion. But start looking into that Leslie. It is scandalous.) Texas already decided to stop high stakes testing and they are the ones who started it.
And I just want to apologize for lashing out at you earlier!
April 28th, 2007 at 11:52 am
I agree with everything Ms. Teacher said. They replaced all of the paper towel dispensers for NO reason. It was bizarre how they all of a sudden were spending money on things we didn’t need in a hurry. All a big political game. This stuff is so dark and deep and scandalous. If people only knew the truth.
April 28th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Leslie: Thanks for staying focused…
I have been talking to my wife about the pros and cons of all the testing,
I brought it up because I had heard so many teachers complain about the testing
And Another Tired Teacher is right, there is a lot to talk about just on that one subject. It gets complicated, a lot of details and ramifications.
One of the bigest issues affecting Hayward, the way I look at it, is that the protections originally built in to the process to try to account for students at a disadvantage, (which might or might not have been effective to begin with) have eroded over the years,
April 28th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Leslie.
You admit to not being a teacher. Did you ever learn to read ?
Try reading the Ciity’s Website to learn what a great tool might have been
used at HUSD HAD IT BEEN CONCIOUS of a public relations problem.
It illustrates a path that HUSD ought follow…… sorry if I confused you about the blue collar thing, I thought you might have gotten away from your computer
long enough to at least read the story by Matt O’Brien in Review where he criticizes Vigil about the description of the “blue collar” nature of our residents here in HAYWARD, as opposed to the wonderful citiizens of Pleasanton.
GO READ SOMETHING BESIDES BLOGS !
Editor’s note: Matt O’Brien’s article does not criticize Vigil. Instead, it explores what the comment could mean and how people reacted to it. For the article to criticize Vigil, it would need to somehow express the author’s opinion. I don’t think it does. Also, Mr. Kyle, we try not to foster an environment for personal arguments and criticisms between bloggers. Doing so risks having your comments removed. I’ll leave this one up as a reminder. Please remain civil, all. -Kim
April 28th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
JW Kyle:
We get it, enough about the HUSD site!
The HUSD site is not being used in an effective manner to keep the population informed. You are right. I’m sure HUSD has made a note of it by now.
If I remember correctly, you are a retired person, right? If so, you have the luxury of time. Some of us have kids and families to deal with. For instance, I didn’t read the editorial you mentioned until noon time, since I had to take my daughter to gymnastics class and run errands during the morning.
I fail to see how voicing your assumption that Leslie doesn’t read anything but blogs is productive to this dialogue. I found it a little personal. You are also assuming everyone in Hayward gets the paper. I’m sure Kim Santos could enlighten us on that point, but I’m sure there are people in this town who have more pressing needs to meet with their money than to buy a newspaper. Mellow out!
Like I said before, you seem to know a lot about HUSD and have spent a great deal of time becoming educated about procedures etc. But you never answered my question:
Did the school Board ever function under different rules, where the actual debate leading to the decision making was public?
Who gets to make that decision?
Editor’s note: Well, yes, Fernando is right…not everyone gets the paper. But you all can help us change that, yes?
-Kim
April 28th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
J.W.,
Thank you for the insult (of me being not able to read) I think you are very funny!
Another tired teacher its alright like people have said before this is a stressful time i had thought it was over but i was really wrong and if she does run for board she already has my vote ! I will do whatever i can to help!
Fernando thanks for taking my side i am glad to see that someone else is still focused besides myself! Also i think for now on i am going to try to go to all board meetings so i can educate myself better and see how they run. That way i will always stay intune with what is going on and maybe give suggestions. Still none of my questions was answered yet..I still want to know who is really at fault with this deal the hea or husd? Why let the teachers go back thursday before letting them see for themselfs the deal if they want it or not so then they could decide and if not go back on strike? Like i said before i feel that they were pushed into a corner! I know now it is too late but someone needs to be responsible for it!
April 28th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
By the way J.W. I HAVE A 6 MONTH OLD BABY THAT TAKES UP ALMOST ALL MY TIME ‘ I HAVE OTHER KIDS AS WELL… MY LIFE DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND THE INTERNET BUT IT IS A GREAT TOOL FOR ME SINCE IT IS HARD TO GO INSIDE THE LIBRARY WITH HER!!
ON BLOGS , THIS IS THE FIRST BLOG I HAVE EVER BEEN ON AND I AM VERY GLAD I FOUND IT?? SO MANY IDEAS SO MANY POINT OF VIEWS IT IS A GREAT THING! I AM VERY GLAD MS. SANTOS STARTED THIS . SHE HAS HELPED BRING SOME OF THE HAYWARD COMMUNITY TOGETHER ! THE INKED (LIKE ME) ONES AND THE NON INKED!!
April 28th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
OH I FORGOT TO ASK DOES THE KINDERGARTEN KIDS TAKE THOSE TESTS TOO? THERE TEACHER HAS NOT SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT SO I WAS THINKING MABE NOT! DOES ANYONE KNOW?
April 28th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
What we have to do is dig way deep to get all the answers! Once again where do we start?
Most the time we get the run around by the district i for one would like to know why a phone system was more important then buying writing paper for the kids? I have never seen a school so broke and it is sad!
April 28th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Leslie,
I’m not sure who’s at “fault” for getting teachers back in the classroom on Thurs. before we saw the deal. I imagine the district pushed that point because it was really getting ludicros w/ the strikebreaker “subs”. Nothing was going on at the schools! I think we had to settle though. It was 10 days in, well into the thousands of dollars lost per teacher, so I think HEA took what it could get. If I find out differntly, I’ll post it on the blog. I will say that our union reps have been awfully silent about the Wed. night negotiations.
I have no idea if Kindergartners take the STAR test. I don’t think so. Any K teachers out there?
I don’t know who makes decisions about phone systems and painting the schools. I’d like to know. The high schools all got painted this prison-grey color. The kids hate it and say it makes them feel like prisoners. It’s awful!
I think if Families in Action were to press the district about being more transparent w/ its financial choices, the district would eventually cave in to that. And I think that would be a good thing. There’s too much waste in this district–for example, we’re still getting paper copies of memos, bulletins, etc, even though we have district email. You’d think we could save a bundle of money on copies and paper if we went completely paperless!
Thank you for continuing to care and show concern about our schools. HUSD has such potential because its students and teachers are, by and large, awesome people. We just need to get the district administrators in line!
April 28th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Leslie:
You ask who was responsible for the deal HUSD or HEA, and they both were, since they indeed agreed to the settlement. The report I get from my wife about this is that they pretty much had spoken amongst union members about what they would like to see, and then entrusted their leadership with accepting only a tentative settlement that they throught they would approve.
The fact that the settlement was reached shows that the Union leadership was right in this case, as the settlement was approved by the union membership. Not every one was happy, Only +-87% voted yes. But many of the teachers were very tired and many were really starting to worry about their finances. I’m sure the Union’s leadership took this in to account.
But let me ask you a couple of questions about who is responsible for the strike and it’s lenght.
Think about this:
11% over two years (this is not quite right when you look at all the details) is much closer to 16.86 than the insulting 3% the district stubbornly offered until very close to the end of the strike. Many of the other district’s offers were riddled with contingencies that rendered them ridiculuos.
If what I have read is correct, the district saved 250,000 dollars per day, which turns out to be 2.5 million dollars the district did not spend during the strike. (Maybe Kim can confirm this?)
Apparently a whole bunch of maintenance got done at the school sites during the strike. At my wife’s school, they installed a wireless network for their computers, even though their computers are aleady hooked up to cable internet.
Did they do this on the fly?
It seems hard to believe, considering how tortuous getting anyhting done seems to be under normal circumstances.
Are our kids going to get laptops????
Mr. Vigil stated on TV, that the district was pretty happy with the settlement,
So, why didn’t they offer what they could obviously afford sooner, instead of engaging in a half hearted bargaining process and starting with an unrealistic 3% initial offer.
The way I look at it, this was prety much THE strategy:
They wanted the strike because it saved them some money, to the detriment of the teachers and our children.
They got the schools empty to do some maintenance, some how I don’t think this was an afterthought.
In a very real sense, the district is using, at least in part, the money they saved by not paying the techers to give them a raise.
Interesting strategy: Not-negotiate unitl you provoke the stike, thus forcing our teachers and OUR CHILDREN into an “unpaid vacation”, and then give the money back as a raise! Is this the way out teachers deserve to be dealt with?
I can only assume the Board agreed with this startegy, otherwise, why didn’y they DO something about this before.
All this chaos, and our children lost their education.
April 28th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Hi Leslie,
Kinder and First do not take the state test. I have heard a rumor that soon 2nd won’t have to take it either. In some states Kinder and first do have to take it, but not in California. Kinder and first have other district tests that they have to take. At my school they are Reading Lyons, SBMI (Standards Based Mathematic Inventory), (at least, there might be more).
If you want to see some sample test questions for the star test: Go on line to http://www.cde.ca.gov/ then to standardized testing and reports then to program resources then to California standards test (cst) released questions. These are all questions that have been on the test in the past few years. Have fun. Imagine yourself when you were 7, or your daughters taking this in two years. I think they are horrible.
April 28th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
just a little info on the star test it begins with the 2nd graders
April 28th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Yes, in California 2nd graders do currently take the CST test but this is supposed to be their last year. 48 states in the US already do NOT test 2nd grade, including Texas. I really believe that the pendulum is swinging away from all of this testing and people are realizing that it is taking away from real teaching and learning.
Each state has its own set of standards, and its own standardized tests so when there are comparisons made they are not even real. They are comparing applaes and oranges. California has the highest standards and the hardest tests. Dale Skinner, the test prep. guru from Texas that HUSD hired a few years ago even admitted to a group of teachers he was training that California’s standards are a half year to a whole year higher than other
states. It makes you wonder who and why this is so. Who is benefitting from us looking bad.
It will only be when we have a national set of standards and a national standardized test that things will be fairly evaulated. But then the arguement about local control comes up. With the high stakes involved I think that we should go national on this issue so that society sees for certain how our kids are really doing in comparison to other children across the country. I also think we should back off from the test hype however and get back to basics. We are expecting kids to learn too many things, and things that aren’t even developmentally appropriate, and then wonder why they do not know the basics. they need a solid foundation. There is no excuse for kids not to have the basics. We get spread too thin and so do the kids with all the crazy stuff in the curriculum nowadays. Fractions, division, and probability in the primary grades when they should be getting a strong handle on number sense. They do not know
their basic math facts because we have to cover so much material and spend all this
time on things that are way beyond them like graphs and charts and statistics, or lecture at them in teacher directed mode and not let them experience learning in the way that they learn best. Now I am getting way off topic I know, but the educational system here is running amok not because teachers are lazy and incompetent as some would believe, but because we are being asked to do impossible and even inappropriate things and our kids suffer because we aren’t allowed to do what we know is best. The more parents get involved the more all of these things will come to light.
I agree with you elm. teacher. It is so sad. The joy of learning is being taken out of school.
April 28th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
my favorite time of year is after testing is done because we get to do some REAL
teaching then. the kids feel it too.
April 28th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
I agree w/ tired teacher–I love the weeks after STAR testing.
Fernando: You know, there was a lot of maintenance done at my school during the strike too! My tired brain hadn’t gotten as far as you in making the connection, but to hear what happened at your wife’s school to and put that together w/ the maintenance done while we were away–it does make you wonder if your theory about the district’s motivations is right. What duplicity!
Also, I just want to point out. I did my finances today. It will be January of 2008 before I make back all of the money I lost during the strike and actually begin seeing my COLA raise as money I didn’t have before (does that make sense)? As far as I’m concerned, I don’t get a raise until January of 2008–and then we’ll be 7 months away from bargaining again.
I wish, wish, wish that HEA gave a little more credence to HUSD’s bargaining strategies. Seems to me that HUSD outsmarted HEA in a lot of ways–and that makes me sad and very nervous about the next round of negotiations. I would also like to point out that the other unions in HUSD (AOTE, and there’s another one too) generally wait for their “me too” clauses to kick in for raises. So, basically, whatever raise HEA bargains for the teachers, counselors, and nurses, the district agrees to pass on to the classified personnel in the district. Which has always seemed quite odd to me.
Finally, I wish that SOMEONE in the press (Ms. Santos, are you listening???) would get ahold of the STAR testing conditions at Hayward High last Mon-Wed. Students were taking the test in the bleachers, helping one another with the questions, calling people on the phone, talking, text messaging one another. There are students who took pictures of all of this w/ their cell phones. Frankly, I think that this would be a GREAT story for the Daily Review. And the kicker is that students were told there would be no makeups after this past week–and yet HHS is giving the STAR test to the rest of the students this upcoming week.
Talk about invaldidating your test scores!!!
April 28th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I was more concerned because of the way my girls teacher descirbed it to me how alot of teachers were hurt but they had to take the deal! To me i think no one should have to settle or be forced to accept!
I was told that they did not want 11 percent ! But that is what they got…it is still not right that they will see the difference until january. that is a long time to wait!
About all the renovations i guess the district figured that markham was a lost cause because there is nothing new about it! It is the forgotton school because it is closing but it seems that they forgot the kids too! On monday i am going to bring in some supplies it is things needed that the district is not providing! So if they can afford paint then why not 20 dollars for a pack of paper? I will go and ask that along with other things! I know the district people will get tired of me but thats okay at this point they need to see that they are not doing a good job!
It seems some schools get alot but others geet very little ! like east ave. i walked in and it was filled with school things and arts and crafts and art paper for the teachers to take when they want and at markham i have not seen any of that. It is not fair.
As for the district and their plan with the strike and saving money .. that is a shame that they would intentionaly disrupt childrens educations to save a few dollars..I see who is greedy and selfish now not the teachers but the district and that needs to stop.. but recalling them would cost us more money that the district dont have?right? So really are we stuck or should we press for the board to be recalled?
I hope the board is happy with their STRATEGY because the only thing it has done is make parents like me pissed and people like me dont go away …..We bother and bother until we get answered or see changes…So like i said before they better get used to me coming in and out of the district office because i wont give up! I know the guard already soon everybody else too!
Thats why i ask you all alot of questions because i really want things to change for the better. but besides bothering them i want to know other routes incase they dont listen! As for reciepts i still have the one from the begining of the year when i bought supplies for the class and i will keep this one too..incase they say anything.
The school district had so much money to spend then why did they not fix the bell in the class(our teacher never knows when shool is over cause the bell dont work in the inside). I am going back to the district on friday afternoon to express my concerns in person again!!I cant wait there is just too many thing wrong even the sub that pinched my daughter is again back inside the classroom i seen her friday! How is that possible when i turned the paper work in again cause they lost the other ones..they are putting other kids in danger..i say they the district because i was told that once i turned in the paper work she would be transfered to jr. high or high but no longer elementry..That was a direct lie to my face. From the district!
what a world we live in……I bet the board has plenty of pencils,pens ,and paper.
April 28th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
An interesting,I should be inbed thought Kim Santos:
April 28th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
Sorry for the Schimmel folks!,
I will take my own advice and go to bed
fernando
April 29th, 2007 at 5:19 am
The district usually settles with AOTE and SEIU (I think thats right) after we (the teachers) settle because we are the largest portion of district employees . A few days before we went on strike HUSD did settle with the above two unions. They did this I think because before they settled those two unions were with out a contract. While they were with out a contract their no strike clause was not in force, and they could of struck with us. Therefore by settling the AOTE and SEIU they could not sympathy strike.
April 29th, 2007 at 7:46 am
No Leslie:
Replacing the Board would not cost us money, At least not in “settlements” like it would cost us to fire Vigil and Schimmel.
Two supserintedents ago, when the Board “let Go” Superintedent Kowal (They hired her too!) I believe It cost us $230,000 to make her go away.
If this is any indication of the kinds of contracts they have been signing with this administrators, it would cost us roughly 1/2 million to replace Vigil ans Schimmel.
But the Board could change thier prioriries and DIRECT the sups. to change their behaviour. The Board sets the policies, they are the Superintendan’t bosses, and can approve or not their (the sups) recomendations.
Unfortunately, the real cost of a strike should not be measured in dollars and cents, it should be measured in damaged relationships, which in many cases will take years to heal.
Did the Board take this into consideration?
The damage to the relationships between the teachers who crossed the line and those who didn’t.
The damage to the relationships between our teachers and their principals.
The damage to the relationships between the community and both the District AND the Board.
Was there a line for THIS in their equation for how to get back in the black?
Some how I don’t think so!
When the big one hits and your principal leaves you a message telling you the children are OK, can you believe him?
I was told by my principal that the schools were safe and education was ongoing.
If he was ordered by his superiors to tell us that lie, and he didn’t object this time…
Will he have the intestinal fortitude to take a stand next time and tell us the TRUTH, or at the very least give us some actual INFORMATION so we can decide?
What about this, Mr./Mrs. Principal:
Hi Parents: This is your principal. We have four subs to cover for 30 teachers. It’s up to you to bring your kids to school. We will do the best we can under the circumstances.
April 29th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Correction: The last post from elm.teacher was not from elm.teacher, it was from Fernando
April 29th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Geez, I hope we don’t buy out the current district admin–I think they should suffer the last year or two (I know Vigil has one year, not sure about the others) of their contracts. They certainly don’t deserve any more of our money!
It is interesting that ALL the principals I’ve heard of played along w/ the district’s lies. My school was even telling students they’d get history or English grades and credit from the worksheets they completed during the strike.
I’m not sure about being able to trust my principal’s judgement. And I’m really not sure about the relationship my colleagues and I will have with the teacher who crossed the line during the strike–particularly because she was telling students that they were going to fail this year of school if they didn’t do the work during the strike! And because she jumped a curb and tried to run me and other teachers over when she came into the parking lot (she did this two times–both times we were standing down the sidewalk from the parking lot entrance; she had to go out of her way to try to hit me and the other teachers standing with me).
And what about the parents’ trust of district admin? I mean–hinting that teachers had settled and that kids must be back in school is downright vile! And then pretending that it never happened!
I’ll be interested to see how the district and our schools approach the healing process. I know that several principals met with their staff the morning we returned to work. Mine didn’t. I know several schools have already held staff meetings to begin to work out some of the myths and realities of the strike. Mine didn’t. Heck, one of the assistant principals at my school hasn’t really even spoken to ANY of the returning teachers or counselors. Isn’t that interesting?
So, I do agree w/ Fernando that more than just dollars/money was lost.
April 29th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I too have not met with my principal. He has asked me to do several things, and as a staff we are figuring out what we will do, and how to the “contract only” we want to be. In jepordy at the moment are the Multicultural dinner, science faire, and spring concert. We are going to hold open house. He wants to schedule a regular staff meeting on Next Wed, but contractuarally he can’t do that and we are not going to bend.
As for the three teachers who crossed at my site. One never went out, but she picketed with us at lunch, and before school. She has a problem with her retirement, and if she missed days it would have been bad for her. However, she supported us in many many ways. The other two, I do not understand. One is hiding in her room, and not coming to the lunch room etc. But she was always like that. The other one, I can’t talk to. We have never really gotten along, and it is going to take a while to get back to where we were before she crossed.
That being said, I am a professional, and one of these ladies is in my grade level, and we have to work together at times. I will be polite, and collaborate, I’m just not going to go out of my way to talk to her.
The teachers that were on the line had a party on Friday night, we burned most of our signs. It was fun, and good to do. I know our principal is planning a bonding experience for the fall for the staff. In someways we probably need it more than ever now, except for those of us who were on the line everyday. We shared an experiance that we will never forget, conversations that we will never forget.
I wonder if the district understands what was lost, probably not.
April 29th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
You all forgot to mention the relationships betwwem some students and kids!
My daughters teacher went out of her way a little bit to talk to her but my daughter wanted nothing to do with her. The damage has been done. But with time things will go back to the way they were!
Really the strike has caused alot of problems i agree with everyone on that but mostly what i heard was about money . Some teachers are happy with the deal others are not! As a parent i am happy it is over but worried that it is going to start right back up! I do not want a repeat of this year . I want to take my kids to school knowing that everything is fine,safe,teachers wont hurt their students,ect..ect.. But i dont feel that way. I know their teacher is good and i feel safe leaving them there with her but as for others I dont know!When there is a sub i rather just take them home which the principle already knows that. As for our principle the first day of the strike she told me what was going on and was very honest about it. so i give her alot of credit for that we also were able to pick up work packets for the kids the first week. even though it was preschool work at leat she did it or had it done.
As for the people who crossed the picket lines my opinion is that everybody has their reasons..maybe a single parent, in debt, or is both. If i was in a tight spot like that then i guess i would be a scab….but i would have done what the other teacher as someone mentioned done…picket at lunch,before school,rallies,called in sick a day or two. You cant hold a grudge against someone when you really dont know their reasons for doing what they did. trying to or almost running someone over now if i am wrong then tell me cause i am thinking that is close to i believe attempt with a deadly weapon! I could be wrong with that but i think i am right!
Fernando , i thought that it costs extra money to recall the board to because someone else said it did on here so thanks for giving me the correct info. How long is the board usually in office and also the supers?
one more thing about the principle she did tell us that at that time there was no subs and she didnt know how many was going to come..so she really did a great job with that. AND to think this is her first year as principle and she was more honest than others ..
Back to business:
1. how do we get the board to put the supers in check?
2.how can we get permission to get copies of the budget and where the money went to ,to take home?
with that one then we can take our time looking at it carefully. instead of being rushed.
3.how can we make sure this does not happen again?
4.how can we make sure that we get to decide in what the schools need (as in maintenance)?
some schools can wait to be painted ,and use the paint money for materials needed to teach or repairs. cosmetics should not come first to me a phone system that expensive could have waited until curtains ,bells ,floors, desks,chairs,and other things were repaired. As for computers i am lost as to why the teachers in the classrooms have a computer at their desks but the students do not have one at least for the whole class to use. In livermore there was one to two per class at the school where my girls did pre-school.
Those are some things that i would like to help change. And what i think needs to be changed!