Anyway… in your posting you said “Grant Peterson made it a point that he preferred Glover-Gardin, an African-American woman, because it would balance out a board made up of three white men and one Latin woman.”

That was very well said and honestly I wish I had a recording of the actual words because I remember it more like… “well we have three white old guys… ummm… let’s get some… ummm… color” but I could be wrong. Either way it was extremely offensive and absolutely disrespectful to both Mr. Seanz and Ms. Glover-Gardin. Both of them showed extreme poise and understanding of the position and both of them deserved the seat based on their experience, education and professionalism. NOT because of their coloring.

FYI, I had also applied for the position at the school board. I was pretty certain I wouldn’t get it however I am the kind of person that walks my talk. During the strike I stepped up to the plate along with others to say ‘enough is enough’ to both sides of the table. When this came along I knew that I needed to throw my hat into the ring to be ‘willing’ to do the hard thing.

We have a long way to go before elections next year. We have 4 seats open and we need to fill them with people invested in the community. People that will not become “rubber-stampers” and people that will work towards building the community’s respect, not continue lying to them.

There were some wonderful applicants this time around, I sure hope to see them come back for next years election and would like to see more of the community be willing to step up to the plate and do the hard thing. It’s not about money, power or attention. It is about being willing to devote time and energy into something that you believe in.

Kary

What I do not understand is this, many coaches were hired this year for both reading and math, only my coach and one other new reading coach attended the Coaches Institute put on by S.V.M.I. (Silicone Vally Math Initiative) I realize that this insitute is technically for math, but having attended it for two years now it would help anyones teaching and coaching of math or reading.

I think the district is making a huge mistake by not training the coaches before they start being a coach.

I was a summer school math coach, it was hard, I know I made some mistakes, and I learned a lot. I was so thankful that I attended the coaches institute the previous year, and I had my math coach to lean on. However, I could not be a math coach this year, I am not ready.

I wish all the new coaches luck, and I will help my new reading coach any way she needs. I hope other teachers have patience with her, and the other new coaches, and understand she has not training, other than a few days.

Also, when are the district and school sites going to really encourage and welcome parent participation? Site and district administrators only “use” parents when it’s convenient. No wonder so many families are leaving.

Perhaps the sol;ution to your dilemma lays in understanding the role of stakeholders, ( tax payers) in working with the rules of procedure applicabkle to HUSD by imposition of Ed. Code and the Ralph M. Brown Act.

It requires diligence and effort on part of all who are truly interested in successful education.

Learning the ropes requires calm comportmant at HUSD meetings; it requires understanding of procedures involving the appropriate moment for ‘public comments’

It requires that ‘Public comments’ which do not address specific agenda items are permissible under the first public comment period and that there is opportunioty to use ‘public comments’ when specific agenda items are a matter of interest to folks such as your self.

One of the present handicaps is the lack of a staff report attendent to agenda published on inter website. At this moment you can pick up a ‘paper’ copy of staff reports in the old fashioned style of going to district officed and asking for it. if enough of us squawk, then the staff reports will eventuate to publication on the website, just as has been the habit at Hayward Council website where you can see re-broadcast at your leisure for evry meeting in the last 10 years; where the agenda, staff reports and vote record is available in easy to reach archive form and old watch dogs can pin down arguments about who said what and when.

So, First piece of advice…. organize yourself to seek answers with due diligenced applicable to the idea that HUSD Trustees ahve a long row to hoe in learning how to communicate.

By investing time in reading the staff reports you discover that you know about as much aas the Trusttees do…; that is the moment, on the agenda when trustees ask questions; Yiu then have a shot at asking trusttess what they reaklly know. Be aware that the California Ralphg M. Brown act forbids discussion of any subject not on the agenda. They are legally obliged not to speak on non-agenda items.

If you stay alert and ask questions at the appropriate momen you unravel that which presetly seems to mystify….. because the gentlemen with whom you seem to differ
is on the spot for answers to questions from the trustees.

If the trusttes play ignorant…. then find someone else to vote for at next election.

If you wartched Mr Sergio Saenz at meeting of August 22nd, then my friend learn that the
public is being well served by that appointment……..He is alert and very sharp.

Keep tuned in….. learn to play the game !

I do not mind the effort just so long as you pass the information along to friends and oity er interested voters..

It should help your undetrstanding of how things must work here in HUSD as it does so
well with the City.

This old geezer has sent you the requested reading material plus another.

Now, go out and teach all parents and neighbprs l

Is there anyone else willing to supply an E=mail address and desirous of new thought

provided in the splendor of detail ?

Cut Teacher Jeanne so slack,

Don’t read so much into her silence. For all we know she could be gone on vacation…or she has a life that doesn’t revolve entirely around sitting at the computer chatting with old geezers! (Note that this is your own description of yourself, from a different line of communications and I mean no offense!)

I’m not sure what the point is of asking wheater or not she has attended the meetings when the board can actually respond. As a retired person you can afford the time to attend these meetings.

Some of us are not so fortunate as we have jobs and/or take care of our children and simply don’t have the time. As much as possible some of us see the meetings that are boradcast, but those meetings give us no insight into the kinds of deliverations that go on because there are none! Thus the impression from many in the community that the board “rubber stamps” all of Vigil & Co. ‘s recommendations.

As someone that has critisized the trustee’s “inability” to respond during the board meetings, I know that I myself would attend some of these other meetings if my other obligations didn’t get on the way! (By the way, you never did answer me: Did we ever have a board that would actually respond back to members of the community during the general meetings, like some other places have?)

Local talent indeed applied for the position. My understanding is that Frank Goulart, who I believe was principal of Tennyson HS? applied for the post, and the trustees decided to import Vigil.

I can tell you this much, I know Mr. Goulart, as we both belonged to our local neighborhood association, and he would have been great, in part because he holds the respect of every teacher in Hayward I have spoken with about him.

But going back to the board, I don’t really think that race or cultural background are all that important, and this comming from a minority!
I think what is in their heads is more important than what they look like or where they come, from so long as they are invested in this community.

I don’t know Mr. Saenz, but I was a little disappointed that he stated in an interview with the newspaper that he didn’t know if he was going to run for the board when election time comes around! I certainly hope anyone who applied was willing to run for reelection. Otherwise, where is the commitment?

You state in you e-mails that Mr. Noceda has not posted a lengthy writing of yours. That peeks my interest, considering some of the stuff that did get posted during the strike…

Please do send me a copy, to the following address, and if you don’t hear from me for a while, I’m going camping tomorrow!

fernando.ebac@yahoo.com