In year 1998 I sought election to City Council. Prior to that effort,(and since then) I had been heavily involved with service to the City and School District through the many ad hoc and/or task force activities involving City and School District affairs.

When seeking support/and endorsements for that attempt at election, it was strongly suggested that I run for the school district seat then opening up……..

I turned it down. One of the main reasons for doing so, was that, in proportion to what City Council members were paid, the school district was quite mean spirited in terms of reality as between what City Couincil members were paid and what Trustees were paid.

The renumeration paid by School District was quite unfair then as it is now. Especially, if you broke it down in terms of an hourly wage comparison. The argument that council members meet more often does not hold…. and when you figure in the sums paid to council members when attending meetings of the various regional committees and task forces……. it is disgusting.

The Mayor usually appoints individuals to act as liaison between City and such groups as Alameda County Congestion Management Commission, Regional Air Qualityr District Commission etc……usually the added ‘stipend’ works out to something like $50. per hour plus travel expenses to and from.

One who served our City prior to Sweeney’s election served on a ‘lion’s share’ of those groups…..it was quite an addirion to the $40,ooo annual salary paid the Mayor… Council members were held down to $25,000 per year plus whatever commissions that they attended as representatives to the regional stuff.

It wasn’t that I felt my talents were worth a hell of a lot more, ss much as it was the heavy workload when compared with that which the City Council had on it’s back.

I still think the Trustee’s efforts should be rewarded with a greater sum than $750 per month, especially when they have been consistantly abused by the public at those periods we call PUBLIC COMMENT TIME.

Why do we place greater confidence in Council members, sen when the public fawns over them while those whom trustees serve are abusive as evidenced by accusations revolving around ‘their failure’ when we all know that ‘parents are not holding up their end of the plank’

Worst yet the abuse handed trustees by parents or the many who hold themselves up as experts on their suggested solutions, which are never really thought through to a viable course of action.!

I have tried several times to recap the forum for those unable to attend. Each time I found it was impossible not to put my own feelings into what I heard. In being fair to each candidate, I can only refer you to the websites (found in comment #25 above) and future forum dates so that you can form your own opinion. A few comments/observations I did find interesting from the forum:

Mr. Fitzpatrick is a parent with children currently in the District and this passion came across in many of his answers. Ms. Walker brought up the idea of collaboration and finding partners to help meet the needs of the District. Ms. Brunner mentioned a program at Tyrell where money for a meal(?) program may have been side-tracked. Does anyone know anything about this? Mr. McGee discussed the changes at the Adult School and the fact that when the budget was cut and teachers/students were gone, the Front Office did not make reductions to reflect these changes.

I would like to hear ALL of the candidates to a strong position on any of the current concerns of the District. I think we’ve all heard enough people say they want to make changes, improve achievement and make our schools better. I want to know HOW!

For those interested, there is another forum on Saturday, September 18th from 10 am until noon, Prospect Hills, Linekin Building, 22248 Main Street in Hayward.

Poetic justice demands that Mr. LARRY BOOTH. Kathy’s husband, give back the overpayment for the four years he served on the Board! Let us not forget that he was one of the three who went to Florida to ‘VET’ AND THEN HIRE MS. KOHL!

iF ONE IS TO PAY THEN JUSTICE DEMAMDS THAT ALL THE LIVING AS WELL ANY REMAINDER ESTATE OF THE DECEASED PAY BACK.

IT IS ONLY FAIR…. NO REWARD TO THE WHISTLE BLOWER WHOSE INSIDER INFORMATION WAS CONCEALED ALL THOSE YEARS.

Lets see here:

Superintendent Duran is worried that if the HUSD makes a claim against current and former board members, the board members could conceivably counterclaim against the district for negligence. Wow, if indeed HUSD forced a teacher to give back $9,000 in overpay then maybe employees should be able to file a claim against HUSD for negligence if the overpayment was a staff error. Were is the equity and due process?

With all the news about Bell, CA and the current litigation filled by Attorney Jerry Brown against the City of Bell officials for excessive pay, I wouldn’t think the current Board Members of HUSD would negate any action to peruse all over payment from current and past Board Members as allowed by law.

HUSD School Board Members are fiduciary responsible for decisions made as Board Members regarding School Business. It is there responsibility to know what they should be paid as Board Members as anyone would be accepting a new position.

At this point, all current HUSD Board Members should being paying back all over pay in the manner that Board Member Mr Frumkin III has chosen. returned. Take no more pay for the remainder of their elected office until all overpayment has been paid back. The other Past Board members will need to find a way to reimburse as well.

Qodrn, I agree with using the methods that work. Some of our charter schools enjoy some benefits that our other schools have been denied, such as flexibility and small class sizes. What I do not agree with are the reports that some schools are asking for STAR Test Scores before allowing students to attend. I can tell you that these numbers are not necessarily a reflection of a students willingness or ability to learn. In fact, it is often these students who will benefit most from what these schools have to offer.

Ms. Booth, I’m sorry to read that you will not be contributing to the Hayword going forward. I do believe you have made an impact on this blog and offer some great insight to readers. I know there are many in our community that visit this site, even if they are not comfortable in posting. If you doubt the validity of your contributions, look at the article in the Daily Review today regarding the overpayment of the Trustees. I hope you will reconsider. Every person offers a different point of view and they are all valuable.

‘YOU PAYS YOUR MONEY‘ (TAXES) AND YOU EXPECT ALL WILL BE ACHEIVED WITHOUT FURTHER PERSONAL INVOLVMENT ?

The exercise in mental masturbatory blog submissions has achieved nothing despite what ever pleasure all seem to experience when participating in the blog. Or worse yet, use of three minutes at contentious and ineffective public comment period seen preceding HUSD Trustee meetings.

Having done that over a few occasions of expressed interest at HUSD meetings or by participation in the blog, do you feel satisfied? Or do you sense that nothing ever comes of blog scribbles and three minute efforts at HUSD public comment period?

Wake up folks ! If you are really interested in achieving greater success for students and the educational community, then it is time for some of us, who claim interest, to rise up and promote a “Town Hall Meeting”. That meeting must not have a quorum of Trustees in attendance at a town hall meeting, otherwise conditions of the Brown Act must apply and the ‘public comment period’ as presently understood, would defeat the actions desired. ‘Public comments’ under the rules of the Brown Act defeat success of a Town Hall meeting, in that they create an endless procession of meaningless comment by unorganized
AND/or disorderly folks.

We have had enough of the experience seen in the last twenty years which were marked by a procession of new hires in the position of Superintendent. I say that 20 years, marked by finger pointing and accusations must not continue ! We must resolve to end the Test Score problem and any conditions which lead to that decline.

Wake up folks ! If you are really interested in achieving greater success for students and the educational community,then is it not PRRESENTLY THE RIGHT time for some of us, who claim interest, to rise up and promote A TOWN HALL MEETING’. conducted outside the parameters of an ‘official meeting’ of the Trustees ! Ergo, public comments as we presently understand that event are dispensed with!

Those ‘PUBLIC’ comments are a constantly on going opportunity for nasty finger pointing and blame placement. It denies opportunity for defense by the Trustees!

A Town hall meeting at which, after a brief discussion of what is desired, would break out into sub-groups of no more than twenty persons, each possessing a valid drivers license on which appears the regulating zip codes for HUSD’s area of involvement. iF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE DISTRICT OR DO NOT OWN OR OPERATE A BUSINEES IN THE DISTREICT…. STAY HOME!

Folks involved in break out groups, would be offered opportunity to present pro-active thoughts leading to solutions rather than demands for unsupportable actions which are typical of ‘public comments’ at HUSD meetings.

Attendees, at each table, after a one minute period for self introduction, would elect a person to guide the sub-group discussions. At conclusion of amother 1.5 hours ( 90 minutes) the subgroups would re-assemble into a meeting of the whole! Each sub-group’s leader would describe the three ideas they thought most presentable, as selected by the whole group… from that list. The ‘group leaders’ would meet again, within 72 hours, to discuss the ideas most likely to lead to a successful, effective change, not just in test scores, but in attendance factors and reduction in transience from one School District to another.

With out such a process, we in the blog community are simply guilty of ‘mental masturbation’ or to express it another way, giving expression to pleasant thoughts of a successful School District which never sees fruition!

Our level of frustration demands personal actions which will lead to solutions when combined with a force dejure, created when citizens come together with a common goal.

Mrs. Booth, I will miss your comments.