Posted by
Mark on Friday, September 12, 2008 5:27:46 PM
Things have gotten so bad in the Rocklin School District that the students are now involved in the dispute between the teachers and the school board over their salary. Reference the September 12th edition of the Sacramento Bee.
Lets not forget that all the members on the Rocklin School Board have taken approximately $20,000 in campaign donations from the teacher’s union. The school board sure pulled a fast one on the teachers. The 5 school board members told the teachers that if you give us money for our campaigns, we would represent you. The only thing that these board members represent is their own interest. They will do anything and say anything to stay in power.
The Rocklin School Board and the teacher’s union are now using the students as pawns in their little game of chess. The Rocklin School Board says they do not have the money to give the teachers a raise. The teacher’s union says that they have the money and have already given Superintendent Kevin Brown a 23% raise. While the war of words is taking place, the students are left out in the cold.
The teacher’s union has told the teachers not to work past the 25 minutes they are required to stay after school. Many teachers are dedicated and go the extra mile to help their students. I am happy to report that many teachers are ignoring this union directive. They have put the interests of their students above the politics of negotiations. According to the September 12th edition of the Sacramento Bee, many students that need extra help are not getting it. Teachers are no longer involved in after school clubs.
All Superintendent Kevin Brown can say is he sympathizes with the students. Kevin Brown gets paid to make sure the students have all the necessary means to be successful in school. The school board is elected to represent the children of the district and the teachers. They have both been negligent in their jobs.
This is a message to all the Rocklin teachers. Do not use the students as pawns while you deal with a school board that does not support teachers. You will start to loose the support of Rocklin parents.
You should consider a recall of Board President Steve Paul, Todd Lowell, and Wendy Lang. These are the board members that took around $16,000 of your money, in 2006, with a promise of treating you fairly. To qualify for a recall, you will need to gather around 5,000 signatures. That should not be a problem because you have over 500 teachers and the parents on your side. Assuming Greg Daley and Camille Maben are re-elected, you can recall them 120 days after the November election.
Once again, do not take out your frustrations on your students. They have done nothing wrong. All they are asking for is help with some of their classes after school and teachers to lead their clubs.