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Commentary: Douglas County school board forum
Written by Guest Columnist on Jan 18th, 2012. | Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org
As a recently retired DCSD teacher, who gave 110% of my time, energy, and hundreds of dollars of my money to Douglas County students, I challenge Mr. Williams to explain how budget cuts are the fault of teachers, as he stated Tueaday evening.
Sure . . . and that’s why you wrote your comment on Facebook that was so warm and fuzzy?
I believe, Mr. Williams, there were questions asked last night. You and the board did not answer them.
A big focus of the original article was about district morale falling. Your post above appears to place the blame on others for this situation–on “misinformation and fear…spread…” by who knows whom but one may guess you mean by the union. Do you have evidence for this accusation? Your election materials indicate you think that during a recession, raising taxes is not a good idea. However, it is possible to raise taxes only on those with the means to pay; you don’t actually have to raise taxes on those who fall below a certain income level. It is perhaps unfortunate for you to contemplate that four of five of your own children will have to do with less as they attend public schools for which you and the Board cannot manage to find sufficient funds. And if you think your children will be fine despite your cutbacks on their education funding, then perhaps there is no need to resume pre-recession funding levels, and rehire teachers, administrators, literacy and other specialists plus support staff and clerical workers.
Mr. Wiliams,
You claim you are not against teachers but of all the teachers in Douglas County Schools 70% are Union members. I’m not sure why you don’t understand that those 70% of teachers ARE the Union. So when you say you are against the Union my interpretation is you are against the teachers that belong to the Union as well.
Mr. Williams~
If you feel that “budget cuts are not the fault of the Board of Education or the District Administration. Budget cuts are a function of the economy.”, then why did you say at the meeting, and I quote:
“They’re the legislature’s fault, they’re the principals’ fault and they’re the teachers’ fault.”
It appears that you are speaking out of both sides of your mouth, and back peddling as a hope of damage control. Your words are out there, recorded, noted, and recognized.
You have taken a stand against the DCF, and by dissolving the union, you are thereby silencing the voice of the teachers, administration, and support staff. If you truly believe in the future of this district, and if you truly want the employees of Douglas County to believe that “I support you and the Board of Education supports you”, then you will halt your inflammatory statements and stop using the union and its members as a scapegoat for the problems of this county.
It seems like all teachers do is cry.
@ Michael Mcinerney~
(golf clap)
Boy, we’ve never heard that one before. Teacher-bashing. How original.
Your comment displays both your ignorance and disrespect for the profession, and adds nothing to the discussion.
Mr. Mcinerney,
I am very confused about who you are. I have seen a few of your postings on here and to be honest your view of teachers seems very narrow and one sided. Your lack of details with regards to the role of teachers in Douglas County, as well as any other district in this Country seems very superficial and well not even your own view. Its as if you just decided to take someone else’s view about what and who teachers are…
Can you tell me a little bit about who you are? What exactly you do for a living? From some of the postings I have seen it is apparent you either attended private schools or were home schooled, which explains some of your social ineptness and narrow minded view points.
I am a teacher, I educate others, I inspire people everyday. I make a difference in a child’s life, I save lives, YES SAVE LIVES! When I am home sick, I feel guilty because I am not at my job, which effects my students learning. I bring my work home with me almost every night and I am not crying, I signed up for that, what I did not sign up for, was to watch the quality of my students’ education decline consistently year after year and not do anything about it, I did not sign up to watch students have to try to learn complicated math facts in a room of 43 other students, I did not sign up for a classroom that borders on breaking the fire code. I did not sign up to tell my students that we don’t have the resources to fix that machine for this class because it is too expensive and we DO NOT HAVE a class budget, not ONE DOLLAR. That is why I CRY! But as for my profession??? I hold my head high! I am a teacher, I am a life changer and IT IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE MY JOB TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT I THINK IS BEST FOR KIDS. And if that means asking some questions about the direction of a school board, budget, class size, and priorities than we are going to ask them. If you don’t want to hear it than sign-off and get off our forum, your attitude, well as my middle schoolers would say “SUCKS” and to be quite frank I think you are the cry baby. I am sorry that you had a hard senior year and that you had not developed the skills to cope with public education by the time you were 17, but really unless you have experience or knowledge you aught to butt out. I encourage you to find your local public school (any grade level) and shadow a teacher. Here’s an idea why don’t you do it on your next paid vacation, thats right I said paid. Let me be clear in letting you know that we DO NOT GET PAID for 12 months of work!!! Never have probably never will. I get paid for 10 months of work, well actually I think the contract says 188 days (you can research the exact number yourself on the DCSD website, since you are so smart). The pay is kindly broken up into 12 months so I dont’ have to go two months with out a pay check. But it would still be the same amount if I got 9 checks instead of 12, just thought I would clear that up for you. Teachers do not get paid vacations, we don’t even get paid for spring break or fall break or winter break….in fact the closest thing I have ever gotten to a paid vacation is a sick or a snow day…Just wondering how many times you have gotten paid while sitting on a beach? I chose my path I am happy with where I am at, but a satisfactory education for my students will NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH!
So yes Justin I too would like to know when the rainy day begins, when the boards initiatives will take a back seat to quality of education in our already existing classrooms…?
I can appreciate that Tuesday was a volatile situation and emotional barely seems to fit the description, all the more reason to keep heated and hurtful comments inside and away from cameras. Your comments that anything other than the continued and almost miraculous success of our students is based solely on the soldiers in the trenches, so a little thanks and praise for the soldiers in the trenches…aka teachers.
The question that was asked and never answered “Is the board willing to form a committee with teachers and parents and yes Union, to start rebuilding the bridge or moral?” That was question we wanted answered.
Amy you do know that Mother Theresa worked for those in need for free and did not cry about her salary?
Michael you might want re-read my post I didn’t complain one word about what I make in salary. I did correct your ridiculous interpretation of a teacher’s time off which you implied we were paid for which we are not, but no complaints. But nice try.
Funny how easy it is for you to come on here and poke at teachers but totally unwilling to state what you do. Bet you don’t work for free.
PS my name is Amy Beth, not Amy.
Mr. Justin Williams~why is it that you are telling teachers of DCSD to get OFF the bus? Why are you so angry with the teachers who express their right to speak publicly about their questions? Teachers have been silent for a very long time in DCSD because they were afraid of loosing their jobs. The teachers of DCSD are rising up to speak the truth about what is happening in the classrooms of this district. Teachers are tired of just sitting around taking district surveys that do absolutely NOTHING! Teachers are coming OUT OF THE CLOSET and we are going to hold you accountable!
michael mcinerney Teachers are not crying about their salaries. Teachers are concerned about the classroom size as the children are not being given a quality opportunity to learn. When there are 40 to 43 students in a classroom the children are being cheated. The district is wasting millions of dollars on leadership pay. If you ask most teachers, they will tell you that they do not want pay for performance or a pay raise. Teachers want the district to use their resources for the classroom so that the children are successful. Oh yeah and the last I remember when a teacher signs their contract they are not signing away their right to be given the necessary supplies and materials needed to do their jobs. The district should supply a teacher with the supplies needed to do their job. Right now the district is freezing all monies and teachers are spending their own money from their pay checks to teach their labs and purchase basic supplies.
Regarding those who post without anything valuable to say: please do not feed the trolls.
Mr Williams says “I would like the community and our teachers to know that I support you and the Board of Education supports you” Its hard to believe Mr Williams when he writes on his Facebook page:
“We are not going to take this sitting down” Tonight was all about preserving a few union jobs. What does the union do? Stir up trouble. We can’t even determine what they do besides undermine education” But at the same time the claim to do it for the kids! Disappointing! ” Mr. Williams…The unions represents 70 percent of the teachers in douglas county. They are there to negotiate and see that teachers are treated fairly. Having taught numerous years in a charter with no union, I can tell you there is a big difference. No union and I could barely pay my bills. Looking back in history, Unions are why we have weekends off. Stop making unions the enemy. Stop buying into the political slant that unions are evil. Instead be truly transparent as a board and actually answer question at the community board meeting!