----- Forwarded Message ----
From: PRISCILLA GUTIERREZ <pgutpgut@...>
To: LiteracyForAll <literacyforall@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, November 2, 2009 10:02:07 AM
Subject: [LiteracyForAll] The Teacher Crisis
Walt Gardner has written an excellent editorial that dispels the myth Arne is
touting about teacher prep programs are to blame for poor student performance:
http://www.sacbee. com/1190/ story/2295499. html
Priscilla Gutierrez
...change is inevitable, growth is optional...
words of advice from Michael Fullan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
There is a jazz concert tonight at the new theater at El Cerrito High School
beginning at 7:30 pm. The Jazz bands from El Cerrito High School and the
Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Workshop from Portola Middle School will be
performing. This is a free event and everyone is welcome.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
SORRY!! The jazz concert is tomorrow night - Wednesday November 4, 2009 at
7:30 pm. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part that is was
tonight, I've been so busy lately the days are running together.
regards
Chris Slamon
On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 11:20 AM, c slamon <cslamon@...> wrote:
> There is a jazz concert tonight at the new theater at El Cerrito High
> School beginning at 7:30 pm. The Jazz bands from El Cerrito High School and
> the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Workshop from Portola Middle School will be
> performing. This is a free event and everyone is welcome.
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Today at 5pm was the end of voting on the tentative agreement by
teachers and other employees represented by the UTR. As of 9pm, their
Web site says "Tentative Agreement Ratified by members of the United
Teachers of Richmond!" No other details there as of 9pm. See:
http://www.unitedteachersofrichmond.com/
Charley Cowens
http://www.twitter.com/ccowens
Marin Trujillo is a huge tool. Keep your eye out for things he says and has
said and you will surely be disgusted. Imagine what kind of person willingly
takes a job as WCCUSD spokesperson, required to put a positive spin on the
goings-on of the administration. And, if you ever get the opportunity to meet
him be sure not to miss his overwhelming arrogance and obvious disdain for
teachers. He certainly doesn't speak for me when he says the RH dance was a
success!
6th-grade teacher, Pinole
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Here are some of the upcoming events that support the El Cerrito High School
and Portola Middle School Bands.
Sunday - Novemeber 8, 2009 - Breakfast Jams Fundraiser at Kensington Youth
Huts. Pancake breakfast and performances by student musicians.
Saturday - December 5, 2009 - Delta Jazz Festival. El Cerrito High School
Jazz Ensemble.
Tuesday - December 15, 2009 - Winter Concert at the ECHS Theater featuring
the concert/symphonic bands from both El Cerrito High School and Portola
Middle School. 7 pm
Thursday - December 17, 2009 - Winter Jazz Concert at the ECHS Theater
featuring the ECHS Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Band with special guest Dave
Eshelman and the Jazzschool Studio Band. 7:30 pm
Saturday - January 23, 2009 - Dinner and a Show at the El Cerrito Community
Center featuring the Portola Middle School Jazz Bands. 6 pm
Monday - February 8, 2010 - Yoshi's Fundraiser, Oakland. There are two
shows; 8 and 10 pm and will feature the ECHS Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Band.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Tempest over a teacup's worth of federal funding for schools
By Sharon Noguchi
<snoguchi@...?subject=San%20Jose%20Mercury%20News:%20Tempest%20over%\
20a%20teacup's%20worth%20of%20federal%20funding%20for%20schools>
snoguchi@...
Posted: 11/09/2009 12:00:00 AM PST
Updated: 11/09/2009 10:55:54 AM PST
Into the kettle that is California's $35.7 billion education budget, Uncle
Sam may offer to pour a teacup's worth of specialized stimulus funds to help
the most struggling schools.
But to hear the rhetoric as the state tries to grab a share of so-called
Race to the Top funds, the teacup might as well be a barrel. Behind the
brouhaha is the Obama administration's attempt to not only overhaul failing
schools, but also to change how educators confront failure, placing
responsibility on teachers, administrators and school boards.
The draft regulations announced for Race to the Top "challenge the status
quo in almost every way," Ted Mitchell, chair of the state Board of
Education, said approvingly. Other supporters include Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Senate Democrats, including Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los
Angeles, who authored a bill that spells out reforms for low-performing
schools, such as permitting takeovers by outside groups and allowing
children to transfer elsewhere. Romero is sponsoring an informational
hearing today in San Jose to discuss Race to the Top.
Already, the state knocked down the "firewall" that had prohibited using
student test data in teacher evaluations, a change required by Uncle Sam
just for California to get to the starting line for Race to the Top.
But the agenda has run into serious push-back. Those arguing the state
should be walking, not running, toward reform, are political heavyweights:
the California Teachers Association, and heads of statewide groups
representing school administrators, school boards and even the PTA.
"Education reform shouldn't be a race," CTA President David Sanchez said.
The CTA fears the federal government will order teacher pay linked to
student test scores, that California will rush into adopting new standards
of learning, and that charter schools — which are semiautonomous public
schools freed from the education code and often union agreements — will
proliferate.
"We're certainly not opposed to reform," Sanchez said. He argued Romero's
bill may force changes before the Race to the Top rules are finalized and
before groups can register their opinions, he said.
Administrators, likewise, fear losing local control over failing schools.
here is the link to the entire article:
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_13744344?source=rss
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
By Katherine Tam
Contra Costa Times <ktam@...?subject=ContraCostaTimes.com:
Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
votes.
Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and 689
no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
approved a contract.
The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair labor
practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement is
not reached.
But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
vote.
"This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They deserve
honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they will
need to have trust in its election process too."
On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is unusual;
the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and the
committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president, they
say.
After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals, but
she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must be
conducted.
"This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
known Tuesday night.
"I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did not
release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to verify
provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from the
main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock the
office.
The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what happened
and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
members disputed.
here is the link to the entire article:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_13748454
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Great Protest! Thomas Prather, teacher at Grant and I occupied the UTR
office for the second time all day. Last night about 80 teachers squeezed Pixie
with song, chants and blocked her from leaving. She was running around
trying to get away from members...
She called police, and told them to arrest us. Hercules and Pinole police
showed up. When I asked her for a re-vote and membership meeting, she
said, Al Gore didn't get a re-vote! We will be back today at 3:45 to disrupt a
recount.
Diane Brown
In a message dated 11/10/2009 6:50:33 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
cslamon@... writes:
Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
By Katherine Tam
Contra Costa Times <_ktam@bayareanewsgroktam@b_
(mailto:ktam@...) ?subject=ContraCost?subject=Co
Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
votes.
Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and
689
no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
approved a contract.
The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair
labor
practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement
is
not reached.
But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
vote.
"This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They deserve
honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they
will
need to have trust in its election process too."
On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is
unusual;
the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and
the
committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president, they
say.
After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals,
but
she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must
be
conducted.
"This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
known Tuesday night.
"I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did not
release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to
verify
provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from
the
main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock
the
office.
The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what
happened
and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
members disputed.
here is the link to the entire article:
_http://www.contracohttp://wwhttp://www.cohttp://www.contr_
(http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_13748454)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Reversal of Fortune
Here it is on the UTR Web site.
<<
Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November 10, 2009.
The new totals are:
YES 671
NO 705
The tentative agreement was not ratified.
>>
Oh, brother!
Charley Cowens
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, c slamon <cslamon@...> wrote:
>
> Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> By Katherine Tam
> Contra Costa Times <ktam@...?subject=ContraCostaTimes.com:
> Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
>
> Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
> votes.
>
> Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and 689
> no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
> count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
> approved a contract.
>
> The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
> union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair labor
> practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
> members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement is
> not reached.
>
> But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
> last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
> gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
> vote.
>
> "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
> Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They deserve
> honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they will
> need to have trust in its election process too."
>
> On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
> sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
> observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
> chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is unusual;
> the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and the
> committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president, they
> say.
>
> After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
> where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
> ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals, but
> she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
> Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
>
> Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must be
> conducted.
>
> "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
>
> The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
> recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
> recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
> known Tuesday night.
>
> "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
>
> Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did not
> release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to verify
> provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
> being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
>
> On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
> car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from the
> main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock the
> office.
>
> The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what happened
> and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
> members disputed.
> here is the link to the entire article:
> http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_13748454
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a slow death.
If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest, then she
is the worst liar ever.
Jim
--- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@...> wrote:
From: c_cowens <c_cowens@...>
Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
Â
Reversal of Fortune
Here it is on the UTR Web site.
<<
Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November 10, 2009.
The new totals are:
YES 671
NO 705
The tentative agreement was not ratified.
>>
Oh, brother!
Charley Cowens
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@... > wrote:
>
> Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> By Katherine Tam
> Contra Costa Times <ktam@...?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
> Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
>
> Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
> votes.
>
> Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and 689
> no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
> count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
> approved a contract.
>
> The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
> union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair labor
> practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
> members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement is
> not reached.
>
> But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
> last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
> gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
> vote.
>
> "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
> Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They deserve
> honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they will
> need to have trust in its election process too."
>
> On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
> sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
> observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
> chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is unusual;
> the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and the
> committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president, they
> say.
>
> After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
> where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
> ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals, but
> she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
> Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
>
> Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must be
> conducted.
>
> "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
>
> The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
> recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
> recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
> known Tuesday night.
>
> "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
>
> Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did not
> release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to verify
> provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
> being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
>
> On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
> car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from the
> main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock the
> office.
>
> The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what happened
> and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
> members disputed.
> here is the link to the entire article:
> http://www.contraco statimes. com/bay-area- news/ci_13748454
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I received notice yesterday of a special joint school board meeting this
Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 10 am - 12 noon. The meeting will be held
at DeJean Middle School in Richmond. The meeting will include the school
board, city council and other elected officials, city manager and police
chiefs. The meeting objective is to increase collaboration to improve
safety. You can download the agenda at www.wccusd.net
Agenda
1. Welcome and Introductions - Audrey Miles, President WCCUSD Board of
Education
2. Youth Safety: Overview of the challenges and strategies in each
jurisdiction.
3. Enhancing Collaboration: Small group discussions of five key areas for
additional collaboration - violence prevention, gang intervention, Community
/ neighborhood watch, facilities improvement and character development.
4. Report out from group discussions.
5. Public comment.
6. Adjournment
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
At the end of the article mentioned here in this thread, something is made of
the phrasing of the no option on the ballot that teachers voted on. What exactly
did it say?
Charley Cowens
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@...> wrote:
>
> If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a slow
death.
> If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest, then she
is the worst liar ever.
> Jim
>
> --- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: c_cowens <c_cowens@...>
> Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
> To: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
> Reversal of Fortune
>
> Here it is on the UTR Web site.
>
> <<
> Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
>
> The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November 10,
2009. The new totals are:
>
> YES 671
> NO 705
>
> The tentative agreement was not ratified.
> >>
>
> Oh, brother!
>
> Charley Cowens
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@ > wrote:
> >
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> > By Katherine Tam
> > Contra Costa Times <ktam@?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> > Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> > Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
> >
> > Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> > recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
> > votes.
> >
> > Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and 689
> > no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
> > count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
> > approved a contract.
> >
> > The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> > 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
> > union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair labor
> > practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
> > members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement is
> > not reached.
> >
> > But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
> > last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
> > gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
> > vote.
> >
> > "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
> > Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They deserve
> > honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they will
> > need to have trust in its election process too."
> >
> > On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
> > sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
> > observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
> > chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> > committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is unusual;
> > the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and the
> > committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president, they
> > say.
> >
> > After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
> > where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
> > ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals, but
> > she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
> > Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
> >
> > Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must be
> > conducted.
> >
> > "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
> >
> > The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
> > recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
> > recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
> > known Tuesday night.
> >
> > "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
> >
> > Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did not
> > release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to verify
> > provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> > committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
> > being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
> >
> > On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> > Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
> > car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> > after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from the
> > main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock the
> > office.
> >
> > The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what happened
> > and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
> > members disputed.
> > here is the link to the entire article:
> > http://www.contraco statimes. com/bay-area- news/ci_13748454
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
No option: No I want to strike.
Diane Brown
In a message dated 11/11/2009 3:04:24 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
c_cowens@... writes:
At the end of the article mentioned here in this thread, something is made
of the phrasing of the no option on the ballot that teachers voted on. What
exactly did it say?
Charley Cowens
--- In _wccusdtalk@yahoogrowccusdt_ (mailto:wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com) ,
Jim Cowen <jimcowen@..j> wrote:
>
> If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a
slow death.
> If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest,
then she is the worst liar ever.
> Jim
>
> --- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@..c> wrote:
>
>
> From: c_cowens <c_cowens@..c>
> Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers
contract prompts recount
> To: _wccusdtalk@yahoogrowccusdt_ (mailto:wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com)
> Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
> Reversal of Fortune
>
> Here it is on the UTR Web site.
>
> <<
> Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
>
> The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November
10, 2009. The new totals are:
>
> YES 671
> NO 705
>
> The tentative agreement was not ratified.
> >>
>
> Oh, brother!
>
> Charley Cowens
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@ > wrote:
> >
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> > By Katherine Tam
> > Contra Costa Times <ktam@?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> > Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> > Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
> >
> > Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> > recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just
nine
> > votes.
> >
> > Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots
and 689
> > no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If
that
> > count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has
ever
> > approved a contract.
> >
> > The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> > 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its
teachers
> > union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair
labor
> > practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July.
Union
> > members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent
agreement is
> > not reached.
> >
> > But a number of union members say the process by which votes were
counted
> > last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two
dozen
> > gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a
new
> > vote.
> >
> > "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said
teacher
> > Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They
deserve
> > honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union,
they will
> > need to have trust in its election process too."
> >
> > On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
> > sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while
five
> > observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The
committee
> > chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> > committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is
unusual;
> > the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math,
and the
> > committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president,
they
> > say.
> >
> > After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the
room
> > where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract
was
> > ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote
totals, but
> > she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked
why,
> > Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
> >
> > Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election
must be
> > conducted.
> >
> > "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
> >
> > The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections
committee
> > recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said.
The
> > recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected
to be
> > known Tuesday night.
> >
> > "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said
Monday.
> >
> > Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She
did not
> > release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to
verify
> > provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> > committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count
was
> > being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
> >
> > On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> > Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in
her
> > car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> > after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate
from the
> > main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could
lock the
> > office.
> >
> > The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what
happened
> > and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which
union
> > members disputed.
> > here is the link to the entire article:
> > _http://www.contraco_ (http://www.contraco/) statimes. com/bay-area-
news/ci_13748454
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The ballot was phrased oddly.
Â
the options were
__Yes, I want to ratify the contact
or
__No, I want to strike
Â
(thats not verbatim)
Â
many would argue it should have read
__Yes, I want to ratify the contract
or
__No, I do not want to ratify the contract
Â
Then, if the NO prevails, the option would be to return to the bargaining table,
and possibly strike.
--- On Wed, 11/11/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@...> wrote:
From: c_cowens <c_cowens@...>
Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 2:58 PM
Â
At the end of the article mentioned here in this thread, something is made of
the phrasing of the no option on the ballot that teachers voted on. What exactly
did it say?
Charley Cowens
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@.. .> wrote:
>
> If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a slow
death.
> If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest, then she
is the worst liar ever.
> Jim
>
> --- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@.. .> wrote:
>
>
> From: c_cowens <c_cowens@.. .>
> Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
> To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
> Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
>
>
> ÂÂ
>
>
>
> Reversal of Fortune
>
> Here it is on the UTR Web site.
>
> <<
> Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
>
> The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November 10,
2009. The new totals are:
>
> YES 671
> NO 705
>
> The tentative agreement was not ratified.
> >>
>
> Oh, brother!
>
> Charley Cowens
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@ > wrote:
> >
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> > By Katherine Tam
> > Contra Costa Times <ktam@?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> > Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> > Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
> >
> > Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> > recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
> > votes.
> >
> > Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and 689
> > no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
> > count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
> > approved a contract.
> >
> > The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> > 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
> > union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair labor
> > practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
> > members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement is
> > not reached.
> >
> > But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
> > last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
> > gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
> > vote.
> >
> > "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
> > Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They deserve
> > honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they will
> > need to have trust in its election process too."
> >
> > On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
> > sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
> > observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
> > chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> > committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is unusual;
> > the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and the
> > committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president, they
> > say.
> >
> > After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
> > where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
> > ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals, but
> > she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
> > Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
> >
> > Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must be
> > conducted.
> >
> > "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
> >
> > The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
> > recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
> > recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
> > known Tuesday night.
> >
> > "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
> >
> > Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did not
> > release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to verify
> > provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> > committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
> > being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
> >
> > On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> > Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
> > car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> > after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from the
> > main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock the
> > office.
> >
> > The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what happened
> > and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
> > members disputed.
> > here is the link to the entire article:
> > http://www.contraco statimes. com/bay-area- news/ci_13748454
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Replace the word "want" with the word "vote" and you have the ballot. Pixie or
someone (whoever is willing to take the responsibility) thought that if the
membership were sufficiently scared into believing that a strike was the only
option, the contract would be ratified. This was in fact what she kept hammering
at the members at the informational meetings. Fortunately she was not very
convincing.Â
Eduardo
--- On Wed, 11/11/09, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@...> wrote:
From: Jim Cowen <jimcowen@...>
Subject: Re: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 4:53 PM
Â
The ballot was phrased oddly.
Â
the options were
__Yes, I want to ratify the contact
or
__No, I want to strike
Â
(thats not verbatim)
Â
many would argue it should have read
__Yes, I want to ratify the contract
or
__No, I do not want to ratify the contract
Â
Then, if the NO prevails, the option would be to return to the bargaining table,
and possibly strike.
--- On Wed, 11/11/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@yahoo. com> wrote:
From: c_cowens <c_cowens@yahoo. com>
Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 2:58 PM
Â
At the end of the article mentioned here in this thread, something is made of
the phrasing of the no option on the ballot that teachers voted on. What exactly
did it say?
Charley Cowens
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@.. .> wrote:
>
> If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a slow
death.
> If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest, then she
is the worst liar ever.
> Jim
>
> --- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@.. .> wrote:
>
>
> From: c_cowens <c_cowens@.. .>
> Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
> To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
> Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
>
>
> ÂÂ
>
>
>
> Reversal of Fortune
>
> Here it is on the UTR Web site.
>
> <<
> Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
>
> The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November 10,
2009. The new totals are:
>
> YES 671
> NO 705
>
> The tentative agreement was not ratified.
> >>
>
> Oh, brother!
>
> Charley Cowens
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@ > wrote:
> >
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> > By Katherine Tam
> > Contra Costa Times <ktam@?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> > Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> > Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
> >
> > Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> > recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
> > votes.
> >
> > Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and 689
> > no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
> > count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
> > approved a contract.
> >
> > The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> > 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
> > union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair labor
> > practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
> > members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement is
> > not reached.
> >
> > But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
> > last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
> > gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
> > vote.
> >
> > "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
> > Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They deserve
> > honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they will
> > need to have trust in its election process too."
> >
> > On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
> > sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
> > observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
> > chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> > committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is unusual;
> > the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and the
> > committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president, they
> > say.
> >
> > After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
> > where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
> > ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals, but
> > she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
> > Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
> >
> > Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must be
> > conducted.
> >
> > "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
> >
> > The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
> > recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
> > recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
> > known Tuesday night.
> >
> > "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
> >
> > Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did not
> > release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to verify
> > provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> > committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
> > being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
> >
> > On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> > Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
> > car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> > after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from the
> > main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock the
> > office.
> >
> > The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what happened
> > and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
> > members disputed.
> > here is the link to the entire article:
> > http://www.contraco statimes. com/bay-area- news/ci_13748454
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Thanks for the correction, Eduardo.
Diane
In a message dated 11/11/2009 5:04:36 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
ezedmartin@... writes:
Replace the word "want" with the word "vote" and you have the ballot.
Pixie or someone (whoever is willing to take the responsibility) thought that
if the membership were sufficiently scared into believing that a strike was
the only option, the contract would be ratified. This was in fact what she
kept hammering at the members at the informational meetings. Fortunately
she was not very convincing.
Eduardo
--- On Wed, 11/11/09, Jim Cowen <_jimcowen@..._
(mailto:jimcowen@...) > wrote:
From: Jim Cowen <_jimcowen@..._ (mailto:jimcowen@...) >
Subject: Re: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers
contract prompts recount
To: _wccusdtalk@yahoogrowccusdt_ (mailto:wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com)
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 4:53 PM
The ballot was phrased oddly.
the options were
__Yes, I want to ratify the contact
or
__No, I want to strike
(thats not verbatim)
many would argue it should have read
__Yes, I want to ratify the contract
or
__No, I do not want to ratify the contract
Then, if the NO prevails, the option would be to return to the bargaining
table, and possibly strike.
--- On Wed, 11/11/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@yahoo. com> wrote:
From: c_cowens <c_cowens@yahoo. com>
Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers
contract prompts recount
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 2:58 PM
At the end of the article mentioned here in this thread, something is made
of the phrasing of the no option on the ballot that teachers voted on.
What exactly did it say?
Charley Cowens
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@.. .> wrote:
>
> If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a
slow death.
> If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest,
then she is the worst liar ever.
> Jim
>
> --- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@.. .> wrote:
>
>
> From: c_cowens <c_cowens@.. .>
> Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers
contract prompts recount
> To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
> Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
> Reversal of Fortune
>
> Here it is on the UTR Web site.
>
> <<
> Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
>
> The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November
10, 2009. The new totals are:
>
> YES 671
> NO 705
>
> The tentative agreement was not ratified.
> >>
>
> Oh, brother!
>
> Charley Cowens
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@ > wrote:
> >
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> > By Katherine Tam
> > Contra Costa Times <ktam@?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> > Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> > Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
> >
> > Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> > recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just
nine
> > votes.
> >
> > Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots
and 689
> > no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If
that
> > count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has
ever
> > approved a contract.
> >
> > The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> > 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its
teachers
> > union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair
labor
> > practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July.
Union
> > members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent
agreement is
> > not reached.
> >
> > But a number of union members say the process by which votes were
counted
> > last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two
dozen
> > gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a
new
> > vote.
> >
> > "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said
teacher
> > Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They
deserve
> > honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union,
they will
> > need to have trust in its election process too."
> >
> > On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at
school
> > sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while
five
> > observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The
committee
> > chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> > committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is
unusual;
> > the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math,
and the
> > committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president,
they
> > say.
> >
> > After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the
room
> > where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract
was
> > ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote
totals, but
> > she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked
why,
> > Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
> >
> > Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election
must be
> > conducted.
> >
> > "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
> >
> > The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections
committee
> > recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said.
The
> > recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected
to be
> > known Tuesday night.
> >
> > "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said
Monday.
> >
> > Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She
did not
> > release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to
verify
> > provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> > committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count
was
> > being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
> >
> > On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> > Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in
her
> > car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> > after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate
from the
> > main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could
lock the
> > office.
> >
> > The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what
happened
> > and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which
union
> > members disputed.
> > here is the link to the entire article:
> > _http://www.contraco_ (http://www.contraco/) statimes. com/bay-area-
news/ci_13748454
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I agree with Eduardo. Pixie has nothing to do with helping the teachers win a
fair contract. Her chosen task is to sell out the teachers and the community.
That is why she worded the contract in such a way to scare the teachers into the
YES vote. But the teachers were aware of her as a sell out and rejected the
contract and voted for the strike, and now it is clear to almost everyone that
she is has joined the ranks of the bosses. She brought the CTA bozo's in and
tried to sell the Arne Duncan's Charter School plan, when that didn't work she
actually met with and shared the stage with SCAB HERDER HARDER at the
Democratic party forum showing her total class collaboration politics. She is
the transmission belt for the Obama/Summers/Rubin plan to make the working
class pay for the economic crisis of capitalism and allow the charter school
plans that are intended to destroy public education and open our kids schools up
to the rationalizing force
of Wall Street. Her statements on the radio (KPFA news) last night prove she
has no vision how to win the funds needed for our district. The fact that she
called the police on our teachers who were defending their ballots from her
attempt to steal the election shows clearly that she places herself outside
working class morality. WORKERS DO NOT EMPLOY THE BOSSES ARMED FORCE OR THEIR
COURTS TO SETTLE OUR DISPUTES. Pixie is now an class enemy and must be thrown
out of the UTR for trying to steal the election and calling the police on the
workers who were trying to protect the ballot recount from her sell out.
To win quality education and a fair contract in WCCUSD the teachers need to
take back their union. Pixie will not step down without being forced out. The
teachers need to hold a mass assemblies to run out the sell out leadership and
rise up a new militant leadership ready to enforce the will of the vote for the
strike. The tasks are enormous but to win the majority must rise up and take
back their union and all its resources. If the paid staff do not agree to work
for the majority they must be replaced. Then strike preparation must begin with
mass meetings of teachers, parents and students who will build the Strike
Schools, the Strike Kitchens, the Picket Squads, those who will reach out to all
labor in the Bay Area and make RICHMOND GROUND ZERO IN THE FIGHT FOR PUBLIC
EDUCATION. Teachers and community need to link with the strikers at UC and
the USC who are fighting for higher education on Nov18-20, build links to the
Public workers on
furlough who are fighting back on Nov 20th protest at the University overpass
at 580, build links with the Oakland teachers and the other school districts
under the gun. This strike can only be won if we turn it into a political
battle that challenges the Obama plan to enforce the crisis of capitalism on the
backs of working people.
Here in Richmond where our kids have a better chance of going to prison then
finishing with a degree leading to a good paying job the community can see the
wealth of Chevron by the bay and the million dollar homes in and on the other
side of the hills. We can't buy the lie that there is no money. We know where
it is and to get it will take a massive strike action starting here in Richmond
and spreading across the state and nation.
Time to hit the bricks. Down with the PIXIE/HARTER/ARNOLD/OBAMA PLAN TO STEAL
OUR RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION! PREPARE EVERY PARENT TO WALK THE PICKET LINE WITH
THE TEACHERS! TURN EVERY CHURCH INTO A STRIKE SCHOOL AND STRIKE KITCHEN! GET
ALL LABOR UNIONS IN THE BAY AREA TO SEND PICKET SUPPORT! GET PICKET SUPPORT
FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOUTH! TURN RICHMOND'S STRUGGLE INTO
THE FIGHT FOR FREE QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL ACROSS THE STATE AND NATION!
Charles Rachlis
________________________________
From: Eduardo Martinez <ezedmartin@...>
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, November 11, 2009 5:04:08 PM
Subject: Re: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
Replace the word "want" with the word "vote" and you have the ballot. Pixie or
someone (whoever is willing to take the responsibility) thought that if the
membership were sufficiently scared into believing that a strike was the only
option, the contract would be ratified. This was in fact what she kept hammering
at the members at the informational meetings. Fortunately she was not very
convincing.
Eduardo
--- On Wed, 11/11/09, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@yahoo. com> wrote:
From: Jim Cowen <jimcowen@yahoo. com>
Subject: Re: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 4:53 PM
The ballot was phrased oddly
the options were
__Yes, I want to ratify the contact
or
__No, I want to strike
(thats not verbatim)
many would argue it should have read
__Yes, I want to ratify the contract
or
__No, I do not want to ratify the contract
Then, if the NO prevails, the option would be to return to the bargaining table,
and possibly strike.
--- On Wed, 11/11/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@yahoo. com> wrote:
From: c_cowens <c_cowens@yahoo. com>
Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 2:58 PM
At the end of the article mentioned here in this thread, something is made of
the phrasing of the no option on the ballot that teachers voted on. What exactly
did it say?
Charley Cowens
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@.. .> wrote:
>
> If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a slow
death.
> If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest, then she
is the worst liar ever.
> Jim
>
> --- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@.. .> wrote:
>
>
> From: c_cowens <c_cowens@.. .>
> Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
> To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
> Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
> Reversal of Fortune
>
> Here it is on the UTR Web site.
>
> <<
> Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
>
> The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November 10,
2009. The new totals are:
>
> YES 671
> NO 705
>
> The tentative agreement was not ratified.
> >>
>
> Oh, brother!
>
> Charley Cowens
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@ > wrote:
> >
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> > By Katherine Tam
> > Contra Costa Times <ktam@?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
> > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> > Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> > Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
> >
> > Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> > recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
> > votes.
> >
> > Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and 689
> > no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
> > count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
> > approved a contract.
> >
> > The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> > 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
> > union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair labor
> > practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
> > members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement is
> > not reached.
> >
> > But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
> > last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
> > gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
> > vote.
> >
> > "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
> > Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They deserve
> > honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they will
> > need to have trust in its election process too."
> >
> > On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
> > sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
> > observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
> > chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> > committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is unusual;
> > the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and the
> > committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president, they
> > say.
> >
> > After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
> > where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
> > ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals, but
> > she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
> > Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
> >
> > Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must be
> > conducted.
> >
> > "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
> >
> > The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
> > recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
> > recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
> > known Tuesday night.
> >
> > "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
> >
> > Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did not
> > release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to verify
> > provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> > committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
> > being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
> >
> > On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> > Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
> > car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> > after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from the
> > main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock the
> > office.
> >
> > The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what happened
> > and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
> > members disputed.
> > here is the link to the entire article:
> > http://www.contraco statimes. com/bay-area- news/ci_13748454
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The ballot stated the following:
Yes - Ratify the tetative agreement
No - Go on Strike
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, "c_cowens" <c_cowens@...> wrote:
>
> At the end of the article mentioned here in this thread, something is made of
the phrasing of the no option on the ballot that teachers voted on. What exactly
did it say?
>
> Charley Cowens
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@> wrote:
> >
> > If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a slow
death.
> > If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest, then
she is the worst liar ever.
> > Jim
> >
> > --- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > From: c_cowens <c_cowens@>
> > Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
> > To: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
> >
> >
> > Â
> >
> >
> >
> > Reversal of Fortune
> >
> > Here it is on the UTR Web site.
> >
> > <<
> > Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
> >
> > The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November 10,
2009. The new totals are:
> >
> > YES 671
> > NO 705
> >
> > The tentative agreement was not ratified.
> > >>
> >
> > Oh, brother!
> >
> > Charley Cowens
> >
> > --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@ > wrote:
> > >
> > > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
> > > By Katherine Tam
> > > Contra Costa Times <ktam@?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
> > > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
> > > Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
> > > Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
> > >
> > > Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
> > > recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
> > > votes.
> > >
> > > Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and
689
> > > no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
> > > count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
> > > approved a contract.
> > >
> > > The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
> > > 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
> > > union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair
labor
> > > practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
> > > members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement
is
> > > not reached.
> > >
> > > But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
> > > last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
> > > gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
> > > vote.
> > >
> > > "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
> > > Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They
deserve
> > > honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they
will
> > > need to have trust in its election process too."
> > >
> > > On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
> > > sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
> > > observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
> > > chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
> > > committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is
unusual;
> > > the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and
the
> > > committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president,
they
> > > say.
> > >
> > > After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
> > > where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
> > > ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals,
but
> > > she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
> > > Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
> > >
> > > Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must
be
> > > conducted.
> > >
> > > "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
> > >
> > > The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
> > > recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
> > > recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
> > > known Tuesday night.
> > >
> > > "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
> > >
> > > Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did
not
> > > release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to
verify
> > > provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
> > > committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
> > > being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
> > >
> > > On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
> > > Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
> > > car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
> > > after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from
the
> > > main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock
the
> > > office.
> > >
> > > The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what
happened
> > > and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
> > > members disputed.
> > > here is the link to the entire article:
> > > http://www.contraco statimes. com/bay-area- news/ci_13748454
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
I agree that we need to have a vote of no confidence and take out the current
utr leadership, however we as teachers should not lower ourselves to Pixie's
unethical behavior. We need to work within the by-laws and when this mess is
cleaned up, strengthen them.
We are teachers because we want to educate our young people, however, we are not
volunteers. If we do not have a salary package that is above poverty level, we
will not be able to attract strong new teachers to our district. We have
teachers retiring in a mass exodus in order to hold onto their lifetime
benefits. They get to do so under the current imposition if they retire by
December 30th.
We need to learn from Mt. Diable, they did not fight for their benefits and gave
them up for a $10,000 raise. That still was not enough to pay for healthcare so
a lot of those teachers came to WCCUSD because we have full healthcare as part
of our salary package.
Please remember that the district did not give us health benefits, we have given
up salary raises to maintain our healthcare package. As for the furlough days,
one is not even a real furlough day. The minutes are added back into the rest
of the school year.
Lucy Giusto
Hercules Middle/High School
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Charles Rachlis <crachlis@...> wrote:
>
> I agree with Eduardo. Pixie has nothing to do with helping the teachers win a
fair contract. Her chosen task is to sell out the teachers and the community.
That is why she worded the contract in such a way to scare the teachers into the
YES vote. But the teachers were aware of her as a sell out and rejected the
contract and voted for the strike, and now it is clear to almost everyone that
she is has joined the ranks of the bosses. She brought the CTA bozo's in and
tried to sell the Arne Duncan's Charter School plan, when that didn't work she
actually met with and shared the stage with SCAB HERDER HARDER at the
Democratic party forum showing her total class collaboration politics. She is
the transmission belt for the Obama/Summers/Rubin plan to make the working
class pay for the economic crisis of capitalism and allow the charter school
plans that are intended to destroy public education and open our kids schools up
to the rationalizing force
> of Wall Street. Her statements on the radio (KPFA news) last night prove she
has no vision how to win the funds needed for our district. The fact that she
called the police on our teachers who were defending their ballots from her
attempt to steal the election shows clearly that she places herself outside
working class morality. WORKERS DO NOT EMPLOY THE BOSSES ARMED FORCE OR THEIR
COURTS TO SETTLE OUR DISPUTES. Pixie is now an class enemy and must be thrown
out of the UTR for trying to steal the election and calling the police on the
workers who were trying to protect the ballot recount from her sell out.
>
> To win quality education and a fair contract in WCCUSD the teachers need to
take back their union. Pixie will not step down without being forced out. The
teachers need to hold a mass assemblies to run out the sell out leadership and
rise up a new militant leadership ready to enforce the will of the vote for the
strike. The tasks are enormous but to win the majority must rise up and take
back their union and all its resources. If the paid staff do not agree to work
for the majority they must be replaced. Then strike preparation must begin with
mass meetings of teachers, parents and students who will build the Strike
Schools, the Strike Kitchens, the Picket Squads, those who will reach out to all
labor in the Bay Area and make RICHMOND GROUND ZERO IN THE FIGHT FOR PUBLIC
EDUCATION. Teachers and community need to link with the strikers at UC and
the USC who are fighting for higher education on Nov18-20, build links to the
Public workers on
> furlough who are fighting back on Nov 20th protest at the University
overpass at 580, build links with the Oakland teachers and the other school
districts under the gun. This strike can only be won if we turn it into a
political battle that challenges the Obama plan to enforce the crisis of
capitalism on the backs of working people.
>
> Here in Richmond where our kids have a better chance of going to prison then
finishing with a degree leading to a good paying job the community can see the
wealth of Chevron by the bay and the million dollar homes in and on the other
side of the hills. We can't buy the lie that there is no money. We know where
it is and to get it will take a massive strike action starting here in Richmond
and spreading across the state and nation.
> Time to hit the bricks. Down with the PIXIE/HARTER/ARNOLD/OBAMA PLAN TO STEAL
OUR RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION! PREPARE EVERY PARENT TO WALK THE PICKET LINE WITH
THE TEACHERS! TURN EVERY CHURCH INTO A STRIKE SCHOOL AND STRIKE KITCHEN! GET
ALL LABOR UNIONS IN THE BAY AREA TO SEND PICKET SUPPORT! GET PICKET SUPPORT
FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE YOUTH! TURN RICHMOND'S STRUGGLE INTO
THE FIGHT FOR FREE QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL ACROSS THE STATE AND NATION!
>
> Charles Rachlis
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Eduardo Martinez <ezedmartin@...>
> To: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wed, November 11, 2009 5:04:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers
contract prompts recount
>
>
>
> Replace the word "want" with the word "vote" and you have the ballot. Pixie
or someone (whoever is willing to take the responsibility) thought that if the
membership were sufficiently scared into believing that a strike was the only
option, the contract would be ratified. This was in fact what she kept hammering
at the members at the informational meetings. Fortunately she was not very
convincing.
>
> Eduardo
>
> --- On Wed, 11/11/09, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@yahoo. com> wrote:
>
> From: Jim Cowen <jimcowen@yahoo. com>
> Subject: Re: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers
contract prompts recount
> To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
> Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 4:53 PM
>
>
>
> The ballot was phrased oddly
>
>
>
> the options were
>
> __Yes, I want to ratify the contact
>
> or
>
> __No, I want to strike
>
>
>
> (thats not verbatim)
>
>
>
> many would argue it should have read
>
> __Yes, I want to ratify the contract
>
> or
>
> __No, I do not want to ratify the contract
>
>
>
> Then, if the NO prevails, the option would be to return to the bargaining
table, and possibly strike.
>
> --- On Wed, 11/11/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@yahoo. com> wrote:
>
> From: c_cowens <c_cowens@yahoo. com>
>
> Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
>
> To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
>
> Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 2:58 PM
>
>
>
> At the end of the article mentioned here in this thread, something is made of
the phrasing of the no option on the ballot that teachers voted on. What exactly
did it say?
>
> Charley Cowens
>
> --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, Jim Cowen <jimcowen@ .> wrote:
>
> >
>
> > If she doesnt get run out as union president then America is dying a slow
death.
>
> > If she is honest, then she is just plain stupid. If she is dishonest, then
she is the worst liar ever.
>
> > Jim
>
> >
>
> > --- On Tue, 11/10/09, c_cowens <c_cowens@ .> wrote:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > From: c_cowens <c_cowens@ .>
>
> > Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract
prompts recount
>
> > To: wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com
>
> > Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:18 PM
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Â
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Reversal of Fortune
>
> >
>
> > Here it is on the UTR Web site.
>
> >
>
> > <<
>
> > Tentative Agreement Fails in Recount
>
> >
>
> > The UTR Elections Committee recounted the ballots on Tuesday, November 10,
2009. The new totals are:
>
> >
>
> > YES 671
>
> > NO 705
>
> >
>
> > The tentative agreement was not ratified.
>
> > >>
>
> >
>
> > Oh, brother!
>
> >
>
> > Charley Cowens
>
> >
>
> > --- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, c slamon <cslamon@ > wrote:
>
> > >
>
> > > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount
>
> > > By Katherine Tam
>
> > > Contra Costa Times <ktam@?subject= ContraCostaTimes .com:
>
> > > Close vote on West Contra Costa teachers contract prompts recount>
>
> > > Posted: 11/09/2009 01:51:42 PM PST
>
> > > Updated: 11/09/2009 10:43:47 PM PST
>
> > >
>
> > > Ballots for a three-year West Contra Costa teachers contract will be
>
> > > recounted Tuesday, after an earlier tally showed it passing by just nine
>
> > > votes.
>
> > >
>
> > > Teachers voted last week to ratify the contract with 698 yes ballots and
689
>
> > > no ballots, according to the United Teachers of Richmond Web site. If that
>
> > > count holds, it will be the narrowest margin by which the union has ever
>
> > > approved a contract.
>
> > >
>
> > > The vote and recount come at a time of mounting tension between the
>
> > > 30,000-student West Contra Costa Unified School District and its teachers
>
> > > union, marked by months of stalled negotiations, accusations of unfair
labor
>
> > > practices and the school board's imposition of a contract in July. Union
>
> > > members voted overwhelmingly in August to strike if a permanent agreement
is
>
> > > not reached.
>
> > >
>
> > > But a number of union members say the process by which votes were counted
>
> > > last week has been compromised. On Monday afternoon, more than two dozen
>
> > > gathered at union headquarters in Pinole to ask questions and seek a new
>
> > > vote.
>
> > >
>
> > > "This is obviously a very important matter to our members," said teacher
>
> > > Amanda Henderson, who sits on the union's election committee. "They
deserve
>
> > > honesty and transparency. If the membership is to trust the union, they
will
>
> > > need to have trust in its election process too."
>
> > >
>
> > > On Thursday, the last of three days of voting on the contract at school
>
> > > sites, the election committee counted ballots from each school while five
>
> > > observers watched. The tallies were compiled on to one list. The committee
>
> > > chairwoman used a calculator to add it up and left the room. Several
>
> > > committee members, observers and longtime union members say this is
unusual;
>
> > > the chair typically asks another committee member to check the math, and
the
>
> > > committee certifies the results before delivering it to the president,
they
>
> > > say.
>
> > >
>
> > > After 10 minutes, union President Pixie Hayward Schickele entered the room
>
> > > where the committee and observers were waiting and said the contract was
>
> > > ratified. Election committee member Lisa Reynolds asked for vote totals,
but
>
> > > she said Hayward Schickele refused. Reynolds said that when she asked why,
>
> > > Hayward Schickele told her, "I don't want to."
>
> > >
>
> > > Teachers said they lack confidence in the process and a new election must
be
>
> > > conducted.
>
> > >
>
> > > "This has to be a transparent process," teacher Diane Brown said.
>
> > >
>
> > > The union's executive board voted Saturday to have the elections committee
>
> > > recount ballots because the vote is so close, Hayward Schickele said. The
>
> > > recount is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and results are expected to be
>
> > > known Tuesday night.
>
> > >
>
> > > "I don't believe it will change anything," Hayward Schickele said Monday.
>
> > >
>
> > > Hayward Schickele said ballots were correctly counted Thursday. She did
not
>
> > > release vote totals that night, she said, because the union needed to
verify
>
> > > provisional ballots, which could not be done until the next day. Some
>
> > > committee members said provisional ballots were verified as the count was
>
> > > being done Thursday, and they did not see leftover ballots.
>
> > >
>
> > > On Monday afternoon, teachers seeking answers crowded around Hayward
>
> > > Schickele as she tried to leave the union headquarters parking lot in her
>
> > > car. Pinole police intervened, and Hayward Schickele left. She returned
>
> > > after about a half-hour and entered the office from a door separate from
the
>
> > > main entrance. She asked union members inside to leave so she could lock
the
>
> > > office.
>
> > >
>
> > > The teachers asked Hayward Schickele to answer questions about what
happened
>
> > > and why. Hayward Schickele insisted that rules were followed, which union
>
> > > members disputed.
>
> > > here is the link to the entire article:
>
> > > http://www.contraco statimes. com/bay-area- news/ci_13748454
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
I will be out of the office starting 11/12/2009 and will not return until
11/16/2009.
If there is something urgent please contact John Hurley at (415) 206-4858.
Thank you.
I asked Debbie Haynie, who sends these notices out, whether the public
would be allowed to participate in and not just observe the discussions
under item (3). She checked and said that the public would be able to
participate in these discussions and not just observe.
Charley Cowens
c slamon wrote:
> I received notice yesterday of a special joint school board meeting this
> Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 10 am - 12 noon. The meeting will be held
> at DeJean Middle School in Richmond. The meeting will include the school
> board, city council and other elected officials, city manager and police
> chiefs. The meeting objective is to increase collaboration to improve
> safety. You can download the agenda at www.wccusd.net
>
> Agenda
> 1. Welcome and Introductions - Audrey Miles, President WCCUSD Board of
> Education
> 2. Youth Safety: Overview of the challenges and strategies in each
> jurisdiction.
> 3. Enhancing Collaboration: Small group discussions of five key areas for
> additional collaboration - violence prevention, gang intervention, Community
> / neighborhood watch, facilities improvement and character development.
> 4. Report out from group discussions.
> 5. Public comment.
> 6. Adjournment
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
I hope the link works. With college now the practically exclusive goal of K12
education, have we really thought it through? Is it in the best interest of the
individual and society, or do we misdirect children toward an empty exercise,
leaving them in debt and deflated.
We can't know the future, but those pushing the primacy of college contend its
necessity for national competitiveness. Shouldn't we instead teach kids
resiliency and shrewdness. A high school teacher recently asked, "if schools
taught Americans how to evaluate a mortgage, would we be in this mess?"
We really must evaluate what we teach and why we teach it. Follow the link for
some provocative thought.
http://chronicle.com/article/Are-Too-Many-Students-Going-to/49039/
Are Too Many Students Going to College?
With student debt rising and more of those enrolled failing to graduate in four
years, there is a growing sentiment that college may not be the best option for
all students. At the same time, President Obama has called on every American to
receive at least one year of higher education or vocational training. Behind the
rhetoric lies disagreement over a series of issues: which students are most
likely to succeed in college; what kind of college they should attend; whether
the individual or society benefits more from postsecondary education; and
whether college is worth the high cost and likely long-term debt. The Chronicle
Review asked higher-education experts to weigh in.
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Stephen Krashen <skrashen@...>
To: LiteracyForAll@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 6:08:00 AM
Subject: [LiteracyForAll] The LEARN act: Reading First on steroids
The NCTE is supporting the LEARN act and asks NCTE members to support it.
(http://www.ncte. org/action/ alerts/learn)
I do not support the LEARN Act. As described in the Senate Bill, the LEARN Act
is
Reading First expanded to all levels. It is Reading First on steroids.
The methods required by LEARN are nearly identical to those promoted by NCLB and
Reading First: "… systematic, and explicit instruction in phonological
awareness, phonic decoding, vocabulary, reading fluency, and reading
comprehension. "
The Senate bill lists the same areas of instruction that were in the report of
the National Reading Panel, which was heavily criticized by some of the most
respected scholars in the field. These principles were used by Reading First,
which failed every empirical test. LEARN assumes that direct instruction is the
only way children become literate, that "The intellectual and linguistic skills
necessary for writing and reading must be developed through explicit,
intentional, and systematic language activities …" and assumes that there is
no contrary view.
LEARN endorses excessive testing, requiring "diagnostic, formative and summative
assessments … at all levels." This is an astonishing recommendation at a time
when
children are already overwhelmed with tests, when schools are being turned into
test-prep academies, and when education is facing severe budget cuts. It also
presumes that we do not trust our teachers to evaluate their students.
There is no mention of the most important factor in developing literacy: quality
school and classroom libraries, and professional librarians in all schools. The
Senate bill only mentions "making available and using diverse texts at the
reading, development, and interest level of students" and mentions "library
media specialists" only once.
I must ask if those at NCTE who endorse this proposal have actually read it.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
To the teachers on this list, what effect has explicit instruction had on kids
in this district? Open Court and Harcourt Math caused many tears from tedium at
our house. What do you see in the classroom?
From the kids WCCUSD I tutor, those exclusively educated with explicit
instruction seem to have more trouble synthesizing math concepts. It could
either stem from pacing problems, or having to touch every benchmark prior to
testing.
I read an interesting advocacy article on the subject the other day.
http://www.city-journal.org/2009/eon1113ss.html
To what degree do these national debates effect us at the local level? How
empowered are faculty to say when the curriculum isn't working? What can be done
at a site level to find workable solutions?
Todd Groves
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, Eduardo Martinez <ezedmartin@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Forwarded Message ----
> From: Stephen Krashen <skrashen@...>
> To: LiteracyForAll@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 6:08:00 AM
> Subject: [LiteracyForAll] The LEARN act: Reading First on steroids
>
>
>
> The NCTE is supporting the LEARN act and asks NCTE members to support it.
(http://www.ncte. org/action/ alerts/learn)
>
> I do not support the LEARN Act. As described in the Senate Bill, the LEARN
Act is
> Reading First expanded to all levels. It is Reading First on steroids.
>
> The methods required by LEARN are nearly identical to those promoted by NCLB
and Reading First: "… systematic, and explicit instruction in phonological
awareness, phonic decoding, vocabulary, reading fluency, and reading
comprehension. "
>
> The Senate bill lists the same areas of instruction that were in the report of
the National Reading Panel, which was heavily criticized by some of the most
respected scholars in the field. These principles were used by Reading First,
which failed every empirical test. LEARN assumes that direct instruction is the
only way children become literate, that "The intellectual and linguistic skills
necessary for writing and reading must be developed through explicit,
intentional, and systematic language activities …" and assumes that there is
no contrary view.
>
> LEARN endorses excessive testing, requiring "diagnostic, formative and
summative assessments … at all levels." This is an astonishing recommendation
at a time when
> children are already overwhelmed with tests, when schools are being turned
into test-prep academies, and when education is facing severe budget cuts. It
also presumes that we do not trust our teachers to evaluate their students.
>
> There is no mention of the most important factor in developing literacy:
quality school and classroom libraries, and professional librarians in all
schools. The Senate bill only mentions "making available and using diverse
texts at the reading, development, and interest level of students" and mentions
"library media specialists" only once.
>
> I must ask if those at NCTE who endorse this proposal have actually read it.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
These are great questions and would merit a conference. Now is report card time
for all elementary school teachers and none have time to consider these
questions. In fact we stay so busy, it's amazing that we ever have time to
consider anything.
How empowered are faculty to say when the curriculum isn't working? This
question I can answer easily. The Downer Five were transferred involuntarily
for expressing concern about the curriculum. That did not foster any confidence
in our ablity to hold dialogues about curriculum or pedagogy.
Eduardo
________________________________
From: tag1022 <tag1022@...>
To: wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 9:51:46 AM
Subject: [wccusdtalk] Re: Fw: [LiteracyForAll] The LEARN act: Reading First on
steroids
To the teachers on this list, what effect has explicit instruction had on kids
in this district? Open Court and Harcourt Math caused many tears from tedium at
our house. What do you see in the classroom?
From the kids WCCUSD I tutor, those exclusively educated with explicit
instruction seem to have more trouble synthesizing math concepts. It could
either stem from pacing problems, or having to touch every benchmark prior to
testing.
I read an interesting advocacy article on the subject the other day.
http://www.city- journal.org/ 2009/eon1113ss. html
To what degree do these national debates effect us at the local level? How
empowered are faculty to say when the curriculum isn't working? What can be done
at a site level to find workable solutions?
Todd Groves
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogro ups.com, Eduardo Martinez <ezedmartin@ ...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Forwarded Message ----
> From: Stephen Krashen <skrashen@.. .>
> To: LiteracyForAll@ yahoogroups. com
> Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 6:08:00 AM
> Subject: [LiteracyForAll] The LEARN act: Reading First on steroids
>
>
>
> The NCTE is supporting the LEARN act and asks NCTE members to support it.
(http://www.ncte. org/action/ alerts/learn)
>
> I do not support the LEARN Act. As described in the Senate Bill, the LEARN
Act is
> Reading First expanded to all levels. It is Reading First on steroids.
>
> The methods required by LEARN are nearly identical to those promoted by NCLB
and Reading First: "… systematic, and explicit instruction in phonological
awareness, phonic decoding, vocabulary, reading fluency, and reading
comprehension. "
>
> The Senate bill lists the same areas of instruction that were in the report of
the National Reading Panel, which was heavily criticized by some of the most
respected scholars in the field. These principles were used by Reading First,
which failed every empirical test. LEARN assumes that direct instruction is the
only way children become literate, that "The intellectual and linguistic skills
necessary for writing and reading must be developed through explicit,
intentional, and systematic language activities …" and assumes that there
is no contrary view.
>
> LEARN endorses excessive testing, requiring "diagnostic, formative and
summative assessments … at all levels." This is an astonishing
recommendation at a time when
> children are already overwhelmed with tests, when schools are being turned
into test-prep academies, and when education is facing severe budget cuts. It
also presumes that we do not trust our teachers to evaluate their students.
>
> There is no mention of the most important factor in developing literacy:
quality school and classroom libraries, and professional librarians in all
schools. The Senate bill only mentions "making available and using diverse
texts at the reading, development, and interest level of students" and mentions
"library media specialists" only once.
>
> I must ask if those at NCTE who endorse this proposal have actually read it.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Now that the teachers have voted down the tentative contract agreement they
are back to working under the imposed contract conditions; which means that
any teacher that wants to preserve their lifetime health benefits without
any cost caps must retire by December 31, 2009. The retirement wave is
coming and it is going to be very disruptive - happening in the middle of
the school year. I truly hope that before deciding to retire, the teachers
crunch the numbers and realize that retiring early is not going to pay off
when you compare the amount of money that they will loose in income to the
amount they will save on health benefits with no caps. The district is not
taking away life time health benefits, just putting caps on the amounts
(which is needed because we already have unfunded healthcare liabilities of
600+ million dollars).
Strike/retirement wave - not sure which is going to be worse? Either way
our kids loose.
Christina Slamon
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Many teachers have been doing the math, Chris. Those who have the biggest
concerns are the ones with a spouse or families. Teachers I've talked to would
like to finish out the year but will retire in December if it means their
medical coverage is preserved. In many cases it's more economically beneficial
to take a given (the lifetime medical) versus the unknown of increasing health
care costs.
Unless there are some serious changes in our health care system, costs are going
to continue to rise.
Francie
--- In wccusdtalk@yahoogroups.com, c slamon <cslamon@...> wrote:
>
> Now that the teachers have voted down the tentative contract agreement they
> are back to working under the imposed contract conditions; which means that
> any teacher that wants to preserve their lifetime health benefits without
> any cost caps must retire by December 31, 2009. The retirement wave is
> coming and it is going to be very disruptive - happening in the middle of
> the school year. I truly hope that before deciding to retire, the teachers
> crunch the numbers and realize that retiring early is not going to pay off
> when you compare the amount of money that they will loose in income to the
> amount they will save on health benefits with no caps. The district is not
> taking away life time health benefits, just putting caps on the amounts
> (which is needed because we already have unfunded healthcare liabilities of
> 600+ million dollars).
>
> Strike/retirement wave - not sure which is going to be worse? Either way
> our kids loose.
>
> Christina Slamon
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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