Where to begin.
If you are just coming into this discussion, you will need to read this post first.
So last night we (the parents of the autism children in our county) went before the School Board Members and pleaded our case. The majority of us (including myself) brought our autistic children so that the school board members could really get a picture of our children and their special needs.
There was a teacher at the board meeting who has applied for Autism Endorsement, and is HIGHLY qualified to teach autistic children.
Yet she lost her job teaching autistic children in Sarasota County because of the “seniority rule”.
I wasn’t one of the parents that spoke, although now I regret that. I wish I would have printed off my last post and read it verbatim to them, but that thought popped into my head while sitting in the meeting and by then it was too late.
There are 5 board members (including the Chair Member). Out of the five, two really understood. By understood, I mean that they really heard us and agreed with us on every point.
One spoke about the “bumping” system and how it is so majorly flawed. He brought up a great point in the fact that they (the school board and superintendent) give the Principals the ability to hand pick their teachers, but once that is done, they (the school board and superintendent) take all of the control back from them and put it the hands of the Union. He was adamantly against the Union and what they are doing to our children (there was a union rep there). At one point he stated that Sarasota County does not keep its highest qualified employees, the “bumping” is “completely” based on seniority and he doesn’t know of any business that functions this way and is successful at what they do. He also said “I have heard from my 9 years of being on this board, that this school district is all about student achievement, and if we continue to say that student achievement is our number one priority, we should make it our number one priority and not protecting our 5000+ employees as our number one priority.”
At which time we all clapped loudly.
The other board member is a volunteer at Emma’s school and was astonished to hear that the “Autism Cluster School” has had a revolving door of teachers (6 in the last three years). She said something that really struck a chord with all of the autism parents. She said “We as the school board members have a moral obligation to do not what is best for the contract, but best for our students.” I can tell you that there was not a person in that room who loves an autistic child that was not ready to jump out of their seat and give her a standing ovation.
But then there were others on the board who really didn’t, in our opinion, grasp the severity of the current situation. One said, numerous times, that the teachers that were taking the place of the teachers that were bumped “CHOSE” to be there, they chose those classes. Of course they did, it was either that or they would lose their jobs. They are putting unqualified teachers in autistic classes and it is a recipe for disaster, not only for our children, but the teacher too.
If you know anything about the case of Diana O’Neill, a special ed teacher who was charged with abusing her disabled students, she was in our school district teaching children similar to ours. She was Acquitted.
And who do you think paid for her attorney fees? You guessed it, the Union.
Yet we are suppose to trust the school district to do what is in the best interest of our children?
There was a reporter from The Sarasota Herold Tribune there, and spoke to all of us after the meeting. The reporter received all of our email address and phone numbers and will be in contact with us individually to hear our stories.
There was a Union rep there. The best thing that came from this meeting is that the teacher who was bumped was invited to Olive Garden by the union rep and a board member after the meeting to discuss her case and give insight on the teachers side of this story.
Maybe they heard us after all.
To Be Continued…
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Praying for all of you as you battle for the rights of your children to be properly taught and cared for.
Love in Him,
Louise
Oh Heather, what a nightmare. I’ll pray that what is best for the kids wins out in all of this.
Tinas last blog post..Pardon my construction
Oh Heather. What a mess! Good for you for getting out there and getting your voice heard! Have you all considered hiring an advocate? Sometimes districts will “make exceptions” once an advocate is involved. I know because my husband is an assistant principal at a school with 4 classrooms for children with autism. Thankfully, they have been able to keep their teachers in place, with no bumping, because our special ed. dept. is itself a strong advocate for good teachers, no matter what their senority. They will go against the union in any and all cases of “bumping” special ed. teachers. There is always a way around the senority rule it seems, esp with special ed. teachers–the schools just have to know how to do so. Unfortunately, some don’t care enought to try. My husband has dealt with many an advocate (some with CRAZY demands) but in this case, it would be warranted. Just a thought
Anyway, praying for you and your situation!
I’m praying for you and the other families. How frustrating this situation must be!
Kristins last blog post..I Heart Faces, I’M BACK!!!
oops .. should have left this comment here ..
heather,
i followed the link you left at my place and made my way here thinking i’d poke about, read a bit, perhaps find out a little something interesting about you and your family.
what i found here nearly knocked the wind out of me.
i read emma’s story through rolling tears. your account of the fight that your incredible, beautiful little girl has had to endure in her short time on this planet is nothing short of heartbreaking, but it’s also nothing short of divine. the inspiration in her story (and yours) is beyond measure.
you never, ever gave up on her. from not signing the dnr to finding the transplant, to finding THE doctor you needed, to getting a hold of the tissue .. and on and on and on (and on).
damn woman. jenny, meet an actual warrior.
sounds like you’re facing an uphill battle with the school. funny, though .. after reading a little bit about you and emma, i’m not the least bit concerned. doesn’t sound like there’s much that can stop (either of) you.
jesss last blog post..recovery
And this is just another reason why I am so thankful I am getting a year off from education (hopefully more). I have had enough of the crappy decisions they make!
Erins last blog post..Weeks
I am a new reader of your blog. After reading your whole story though tears I am not infuriated to read this post and the realted one before it. It is such an incredible injustice to all involved when Union and Policies limit doing what’s best of the kids – and in this case the teachers too – exceptional students need teachers who are TRAINED – not just $25 certified.
I will pray that the teacher who was asked to speak to the Union Rep at the Olive Garden is the first glimmer of hope and that things work out.
Michelles last blog post..Getting Ready for 70
I certainly hope so, Heather. That is just terrible what is happening to the teachers and the children. Those special children need someone who loves them and know how to care for them. Praying for you all ~
Cathys last blog post..Word Filled Wednesday
Unions should be abolished in this country. I believe they were started years and years ago with the best of intentions. The purpose they now serve is to keep un/underqualified employees in their jobs with the highest pay and best benefits possible.
One(of many)reasons the US economy is in the toilet is because our manufacturing industry, largely employed with union workers, has killed it. Based on my DH’s experience as a sales rep calling on Plants all around the northeast for the past 15 years, union workers go to their jobs, sit around and put in the bare minimum to earn their paycheck while workers with no representation must pick up the slack in order to keep their jobs.
Applying this same principal to education, we are taking the right to a high-quality education from ALL of our students. We are cutting teachers who are new, armed with all of the current knowledge pertinent to the 21st century (AND all that we know medically about our children with special needs), and ready to take on the challenges just so that we can keep senior staff b/c the “deserve” it or have somehow earned it by being a teacher for 3 decades?
I pray that your school board makes this right and I would encourage all of you to get on the agenda and attend each SB meeting with your children until they do.
Good Luck.