Robo-Call to Employees: YOU'RE FIRED!
Submitted by Allen Gwinn on Wed, 07/02/2008 - 21:37.
We've got 'em!
Last month, the DISD Board of Trustees voted to affirm DISD administration's plan to "fix" academically-unacceptable Spruce High School by relocating it's 10th and 11th grade population to other schools.
The plan was championed by DISD Trustee Nancy Bingham who said the school was being gutted at the will of Spruce parents who told her to do it at community meetings.
This left a problem however: what to do with all those teachers who (now) used to teach at Spruce.
The solution: robo-calls. Three of them to be exact.
You know, those annoying recordings that call you up on election day to tell you that some poor schmuck politician wants to destroy the Earth as we know it? Ahh, those!
Plus, the District didn't consider the bigger problem: that we'd get our hands on copies and post them.
[Note: If you have problems playing these recordings, simply download Apple Quicktime Player]
First, the District's human resources department robo-called a message blaming the whole thing on the Board of Trustees (listen to it here) and telling everybody: YOU'RE FIRED!
Oops! Maybe the H.R. folks had an itchy trigger finger. They didn't really mean to, like, fire everyone. They just meant to not fire everyone, but then fire everyone. Confused?
Yeah, we were too. But then, in the midst of confusion came a robo-call from Alliance/AFT Chief Aimee Boldender setting things straight.
In the second call (listen to it here), Bolender told employees: oops! The District didn't really mean to fire-fire you, they just meant to pre-fire you (after all, there are teaching contracts in play here). Then, next year, they're going to tell everybody YOU'RE FIRED!
Bolender's message warned everybody to get ready for a third robo-call.
So the third one (listen to it here) starts out with the gratuitous blame: "as a result of the School Board's decision to support on newly-promoted 9th and 12th graders..." most of you are really, like, just kinda-fired, but if you have a contract, we'll keep you around for a year as a sub and then: YOU'RE FIRED!
Fired by robo-call! A new low! Whose voice was it on the recording?
The only thing that would have been better is if it had been Nancy Bingham's!
Robo Messages
This is just another example of how the district does as they please, without regard to how it will affect anyone. Hinojosa has his mind madeup to act on issuses before they are even brought to the board. Many continue to say the monthly meeting is more for show. How RUDE to record a message after the board meeting and phone out to the teachers, knowing Olsen's office would be closed for 3 weeks. I guess this was what was being discussed when she and others in suits left for a good 30 minutes during the board meeting. Guess they wanted to get it recorded while they were still in the building! Do they just think no one is watching? The district continues to do a Disservice to their teachers and students while they spend as they please and Area Sups are not accountable to the schools they are suppose to serve. Why aren't they in trouble for letting them get this way. Maybe the Learning Communities will stay the same. The district needs to go back and break up to smaller communities so they can keep better track when schools start to fail. Many have had problem for years. Take your heads out of the sand and quit promoting the Townveiw, Booker T.'s, etc. and give the students else where the supplies they need to have just as good of an experience. YOU are forcing the numbers to go down, while many of us parents try to support you...you too continue to slap back with disregard for how you handle issues with your Lax-A-Daisy attitudes. If you were truly here for all kids, this wouldn't be happening, you have created this and it's not going to fix itself. Roll up your sleeves and stop making excuses.
How Hinajosa Approaches Problems
When there is a challenge or problem that Hinajosa has to solve, he uses a specific approach to frame the situation and to develop a solution.
An example is hiring an HR director. Most execs would state the problem as "I need to hire a head of HR that would bring in the best teachers, improve morale and implement policy to protect the interests of DISD." Hinajosa apparently stated the problem as "How can I use the HR Director opening to help me get the Broad award (the precioussssss, must have the precioussssss)?" So, we end up with Olson, a Broad alumni with no HR experience.
Another example is "Spruce keeps failing, we tried new staff last year. Now what do we do?" Hinajosa's thinking "Spruce keeps failing! If TEA takes over, I won't get the Broad! What do we do?" So, the solution is basically a shuffling of students (who are just entries in his spreadsheets, not actual people to him), so that they dodge the TEA bullet and though there will be longterm impacts, in the short term we look like "the bestest urban school district EVER!".
Then the unqualified (but Broad alumni) HR Director screws up the shafting of the Spruce teachers.
Makes perfect sense in Hinajosa's world.
[Ed Note: You don't strike me as a big fan of Hinojosa's! Love the moniker, though!]
Hinojosa World
There are no actual people in Hinojosa World. Just ask the huge number that retired this year and weren't acknowledged with a reception, a plaque, a certificate, or even a "job well done".... therefore I am Roadkill on the Road to Broad.
Nancy Bingham
To Whom It May Concern:
Either you have missed quoted Mrs. Bingham or she lied to me the day she called my house asking me why I was speaking against the option she supported.
She told me she met with the PTA and when I asked her how many people were present she said two (2) yes two. ( The president and their spouse).
Then she told me she met with the SBDM and I again asked her how many was present and she said eight (8) when I tried to get information was to how many were parents, staff and community members she interrupted me.
When I asked her about promised she made while campaign she was ready to get off the phone. (The promise was that she would hold community meetings to keep the public informed.) She has NOT lived up to that promise needless to say.
If she was speaking for the will of the community there was an awful lot of people there she should have met with don't you think? Instead of her hearing from us for the first time at that board meeting because that shame "Town hall" meeting they held the public was not allowed to speak.
[Ed Note: She insisted, at the Board meeting, that this was what the parents wanted. There has been disagreement among parents as to what they asked her to do.]
Bingham Didn't Attend SBDM
Ask for the SBDM records, I am on the committee and attended the meetings religiously. Ms. Bingham did not attend an SBDM meeting. This discussion did not take place with 8 parents. The parents were told what was going to happen!
sbdm meeting
Several people,teachers and parents, were told, by central office employees, that they could not attend the SBDM meeting held at 5:30pm on the evening of the larger meeting at 6:30pm. The one that the public was not allowed to speak freely.
[Ed Note: What was the date of this meeting, and who were the folks who were turned away? I'd love to get some of them on record. Please ask them to use the "Feedback" link on the left to send us a private message with their contact info.]
Spruce SBDM Meeting
The SBDM meetings are open to anyone.It sounds like someone had something to hide!!
SBDM is Public
Actually, SBDM's are open meetings and by law must be publicized in advance. There must be a quorum of the members in order to vote. One of my child's principals tried three different times, to tell PTA members and then another time during the SBDM meeting itself, that it was a closed meeting. Parents don't know their rights and often times Administrators are happier that way. GET INVOLVED. If your gut feeling is it's wrong, then it probably is.
Shoo'd Away From Spruce SBDM
I was wandering the halls of Spruce with a friend, explaining the fun I had teaching there 30 years ago, when I passed the meeting where the SBDM "team" was meeting the night of the silenced Townhall meeting. Leslie Williams rushed to the door to shoo me away. There was a tiny group of people in a very small room where emotions were running high. I should have just gone in and sat down, since it was an open meeting held in a public place.
If this was the meeting where the "solution" was agreed upon, it didn't sound friendly, thoughtful, or open to discussion. In other words, it pretty much replicated the way the public is usually treated in DISD.
If I ever get the "shoo fly, shoo" treatment again, I'll plant my fat butt in a chair.
Meetings at Spruce
Does Nancy Bingham have documentation to show us when these supposed meetings took place?
I would love to see the sign in sheets, the photos, the question cards or any minutes taken.
[Ed Note: Ask for them under the Public Information Act.]
No Diane, she does not have
No Diane, she does not have record of these meetings. They simply didn't happen. Ms. Bingham refused to allow parents and students into the building at a Student Council meeting, please ask Angelica Perez. Angelica originally refused to attend the meeting because she was promised they could attend and then Ms. Bingham refused to allow them in the door. Mr. Williams found a way to convince her to allow us in; however, parents and graduates were taken to a different room. Bottom line, Ms. Bingham held a meeting in a public location, refused to allow parents and students (if not on student council) in, and then separated them. I was floored that Ms. Bingham spoke to my child, who is a minor, and refused to allow me in the door to hear the discussion. Bingham doesn't listen to parents and now that she is getting heat for her decision, she is blaming it on someone else. When is Bingham going to realize that it is no longer 1967? The parents of Spruce wanted their kids to stay at Spruce. Where was the survey Ms. Bingham? Where were the discussions Ms. Bingham? Who were the parents Ms. Bingham? Or better yet, what year did they graduate Ms. Bingham - 1967?
Whose Voice?
Sounds like Regina Youngblood's voice.
[Ed Note: Regina? Was that you?]
Jaw Dropper-New Low
I just listened to the recordings, and by the time this actually posts my mouth will probably still be hanging open. A new low, might be an understatement.
Bolender: Too Little, Too Late
Aimee Bolender, as usual, shows up too late and with too little. As the AFT rep she should have been looking out for us union members. Some kind of mass deployment at Spruce was pretty much guaranteed and known for awhile and she should have been in front of it and at least met with Olsen or whoever at HR. But she has just gotten too cozy with the people at Ross. That's why teachers have been treated like doormats for the past few years. Downtown knows that they can schmooze old Aimee and won't suffer serious reprecushions.
Thanks Aimee! You're doing a heckuva job!
[Ed Note: In Aimee's defense, if she hadn't gotten involved, a firm course of direction might not have been brought forth. They're that disorganized.]
AFT's Involvement With Robo-Calls
Come again, Allen?
Show me how Bolender did anything special here. Show me. Did she TELL you SHE ALONE changed them?
She called, our own NEA members called HD (new motto: Human Development- Where bad ideas are hatched!), and the media called HD. They had to make a correction because they got caught, plain and simple.
I will say it one more time for the legions of people who still believe the myth of the CTO:
1. AFT does NOT speak for all three unions as the CTO was set up to do. They use that access to further their own recruiting. They NEVER represent us or ATPE, just themselves.
2. They outright LIE to new teachers EVERY year at the New Teacher Orientation when they tell them that NO OTHER union "can represent them with the DISD." (We know, because every year, we send new members over there to see what they say.)
3. They have told teachers that the two unions, AFT and NEA, were merging, so join *them*. Based on the truth that at the national level that discourse went on once, but now it is dead. No merge happening, folks.
4. We don't make the candidates for the board of trustees sign a promise to not do away with the CTO.
5. When I hear how much Aimee and her staff does, I agree, they do a lot. So do we over at NEA Dallas. But you know, with AFT as the CTO--as they put it, "YOUR OFFICIAL voice in DISD," have things gotten better or worse in ten years? You tell me.
6. But you know what, even IF she had the power sometimes claimed, the DISD still does a lot of what it wants anyway. I personally prefer to fight them on it when I know they are wrong. I may not win, but I fight for what is right. Like the CEI bonus pay scheme. Like Edison schools. Like Skyline's magnets. Like a raise for all employees. Like Spruce now.
Diane Birdwell
Executive Vice-President
NEA Dallas
[Ed Note: Lookit, I'm not going to broker a fight between you and a competing union. Based on the tone of the first robo-call, I find it highly unlikely that DISD would have simply "corrected" the call on their own.
So whatever bones you have to pick with your competing union, it's probably safe to say that Aimee changed something. I'm willing to conced that "value" is probably more subjective.]
Other Unions
Other unions are a joke. What meetings do you sit in on to negotiate teacher salaries or other benefits. With the exception of ATPE, the others ride the coat tail of Alliance. However, until there is legislation written changing this "right to work" law, Alliance is the next best thing. We need this change so that teachers can strike for better pay, better insurance, and other things that affect them.
About Other Unions
I am a member of NEA-Dallas/TSTA/NEA and the Vice-President for Teachers of NEA-Dallas. I currently sit on the Teacher Incentive Fund Advisory Committee in Dallas ISD that oversees the TIF and DATE grants that are being used to fund some of the incentive pay programs. Representatives from Alliance also sit on this committee. No one "negotiates" salaries or benefits. We do not have collective bargaining in Dallas so your entire post is filled with inaccuracies.
I am no joke and neither is NEA. I do not ride on anyone's coat tails. I work hard to advocate for great public schools for children. I like working in DISD so don't take my union work as a sign at I don't like being a teacher.
If you aren't a member of a union/professional organization then you ride on OUR coat tails. WE have worked for over 150 years for decent wages and working conditions for education employees. WE advocate for great schools for our children. And while there are philosophical differences between Alliance and NEA-Dallas there is no mistaking that WE ARE working for our members the best we know how. WE are at least doing something. It's easy to criticize when you're not involved.
Change what, exactly?
I ask again, WHAT did she change and HOW?
You are saying that if the Dallas Morning News called, that means nothing to them? If my members called, and they did, that means nothing?
I just don't publicize every single conversation I have with a board member, or send a press release every time I get an email from DISD, and claim credit for a change that was brought about because I --and read this-- OTHER people, including AFT, also called attention to it.
You are under the spell, my dear. Eventually, you will see worth vs hype and learn the difference. It isn't just competition, that I can handle. I just don't like giving credit--SOLE credit-- where it isn't always due, and I really don't like misrepresentations and outright lies over time.
Having a good PR machine with quick press releases doesn't make you better, it just makes you fast.
Who Made This Decision?
Who in the world could be making these types of decisions? Someone actually sat around a table and said . . . "this is the best way to address this issue". The results indicate a lack of planning, lack of real community engagement in the plans for Spruce, and lack of professionalism in dealing with staff! I'm amazed!
Spruce Gets Short End of Job Fair
They continue to mess with the Spruce teachers. Notice the TIME of the job fair for SPRUCE teachers: 4 p.m. to 7p.m.
Funny, the job fair ACTUALLY opens at 1 p.m.
Hmmmm, so, how many jobs will still be there three hours later? You would think the Spruce teachers would get first crack at this, but no-o-o-o-o.
And people wonder why I yell at the school board. And people wonder...
Diane Birdwell
Executive VP
NEA Dallas
Correction to Job Fair Hours
The hours for the July 31st job fair (Internal applicants only) are from 4 pm to 7 pm. This information was sent to all administrators via a June 26th email from Human Development.
For further information, please call HD Connect @ 972-925-4200.
Nancy's flirtation
Hope Nancy enjoys sitting up there flirting with her "friends" for the remainder of her term. She'll never see another term on the board, bankrolled by a bunch of downtown Citizen's Council members or North Dallas business men or their widows.
Adios, Nancy. You've sunk a dagger in the heart of your district while you enjoy the poseurs and thin air of delusion.
[Ed Note: Sometimes it's easier to "say" you're going to remove a public official than it is to "do" it. She has a couple of years to go, yet.]
Fresh Board Candidates
Having grown up in Dallas and being a product of the DISD, I've long wondered why a group of former teachers doesn't field and fund a slate of DISD Trustee candidates from among their numbers. With the staggered terms, this reform movement could take over the board within six years. We'd finally have a board that really knows what's going on and what needs to be done to fix DISD, Broad be damned.
[Ed Note: Unfortunately, it takes a good administration too. The Board we have now is (for the most part) OK. It's just that there is too little "legislating" going on and too much "rubber stamping."]
Rubber Stamping
Good response editor. Sometimes I feel like a "rubbernecker" watching the accident that is Dallas ISD at times.
DISD Doesn't Struggle Alone
Let me give you all a few scenarios and see if you can answer a simple question about them.
1. A principal was placed on leave for strangling a student until he blacked out and then later pepper spraying a crowd that would not disperse after a fight. He was later demoted back to a teacher.
2. A principal just 8 weeks away from being able to retire with full pension stole $500 from the PTA fund and was forced to resign, making her ineligible for full retirement.
3. Every year principals are reassigned to different schools. Some assistants have actually been reassigned three or four years in a row.
4. A school district cut funding for high school buses, middle school sports, and department chairs and team leaders due to lack of funding a year after a tax increase.
5. The outgoing superindendent was kept as a mentor for the new superindendent and actually earned a high salary.
6. A district that lost approximately 3,000 students over a 3 year period increased the number of central office personal while also decreasing teachers and increasing class sizes.
Question: Did these things happen in Dallas ISD?
Answer: No, everyone happened in Hamilton County Schools (Hamilton County, TN)
The point is that Dallas ISD is not alone in its struggles. Don't get me wrong, we should still fight for what's right, but before everyone hangs their head in shame or disbelief consider that many other districts around the nation are facing similar or worse scenarios.
DISD Not Alone
While that is true, what goes on in other school districts in other states doesn't concern us.
We have to fix our school district. Dallas can't make it with a school system that pumps out failures in the form of high school dropouts, jailbirds and very few educated graduates.
We won't be able to attract new businesses, Superbowls, home owners or other events if we are viewed as a joke due to the lack of concern about education.
[Ed Note: Yes, you have a point. DISD is important to Dallas. While there may be some solace in knowing that we're not alone, it doesn't excuse the behavior.]