This weekend’s early retirement of Jeffco School District Superintendent Cindy Stevenson on Saturday caused an uproar throughout social media with union members claiming that, in fact, the mob scene wasn’t a planned union activity. Like this guy here:
Somehow, all the activists just knew to show up in black shirts with signs. How could this have happened? Have unions taken group-think to a whole new level and started using telepathy to coordinate?
No.
They did send a memo on Friday, February 7th with the details:
We are requesting that ALL JCEA MEMBERS show up to the Ed Center (1829 Denver West Drive #27, Golden, CO 80401) room 4E by 10:30am tomorrow (Saturday, February 8th) to let this new majority know that we demand ACCOUNTABILITY andTRANSPARENCY, their secretive actions are destroying the TRUST of the community and OUR KIDS AND OUR DISTRICT DESERVE BETTER.
Wear black and bring signs that say “DON’T DESTROY TRUST”, “WE DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY”, “OUR KIDS DESERVE BETTER”, “THANK YOU, CINDY”.
We hope to see you tomorrow.
Now can we stop pretending that the unions aren’t going ballistic because their Sugar Mama, Cindy Stevenson, is leaving and the new board won’t just rubber stamp their demands? Let’s just call a spade a spade and stop the shenanigans.
Yep… Never got that one! Fake for sure…, what lies!
Fake email…good try. No such email was sent.
Robert Pryor Linking pictures from someone's FB profile. You just admitted the point, you can't verify the veracity of the post. I agree, you should take your kids out of Jeffco schools. Everyone will be better off.
Scott Pantall – Good for you, you can read.
Rosa Thunselle – It seems Robert is already entrenched in his opinion to hate anything to do with unions, but I appreciate your attempt to bring a level-headed point of view to the Jeffco education conversation.
Rocky Germano do you speak for Jericho Property Realty when you go on a public tirade of obscenities?
Rosa Thunselle – And I don't ALSO invest a lot in MY kids' teachers? You make it sound like the teachers are owed much more.
I don't resent any of the supplies I provide for these teachers, if I did, I wouldn't support them. Why seek solutions with the union in JeffCo? Because I believe those teachers should be paid for their performance. The union prevents that. The union keeps the losers employed while the top notch teachers are not rewarded.
Linda – that IS a normal FB URL. The fact you refuse to acknowledge it means you don;t know how to link to pictures without using someone's FB profile.
I have nothing against Rosa, I have a problem with unions. As a matter of fact, with Common Core coming, I am about ready to pull my kids from public schools and will home school them myself. Considering the stuff I heard at the state senate hearing, today, to delay CC for a year, I don't want my kids anywhere near that crap. If I can't get away from that, I will move to one of the 31 states that are considering their options to block it in their states. With Lesley Dahlkemper testifying in favor of ramming CC down our throats, it makes me even more distrusting. If you want to listen to the testimony give today, go listen to the recorded session on the state senate website. You want to listen to Senate Bill 14-136 in the Senate Education committee.
No, I was never abused by teachers. I support teachers. Good teachers. I don't like the critters that hang on and benefit from other people's hard work. I like to see people be compensated for their efforts. If they can't excel, they need to go find some other job or go somewhere else.
Robert Pryor I said there are many teachers who buy clothing, food and numerous other supplies for their students. Teachers invest a lot of their own money in their classrooms and we also buy all those materials requested for our own kids classrooms and help with many of the dinners and other things our kids schools need. As for all the generous gifts you give, if you resent them do not give them. Find another way to support the teachers you believe are doing a good job.
There are many, many good teachers in Jeffco, why not seek solutions with them, it is their passion to be the best they can at their craft. And the craft is teaching and reaching every student. That is all I am saying.
Robert Pryor If I hadn't looked, and clicked on the link, I wouldn't have realized that it had that weird URL. So much for your snarky "nice excuse for not looking". I also looked at what normal pictures from Facebook look like, they have a Facebook URL. But, that aside, what do you have against Rosa who's only trying to do what's best for kids. She sounds like a very genuine, caring person. For that matter, why are you so upset with teachers? Were you abused by one? Perhaps you would prefer there be no education for children? We owe our children a strong coalition to provide for their education. Politics should be irrelevant. Let's talk about what can be done to better our children's educational futures.
Rosa Thunselle – After watching the teachers at the last board meeting, they weren't interested in listening, only yelling louder, thinking the louder they yell, the more their point matters.
I do talk to teachers on a regular basis. I have two kids in school.
Why should I buy clothes for teachers? I buy food and materials for teachers in my kids' schools. When the teachers have a parent teacher conference, I bring dinner for one of my kids; teachers. I also give them $50 to go for dinner some night they have to stay late. If they need supplies, I tell them to call me. I will buy pencils, paper, and white board markers for them. All of this on top of two district bond overrides. I'm interested in my kids' education. I'm not interested in seeing my tax dollars wasted with unions.
Robert Pryor You refer over and over to the union. Try talking to and engaging actual teachers. Feel free to point out any misuse of funds you believe you have uncovered. It does not change the fact that there are thousands of teachers who are invested in the success of JeffCo children. Who everyday spend their own money to buy clothes, food, class materials and supplies to help their students and create a classroom the supports each child's learning. I am advocating that the mud slinging and insults stop and people (parents, teachers and other stakeholders) start talking and listening. By teachers I mean teachers in the classrooms.
You want to see what is happening in any school in JeffCo, go visit it, talk with students. parents and teachers. Then talk about what changes are needed in that community. Until anyone does that we are always back to someone outside the community making decisions about the community.
The District/Board level is already in movement, whatever happens, I hope it helps, but pointing at teachers in angry terms is not going to solve anything.
Elected officials no matter what office are supposed to listen to all their constituents, not just the squeaky wheels.
Rosa Thunselle – Believe what you want. You have your reasons for it. I found commentary on the JCEA site in their latest newsletter that stated that the union was going to attempt to get as much money from the district, and that it would be used to hire as many teachers as possible, and get raises. As I read through it, I noticed very little about the students. For a professional organization intended for teaching, it surprises me.
I also have also seen a lot of union griping about contingency funds. The union wants those spent on them. Those for exactly what they are called. Those are for emergencies. Those are to keep the teachers employed in an recession or to repair a building when the boiler blows up. Have you never heard of a 'rainy day fund'?
And speaking of wasting money, has anyone actually reviewed the former superintendent's spending accounts? I have seen some of her expenses. They are antithetical to the union's beliefs. Spending taxpayer money on supporting Catholic charities while on the other hand, ranting against any possibilities of school vouchers that could go to a Catholic school.
Sorry but when this is how the union acts, I have a real problem finding any sympathy for them.
Robert Pryor The first link is definitely not an official email from any source, such as JCEA. It looks like something an individual may have typed up and distributed. Anyone could have typed it and posted it. Your second link is a JCEA memo. I would guess I either missed it or dismissed it, wouldn't matter anyway, I watch follow board meetings and other things impactful to education and I would make up my own mind on how and when I get involved. As for being a member of a professional associtaion such as JCEA, it only makes sense for a teacher, just as Doctors and Lawyers and many other professionals belong to associations invested in their field.
My original point remains. At what point are the stakeholders going to sit down and begin discussing and listening to each other about what change would look like and why any particular change would be pursued. Parents and teachers are stakeholders. Teachers are stakeholders for a number of reasons, beginning with they are invested in the kids only parents claim more investment. A teacher is focused on the how they can help each student achieve at the highest level that child is capable of. Many of the 4700ish teachers in Jeffco are also Jeffco school parents, so any decisions/changes impact our children, we also want the best possible education for out children. Teachers must be included and listened to along side parents.
As long as the adults sling mud and insults, no change of any sort will be successful. When are people going to put the politics aside and truly look at what is best educationally for ALL students.
Linda Spray – nice excuse for not looking. It is a jpg posted to FaceBook. Akamai is a content distributor used by FB, just like hundreds of other companies across the country.
Give me a break.
Robert Pryor – Oh good grief, folks. Look at the URL on what you posted as the email. It's a virus! Good luck with that one.
Aug 29, 2013 – https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net is an infamous browser hijacker that gets inside your machine without any notification. …http://virusremovalstation.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-remove-httpsfbcdn-sphotos.html
Rosa Thunselle – Here's the email.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1464664_10202141255427145_147818738_n.jpg
of course they did
I'll be the Stevenson defenders didn't know that she was donating taxpayer dollars to Catholic charities either.
CHI COLORADO FOUNDATIO St. Anthony's hospital table for 8 $2000.00 2014-01-10 GF010 775000 Community Relations 91010 Superintendents Office 9321 Superintendents Office NO VCHR 2014
Linda Spray – Also, give credit where credit is due. Stevenson quit. She wanted out of her contract because she had a new job. If you don't believe me, go ask her. Being one of her supporters, she should talk to you, right?
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25093450/jefferson-county-schools-leader-will-leave-post-early
Rosa Thunselle, I just sent you a copy of the memo. I do not know how it was delivered. I sent it to you via Facebook….but since you and I are not connected, check your "Other" file in your messages.
Rosa Thunselle – Since you didn't get the memo…
http://tipofthespear.net/S-Colorado_JeffCo_schools_Board-Mtngs.htm#JeffCo02082014chaos
I will look for the email.
Robert Pryor I googled the content of that email. The only references that come up are to this website. Please show me a link to an actual email received by a teacher with that content.
Linda Spray – What do the people have against Cindy Stevenson? How about her making taxpayer donations to Catholic Charities and then asking the taxpayers for more money so that teachers can have a raise?
Well after listening to the cries of the union teachers, I think it was obvious that it was not about the kids. It was about the money and the union.
As far as the email is concerned, there are copies of it online for you to view. Maybe you are not as important to the union as you would like to think you are. Just make sure you keep writing that check for them.
I read what you said Rocky. You said you were not union, but you said your father was, and you supported them. Your filthy mouth and your outburst demonstrates you share the same mentality as those who were protesting at the meeting.
Your Zero Hero QUIT. She already had another job and wanted let out of her contract but wanted to spin it so that the new members of the board, WHO WERE ELECTED BY THE TAXPAYERS, took the blame. She wanted to make it look like she was the innocent party. She was a party hack and she got caught trying to lie.
"Rocky Germano · Follow · Top Commenter · Sales/Property Management at Jericho Properties Realty
Robert you are almost right. I am not a union member. However my Dad was & I am proud to be a supporter of unions."
Rosa….get the politics out of it? That sounds noble, but not possible as long as JCEA continues donating huge blocks of money on elections. In the past, they have gotten elected those candidates whom they favored. And then gone behind closed doors to "negotiate" (wink, wink) with the very same candidates they financed. You must be honest and admit….this does not work to the advantage of either students or taxpayers.
Oh dear.
I am a JCEA member and a JeffCo Parent and a voter…I just went back to look at my emails from this past week from JCEA. I can honestly say the above content was not in a single email I received from anyone. There are approximately 4,700 teachers in JeffCo, if JCEA has as much control over the teachers as it seems to be believed here many more than 260 people (and that includes parents not just teachers) would have been at the meeting.
Is the education in JeffCo about conservatives vs. liberals or the kids? There are over 4,000 teachers in JeffCo who are about the students. Isn't it time to talk with teachers about change instead of at them and get the political parties out of it?
Linda Spray …..Cindy Stephenson quit her job…..and some how, that makes the BOE the bad guys? For the life of me, I don't get that. She quit within days of the last election. She cannot honestly say it had anything to do with lack of respect.
Give 'em hell, Rocky! What makes me gag are the hateful remarks directed your way. No time for commonsense, or history. Without unions, the middle class would not have existed. But besides that, what in the world do the haters have against Dr Stevenson? Did students in Jeffco stop being educated when she became superintendent 12 years ago? No. Did she do her job? Yes. So what's the problem? What a waste of time.
Rocky….I think Robert (and I) just gag at the collectivist notion The teachers union simultaneously demands to be treated like professionals and then demands that they be paid as if they were on an assembly line. Their other demands revolve around overly lavish pension plans. In short…..you and I can no longer afford them.
oops. JeffCo Teacher's Union Busted! Disturbance over Superintendent's departure coordinated. How does disrupting a School Board meeting benefit students? #ForTheKids
Robert that just shows how fucking stupid you are. Didn't I just say I wasn't in a union? Or didn't they teach you how to read in "the school of hard knocks? " Go fuck yourself! I work for a living & I don't no asshole like you lipping off to me that I need someone else to defend my paycheck. I'm quite capable at what I do.
Rocky Germano – I'm sorry you feel you need someone else to defend your quality of work and paycheck. Those of us in the real world have to earn our keep based on our performance.
Calling a spade a spade! Bravo!!!
Imagine that, Cindy Stevenson's little troop of hell raisers being rallied to save their hero.
Rocky, if you think these unions represent the children, you must be a union member yourself. They are there to protect their paychecks, nothing more, nothing less.
“When school children start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children.” Albert Shankel – American Federation of Teachers