I would like to address an editorial that is in today's online edition of the Tampa Tribune and will appear in print in tomorrow's edition . The story was, in my opinion, written by a biased reporter in the editorial department. This reporter clearly had a story in mind before she "researched" and wrote the editorial. This reporters opinion and bias before writing the story can be summed up in the headline 'Voters Provide Elected Officials The Only Certification They Need'.
A couple of other things I find interesting are that the main negative statements in this editorial are written about the only two School Board Members that have never been endorsed by the Tribune Editorial Board. The same writer who endorsed my opposition during my campaign.
Click here to read the full text: http://www.tbo.com/news/opinion/editorials/MGB8GKZ9L1F.html
Also read excerpts below with my response in red and italics:
"Board member April Griffin has only been in office since November, but already she's attended at least 11 "training events" to earn certification from the Florida School Board Association, amounting to more than 50 hours of training and more than $2,200 in expenses. In one workshop, Griffin actually sat through a presentation conducted by Hillsborough's own chief business officer, she recounted." We do not always know who the trainer is before we attend a training. I have not traveled 11 times in relation to certification. Most of the trainings were in town. This was biased reporting meant to imply that I have been traveling excessively for training. In all honesty traveling to Gainseville in my own personal vehicle and and leaving my family is not my idea of a good time, but I did so at the urging of my chair to become a more informed and effective board member.
"Training Could Have Been Free. Yet it didn't occur to Griffin what an incredible waste of money it is to have a board member travel to a workshop and pay tuition to hear a presentation that should have been available back home for free." $2,200 divided by 11 is $200 per training or an average of $44 per training hour (including travel). Is this an ‘incredible waste of money’? It is this reporter’s ‘opinion’ this was an incredible waste of money. I do not agree with that statement. Had this reporter broken it down in the article it would be easy to see that this is clearly not the case. I would also like to note that the training is not only about what we learn from the presenters, but what we learn from board members from other counties. I am of the belief that not all solutions to our problems can be found solely in Hillsborough County. Yet this reporter's myopic view seems to be to the contrary.
"Now, local political activist and newspaper publisher Patrick Manteiga, a personal and political friend of both Griffin and Valdes, has used the certification to bash board member Jennifer Faliero, who sees no urgency in pursuing certification now that she's in a second term and has plenty of on-the-job training." This reporter is making a huge assumption that I am taking on Patrick Manteiga’s issue. This is not the case and I told the reporter this in our interview, yet she neglected to reflect this in her story. Again biased reporting on her part. I also told this reporter that the training was about gaining knowledge, not necessarily the certification. I have had numerous people tell me it seems as if I snapped right into place, as if I have been a board member for a long time. I attribute this to the amount of research, homework, and study I have done both during the campaign and since I have been elected. The training plays a large part in this.
"Lamb says the board is currently working toward its "master board" certification at an additional cost of $3,000 to taxpayers. One of the things it is supposed to teach is teamwork - clearly a lesson that didn't quite stick with all." The statement by this reporter: ‘clearly a lesson that didn’t stick with all’ implies that I had something to do with what Patrick Mantiega wrote. This is not the case and I again told this to the reporter during our interview. I resent the implication that there is an issue between Jennifer Faliero and I. This statement is meant to do nothing but stir the pot with absolutely no proof. Jennifer Faliero and Patrick Mantiega's relationship is their business not mine, and I have said this to both parties.
Please feel free to post your comments...positive or negative.
21 comments:
It seems that Ms Elia's friend at the Trib is doing her a favor. She's also using her divide and conquer tactic. Does this really surprise you? Your blog, asking for input from the community, as you know was recently posted on The Gradebook (St. Pete Times Ed. Blog). Your openess and commitment for what is right for our students intimidates her. She's got to do some sort of foot stomping! You have the teacher's support, April.
The district pays for our training, too. We get the day away from school, a sub is paid for, and the district as 10-12 "trainers" to train us. I've attended 6 days of trainings this year. If we attend on the weekends, during the summer, or in the evenings, we get a stipend. We get a paltry "travel allowance" but does pay for one person from a department to attend something, it's about $200 per year, per department. So comparing apples and oranges or horses and zebras, your training appears no more costly than mine.
I'm not sure about board members who fly somewhere. During the mutual congratulatory segment of the board meeting, I have often wondered who pays for that type of travel across the country.
Apparently, this is an attempt to get you to fall in line with the status quo. I am curious if someone somehow knew your training schedule and the amount on your expense account and was able to give it to the Tribune as the basis for the editorial. I am being deliberately vague for obvious reasons.
Steve Otto has been the only one at the Tampa Tribune who spoke for teachers concerning the current situation.
The St. Petersburg Times has been a friend of teachers here.
April,
Is there any doubt in your mind now as to who Ms. Elia truly is? This has to stop. She has been putting pressure on area directors and principles to intimitate the teachers of SDHC. She has tried to divide and conquer the elementary and high school teachers. She is now trying to divide and conquer the board! We will stand by you and support you in anyway that we can. This type of unprofessionalism can no longer be tolerated. What type of example is SHE setting for the students of SDHC? You can now first hand understand why SDHC teachers are fighting the good fight! Stand strong... we've got your back !
Isn't money budgeted for these trainings? I would expect the Superintendent to mention that fact.
Perhaps Mrs. Elia can create a "stadium lighting style" powerpoint presentation explaining to the press how this training is budgeted.
I would also expect an editor to require a little more research by their reporters. Unless, as you say, the article was written to support a preceived conclusion.
Does all the Board training come anywhere near adding up to the costs of the Forum fiasco last July?
The ole boys network has merely changed gender.
The fact that you are now in the cross-hairs speaks volumes. Somebody must be "nervous".
I'm not sure they realize the type of person they're picking on.
Here's what I wrote the trib:
Re: "Voters Provide Elected Officials with the Only Certification They Need"
While I'm sure Mary Ellen Elia would much prefer to have a board that only knows what she tells it, we citizens are more than willing to spend a tiny amount of money to have our board members trained well enough to know when they're not being told the whole story.
Since 2004, School Board members have spent a little over $24,000 on certification and training. That sounds like a lot, until you compare it to the size of the district budget ($2.2 billion). To me, it's worth it for the board members to have a clue so they can do the oversight and policy-setting job we elect and pay them for.
Did anyone notice that Dr. Lamb has spent the least amount? I guess he considers his years of experience as enough training.
Don't be fooled: there is a big difference between years of experience and a year of experience repeated several times.
The Board Members that have been sitting for a longer time, Lamb, Olsen, Kurdell, and Edgecomb, sometimes appear to "rubber-stamp" instead of providing appropriate oversight. I may be wrong about Ms. Edgecomb because her marks on Mrs. Elia's annual performance appraisal included constructive criticism and one of the lowest overall scores.
At the very least every manager should be up to date on current regulations.
Maybe the "newbies" like Valdes, Faliero and Griffin take their oversight responsibilities serious enough to seek additional knowledge.
Isn't seeking knowledge what we're all about?
If the reporter really wanted to expose wasteful spending they should look at how much has been spent on consultants and attorney fees, especially attorney fees for handling grievances that should be handled by the superintendent's staff.
Wow! This goes even beyond trying to silence the teachers. You dare to speak in favor of the employees of the district, and just look what happens. It's particularly interesting given the fact that teachers are starting to name names of administrators who are trying to suppress their free speech rights. I applaud your committment to your job and pray for strength and wisdom for all of us as we continue in this struggle to maintain our integrity for the good of our students. After all, that's really what all this is about -- the students and our concern for their education.
I am disgusted but not surprised by the Tribune's inane editorial. Is it any surprise circulation is tanking? If the Trib combines any more sections (see today’s edition) in an effort to save money, it's going to look like "The Weekly Planet"...The "real story" is out there and no longer are people forced to accept the word of one or two self-serving, biased sources.
Thank you for having the guts to take an unpopular stand and speak honestly to your public. Thank you for being the whipping boy on the behalf of teachers. Thank you for not caving to the insidious and transparent attempts of a vicious group to use innuendo, half truths and blatant lies to silence and discredit you. (Remember Doug Erwin? We do.) You have more friends than you will ever know.
The First Amendment is alive and well. The days of silent acceptance are over.
Who can reconcile the figures listed in these two articles? One list is labeled “training” and the other “travel.” What’s up?
Scroll to the bottom of the following articles to compare the figures.
Article One
Article
Two
Thanks, April, for providing a space where we can share our experiences, observations, and reflections related to public education in our community.
This weekend, I attended the confirmation for an 8th grader at Williams Middle Magnet School for International Studies. He along with 54 other young Catholics and 13 adults were at Sacred Heart Church to receive the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation. Each young person had a sponsor—a believer who rested his or her hand on the student’s shoulder as the young person received the visible signs of the Holy Spirit. As this young man enters high school, I hope to be there to rest my hand on his shoulder on his first day just before he enters his first Advanced Placement (Human Georgraphy) class at Middleton High School. Perhaps other students on the class roster will also have “a sponsor” who believes in the student’s ability to do college-level work in high school.
After the church service, I headed over to the Village Inn Pancake House on Dale Mabry, just north of Kennedy Blvd. Cleopatra Wise and her mom soon joined me. Cleo graduated from Chamberlain High in 2006. The University of Southern California found this precious treasure who lived on Bird Street and provided her a Presidential Scholarship to be a member of the Marshall School of Business Honors Program. Cleo traveled to China during her spring break for a week. Her work-study program is in the admissions office at the Marshall School. She will be there to guide others just in case we have low-income public high school students from single-parent households in key urban Zip Codes who wish to dream big!
While breaking pancakes with Cleo and her mom, Justin Gray’s mom dropped in with her older son, Joshua. Justin, a 2004 graduate of Hillsborough High, is not home yet from the University of Notre Dame. This weekend, he was in North Carolina for the commencement exercises at North Carolina State University. Ms. Gray mentioned that she is prayerful that she (and I) will be traveling to Notre Dame next May for Justin’s graduation.
Saturday evening, my daughter Sierra—a 2005 Robinson High grad—and I met up with Sasha Funk, the marketing manager for the Tampa office of Holland + Knight LLP. Sasha provided Sierra guidance and support in planning for this week’s First National Academic Letter of Intent Signing Day Dinner. State Representative Betty Reed will be hosting the event at Blake High School on Thursday evening. The honorees will be members of the Class of 2007 from Florida House District 59 who are graduating with four or more AP classes. The date of the event, May 17, is the 53d Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.
Thanks again for providing residents a space where we can share what fruits are flowing from our investment in young people through public education.
In His Service,
Jason
jdmims2@yahoo.com
Thanks for all of your effort April. It is clearly noted by both the teachers, the electorate, and those at 901 East Kennedy. The shape of the building (an inverted pyramid) provides an architectural metaphor for those that reside there...Lots of bosses at the top, and not enough workers at the bottom.
Is it possible to have a "stadium lighting" powerpoint presentation concerning the purchase of Newsome's land for new schools. According to the St. Pete Times story, he was given the highest of the 4 bids on his land. I really liked hearing Ms. Valdes remind us every time "...and of course, we took the lowest bid."
Additionally, can we get a total for the Forum pep-rally. From salaries to rent to bus fuel, etc. What a complete waste of time, energy, and money.
Thanks for all of your effort April. It is clearly noted by both the teachers, the electorate, and those at 901 East Kennedy. The shape of the building (an inverted pyramid) provides an architectural metaphor for those that reside there...Lots of bosses at the top, and not enough workers at the bottom.
Is it possible to have a "stadium lighting" powerpoint presentation concerning the purchase of Joe Newsome's land for new schools. According to the St. Pete Times story, he was given the highest of the 4 bids on his land. I really liked hearing Ms. Valdes remind us all every time "...and of course, we took the lowest bid."
Additionally, can we get a total for the Forum pep-rally. From salaries to rent to bus fuel, etc. That was a complete waste of time, energy, and tax dollars.
Keep fighting the good fight.
You know, it might be good for some enterprising citizen to file an FOIA lawsuit (or the state equivalent) to get detailed expense information so we can see how much money the district has wasted on land purchases and (for example) overpriced stadium lights, plus how much that stupid pep rally downtown cost. Then we can balance that against the relatively paltry sum that the board has spent on training, and we can make Rosemary Godreau eat dirt for trying to help her best bud Mary Ellen.
Please don't forget Mr. Willard Daggett, the modern equivalent of a carpetbagger. I have no doubt that he was paid at least 10 grand to "inspire" us before the year.
I still get sick every time I think of every teacher in the county being forced to flush away an entire day of preplanning at a pep rally so Elia could prance around and ask us to clap for her.
Blech.
Checkout the fifth bullet from the top and click on the “Trib’s editorial smear” and “subject of the editorial.” There are more posts that are interesting and comments as well. I have another “Sites to See.”
April,
Seems like we have a lot of teachers who HATE that stupid pep rally at the beginning of the year! Any way we can talk some sense into the downtown folks so next year we can 1) skip it 2)save the money and 3)gain a planning day back!
Speaking of Daggett
Were we had?
This is so foul!
Why cannot we see the district's budget, in detail, without going through a process that requires an attorney to navigate.
Every day when I get my lunch, I wonder 1) who pays for the tri-color print napkins, fork, straw, and napkin package, and food wraps? and 2)why can I buy a salad cheaper (and fresher) at Publix? (we are not suppose to be for profit).
It still seems obvious to me that learning is not a priority in Tampa. When I read the Trib's article sent to me from a friend (I choose not to read the trib or have it delivered to my home anymore due to its bias) I realized that having educated political figures is not what the editorial staff wants. I am a teacher and it is sad. The money spent on the training is extremely small. Give me a break! Keep up the great work and educating yourself, Ms. Griffin.
Signed: MathTeach
Hey April,
Stand tall and don't let the imbeciles at the Trib get you down. We in the community know the great job you're doing for our kids in the Hillsborough Schools, and we can see through the ugly smear tactics of those who just want to bring you down. We've got your back. :)
Michelle (whose sister is a dedicated and proud teacher at Cypress Creek)
Lest we forget
Student Gains Lift School Chief's Pay
Skip directly to the full story.
By MARILYN BROWN The Tampa Tribune
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB6Y2BT10F.html
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