During a debate this past Tuesday the chairwoman threatened to have me removed because I refused to yield the floor during a debate.
Today's Tampa Tribune editorial highlights what I have been trying to shine a light on since the team building exercise when awry in 2007.
None of this would have taken place if I just 'went along to get along'. That's not what I promised my supporters and that's not what I am going to do. When I ran for office people who have been attached to the system for years told me of the intimidation and retaliation that permeated the district and I promised to work to change that.
I very carefully planned inexpensive, close to home (driving back and forth not staying overnight at some) conferences focused on achieving a balance between college focus and career focus and the committee of 3 members two of which are not my biggest fans...Jennifer Faliero and Carol Kurdell tried to deny my travel. Nobody else on the board was denied and my travel was not the most expensive.
As the editorial stated "Democracy is about the free exchange of ideas without fear of intimidation". What is so hard to understand about this and what are people fighting so hard to protect?
To quote Edward R. Murrow "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it". I believe in this district and the possibilities that lie within it. At the end of the day it is not my job to be disloyal to Hillsborough County students and the taxpayers of this community. The legislature created school boards to oversee a bureaucracy that spends tax dollars. It's time for the Hillsborough County School Board to wake up and execute their legislatively mandated duty.
It's about the kids and the community...let's get back to focusing on them and quit telling other members how to serve their constituents.
43 comments:
April, you're doing a great job, and if you're considered an outsider we need more on the Board.
Your interest seems to extend past job security and preserving the dysfunctional status quo...which is refreshing!
Keep up the good fight for our children.
Grant Rimbey
Temple Terrace
APRIL- You are amazing with what you are doing! Never back away from the reason you came. Forget Faliero and the others who love power more than people. I pray that more people like you get on the board.
Teachers are treated just the way you were. How can we change this horrible situation?
Let's get rid of SpringBoard, which the children and teachers hate. It's irrelevant and in violation of the teacher contract.
Please help us at Alafia Elementary. The team was there all week...the teacher's horror stories shared with all...parents, former and past, arrived with letters to share concerns...mounds of paperwork in the conference room today to go through and figure out how to put it into a report. The question is: When it is all out there and the truth is there for all to read, will Mrs. Smith STILL be protected and be allowed to threaten and intimidate? We BEG you to help us!! No one is listening. It is greater than those 5 parents. There are hundreds who showed up to speak...Look at the numbers.
April, Thank you for continuing to stand your ground. Your determination and courage are truly inspiring. You are not alone, as the public is now a witness to the abuse and corruption that used to take place behind the scenes. Keep up the fight!!!
Alafia needs your support! The School Effectiveness Assessment Team was there this week and many tears were shed by teachers, parents, and even empathetic Team members as the interviews unfolded. Ms. Elia would lead us to believe that this is just three or four disgruntled parents trying to "lynch" a principal. Those "few" are really in the hundreds. The Assessment Team was overwhelmed by parent letters and requests for interviews. Dozens of teachers shared their incredible stories of abuse and humiliation at the hands of the Alafia principal. The Team actually had to protect a teacher from anticipated principal retaliation while she conducted a special classroom event. Alafia is in crisis and the administrators must be removed IMMEDIATELY! It is a powder keg waiting to explode. Teachers and parents have laid it all on the line to share their horror stories, but now there is great fear that the principal's influence on the Board with long-time friend Jack Lamb and her close relationships with MaryEllen Elia and Sherrie Sikes will somehow protect her, even in the face of all the incredible evidence of her failures, abuses and misconduct. Please don't let that happen! Look at the unbelievable details in the Assessment Team's data. You'll be flabberghasted by what you learn.
I Wikied the term "Groupthink". Check out Wikipedias information on Groupthink.
It was revealing. It was if this were a definition of the Hilsborough County School Board. It might actually be funny if this crew of automatons weren't running the 8th largest district in the nation.
Unfortunately the Wikipedia analysis does not discuss how to break Groupthink once it is an integral part of a culture. I guess thats why we need you there... to break some eggs. It would appear that things will have to get worse before they can start to get better at Hillborough Public Schools.
Another interesting read. Particularly the chart on page 8:
http://www.afirstlook.com/docs/groupthink.pdf
Great link from anon 7:37 am.
PRO on HCPS: From Sound Off And Be Heard: Groupthink...Definition Of
Ms Griffin
The stories I told you last year about my treatment by a vindictive principal sound alot like what is happening at Alafia. These are not isolated incidents. Many teachers are afraid. I'm afraid.
The treatment you received at the board meeting is proof that this problem goes to the very top.
Keep up the fight. Keep shining light on the situation. Soon you will get help from Mr. Gorham.
TPV
I watched the whole meeting and not only were J.Faliero's comments out of line, she had completely made up her mind and was not even listening!!! I voted for Stephen Gorham today because of you!
April,
Please continue to follow your convictions. I thought you were making PERFECT sense and I followed your logic and reasoning. (I usually do - the way you frame it, its not hard.)
You were given a full frontal view of our district culture. Not pretty.
Diversity and tolerance are words on paper - only on paper.
Somehow I think "Surrender" is just a song you may like by Cheap Trick.
April, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You !!! I am a teacher who has also suffered mistreatment and went against the "Groupthink" of clowns at the circus. What keeps me going? 2 words... Children and Karma. It may take some time but "what goes around comes around."
"Speak softly and carry a big stick" - T.R.
So Sorry April you deserve so much better, Hey Alafia Team the "people" sent to "help" you sort through this nightmare were handpicked by Sikes and Elia. One of the pricipals on the ACT is a brown noser and long time friend of Ellyn Smith. The backwards thinking and lack of candor rules Area 5 ! All I can say is stick together, keep media informed and don't give UP.
Hillsborough County Needs to Change the way our superintendent is selected most Florida school districts superintendent are selected by the voter in that school district and that makes cents to me.
I mean we wouldn't let the house are the senate select the leader of our country so why would we let a handful of our school board members select the leader of our school district.
Are at least let the educators and other school board employees have a say in the selection of the head honcho but really it needs to be put back and two the hands of Joe Q public! I mean really we all vote! for our school board members.
then we turn around and let our school board members hang pick their boss! and we all wonder why are schools are in such bad shape! The voters need to decide who runs our school district.
PS April, you're really are doing a great job,
MC,
Thank you for the accolades. Just a clarification. The Superintendent is hired by the school board. The school board as a whole is her boss.
April
April - We need more board members like you ! Keep fighting the Good fight!
I have a question ... What is the process(who reads them? then what?) with the principals' evaluations that teachers fill out in the spring of every school year?
Are these evaluations public record?
Thanx !!!
Another Abused Teacher
I understand the rationale for appointing the superintendent, i.e. board discretion to hire and fire, but experience shows that once hired the superintendent's tenure lasts until retirement.
The complex decisions to satisfy local, state and national interests that today our public education demands, calls for a superintendent concerned with public sentiment. The comfort of virtual lifetime tenure tends to allow the superintendent to act more despotically.
I am inclined to agree that our superintendent should be an elected office. That way lack of communication would be less of a concern since the next election would be sufficient incentive to improve it.
BTW, I wrote about the incident to intimidate during the October 21 board meeting. You can read it here.
Ms. Griffin
I could tell how upset you were by the Gestapo treatment. I am sorry you had to endure that. You seem like a very nice person.
It was painful to watch. I feel certain that it the char will be more careful how she publicly treats you in the future but I can assure you she will have at you again.
Welcome to our world Ms. Griffin.
April,
I realize this is off topic but where is our salary scale? No one has been able to tell me where it is. Does it even exist?
I'd like to see how much I am being paid this year in some official document.
Thanks.
Suzie,
I will ask for it and get back to you.
At your service, April
The levels chart and salary schedule are listed in the sidebar on the front page of EsKay
I couldn't watch the school board meeting yesterday. Did anyone inquire about what is happening with Alafia Elementary School? Do you know if there are any solutions and when they will be happening?
November 7, 2008 8:00 AM,
Yes the chair inquired about it and the report is being compiled. We should get the report by the next board meeting.
At your service, April
Thank You April
Goader - your info is 2007-2008.
I'm hunting for this year 2008-2009.
Suzie,
I will get it. April
Suzie—
The salary information is the same as last year. Everyone that is eligible will move to his or her next respective level. In other words, we only will get the standard level increase. Since there will be no further raise, the dollar amounts will remain the same as last year.
Therefore, look at the level chart to find where you are and if you are eligible to move up then go to the salary schedule to see what you will be making this year.
The report and it's findings were given to the faculty and staff at Alafia on Monday. The parents have still not been offered a copy or an opportunity to have things explained. As we all suspected, Mrs. Smith will remain protected. It was told to the teachers that they need to learn how to team build, they must not compare the past to present, to feel free to use the 5 free mental health appointments that their insurance will cover to help deal with the stress they are under. They were told not to communicate with the parents about anything other than the student's progress and they were told that all this information was being made available to them so they could make a decision about what to do by transfer time. All of this being told to them while Mrs. Smith is sitting in the room listening, observing and gloating. The teachers were humilitated at the hands of this county. They put their hearts and souls into the interviews with the 16 person team. All to be told it was not as big a deal and they are making it out to be. We are asking you to read the report and dig deeper as to why she was not removed. If the people downtown think she is so harmless, they need to find a place for her with them and let our teachers, students and parents stop suffering at the hands of this woman. There were people that made the predicitions. We truly didn't want to believe that this system could ever REALLY be as corrupt as what people have said. Yesterday, we had to face the truth and find out that it is as bad, if not worse, than what we were told. What has happened at Alafia should be a wake up call for everyone in this county as to what is going on in our school system.
11/11/08 7:09PM
Did you expect anything different? No one will help you.
Did you happen to see how Ms. Griffin was bullied?
Take your mental health benefit, shut your mouths and transfer.
That is what they want from us.
Please post this Ms. Griffin.
Hey, if the principal is incompetent, blame the teachers! The kids won't behave, blame the teachers. If the teachers get loud, scare them and overwork them; that will shut them up!
My God, this district is so corrupt. The treatment of Griffin is a defining moment in my eyes. I have been treated just like she was, and HUNDREDS of teachers are; I swear on my life this is true.
Where can one get a copy of the Alafia report?
Dear Ms. Griifon:
Please think of your Murrow quote when hearing the Assessment at Alafia.
There are MANY points I take issue with in the report. But relating to your quote, one of the last recommendations is that parents need to work cooperativeley with the administration.
April, parents have done this. And they have patiently worked through the chain of command trying to resolve Alafia's issues and retain teachers. All the while, they have followed any and all rules set down by the administration. Yes, they have been voicing their concerns louder and louder. But DISSENT IS NOT DISLOYALTY.
Please do your part to make sure that blame is not misdirected at the distressed teachers and parents of Alafia.
Thank you for the work that you do. It must be difficult to be in your shoes.
For the latest info on Alafia visit this site: www.alafiaelementary.blogspot.com
April, As one of your supporters, I am wondering what you are doing to help the parents and teachers at Alafia? There is SO MUCH damning evidence against Ellyn Smith it is actually a wonder that she hasn't had criminal charges against her. Why is she not being removed and a school that has been an "A" school is now a "focus" school. How are you letting this happen? Our parents have been speaking about what school board members we can reach out to but I did not see you attend the meeting on Thursday to really see what is happening at Alafia. Did you know that there were close to 150 parents there? I know that you must have gotten Jennifer Faliero's summary about how the meeting went. It was a bloodbath for both Elia and Smith. When is it going to stop? The parents of this school are not stopping. Some have contacted Crist and Storms and dozens have contacted the FLDOE to report the entire county of wrongdoing. I am someone show is VERY involved at the school and NEVER expected the number of people to speak out against Smith. Elia came to the meeting thinking she could treat us like a bunch of 5th graders and we would just sit there and listen. How WRONG she was!!! Her lack of preparation and total disregard for the amount of frustration and anger we have as parents right now only made us madder and ready to harder. You, as a board, have the authority to override Elia's decision. Show the community that you have the student's best interest at heart and put all your business practices in place and GET RID OF ELLYN SMITH!!!! We don't care where she goes...GET HER OUT OF OUR SCHOOL!!!!
Could you shed some light on how you feel about what is happening and not happening at Alafia? Several people have sent you e-mails and they have gotten no response from you. Are you doing anything to help us?
Where can we find the answers to the questions that are posted about Alafia? Several have been posted but you haven't answered any of the questions. A supporter of yours posted on the Alafia Blog that he/she has personally seen the responses you have sent. My husband has sent you several with read-receipt attached and I have posted here twice. That is 4 unanswered e-mails. What are you doing to help Alafia? If you decide to post this please make sure you have a response. I am one of your supporters but am losing faith quickly.
10:55 PM,
As I am investigating this situation I have been moderating this blog and have posted comments and questions about Alafia. I could have chosen not to publish them, however I did to let you know that I was listening and not ignoring. I believe in transparency even when the comments are not favorable towards me.
I understand that you are at your wits end, but please remember that as a board we have only known about this situation for a little over a month. And while I hear your urgency there is diligence that must be performed as this is a sensitive personnel issue where lawsuits have been threatened. To make statements about how I feel one way or the other would be imprudent.
I am in the process of investigating and I will not get into specifics at this point. If you can not respect this and I lose your support as a result I find this regrettable. However, I will not compromise the integrity of the process for political gain.
Anything short Ms. Smith’s termination is most likely going to be poorly received by many. But termination or demotion have specific legal requirements attached to them.
I will reiterate by reminding you that the board has only been aware of this situation for just over a month and the board is only in the beginning phase. I hope there is no need, but in the future I would strongly recommend that parents and teachers get the board involved sooner rather than later, as the administration does not normally volunteer this type on information.
Also please read my post on the front page of my blog which was posted before your question was submitted.
April Griffin
April,
Thank you for responding both here and on the Alafia Blog. Although we understand the "process" please be aware that this "process" began in June with Otero. Otero and Brinson told the 4 parents that met with them that if Smith did not make dramatic changes by the beginning of the school year, she would be terminated. Here we sit, Dec. 8, halfway through the school year, going through the "process."
The other thing I would like to make you aware of is that the "focus team" at our school is made up of Sykes and Otero and Ipolitto. Otero was Smith's area director at Seffner when she was accused of doing the same things at that school and was not held accountable for any of them. In fairness to him, he did mention some of them in areas of concern in her 1999-2000 evaluation. Sykes has been covering for her since she came to Alafia. Any complaints that are given to her are rubber stamped with "All I can do is offer you a special assignment to Cimino or Brooker." In Smith's most recent evaluation from 2006-2007, there was not one mention of the many complaints that have been filed with Sykes and she actually wrote in that Smith has great character. Now we are supposed to believe that the "process" is suddenly going to be handled in an honest way by these 2 people and that they will report that things have not gotten better. Why would they go and report the truth when they have been part of the problem all along? Ipollito has witnessed several things that Smith has mishandled on a daily basis. Is she reporting these daily and keeping documentation or is she knodding her head and reporting all is well at the school? The "process' in itself is a complete debacle. If it was put in place to really measure change at the school, the parents and teachers would be asked how they think things are going and if change is happening. Writing a weekly newsletter and utilizing the marquee in the front of the school does not fix the problem. The only thing that will fix the problem is to remove Ellyn Smith from our school. She does not belong in any school in an administrative capacity. Perhaps she can be placed in the transportation department answering the telephones. There seemed to be a shortage of those employees a couple of months ago.
Thank you for listening and having a blog where concerns can be voiced. I truly believe that you have our best interests at heart. I appreciate all that you are doing to help us at the school and thank you for reaching out to us.
9:19,
I hear you and will take all of this information into consideration as we move forward.
Alafia’s problems will be resolved. However this problem is much greater than Alafia and needs to be addressed at a much deeper level.
Please try to be patient for a little while longer. I know that is a lot for me to ask, but it is what I need to do my job right now.
At your service, April
9:19,
I would like to add something to my original response to you. I understand that you have been going through the "process" for a very long time and are completely frustrated. However, I feel like I must keep reiterating that the board was only made aware of this situation in late October. The process began in earnest at that moment. The board has to perform our diligence. Please know that all the factors you mentioned will be considered in the end. This can not be swept under the rug from this point forward, but remember you need the support of a majority on the board to bring about real change.
April Griffin
April,
It wasn't until the board meeting that you requested some documents concerning Alafia that we ALL realized that the majority of the school board members did not know what was going on. I do realize that for you, you have been looking into what has happened and that you did show a concern from the beginning of your finding out. However, there were other board members that have known that there has been some very serious concerns about the mismanagement at our school and have not responded at all. Kurdell has yet to open any e-mails that have been sent to her by several people. That is our chair. That worries me. How do we get to the majority? There is a group coming to the board meeting from Alafia as you probably already know. I would ask that a rolling break not be done during the public comments since this is a very serious issue and some valid reports are going to be given. All members and staff that are at the meeting need to hear how we are moving forward. I am trying to be patient but also diligent in letting the county know that we will see this through until Smith is removed from the school. It has been a big eye opening experience for all of us and I agree that it goes deeper than just Ellyn Smith. Any advice you can give us will be well taken and greatly appreciated.
April,
The more I read about you, the more I like you. I'm your newest fan. PLEASE keep up the great work you do.
April, Thank you so much for all you did to help us at Alaifa. We all greatly appreciate the time you took to look into the issues and concerns and request the information when others sat and couldn't care less. We have all learned alot about our school system, most of which is alarming and disheartening. Mrs. Elia didn't do herself any favors by giving the parents a public "spanking" on TV. The saddest part to me is that she doesn't care. My husband and I will continue to support you and Jennifer Faliero not only with our votes but by passing the word on about what you both did to serve our community. We are both aware that without your help, this issue would still be unresolved. I told my son last night that we will be staying at Alafia. He smiled from ear to ear. That made this fight worth it. Thank you again for all you did. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
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