EDITOR: Weak and spineless! I think not! As a Morgan Hill School
District classified employee for more than 30 years I can not tell
you how deeply offended and disappointed I was in the demeaning and
slanderous remarks that were made by Trustee Shell
é Thomas at the April 26 Board meeting.
EDITOR:
Weak and spineless! I think not! As a Morgan Hill School District classified employee for more than 30 years I can not tell you how deeply offended and disappointed I was in the demeaning and slanderous remarks that were made by Trustee Shellé Thomas at the April 26 Board meeting. No matter what her intent was as she made these remarks it should be noted that this was a totally unprofessional statement made by someone who apparently does not know nor understand the process for classified employee lay-offs.
The bargaining unit for the classified employees made every attempt to save positions and benefits for employees rather that a straight lay-off. It has been this bargaining unit’s practice to keep the best interest of the employee in mind when having to deal with the strict guidelines mandated by state Education Code and our own contract.
To say that we are “weak and without backbone” was one of the worst insults that I have ever experienced while in this district. As a long-time employee of the district, I have been through the worst of times and some of the best of times. This, however, has got to take the prize.
With finances in such dire straights it is time for the Board to get its act together and make the decisions that need to be made and not insult the intelligence of the employees, classified or certificated. We do know how to bargain! You now need to know how to lead.
Take a leadership role. Offer to return your stipends. Encourage the administration and teachers to step up and take a reduction. Encourage the teachers to accept one more student in their class loads next year. In doing so perhaps more people would stay employed and the District would run without too much disruption. Teachers complain that they are working in dirty classrooms and students complain that bathrooms are not being cleaned regularly. If these two groups shared a little of the hurt that is currently being imposed on the classified perhaps there would be more classified employees remaining to do the jobs that are not being done.
Classified employees have learned the drill – “we are a team.” Most classified employees have bought into this as demonstrated by their willingness to remain in a job that pays so little. However, we do not feel treated as a team member when our unit is the first to be reduced during any time of fiscal difficulties. Administrators, supervisors, managers and teachers need to step up and also show some willingness to feel the pain.
Granted they have lost colleagues during this budget crisis, but so have we. Granted they have more work to do, but so do we. Not one item has been taken off our plate as days were reduced. In fact additional responsibilities have been given to us. Enough is enough. We can’t do anymore than we are already asked to do. We need some support shown to us by the other employee units.
Most of all we need support shown to us by the school board. To call us “weak and spineless” is not the way to do it. Mrs. Thomas needs to go back and reread the classified contract and learn the Education Code that is applicable to the classified bargaining unit. Perhaps Mrs. Thomas does need to keep her stipend and attend those School Board training sessions that she felt all new Board members should attend. Or perhaps Mrs. Thomas should step down from a position that she has violated.
Peggy Pappani,
Executive Secretary,
Educational Services,
Morgan Hill School District
