Another Report from the CUSD Picket Line

(Photo: LiberalOC blogger Heather Pritchard and AD-70 candidate Melissa Fox join striking CUSD teachers on the picket line.)

Another day on the line…

We were treated to free hot dogs by the Orange County Employees Association. They just showed up with a van and cookers and served us!

They also see the writing on the wall – if this board wins, then its the end of collective bargaining in our state. We give them our thanks.

Several of our teachers were interviewed on camera, again. And, Chris Korpi, head of the campaign to recall two of our so-called trustees, was on KFI 640 this morning at 7:30. The recall campaign and CUEA are separate entities, so Mr. Korpi couldnt’ speak for us. He did, however, explain a lot about the insanity that has gripped our district since the current “reform” board seized power. The more press interest in our board and its antics, like rewarding nice out of court settlements to their campaign supporters and contributors, the better!

Nothing major happened today. Several of us from ANHS went to Reilly Elementary School to help out. It seems some parents there, at Vista Del Mar Elementary School, and and Bergeson Elementary School, have been behaving badly. Not all, to be sure, and many, many are supportive of us. However, some have been verbally abusive, throwing food and one or two spitting at striking teachers. One wonders why California has a teacher shortage. We’ll be around tomorrow to offer our further support to our elementary school teachers.

At the high schools, we have over one hundred teachers, so no one really abuses us (except Scabzilla, from the first day of striking, of course). The smaller elementary schools, however, have smaller faculties.

There was a rally at Saddleback College afterwards. A board meeting occurs tonight, and negotiations continue, albeit at a snail’s pace. The board appears as intractable as ever. One funny thing has arose. Well, funny but not so funny. UPS has placed a hold on CUSD, and is refusing to cross our picket lines and make deliveries, including A.P. exams.

Heaven forbid we’re still on strike in a week’s time when A.P. tests start, but its possible that if we are, and I’m willing to take that stand, some school may not be able to administer advanced placement tests!

 More tomorrow…

16 Comments

  1. I’m missing something. Now you are willing to let the kids not take advanced placement tests. That will affect the college plans of many. What have they done to warrant this treatment. I was concerned about putting the kids in the middle, but now you have lost my vote. There has to be a better way.

  2. The teachers aren’t impressing anyone. What would impress us is if you struck during the summer and took time away from your three-month vacations. It would impress us if you showed some spine, challenged your union and stopped paying $1000 annually in dues that’s used for political purposes — are your knuckle-dragging bosses taking a 10% cut?. What would impress us is stopping the tired, fallacious “it’s for the children” rhetoric when we know it’s really about your own greed. We’d be impressed if you dropped the “continuing education” claims and realize that everyone in “professional” employment does that on their own time and often at their own expense. We’d also be impressed if you showed some respect and deference to those you’re now calling “scabs” — maybe they’re your neighbors who are tired of paying for people who work all of six hours a day? Maybe the “scabs” just see an opportunity for work that you’re too lazy or arrogant to do. Maybe the “scabs” are part of the 12.6% unemployed in California who think you’ve got a lot of nerve to be complaining when CA teachers are the highest paid in the country? Maybe all of us are tired of paying for your inflated pensions and medical benefits that we never voted for?

    The District’s out of money. Are there any math teachers on the picket line that can explain that?

    The teachers are losing as this drags on. KFI has a huge audience, and they’re getting no sympathy — Handel beat up the union this morning, and the afternoon guys did as well. Comments in the Register indicate that traffic’s being disrupted — typical of a low-class collection of lazy thugs.

    So impress us, you lazy whiny disingenuous pukes.

    • Didn’t you post this same message somewhere else? Teaching is not a 6 hour a day profession even if that’s all your kids are in school for. Mmmm, your district conducted an expensive recall election when regular elections were months away. How smart was that?

      I invite you to teach a junior achievement class for one afternoon; they provide the lesson plan and all the materials. Let’s see how well you fare at leeping all 36 kids in your classroom engaged and interested. Teachers do this everyday. And they are woefully underpaid.

      Perhaps you can ask your state assemblyman or state senator why CUSD is funded well below state average?

  3. The AP tests are this Saturday, so if the strike is not over before Friday the AP students are S.O.L.

    OC’er — if you don’t like this situation, and many people don’t — call the district office and tell them to settle! The teachers have made compromise after compromise. It’s time for the board to negotiate in GOOD FAITH!

  4. “On funny thing has arose. Well, funny but not so funny. UPS has placed a hold on CUSD, and is refusing to cross our picket lines and make deliveries, including A.P. exams.

    Heaven forbid we’re still on strike in a week’s time when A.P. tests start, but its possible that if we are, and I’m willing to take that stand, some school may not be able to administer advanced placement tests!

    More tomorrow… ”

    Above is from the article…

    First of all, I find it appalling that the teachers who post anything cannot even bother to proof their writing. The first word in this quote is misspelled, or the author was too lazy to ensure grammatical correctness. I have noticed this in many teachers’ posts. Are you sure our kids are getting everything they need when you can’t even write? I find this embarrassing. But to actually publish that students missing out on AP testing is humorous makes me more ill than I thought possible. How on Earth is that funny? Okay, I sort of get the sentiment that you think it’s funny that “BROWN” froze the district’s account. HA, HA, but not really. I happened to work VERY hard in high school to study for and pass my own AP exams. If these kids are finding out they have been wasting their time for these tests, how do you think they feel? I would go out on a limb and say BETRAYED. I am glad you think it’s funny, though. And I am SUPER glad you got the treat of free hot dogs while the poor kids are studying for an exam (which also costs them money to take)that may not show up because of all of this nonsense. How about you think about the kind of person you sound like, and then seriously ask yourself why parents are now becoming upset and unsupportive. And by the way, the parents at Vista del Mar are not behaving badly at all. Sorry that not everyone will pimp out their kids on school days for you to make a lot of noise, laugh at no AP exams and get free food. This is a really sad day. Have a great day tomorrow…I hope you sleep well tonight and the “dogs” don’t give you diarrhea.

        • OC Parent: You really need to get a life. I truly feel sorry for the person who has to wake up next to you every day. I’ve also found the people who go after others for gramatical errors usually work in very menial jobs. It makes them feel important or usefull, things their not normally use to in the real world.

          • Jenny,
            Thanks for your kind words. If you were a person with character or any intelligence, you would have understood the point of what I wrote (it involved much more than a gripe about grammar). But apparently, that is not the case and I feel sorry for YOU.

            But again, thank you for being so kind and bringing my personal life into your anger. Obviously you are dealing with internal demons of your own. Thanks for sharing your maturity.

          • Oh, and by the way, I was taught that grammar errors are unacceptable in the real world, and would have failed papers in college that had any errors in them. Forgive me for being observant.

            • “I hope you get diahrea from the hot dogs”

              This just shows you that class can’t be bought or achieved from a degree.

              I’m so entertained that the person who resorts to “I hope you get diahrea from the hot dogs” is being a snobby pretentious elitist and is preaching gramar. I also find it so fantastic that you have the mentality and writing skills shared by 16 year old boys! I LOVE IT!!!!!! Go on with your classy self, preach preach!!!!!

            • That’s not what I wrote. I wrote that I hoped the hot dogs did not cause the bathroom issue (I hope that is better). So go ahead and call me names again. In fact, your kindness is astounding.

              Thank you for quoting me incorrectly and telling me I can’t write. You have been very helpful in proving my point, which obviously, you still don’t get. I wasn’t preaching grammar…it was an observation. I just think that if any person is posting an article for the public to read, it should be edited and correct. Yes, typos occur, which is not really a big deal to me. Again, THAT WAS NOT THE POINT.

              It’s not even worth my time to explain anything else since you probably won’t get it, and will end up misquoting me again. So enjoy the rest of your day…maybe you can go an hour without insulting anyone.

  5. I don’t like the situation. There has to be a better way. I find it terrible that the children are placed in the conflict. I simply cannot support the teachers anymore on this one. Good Faith in my book would entail teaching the innocent. Again, I believe there has to be a better way to resolve this conflict.

    • OCer, you seem like a thoughtful person. I wonder if you would be willing to discuss your comment that “Good Faith in my book would entail teaching the innocent.”

      Let’s say a teacher’s principal constantly ridicules him. Should he keep his mouth shut and continue to teach the innocent? What if the principal is violent toward the teacher. Should the teacher do nothing and just teach?

      Of course not. The teacher must report the action. If there is no resolution, he must take his complaint higher up the line.

      Essentially that’s what has happened here. You and I have not seen the daily efforts at reconciliation. You and I have not been witnesses as the teachers peacefully complained. You and I were not their to watch as their concerns were ignored.

      This strike did not just suddenly happen. The teachers’ union followed a series of rational steps in an attempt to get a fair settlement. Eventually it all broke down and the teachers felt all their other options had been exhausted. Only then did they strike.

      I did not see them exhaust all their options. You did not see it. But just because we didn’t witness it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

      • I think your analogy is not comparable from my perspective. We are not talking about violent physical actions. We are talking about the actions of highly educated and intelligent people. The impact on the children is my main concern. As far as the previous actions, I am not sure what happened but I would hope it did not escalate unnecessarily.

  6. “I hope you get diahrea from the hot dogs”

    This just shows you that class can’t be bought or achieved from a degree.

    I’m so entertained that the person who resorts to “I hope you get diahrea from the hot dogs” is being a snobby pretentious elitist and is preaching gramar. I LOVE IT!!!!!! Go on with your classy self, preach preach!!!!! (still feeling sorry for your spouse, now more than ever)

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