Diane Payne SRC testimony – November 19, 2015

I am beginning my remarks with a question on resolution A-1 Approves Personnel,Terminations and it states: “ratifies the appointment of the following persons to the positions” yet fails to actually say what positions and what salaries. So, what are the positions and salaries being voted on today?

Last month, on the Mastery Coaches resolution A-2, I asked the question “what evidence did you use to justify and/or explain why you are using Mastery staff to “coach” our teachers. I received no answer to that question just as you fail to provide answers to most of the questions asked of you at these meetings.

So today, I again ask why Mastery personnel are being used as school district coaches. This didn’t happen in a vacuum so please make available the proposal that explains the purpose of the mastery coaches, the desired goals, and the data used to accept this as a viable and worthwhile project.

Your letter today regarding Source4Teachers is not an attempt to answer the problem of substitute services. You arbitrarily outsourced a viable, professional job in order to continue your overall efforts to undermine the teaching profession. This letter is simply your attempt to dodge today’s barrage of frustration from speakers on this topic. You have dictated your privatization plan, you now defend Source4Teachers as a continued Source4Pain.

Regarding privatizing Cooke, Huey and Wister, the district’s sham meetings again just serve to defend your corporate agenda. No community, teacher, parent, student voice allowed.

And I am ending today with a poem inspired by the famous How Do I Love Thee? This is the letter you should have sent out today:

How do I disrespect thee? Let me count the ways.

I disrespect thee to the depths my soul can reach when I vote to eliminate our collectively negotiated contract.

I disrespect thee when I choose Mastery Coaches over our own district teachers.

I disrespect thee when I ignore your asked questions.

I disrespect thee when I pretend high stakes tests and value added measure of thee is essential.

I disrespect thee when I fight frivolous law suits and refuse to acknowledge how much money I spend on them.

I really disrespect thee when I first starve your schools of resources then blame thee for their failing and finally close your schools and hand them over to corporate interests.

I disrespect thee when I force you to work and survive in atmospheres of fear and reprisal.

I disrespect thee by holding community meetings that I try to hide. I disrespect thee by trivializing your concerns and labeling them “silly”.

I disrespect thee when I outsource and eliminate jobs.

And finally, I disrespect thee by honoring my highly paid administrative colleagues with promotions and even present them with $10,000 bonuses while you wallow in the churn as you do your level best everyday to teach children in spite of the mighty disrespect.