If anybody knows how to thumb their noses and retaliate against Arizona state legislators, GPS teachers, staff, and the community, it’s the incumbent Gilbert School Board and District officials.
Whether it’s voting against prayer to open their meetings, refusing to hold the Superintendent accountable to measurable performance criteria, refusing to involve the community in closing a school, trying to fire or punish teachers who stand up to bullying, or discriminating against special needs students, the incumbent Board and District officials are the experts.
It appears that their final meetings will carry on their legacy of “retaliation to the last drop," when the incumbents are scheduled to approve Agenda Item #7.01 “Approval of Revised 2012-2013 Budget,” as well as Agenda Item #8.01 “Proposed Item(s) for Items for Future Consideration” including:
"1. Establishment of a Citizens Budget Committee to begin in January with a professional facilitator to make recommendations for the 2013-20014 GPS budget. CBC members would include one representative from each school made by the principal in conjunction with the site council and parent/teacher organization and seven members of the community. Community members would be selected jointly by the governing board and superintendent. Recommendations would be presented to the governing board by a representative chosen by the CBC in March."
The problem with these two agenda items? Both are being discussed and possibly approved by the lame duck board. Because of this, there is the distinct possibility that pay raises awarded to teachers and staff last July will be withdrawn. Also, the question arises: Are there budget items that the District wants approved by the lame ducks that the newly elected board members would likely reject? There is also the distinct possibility that the Citizens Budget Committee could end up being comprised mostly of supporters of the 10% property tax override, which would NOT be representative of a community that refused to pass the tax override.
One of the most insidious steps taken by Dr. Dave Allison and the incumbent board was when they approved salary raises in July, but stated that teachers and staff would lose those raises if the 10% property tax override didn’t pass!
These incumbents subject your children’s teachers to this kind of mental, emotional, economic whiplash on a regular basis.
Please attend the 12/4 meeting to express your concerns about both of these issues. Also plan to attend the 12/18 meeting which could be a carry-over of these same issues. Here is the 12/4/2012 Agenda
Governing Board Room, 7:00 p.m.
Work Study Session, 6:00 p.m.
Gilbert Public Schools
Building B
140 S. Gilbert Road
Gilbert, AZ 85296