I hope that you all had a great weekend and
Memorial Day. Hopefully, you took time to remember the purpose and meaning of Memorial Day within the holiday gala. I had the great pleasure of “getting away” with my son and going to where I can best gain perspective – the
High Sierras – hopefully above 10,000’ – “Woo Who”. Day one we saw 7 people and on day two we saw 4 people. It was great and restful – hopefully it was the same for you.
For those that are interested, I don’t usually look like my standard blog portrait (above), but rather more like the picture to the right.
It was also a time for catching up on some reading and reflection. Had the opportunity to read
The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey. It was an interesting read that talks about the requirement of trust in a global, 21st century environment.
For those that are interested, I don’t usually look like my standard blog portrait (above), but rather more like the picture to the right.
Wow. Congratulations. Nice to see you had a wonderful vacation. I am sure that job security and financial stability allowed you to enjoy yourself and the time you got to spend with your son. I on the other hand spent my weekend packing up my classroom on the two days that the school was open, cleaning and dusting, and searching for jobs when I was not packing. I on the otherhand do not have job security or financial stability to enjoy time with my family because my last paycheck comes in June. I did pray for those who have died and fought for our county. But I also prayed for my family, myself, and all of the other RIF'd teachers who will not be able to enjoy their summer but will be scrounging pennies to make ends meet.
ReplyDeleteDear June 2, 2010 9:55 AM Comment:
ReplyDeleteYou are understandable upset. However, your comment - to me, came across as a personal attack. While much of what is going on in the district and the state seems (and possibly is)unfair - I don't think that fingerpointing and blaming is productive. The problem is financial-unfortunately, it is affecting people's lives.
I think the person is undoubtedly upset and unfortunately, Dr. Miller, you were the one being blamed, when, in fact, you are right-it is a financial problem starting with the state's budget and the person in charge of it. The district has to balance its budget the same as we balance a checkbook--we allot for certain must-need items (like rent, car payment, etc.) every month just as the district does in theirs (certificated, managers, classified, substitutes, etc.). You don't (usually) write a check for something you know you cannot afford, which is why the district is only allotting for a certain number of employees and other things within their budget. I, as well as everyone else, came into this job knowing full-well that our jobs are based on seniority. Whatever happens will happen; we need to focus on the ones responsible for putting us in this mess, which is why our Superintendent has asked us so many times to call and address the issue to our lawmakers. Our Superintendent is not to blame for the disarray in the state's mess.
ReplyDeleteI noticed on the RUSD site that Chef Ryan will be going to the White House to celebrate the new Chefs Move to Schools initiative. Will the district be funding Chef Ryan's travel, lodging, food, and other accomodations? While I think it is quite an honor for Chef Ryan, I would find it interesting and in poor judgment if the district funded the trip when we have major budget cuts happening.
ReplyDeleteGiven the importance that trust plays in the healthy functioning of organizations, you may be interested in exploring for yourself why one of the District High Schools is a 3 out of 10 on API Rank for similar schools. Leadership has no real plan to improve this school. It is all about trust! Come on by for a visit and talk to the staff yourself and see what you can learn.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Anonumous 12:03pm It is all about Trust!
ReplyDeleteAs a parent of student at a District High School - the school with the low score - I am also concerned about why the school seems to be slipping. As parents, we hear rumors about "issues on campus." I hope these claims are not accurate. If they were, I could understand why trust is erroding and with it the health of the schools' performance. WE depend on the teachers to help our kids, if the teachers don't trust the Leadership we have a problem Houston! Also, we all know that test scores relate to property values, so we all have a keen interest in what is going on at our High School with a 3 out of 10 score. Please investigate!
Stephen Covey writes about something we all know, that trust is the glue that holds all relatinships together. I note that the Riverside Police Deprtment has lost four senior members of their leadership team becasue the trust relationship was violated. RUSD should pursue the same type of cleansing at one of the High Schools where the trust has been violated. the City of Riverside correctly recognized that their situation, if left uncorrected, had the power to destroy both the Department and public trust. What will RUSD Leadership do ?
ReplyDelete