Miami Dade School Board and Teachers Unite to Regain Control of Their Tax Dollars for the Sake of their Children - HURRAY for MIAMI-DADE! Did you know that Browards Diversity Advisory Committee recently Voted to take it to a Judge Too! Congratulations from one Broward School Board Diversity Committee Member Dear Ms. Regalado, You were amazing, as was the superintendent. Im not ashamed to say it, I teared-up. All of you were very eloquent and very moving. Are you aware that the diversity board in Broward has voted to take it back to the judge? We did. Im trying to re-engage our board so they can more clearly define their position on key issues, and change those that need changing - is there anything you can think to say to our school board members in regard how they might best serve the children of our county in dealing with this vote by the diversity committee? Do you have any words of advice to the diversity committee on how to form an alliance with, rather than be at odds with, the school board? Should the school board of Broward be pursuing a lawsuit or some other avenue, or support court redress through this prior/current suit? No one even had computer records when the original suit was filed. Should a NEW revitalized social-media-savvy CCC, Citizens Concerned about our Children, take form? Is there a way that the diversity board can be a friend of the court or take advantage of the county to county joinders you spoke of? Can your office please provide a transcript of the speakers, including yourself and the superintendent for transmittal to our Diversity members? It will be most appreciated. And if there is a link to the video of the meeting, or even better, to just the good parts I have yet to find it...thanks? Onward to an ever brighter future, thanks to our kids, Michael Sirbola FYI Staff - Below is a Posting Im preparing: https://facebook/michael.sirbola Hello, There wasnt a dry eye in the house, seriously, the Miami-Dade superintendent had everyone reaching for a hanky. To find the root source of the school to prison pipeline, follow the money, here is its source, there is none other - it is the underfunding of our kids that is the cause. Our tax dollars are diverted into State boondoggles involving local shady lobbyists and corporations, it isnt Federal largess that is the problem. In Miami-Dade there is a united front of teachers and the school board against the same forces which we are up against here in Broward. There is no reason this cant be the case here in Broward also. There is only a small difference between Browards problems of underfunding and and those in Miami-Dade and these are in some of our legal structures and how these alter how we are bringing about change - here in Broward we have a Diversity Committee that recently voted to approach the Judge in an old lawsuit for many of the same reasons actions are being taken in Miami. It is no more odd Dade than for the Broward School Board to support the re-opening of a suit that will benefit fairness throughout the county and all of South Florida as counties throughout Florida start waking-up morally and defending their childrens legal rights and very lives. Take special note of the understaffing aspect as it applies to bringing a system to its knees to weaken its ability to function as noted in the clip taken from the lawsuit provided below. This same strategy seems to have been applied here with our own Broward school administration which said administration frequently ironically and weirdly actually brags of, its being the most underfunded and understaffed school district administration in the state of Florida, said state being itself ranked 47th for its being among the lowest in the nation for its spending on kids. Madness! H-13 LITIGATION FILED BY UNITED TEACHERS OF DADE (revised 2) ACTION PROPOSED BY MS. RAQUEL REGALADO: That The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida: 1. Pursue action as follows: (a) Continue to seek appropriate legislative remedies, especially the elimination of the 1 % per month interest provision; (b) Seek remedies to close loopholes that allow continuing delays in the VAB hearing process; (c) Seek legislative change permitting school districts to budget at 95% of expected tax revenue rather than 96%; and (d) Seek to eliminate the two-year delay in the closeout of the final certification of the tax roll; (e) forge an agenda to ensure that a backlog is not recreated once the current one is cleared; (f) negotiate and enter into a contractual agreement with the necessary parties for the collection of property taxes which will set measurable expectations and consequences for failure to meet the same in the future. 2. Seek legal action as appropriate to expedite a lasting resolution to this matter. If legal course is recommended, the Board should be notified and legal representation from outside counsel considered. Rather than Speed up the Process and Get Money to the Students, the Mayor Underfunds the VAB. 28. The Defendant Mayor knows that the delay in the VAB process directly reduces the funding of the public education system. 29. As the County’s chief executive officer and head of the County government, Defendant Gimenez is responsible for preparing the County’s budget. The Mayor has a constitutional obligation to submit a budget that properly funds and staffs the processing of appeals of property valuation. 30. Instead, Defendant is underfunding and understaffing the Value Adjustment Board process, thereby increasing the delay in collections and reducing the funds received by the School Board. As a result of Defendant’s actions, Plaintiffs’ rights under Article IX, Section 1 of the Florida Constitution have been and continue to be abridged. 31. Defendant has caused Miami-Dade County’s VAB—which lacks consistent processing criteria and procedures—to be among the slowest and least efficient in the state. utd.org/news/teachers-sue-miami-dade-mayor-carlos-gimenez utd.org/file_download/1734/FINAL+Complaint+12+05+2014.pdf Dear Diversity Committee Board Members, Wow, what a chairman. We met, said hi and the next comment was not as much a comment as a simultaneous shared rolling of our eyes as I held the papers sent me summarizing ten years of recent committee effort. Here is where we are at; Veterans used to have to wait six hours in line, on AVERAGE every time theyd visit the veterans hospital and medical facilities in Arizona. Does anyone recall this? It is now a model system, and it took a Judge to fix. This is us - this is analogous to our failed school board and system. The judge may or may not give the school board (members) another chance, it is up to the judge. I would like to make this an easy decision for the judge, and it is to all of our interests that he or she come to a correct decision as well as to whether it is worth wasting the time bothering with the school board or not. I havent a clue. Our invitation is a demand, make no mistake, and it is not a threat, we have nothing to threaten with... it is an opportunity for them to hear us out and come to see the situation from our perspective. A Formal Suggestion: If they choose to continue to dismiss this diversity committee this is their choice and this action will become part of the judges determination whether or not to waste more precious time with them or to move ahead and put 21st century modern computers and technology to task in fully characterizing the status of the counties children as per the ORIGINAL intent of the original suit, but this time with an edict from the judge that the State bear the costs and none of the responsibility nor influence over the research needed to determine the educational, emotional, and health status of Browards children first, with no option of settlements that further keep this vital information from the public as to how their children have fared in the past twenty years since the suit. The issue of determining culpability can be put aside until this first thing is done. Demand the school board come not to speak to us, but to listen to us. Inform them officially by letter of our expectation of their attendance AS A GROUP, NOT AS INDIVIDUALS is my suggestion. Issue One VSY: The issue which originated our vote was one such stand-alone issue, the buying of special consideration in our schools - the VSY(?) situation. This issue shows clear responsibility of oversight, but not clear duplicity of the board. Issue Two A second was that suggested by Mrs. Price, if inadvertently. She made clear what a valid foundational basis it is to re-approach the Judge on the basis that all these years later the information detailing the mental, physical and educational status of our children STILL DOES NOT EXIST. Still! This is what Mrs. Price was saying, that we need to have consensus and that we need to have our ducks in a row and our papers in order before approaching a judge. Except that because the other side settled already, the lack of detailed evidence as to the past case is moot, so her experience where the original complainants went in unprepared, and her concerns about this happening again, are understandable - but it is a new day, and in a real sense, although the school board did succeed in suppressing the truth back then, this is not going to happen this time, at least not for this same reason. What a judge is looking for now is firstly, good faith evidence on the side of those looking out for kids and that were assigned the task of carrying out the courts request (1.5) - Are the diversity board and the school board good guys wearing white hats? Are the kids safe and well looked after as the result of the committee and boards efforts - or are our kids at risk due from said school board? It is not for us to decide - only whether the will of the court has been carried out, and it has not been and is not being is my take-away from our last meeting. Mrs. Price is correct that if we wished to initiate a brand new case that we would indeed be well-served to do it right this time and get everything in order... but this is not the situation.. the case has been filed and settled and what we are saying to the judge is that the school board and State have not met their obligations to the court or this committee nor their obligations to put children first above all other interests to such an extent that the only remaining remedy is to seek Judicial relief. I agree wholeheartedly that neither we, nor the school district, nor the courts, nor the State have all of the statistics and data to take to a judge... and which are needed and which were court mandated... Mrs. Price is spot-on right... sort of. Formal Proposal to Ask Judge the Following: It is precisely THIS COMPLETE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY and data that Mrs. Price spoke of, and which was promised our children by the courts and by this committee that DEMANDS a re-opening of the case - and not just re-opening, but to do so precisely so that the public can finally see where their children are educationally and otherwise and to guarantee that a settlement option not again be used to thwart this information coming out, I ask that we specifically ask that if the Judge opts to reopen the case that it be done with a specific amicus and/or whatever binding legal avenues are available to bar and block the school district and State from further inhibiting the generation of pertinent data on the status of our schools and its dispersion to parent and other stakeholders - in other words do what is necessary to block any possibility or option of settlement. Issue Three A further issue and reason for reopening of the suit also does not require additional information nor data, it is like robbing a bank and then publicly being recorded bragging about it and promoting bank robbery in general - there is a thing in the courts called sufficiency. There may be TONS more incrimination data and many more dead bodies laying about, but this becomes immaterial. Sufficiency means that there is clear evidence as to both a wrong having occurred and that it occurred with purposeful intent. There are a large number of sufficient items to bring to a judge that are stand-alone in that they require little to nothing in the way of additional briefs. As one with the States interests in limiting the share of the tax pie that our children are allowed to partake, all of the following entities have demonstrated that a willingness to put aside their sacred trust to look after our childrens needs above all else; the League of Cities; the School Board; and all the various School Board and Superintendent (front) organizations, and lobbyist groups supported by these (faux) organizations. There is no peer-reviewed study, not one, claiming that spending less on kids and having more kids in a classroom benefits kids in any way whatsoever, period. It is poppycock that their actions are for any reason other than protecting the States interests in limiting the most voiceless and powerless of its citizens access to their legal and moral due - It is Judge-time. Issue Four The school to prison pipeline is maintained by impoverishing our youth and the families of our youth through diversion of tax dollars out of their mouths, out of their health plans, and out of their schools and into the pockets of those that control Tallahassee and have nothing to do with the children of Broward county. Who decided that our citizens only wish to spend eighty-cents of every three dollars needed to bring our schools up to MINIMUM acceptable shape as determined not by some wonks opinion but by standard accounting and depreciation practices as employed by every other large company such as IBM, Google, or any other when estimating upkeep and facilities costs. The school to prison pipeline IS funding one-third of that needed. There was NOT a lack of transparency in how this happened - they brag about it - It was rammed-quickly down the throats of the public after first having been vetted and approved by a select group of self-appointed, not people-appointed, business and community so-called leaders. This calls for a federal investigation and future court redress. Large, medium and small issues all point to one broad pattern that need Judicial remedy. Sheer Number of Large and Small Issue Both Stand-alone Issues are Evidence of Large Broad Pattern of Intent and Acton: Issues Five, Six, Seven, Eight, .... etc. - Small issues make the real issue clearest best; the FAILURE TO PROTECT CHILDREN and to MEET THE Minimum PROMISES MADE IN THE SETTLEMENT TO THE COURT because large issues tend to be complex issues and this makes it easy for some persons to put aside their common-sense, their morality, and their rationality to embrace the idea that large horrendous issues such as those described above are somehow gray or a matter of opinion or interpretation. To the degree absolutely everything in the world is relative and nothing at all is black and white.. sure. But this is not reality - reality does say that once a bullet hits you in the forehead it is not a gray issue as to whether one is subsequently dead or not. No brain activity = dead. Period. No gray. Seriously!? - It costs an extra buck to split textbooks that are so large that they are emotionally and physically debilitating to children - and for twenty years we joke about back problems of our kids. We are the joke that we allow such insanity. - Seriously!? Our own diversity committee has been told that it is we that wants and that benefits from a 48 hour notice requirement before we make a site visit to schools.... and this makes sense to who? - Seriously!? Who are we kidding, none of these small things is gray and neither are the large things. The sheer number of these items does point to a clear pattern of decisions not being made with the best interests of the children to an extent that only Judicial intervention can remedy. Statistics for our kids, by state law, and as supported by our school board and its affiliations, can only compare to the worst counties in our own State if such comparisons are done - Seriously!? Data is kept on emails and the goings-on in our public institutions on everything and this transparency is diligently guarded as if it were keys to the Kingdom, which said transparency is, in truth - Said document are then summarily destroyed a mere 6 months to 2 years later - all tracks of managerial genius, or its opposite, safely erased - Seriously!? What have we wrought? After a second trial and all of the information comes out to the public so that we all know precisely and to the best of 21st knowledge and science how our kids are doing - then will come the opportunity for a court and judge to bring into effect one or more remedies - Ive sent a few such potential future remedies via email recently - these are not options for the judge right now due to our actions, but these will soon enough become options for judge as the result of our actions last week. To Mrs. Price - We on the board that voted affirmatively heard you and responded Mrs. Price - or at least I did, or tried to, I think and hope. Mrs. Pope, join us in the unanimity of which you so eloquently spoke, wont you please, and reconsider to cast a solid yes vote to stand up for our childrens rights to their due not just in money, but in the respect they deserve as children and are not now receiving adequately under our care, either money or respect. Onward to an ever brighter future, thanks to our kids, Michael Subject: Re: A suggested topic/invitation for next (emergency?) meeting of diversity board. Hello All, I would like to suggest that a next topic/invitation for our upcoming meeting should be for us on the diversity committee to invite the entire board to come visit us for a celebratory Polynesian Haka ritual. Perhaps we can reach an understanding based on the fact we are all on the same side - we all wish to do best by our positions and to do best for our children - so when our core common sense alarms go off and our minds start reaching for reasons... STOP... dont do it because I say to... do it because a Judge is about to tell us to rethink our core belief systems and what moral action is and demands... this is what Id like to say to each school board member... and could perhaps... were we to invite them. What say all (diversity bd mem.s) to inviting the school board to come to us? Yea, or nay? To an ever brighter future, thanks to our kids, Michael The Following is Not Edited... not even looked back-at, So if this bothers you... dont read it or feel free to correct, please:. Regardless of rationale or reason if the peoples elected and appointed school board puts State or other interests firsts, or acts out of pure ignorance and happens to consistently side with State majority party interests, when those interests go against the unspoken oath which it is hoped lack the judge may opt to remedy for just this reason, and said board has allowed itself to not adequately protect children that cannot speak for themselves and so when even one clear instance is found of this sacred obligation having been broken for any cause or reason or lack of reason then there is no recourse for a diversity committee whose only power is through its ability to communicate to an unresponsive and openly hostile to childrens best interests school board... then it is time to go see a judge as the only proper and sufficient recourse to reopen the case and bring equality of opportunity that is real and not false as is evidenced by the myriad dead body examples and individual instances where a decision was taken by the Sch.Bd or League of Cities or Org. of Sch Bds, or of Sch Bd Superintendent, all of these groups have a documented legal history of representing State and organizational interests over that of the children. Placing a 99th item onto the table as an example of a complaint regarding the school board does not mean that all 99 already there are suddenly devalued so each is only 1/99th of a dead body. No, no, no. There is no holding off on arresting a murderer based on the fact that most people murder three others on average, so since this fellow is only on number two, he can be let off... No, no, no... The LEAGUE OF CITIES... and the BROWARD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD both have come out in favor not just of averaging class sizes instead of mandating a minimum for all children but have the outright gall to LOBBY outright for it... enough of this madness. Let the Judge do what he will. Get it? No additional examples are needed, just ONE dead body, that is all one needs to know it is the State and not childrens best interests that are ruling the day - despite everyones best intentions, this is the reality of the situation and must be dealt with. THE POINT IS NOT THE ISSUE ITSELF.. the problem and point is that the CHILDRENS SACRED TRUST HAS BEEN BROKEN... this is evidence of it. Forget about the issue itself... it is that the School board and League are on the side AGAINST children and their decrying this and claiming otherwise simply makes it all the more clear how completely something or another is not working. There are NO PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES anywhere on this planet that I could find that to say that kids are better off with less attention and more kids per classroom. Find one and bring it to me. Simply saying something isnt black and white does NOT mean it is so... black and white do exist, as do simple right and wrong... there is no other side that is coherent or logical or true... it is all opinion and belief fueled by greed and self interest and the only acceptable interest is what is best for children - these people around us in Broward apparently believe our interests are best served, and we will be given more jobs by them they promise, once they are comfortably secure in knowing theybe gotten every last drop of divertable money in the form of taxes out of Broward as they can.... No our interests whose interests are court-mandated to be that of Browards children cannot accept one, let alone dozens of such instances indicating that the best interests of children are not being looked to adequately, for whatever reason. I would expect most judges will, prior to reopening the case, give the school board a second chance. I suggest we on the diversity committee invite the entire board to come visit us for a celebratory Haka ritual. Perhaps we can reach an understanding based on the fact we are all on the same side - we all wish to do best by our positions and to do best for our children - so when our core common sense alarms go off and our minds start reaching for reasons... STOP... dont do it because I say to... do it because a Judge is about to tell you to rethink your core belief systems and what moral action is and demands... this is what Id like to say to each school board member... and could perhaps... were we to invite them. What say all (diversity bd mems) to inviting the school board to come to us? Yea, or nay? PS: If there is a supposed legal issue or problem with this having the school board visit us, then this problem whatever it is, is a problem and Id like to know of it.Thnx. To an ever brighter future, thanks to our kids, Michael
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:40:37 +0000
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