Unfair Labor Practices... Again.
It seems that Seattle Public Schools is found to have committed unfair labor practices just about every year. When it happens the Board has to read a notice from the Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC) into the record at a board meeting and promise to be good. Then they go ahead and do all of the things they promised to never do again.
Well, it happened again. This time at Lawton. The original story is difficult to determine because the school district's narrative keeps changing, but the management action is a clear case of misconduct. They came down harder on an employee after the employee requested union representation. The allegation against the employee went from a complaint from a student, to a complaint from a teacher, to an allegation of inappropriate touching to an allegation of shaking. The district was going to act swiftly then wanted time for an "investigation", then said they had done an investigation, then said they had not done an investigation. The district, at no time, followed the procedures laid out in the collective bargaining agreement, or provided the union with required information, or fulfilled promises made following a previous finding of unfair labor practices by PERC.
While it might be understandable for a principal to occasionally violate some lesser known elements of the labor agreements, this case, like so many others, features violations of the rules by district officials in the Human Resources department. This is their business, and the bungling manner in which they conduct it is unforgivable. The culture of lawlessness in the District makes everyone not only ignorant of the rules, but contemptuous of them. And it costs the District dearly. Not only financially, but in the morale and loyalty of the staff and in their credibility.
Well, it happened again. This time at Lawton. The original story is difficult to determine because the school district's narrative keeps changing, but the management action is a clear case of misconduct. They came down harder on an employee after the employee requested union representation. The allegation against the employee went from a complaint from a student, to a complaint from a teacher, to an allegation of inappropriate touching to an allegation of shaking. The district was going to act swiftly then wanted time for an "investigation", then said they had done an investigation, then said they had not done an investigation. The district, at no time, followed the procedures laid out in the collective bargaining agreement, or provided the union with required information, or fulfilled promises made following a previous finding of unfair labor practices by PERC.
While it might be understandable for a principal to occasionally violate some lesser known elements of the labor agreements, this case, like so many others, features violations of the rules by district officials in the Human Resources department. This is their business, and the bungling manner in which they conduct it is unforgivable. The culture of lawlessness in the District makes everyone not only ignorant of the rules, but contemptuous of them. And it costs the District dearly. Not only financially, but in the morale and loyalty of the staff and in their credibility.
Comments
That was the 2005 example.
Same culture, different school this time.
I have interacted with SSD Human Resources on a daily basis for over 28 years now and NOTHING compares to the new low the latest crony's have dug for themselves up there now.
The department has tripled in size over the last 5 years, every one of them up there has gotten nice pay raises (a few at a time) while everyone else has been cut. Now the guys running it are getting 6 figure salaries and its an absolute circus!
Stanford used to pich the idea that everybody downtown should pick up their phone before the third ring.......these folks go months without responding to calls or any other external stimuli.
They make a mockery of folks that actually took pride in doing HR work and anyone else with actual credentials and are only fooling the public (and the Board).
Its just a good example of the District selling the "sizzle" and not the "steak".
Talk a good game but do the exact opposite.
Ignorance of the rules can be worked with. Contempt of the rules is a whole different problem. What happened to integrity? Here's hoping our new superintendent can recalibrate the moral compass used by his staff.
A Seattle voter
In case you haven't noticed, the new superintendent IS running this show.
We presume this is all OK with him.
Guess it worked ok in California.
THIS is ALL on him.
Instead, those that run the enterprise (in this case the Alliance and downtown power establishment) adopt a new, improved "brand" so that we all think reform has occured.
Banda was not brought here to change anything. Rather, he was brought here to make sure everything keeps running smoothly without further interuption.
MC
Guess what? HR has denied me that right and also stated that I have no right to appeal their decision.
I guess State law does not apply in SSD.
On another note I had a very nice chat with Rueven C about what SSD is doing to make all the money the State them disappear into the pockets of the oligarchy.
Salander
I SO hope you are wrong because things are definitely NOT running smoothly. In fact, things are running right into the ditch.
SPED Staffer
Banda's promise is that he will do nothing at all for 1 year. Then he will decide what to do. That sure sounds like status quo!
And look. We've now got an "interim" director, Stacey McGrath-Smith, reporting to an "interim" executive director, Bihoa somebody or other, - who is out of town for a few months but she now has a "sub interim" executive director, THorp, reporting to an "interim" executive director of curriculum and learning (or some other such meaningless title), Phil Brockman. No word about Marni Campbell who was "interim jobsharing" with Brockman. I guess it's an obvious show stopper to trot her out, so they don't!
Will the person who can make any decision please raise their hand? Or, raise their "interim" hand? Nope. Nobody can.
Does that sound like change? Nope. It does not!
-sped parent
Wake up and smell the culture of lawlessness folks.
Can anyone point out something that has improved since the new sheriff got to town? Besides better PR for the Times?
And as a BTW, I think Stacy McGrath-Smith should be offered the SPED director position. She is a bright woman who has been in the sped trenches and has kids in the SSD. We do not need a spendy national search for someone. That's just a delay tactic IMHO.
SPED staffer