We've Got Mail!

“In fact, it [the pamphlet for teachers] is done.” (Quote from Tom Gonzalez's comments at the board meeting on January 7th)

Dr. Lamb: Tom Gonzalez said the above phrase in his comments at the last board meeting. Could you ask him for a copy of the pamphlet he says "is done" on teachers' protecting themselves in Professional Standards so that you can review it? ldd

Thank you.

lee drury de cesare

Why is Tom Gonzalez in a snit over something you said about someone he knows? I have never understood this type of logic. Why be mad at someone for saying something about someone you know? We are all grown ups. That person can defend herself/himself. Tom does not need to dislike you because of the situation.

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Posted by Anonymous to Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch at 12:36 PM

I don't know what ails Tom. I think he wants to be a good person but misses the mark big time. lee

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post " Annual Dinner on the Grounds at the Drury Family...":

Bart has left a new comment on your post " We've Got M...":

Lee,

You say you also wonder at Gonzalez's resistance against the letter. I believe it is because he views it as a game, and he wants to win the game. My receiving the letter I want symbolizes my winning in his mind, and he does not want me to win. He wants to win.

Ironically, I have already won. I look myself in the mirror and know I have done what I believe to be right by myself, by the district, and for other teachers.

I am not sure he can do the same, in my opinion.

People who are motivated by an inner desire to do what is right and to make the world a better place for others like themselves are not ruled by their job or money or anything besides their personal values. They do what they believe is the right thing to do, not what is necessarily appropriate, legal, or obvious.

So I have won regardless of the letter. I have won my self-respect. I hope that Tom Gonzalez will learn this valuable lesson one day. All the money in the world and a job or keeping important people as friends means nothing at the end of the day. You want to die knowing you did what was right and knowing you helped others. Otherwise, there is no point in life.

He doesn't understand that the letter is a symbol. In the end the important thing was that I spoke about an injustice done to me and others and attempted to prevent that injustice from continuing by appearing at the board meeting. I hope some suffering teacher out there will see my appearance and that it may help him or her.

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Posted by Bart to Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch at 6:31 PM

Bart, you know more than I do. Tom's behavior astonishes me. But there has to be a reason for it. Pascal said, "The heart has its reasons that the reason does not understand." lee

Lee,

Your new posting hits the head on the nail. I never thought about these things you discuss.

But did Elia fire Mark Hart? I thought it was Lennard who had him fired. I thought Steve Hegarty was already about to take over when Elia took over.

Bart

I don't know; and I don't care. It's Lennard or Elia, the Bobbsie twins of cruelty. Lennard was not honorable, in my opinion; but my inference is that Elia is even less so.

If you asked for the information on the firing, you wouldn't get it. I recall only that Mr. Hart told me the personnel guy Valdez did the dirty work of summoning Hart to his office and informing him that it was taps for him, saying that things would "get ugly" if he didn't resign. These ROSSAC thugs have a tendency to talk like extras in B movies. So Hart resigned.

I wish he had said, "The hell you say. I am going out into the lobby to tapdance and hand out pamplets spilling the beans to one and all." Then you would have seen an administration mega-scamper to propitiate him. They would have promoted him and doubled his salary for his silence.

The ROSSAC stormtroopers keep all information that they can in lock-down, especially about their foul deeds. Knowledge is power.

Then Tom Gonzalez complains about the inaccuracy of "these blogs." He has refused to send me the information regarding his relationship with the board that I have asked for and that I need to be accurate and that state law says he shoul.

Accuracy, hell. Throw darts if they don't send you the information you ask for is my method.

I had to laugh at Tom's forlorn lament about "those blogs." When I got home, I started doing a buck and wing, singing, "Those blogs, those blogs, those damn blogs; now hear the word of the lord."

A school person told me months ago that the blogs would finally undermine the bullies of ROSSAC. I begin to believe him. lee

It boils down to the fact that Tom Gonzalez is a big baby. His attempt to talk the school board out of doing something ethical for an employee says it all. How mean spirited can one be? Yet he is holier than thou because you said something mean about someone he knows. You hit the nail on the head. He can be mean to people, but he can't take it.

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Posted by Anonymous to Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch at 12:41 PM

Tom does seem to arrogate to himself a superior position amongst us more ordinary specimens of humankind. If I were in my parlor psychology mode, I might pronounce him insecure. But since I am merely old and tough and mean when somebody spits on justice, I'll settle for saying that Tom needs to stand in the corner for at least an hour.

Bart has left a new comment on your post " Annual Dinner on the Grounds at the Drury Family...":

At the board meeting Tom Gonzalez made it sound like I was asking for something special by requesting the letter I did and made what I feel to be a comment implying I am a bit nuts. He told Doretha Edgecomb he did not think this letter would be a problem because he can't imagine another person wanting the letter. In my opinion, he was implying that I am crazy and only Crazy Bart would want the letter. I don't feel that is professional of Tom Gonzalez to say publicly about me. Besides, why wouldn't someone want a letter that was promised to him from the date of the meeting with Kipley and then promised again by Gonzalez himself? Most people simply don't have the nerve to keep asking for it, but they would still want it. I am not asking for a special letter. He should know that by now. I am asking for what I was told I would get in the first place. I think it is strange that Gonzalez says on the one hand that this letter would not cause the board any problems, because he doesn't think anyone else would want one, yet he doesn't think the letter is a good idea because employees should not get a special letter. If he doesn't think anyone else would ever want one, what is the problem with writing ONE then? It seems like he is talking out of both sides of his mouth and is not making any sense. To me it seemed like he was coming up with any side argument he could to convince the board against the letter. He's saying it is no big deal to write the letter, yet it is a big deal to do so. Strange. I consider that faulty thinking and logic.

I passed Logic (an elective) with flying colors years ago to my shock. I am a very emotional and artistic soul, so I did not think I contained much logic, but when I passed logic easily while others had trouble, I realized I can be very logical, and I often find that my thinking is much more logical than people I originally assumed would be more logical than I am.

Linda Kipley distinctly told me at the end of my meeting with her on June 2005 that the meeting ended satisfactorily and that I would be receiving a letter stating that it ended satisfactorily. She made it sound like it was a good letter for me to get, so I waited for it, and I received a horrible certified mail letter instead because I simply asked her to clarify her "reason" for investigating me in an email. That must have angered her, so I received a nasty letter instead of the one she said I would receive.

I want the letter promised to me from the beginning. Why shouldn't I want that? If his own child had been treated as I have, he would want his child to receive that letter. I am sure of this.

He also says Professional Standards in Hillsborough is a model for the state. If the head of Professional Standards lying to a teacher during an investigation is a model for the state, it shows us how low the state's standards for Professional Standards is.

He also states that the letter most people received would be, "Thank you and don't do it again." I have the letter Kipley sent me, and it is not a "Thank you...." letter. It is quite crisp and threatening, in my opinion, and it is not what I was told I would receive. He candy coated what people received by saying people receive a "Thank you and don't do it again" letter. In my 11 years in the district my meeting with Linda Kipley was the most unprofessional meeting I have ever experienced in my career. I find it absolutely shocking that he claims this is a model for the state. If it is, I thank God I am not in another county, but that doesn't mean this county doesn't need cleaning up as well. Apparently, all the professional standards offices need cleaning up big time in that case as well as whoever rates these departments.

Notice that the letter became the main point of conversation when I wanted them to also consider exit interviews. By having an independent person or group interview detainees in Professional Standards I think the department would automatically clean itself up. Whenever there are checks and balances, you have a safer, more fair, and more professional organization.

I actually think it is to the board's credit (at least Edgecomb, Faliero, Griffin, and Valdez who all spoke up) that the board wants me to receive the letter, so I can move on. That shows they are capable of compassion, and I do think that is the right way to go for the school district. I have thanked them via email. I still am not 100% sure I will get it, because I feel I have gotten the runaround for so long, but I hope that I have at least made them aware that there are problems that need to be looked into. I hope so. I don't want any other teacher to go through what I went through. That is my main goal.

If the district would stop viewing criticism as a bad thing and viewing it as a chance to improve the system, the district would see that the red pen markings on their papers help the district to get better.

There is an opera singer who is singing so lousy that it is shocking that she is performing around the world in high profile assignments. Her voice is falling to pieces. I believe she has nothing but "Yes" Men around her who tell her she is wonderful all the time. You have to have people around you who will tell you like it is. That is the only way to improve. The school district views your blog and your admonitions as a fight that they want to win against. Why don't they simply look into things and try to see if they can use your criticisms to improve? You are doing them a favor. You have to be cruel to be kind....that's the saying......



Posted by Bart to Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch at 1:12 PM

I too wonder at Tom's resistance to your getting this letter. lee