Folks: I just got a call from Ms. Chachere about our Thursday meeting with the Tribune publisher.

She said we have to stick to the 3:30 time. So come and get there when you can. If you are late, so be it.

Ms. Chachere said that if there are people who can't get there at 3:30, then the publisher would make another time for them. She said that the TRIBUNE WANTED TO BE IN TOUCH WITH TEACHERS.

That thrilled me but did not surprise me. Teachers are too modest to acknowledge how much the community values them---including newspapers. People feel affection and reverence for teachers.

The board and Ms. Elia have beat down the self-esteem of the teachers so thoroughly that they have mistakenly taken that bad treatment for the opinion of the community. Teachers have to take the treatment from the board and Elia for what it is: an attempt by what is the back-up team for teachers to take over as the main team. They are envious of teachers' legitimacy in the education process as opposed to their parasitic status.

The truth is that the community's opinion is high of teachers. Teachers must accept that esteem and tap into the strength of the fact. It will arm them to fight for their rights and not roll over.

We will appoint one of us to act as liaison from now on with the Tribune. Tell me who you think it should be, and I will maneuver the arrangement. Then we want that person to get his or her face in the memory of the Tribune contact person and to stay in touch with that person. I think the contact person is Ms. Chachere. This person will be the lobbyist for teachers at the newspaper and won't let the contact go dry. He or she will keep in touch with the Tribune liaison. You can't teach students the dangling participlial with one lecture; you have to keep repeating it. The same principal works here.

Ms. Chachere told me that Marilyn Brown might be present but that Brown is news, and Palmer's side is opinion. I hope that we might get an editorial out of this meeting now or in the future about teachers' view of the board and administration. Our goal is to feed the data about teachers' concerns to the people at the newspaper that can let the public know about the real situation in the schools. That is what the board will respond to especially. They are politicians and want to get re-elected.

I think this situation looks better and better.

You have the data on the meeting time--as close to 3:30 as you can make it-- so do what you can to get to the meeting as fast as you can. I will be there on the dot at 3:30, so we will have at least one person present.

There will be other meetings. I will see that the contact dynamic gets in the pipeline.

Tomorrow night at the board meeting, I have signed up for comment on administrative appointments (302); SACS (519); 801a (Gonzalez is approving that awful preamble that Polegirl Falliera reads at the beginning of the meeting. I want to comment on how it violates Free Speech ask that they get a ruling from the Attorney General. If one board member cares a fig about Free Speech, she will immediately ask the attorney to do just that. If they won't, I will. I have got an AG ruling before.), and I shall high-step in the audience finale, of course.

I don't know whether I will be arrested by the machinations of Pole Girl and her beau Jolly Green Security Giant; but if I am, remind my old man to bring my tooth brush and Dior Moisturizing Creme to the jail so that I can keep my complexion dewy; and go to the Thursday meeting without me and and do your best job ever.

Things are looking up for teachers in Hillsborough County. lee