Public Information Negotiation Is an Art

The Administration Council of Trent Hems and Haws About Public Information

Anybody who sets out to get public information should dig in for the long haul. lee


Perhaps a non-standard policy with no definite procedure is the custom in this administration. Exceptions require citation if they are part of a valid policy. Otherwise it is not a policy. A policy is a definite course of action. Please tell me how many times lawyers instead of Ms. Kipley have crafted these end statements? ldd

-----Original Message----- From: Linda Cobbe [mailto:lcobbe@sdhc.us] Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 5:35 PM To: lee Cc: goader@eskay.com; FOY333@aol.com; 'Bart Birdsall'; Ken.Otero@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Dan.Valdez@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Lewis.Brinson@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Gretchen.Saunders@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Wynne.Tye@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Cathy.Valdes@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Connie.Milito@sdhc.k12.fl.us; David.Steele@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Gwen.Luney@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Stephen.Hegarty@sdhc.k12.fl.us; CANDY.OLSON@SDHC.K12.FL.US; CAROL.KURDELL@sdhc.k12.fl.us; JACK.LAMB@sdhc.k12.fl.us; MARYELLEN.ELIA@sdhc.k12.fl.us; SUSAN.VALDES@sdhc.k12.fl.us; APRIL.GRIFFIN@sdhc.k12.fl.us; DORETHA.Edgecomb@sdhc.k12.fl.us; JENNIFER.FALIERO@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Patrickmanteiga@lagacetanewspaper.com; genesiudut@lagacetanewspaper.com; Connie.mileto@SDHC.K12.FL.US; Gwen.Luney@sdhc.k12.fl.us; larry.mason@sdhc.k12.fl.us; phildra.Swaqger@sdhc.k12.fl.us; alice.loeb@sdhc.k12.fl.us; renalia.dubose@sdhc.k12.fl.us; davidschmidt@sdhc.k12.fl.us; jeffrey.bandry@sdhc.k12.fl.us; steve.vanoer@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Stephanie.tamargo@sdhc.k12.fl.us; steven.eichhorn@sdhc.k12.fl.us; michael.smith@sdhc.k12.fl.us; don.johnson@sdhc.k12.fl.us; mike.phillips@sdhc.k12.fl.us; chuck.fleming@sdhc.k12.fl.us; nancy.lind@sdhc.k12.fl.us; henry.washington@sdhc.k12.fl.us; jeaneen.down@sdhc.k12.fl.us; henry.ballard@sdhc.k12.fl.us; edward.mcdowell@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Karine.johns@sdhc.k12.fl.us; donna.leonard@hcsd.k12.fl.us; richard.parrish@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Sue.hindman@sdhc.k12.fl.us; steven.eichhorn@sdhc.k12.fl.us; goader@es-kay.net; 'William Birdsall'

Subject: Re: summary file on Steve Kemp missing

from Cobbe:
I don't think the timeframe is the reason. If an employee under investigation hires an attorney, the attorneys communicate on their clients' behalf. Just because a policy mentions no exceptions doesn't mean there are no exceptions. Linda E. Cobbe External Communications Manager Hillsborough County

Public Schools 901 E. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33602 813-272-4602 (O) 813-493-6964 (C) 813-272-4510 (F) Our mission is to provide an education that enables each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen.

lee writes:
I am glad to hear that those five files represented your belated delivery of the files requested on the other cases. I had asked for those files so long ago that I did not recall the request. I am glad to know that citizens' requests for public information stay active in your office until you fulfill them.



I look forward to the attorney's product that replaces Kipley's usual summary letter on the Kemp case,


lee writes:
Can you answer this question, please? Since the Professional Standards protocol you sent me said that Ms. Kipley drafts the final summary letter and mentions no exceptions, why is the board attorney, Mr. Gonzalez, doing the job in this case? Was Mr. Kemp's case in any way unorthodox so as to require legal language? An explanation from either you or him would be most welcome. An additional question: How many Professional Standards close-out files has the attorney written in the past two years instead of Ms, Kipley, and where in the administrative protocols may I read the rationale for this departure? Lee De Cesare



-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Cobbe [mailto:lcobbe@sdhc.us]
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:09 PM

To: lee
Subject: Re: summary file on Steve Kemp missing



The five files on other employees are not part of the Kemp file. You asked for the last five disciplinary outcomes; that's what those are. They are not connected to the Kemp case in any way, except that they were mailed to you in the same envelope.



Our attorney is preparing the final letter for Steve Kemp. I will send it to you when I get it.



Linda E. Cobbe

External Communications Manager

Hillsborough County Public Schools

901 E. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33602

813-272-4602 (O)

813-493-6964 (C)

813-272-4510 (F)



Our mission is to provide an education that enables each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen.




lee writes:

Ms. Cobbe: The file Professional Standards files you sent me for Steve Kemp's investigation for child abuse does not substitute for the summary record by Ms. Kipley that the rules you sent me about a Professional Standards investigations dictate must be part of the Kemp file.







An example of such cumulative file appears below. Oddly enough, Ms. Kipley's file on Mr. Kemp contains five such files referring to other teachers who have been investigated by Professional Standards, but no such file on Mr. Kemp. He is due one.







May I have the analagous Kemp summary letter from the Kemp file, please, to complete the file I paid for?



Thank you.







Lee Drury De Cesare



~



Hillsborough County PUBLIC SCHOOLS ~Uzg~n



Superintendent of Schools MaryEllen Elia



School Board



Carol W. Kurdell, Chair Susan L. Valdes, Vice Chair Doretha W. Edgecomb Jennifer Faliero



April Griffin



Jack R. Lamb, Ed.D. Candy Olson



Deputy Superintendents Kenneth R. Otero Daniel J. Valdez



General Manager of Professional Standards Linda A. Kipley



Gregg Wicktor



126 Silver Falis Drive Apollo Beach, FL 33572



On March 4, 2009, you met with me to discuss an investigation conducted by Dr. John Hilderbrand, Director of Accountability and Assessment. The investigation was conducted regarding a testing violation that was reported to the office of Professional Standards by Clyde Trathowen, Principal of Spoto High School.



Dr. Hilderbrand's investigation revealed that you provided your Integrated Science students at Spoto High School a semester exam worksheet that you admitted you constructed from the District semester exam. Specifically, you reproduced 60 of the 93 questions that were to be given on the exam.



When questioned as to why you provided your students with the exact exam questions on their study guide sheet, you stated that your students were behind, and you did not think it was fair to test them on content you had not covered in class. Due to your poor decision-making, the District was forced to construct a new Integrated Science exam, and delete the one you compromised.



It is a teacher's responsibility to pace the instruction of the subject content to make sure that those areas as outlined in the curriculum are reviewed with the students through the normal course of your instructional delivery. Your failure to provide your students the necessary content exposure to be proficient on the semester exam has deprived them of knowledge that is critical to their overall success as high school students.



As a result of your actions, you are required to meet with Mr. Trathowen or his designee, to review testing protocol for semester exams, MAP exams, FCAT, and any other State or District tests that you may be required to facilitate in your capacity as a classroom teacher. This meeting should take place before any District or State test is given for the 2009-2010 school year. Be aware that if this incident was not reflected in your annual evaluation completed for the 2008-09 school year, it will be reflected in your 2009-2010 evaluation.



You are hereby reprimanded for your unprofessional behavior, and any future incidents will result in a recommendation to dismiss you from employment. This letter will be placed into your personnel file on or after July 24, 2009. Florida Statute gives you the right to respond and any response you choose to make will be attached upon my receipt of it.



. Sincerely, ~



~ .



Linda A. Kipley



General Manager of Professional Standards



CERTIFIED MAIURETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED C: Daniel J. Valdez, Deputy Superintendent ~



Clyde Trathowen, Principal, Spoto High School /



Phil Carr, Assistant Principal for Curriculum, Spoto High School / Rachel Frierson, CTA representative .;



Department of Testing and Accountability /



Personnel file J



Instructional Services Center. 2920 North 40th Street. Tampa, Florida 33605 Office: 813-840-7128. FAX: 813-840-7186



School District Information: 813-272-4000. Web Site: www.sdhc.k12.f1.us


Perhaps a non-standard policy with no definite procedure is the custom in this administration. Exceptions require citation if they are part of a valid policy. Otherwise it is not a policy. A policy is a definite course of action.

Please tell me how many times lawyers instead of Ms. Kipley have crafted these end statements? ldd

-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Cobbe [mailto:lcobbe@sdhc.us]
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 5:35 PM
To: lee
Cc: goader@eskay.com; FOY333@aol.com; 'Bart Birdsall'; Ken.Otero@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Dan.Valdez@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Lewis.Brinson@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Gretchen.Saunders@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Wynne.Tye@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Cathy.Valdes@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Connie.Milito@sdhc.k12.fl.us; David.Steele@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Gwen.Luney@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Stephen.Hegarty@sdhc.k12.fl.us; CANDY.OLSON@SDHC.K12.FL.US; CAROL.KURDELL@sdhc.k12.fl.us; JACK.LAMB@sdhc.k12.fl.us; MARYELLEN.ELIA@sdhc.k12.fl.us; SUSAN.VALDES@sdhc.k12.fl.us; APRIL.GRIFFIN@sdhc.k12.fl.us; DORETHA.Edgecomb@sdhc.k12.fl.us; JENNIFER.FALIERO@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Patrickmanteiga@lagacetanewspaper.com; genesiudut@lagacetanewspaper.com; Connie.mileto@SDHC.K12.FL.US; Gwen.Luney@sdhc.k12.fl.us; larry.mason@sdhc.k12.fl.us; phildra.Swaqger@sdhc.k12.fl.us; alice.loeb@sdhc.k12.fl.us; renalia.dubose@sdhc.k12.fl.us; davidschmidt@sdhc.k12.fl.us; jeffrey.bandry@sdhc.k12.fl.us; steve.vanoer@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Stephanie.tamargo@sdhc.k12.fl.us; steven.eichhorn@sdhc.k12.fl.us; michael.smith@sdhc.k12.fl.us; don.johnson@sdhc.k12.fl.us; mike.phillips@sdhc.k12.fl.us; chuck.fleming@sdhc.k12.fl.us; nancy.lind@sdhc.k12.fl.us; henry.washington@sdhc.k12.fl.us; jeaneen.down@sdhc.k12.fl.us; henry.ballard@sdhc.k12.fl.us; edward.mcdowell@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Karine.johns@sdhc.k12.fl.us; donna.leonard@hcsd.k12.fl.us; richard.parrish@sdhc.k12.fl.us; Sue.hindman@sdhc.k12.fl.us; steven.eichhorn@sdhc.k12.fl.us; goader@es-kay.net; 'William Birdsall'
Subject: Re: summary file on Steve Kemp missing

I don't think the timeframe is the reason. If an employee under investigation hires an attorney, the attorneys communicate on their clients' behalf. Just because a policy mentions no exceptions doesn't mean there are no exceptions.

Linda E. Cobbe
External Communications Manager
Hillsborough County Public Schools
901 E. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33602
813-272-4602 (O)
813-493-6964 (C)
813-272-4510 (F)

Our mission is to provide an education that enables each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen.


"lee" writes:
I am glad to hear that those five files represented your belated delivery of the files requested on the other cases. I had asked for those files so long ago that I did not recall the request. I am glad to know that citizens' requests for public information stay active in your office until you fulfill them.



I look forward to the attorney's product that replaces Kipley's usual summary letter on the Kemp case,



Can you answer this question, please? Since the Professional Standards protocol you sent me said that Ms. Kipley drafts the final summary letter and mentions no exceptions, why is the board attorney, Mr. Gonzalez, doing the job in this case? Was Mr. Kemp's case in any way unorthodox so as to require legal language? An explanation from either you or him would be most welcome. An additional question: How many Professional

Standards close-out files has the attorney written in the past two years instead of Ms, Kipley, and where in the administrative protocols may I read the rationale for this departure? Lee De Cesare



-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Cobbe [mailto:lcobbe@sdhc.us]
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:09 PM
To: lee
Subject: Re: summary file on Steve Kemp missing



The five files on other employees are not part of the Kemp file. You asked for the last five disciplinary outcomes; that's what those are. They are not connected to the Kemp case in any way, except that they were mailed to you in the same envelope.



Our attorney is preparing the final letter for Steve Kemp. I will send it to you when I get it.



Linda E. Cobbe

External Communications Manager

Hillsborough County Public Schools

901 E. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33602

813-272-4602 (O)

813-493-6964 (C)

813-272-4510 (F)



Our mission is to provide an education that enables each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen.




"lee" writes:

Ms. Cobbe: The file Professional Standards file you sent me for Steve Kemp's investigation for child abuse does not contain the summary record by Ms. Kipley that the rules you sent me about a Professional Standards investigations dictate must be part of the file.







An example of such cumulative file appears below. Oddly enough, Ms. Kipley's file on Mr. Kemp contains five such files referring to other teachers who have been investigated by Professional Standards, but no such file on Mr. Kemp. He is due one.







May I have the analagous Kemp summary letter from the Kemp file, please, to complete the file I paid for?



Thank you.







Lee Drury De Cesare



~



Hillsborough County PUBLIC SCHOOLS ~Uzg~n



Superintendent of Schools MaryEllen Elia



School Board



Carol W. Kurdell, Chair Susan L. Valdes, Vice Chair Doretha W. Edgecomb Jennifer Faliero



April Griffin



Jack R. Lamb, Ed.D. Candy Olson



Deputy Superintendents Kenneth R. Otero Daniel J. Valdez



General Manager of Professional Standards Linda A. Kipley



Gregg Wicktor



126 Silver Falis Drive Apollo Beach, FL 33572



On March 4, 2009, you met with me to discuss an investigation conducted by Dr. John Hilderbrand, Director of Accountability and Assessment. The investigation was conducted regarding a testing violation that was reported to the office of Professional Standards by Clyde Trathowen, Principal of Spoto High School.



Dr. Hilderbrand's investigation revealed that you provided your Integrated Science students at Spoto High School a semester exam worksheet that you admitted you constructed from the District semester exam. Specifically, you reproduced 60 of the 93 questions that were to be given on the exam.



When questioned as to why you provided your students with the exact exam questions on their study guide sheet, you stated that your students were behind, and you did not think it was fair to test them on content you had not covered in class. Due to your poor decision-making, the District was forced to construct a new Integrated Science exam, and delete the one you compromised.



It is a teacher's responsibility to pace the instruction of the subject content to make sure that those areas as outlined in the curriculum are reviewed with the students through the normal course of your instructional delivery. Your failure to provide your students the necessary content exposure to be proficient on the semester exam has deprived them of knowledge that is critical to their overall success as high school students.



As a result of your actions, you are required to meet with Mr. Trathowen or his designee, to review testing protocol for semester exams, MAP exams, FCAT, and any other State or District tests that you may be required to facilitate in your capacity as a classroom teacher. This meeting should take place before any District or State test is given for the 2009-2010 school year. Be aware that if this incident was not reflected in your annual evaluation completed for the 2008-09 school year, it will be reflected in your 2009-2010 evaluation.



You are hereby reprimanded for your unprofessional behavior, and any future incidents will result in a recommendation to dismiss you from employment. This letter will be placed into your personnel file on or after July 24, 2009. Florida Statute gives you the right to respond and any response you choose to make will be attached upon my receipt of it.



. Sincerely, ~



~ .



Linda A. Kipley



General Manager of Professional Standards



CERTIFIED MAIURETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED C: Daniel J. Valdez, Deputy Superintendent ~



Clyde Trathowen, Principal, Spoto High School /



Phil Carr, Assistant Principal for Curriculum, Spoto High School / Rachel Frierson, CTA representative .;



Department of Testing and Accountability /



Personnel file J



Instructional Services Center. 2920 North 40th Street. Tampa, Florida 33605 Office: 813-840-7128. FAX: 813-840-7186



School District Information: 813-272-4000. Web Site: www.sdhc.k12.f1.us

Second Letter Ending a Professional Standards Investigation

Ms. Cobbe: The Professional Standards file you sent me for Steve Kemp's investigation for child abuse does not contain the summary record by Ms. Kipley that the rules you sent me that a Professional Standards investigation dictates must be part of the file.

An example of such a cumulative file appears below.

Oddly enough, Ms. Kipley's file on Mr. Kemp that you sent to me contains five such files citing the cases of other teachers who have been investigated by Professional Standards, but no such file on Mr. Kemp. He is due one.

May I have the analogous Kemp summary letter from the Kemp file, please, to complete the file I paid for?

Thank you.

Lee Drury De Cesare

~

Hillsborough County PUBLIC SCHOOLS ~Uzg~n

Superintendent of Schools MaryEllen Elia

School Board

Carol W. Kurdell, Chair Susan L. Valdes, Vice Chair Doretha W. Edgecomb Jennifer Faliero

April Griffin

Jack R. Lamb, Ed.D. Candy Olson

Deputy Superintendents Kenneth R. Otero Daniel J. Valdez

General Manager of Professional Standards Linda A. Kipley

Gregg Wicktor

126 Silver Falis Drive Apollo Beach, FL 33572

On March 4, 2009, you met with me to discuss an investigation conducted by Dr. John Hilderbrand, Director of Accountability and Assessment. The investigation was conducted regarding a testing violation that was reported to the office of Professional Standards by Clyde Trathowen, Principal of Spoto High School.

Dr. Hilderbrand's investigation revealed that you provided your Integrated Science students at Spoto High School a semester exam worksheet that you admitted you constructed from the District semester exam. Specifically, you reproduced 60 of the 93 questions that were to be given on the exam.

When questioned as to why you provided your students with the exact exam questions on their study guide sheet, you stated that your students were behind, and you did not think it was fair to test them on content you had not covered in class. Due to your poor decision-making, the District was forced to construct a new Integrated Science exam, and delete the one you compromised.

It is a teacher's responsibility to pace the instruction of the subject content to make sure that those areas as outlined in the curriculum are reviewed with the students through the normal course of your instructional delivery. Your failure to provide your students the necessary content exposure to be proficient on the semester exam has deprived them of knowledge that is critical to their overall success as high school students.

As a result of your actions, you are required to meet with Mr. Trathowen or his designee, to review testing protocol for semester exams, MAP exams, FCAT, and any other State or District tests that you may be required to facilitate in your capacity as a classroom teacher. This meeting should take place before any District or State test is given for the 2009-2010 school year. Be aware that if this incident was not reflected in your annual evaluation completed for the 2008-09 school year, it will be reflected in your 2009-2010 evaluation.

You are hereby reprimanded for your unprofessional behavior, and any future incidents will result in a recommendation to dismiss you from employment. This letter will be placed into your personnel file on or after July 24, 2009. Florida Statute gives you the right to respond and any response you choose to make will be attached upon my receipt of it.

. Sincerely, ~

~ .

Linda A. Kipley

General Manager of Professional Standards

CERTIFIED MAIURETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED C: Daniel J. Valdez, Deputy Superintendent ~

Clyde Trathowen, Principal, Spoto High School /

Phil Carr, Assistant Principal for Curriculum, Spoto High School / Rachel Frierson, CTA representative .;

Department of Testing and Accountability /

Personnel file J

Instructional Services Center. 2920 North 40^th Street. Tampa, Florida 33605 Office: 813-840-7128. FAX: 813-840-7186

School District Information: 813-272-4000. Web Site: www.sdhc.k12.f1.us

This Will Be Placed in Your File as a Reminder of Your Mortality and That We Can Fire You on a Whim

I recently received from Linda Kipley's office a file of Mr. Steve Kemp's investigation that lasted over a year in which he was on probation for his putative child abuse. Ms. Kipley included in the file hortatory letters sent to teachers reported to Professional Standards for what the administration chose to label professional breaches.

The thing that struck me about these files--besides Ms. Kipley's sending them to me when she knew they would appear on my blog---was that if you examine personnel files in the Public Affairs office, you never get any narratives of misconduct such as these reveal. The elves scrub the personnel files clean of all revealing information. I know this statement to be true because I have examined any number of personnel files in the Public Affairs office.

This circumstance leads me to believe that the school keeps two sets of files: one for show and one secret for the in-crowd.

The present instance of La Kipley's sending these files in addition to the Kemp file to me suggests that in this, as in all things, the administration is duplicitous. It does not want the public to know what is going on in the schools. Both the board and the administration I infer insist on this double-file system. They want to look good to the public and to hell with the facts.

If the administration practiced open government, there would be a record, for example, of Ms. Kipley's stormy exit from Hillsborough High School as principal before the administration gave her the Professional Standards job without competition instead of firing her as it should have done.

The scuttlebutt was that Ms. Kipley's history of lying was such that many teachers would not go into a conference with her without a recorder in their hands.

That the board brought this malignant personality into Professional Standards to reign over the lives of teachers and to use her hypertrophied power to make their lives miserable with false charges and cruel punishments that she never uses on administrators says something about how much the board and administration value teachers. It says they don't value them at all; they tolerate them to reap the money the state sends to ROSSAC on the head count of teachers' students.

The board, I believe, despises and fears teachers despite its members' saccharine praise of teachers on the board podium for political consumption. They know that parents value teachers, and parents vote, hence the false praise of teachers. When I asked the board several times to give teachers and students a settled slot on the board agenda, the whole gang looked at me as if I were mad.

I am convinced that if an inattentive community of voters woke up and became aware of the board and administration savagery to teachers--but not administrators--through the Professional Standards system, the voting public would hold the board's feet to the fire as it should on this continuing injustice to teachers via Ms. Kipley's savagery egged on by Ms. Elia.

Apparently the guy in this recital that I append below did something wrong: he spanked a child. Even if he did it with the grandparents' permission, the physical punishment was wrong; corporeal punishment exacerbates violence in a child. It does not abate it.

At least there was basis for the teacher's rebuke in this instance. There was none but a made-up charge in the first case that I witnessed involving a Professional Standards charge against Bart Birdsall. It had no reason except that the malignant power of a Professional Standards charge, Ms. Elia believed, would make Bart rein in his practive of sending emails from his home to the county library protesting the curtailment of gays' rights to library services to appease homophobes. Commissioner Ronda Storms got the hateful piece through the Commission. She's a gay hater.

There was also, I suspect, Ms. Elia's fear that if the fens-and-bogs homophobes at the county's periphery knew that a gay teacher could exercise his First Amendment rights on behalf of gays, this knowledge would madden them and make hordes advance on her office chewing tobacco, spitting, and wearing overalls. Their names would all be some generic of "Sonny Boy," and they would march with pitchforks and baying bloodhounds. Ms. Elia fears these types, this terror being the reason she wilted and did away with the holiday change that offended them a couple of years ago because they interpreted it as a diminution of Jesus's hegemony.

Ms. Elia hates bad publicity, and these primitives scare her on that front too. I myself do not fear such gentry. I was born in the little town White Oak, Georgia, where all of the men are named "Little Luke" or "Junior" or "Bubba" and are members of the filling station culture.

Another reason for La Elia's using Professional Standards to scare Bart was that she had just got the job and wanted to strut her power. She got the job not through merit but through the chicanery of the board, which lowered the academic standards for her and ignored her lack of experience. Board members didn't pick any of the excellent candidates that could have done a superb job of superintendent for the county schools.

I read the files for that hiring. Trust me. The academic world is my bailiwick. Ms. Elia was the least qualified of the candidates.

The board's provincialism and self-protection, with one board member's telling me that a certain candidate with the best credentials was "too uppity"--played its part in the wrong-headed selection of Ms. Elia for the job. And before that, the board had picked Earl the Pearl Lennard, in charge of torturing Mr. Erwin for asking Lennard to do something about crime at ROSSAC. After Erwin's request, people inferred that Lennard, other high-level administrators, and the board were benefiting from the crime thus wanted it to continue, and that greed was the reason they wanted the whistle blower run out of town. Instead of shutting down crime on campus, Lennard tried to make people think Mr. Erwin was crazy and then to fire him deprived of his pension. Then Mr. Erwin took the gang to court and won his whistleblower case and a settlement. The jury didn't believe a word the ROSSAC Liars Club said. The taxpayers paid for the administration and board crime with the settlement.

The board had blown $35,000 of taxpayer money on nationwide advertising to cover board members' selfish, irresponsible asses in hiring a person such as Elia to be superintendent, not because she had the best record among the candidates but because she would let the board members to continue to sit on the board as ceremonial potted plants between forays of running around town to various political hoedowns with tubs of tax-paid food for them to gobble.

Board members go to multiple events supposedly to advertise their soi-disant sponsorship of education, but the real reason is to eat, eat, eat. It's hog-trough fare on the taxpayers' dime.

We infer board gluttony to be the case by observing from the audience on board nights the torpor on the podium of board digestive systems taxed to the limit with processing rich food consumed far too often at these political hog-trough celebrations. We have also diagnostic opportunities provided when a fat board member waddles behind the podium upon a pretended potty break but really for a respite from the bruising business of pushing the green button for anything Ms. Elia says.

These paragons are the guardians of the community's children's safety. They don't look to me as if they intend to do diddly to have the toe-cracking assistant principal at King High referred to a psychiatrist to ascertain the basis of his fetish for boys' feet and determine whether his sicko activity points to the Freudian pedophilic psychosexual pathology of fear of castration with the feet as the substitute penis. I am sorry for the diction, but you can't discuss Freud without it.

Somebody in the administration and board must know about foot fetishism. We exempt Ms. Kipley because her home-ec training didn't include any intellectually rigorous fare. But reputable colleges and universities require a psychology course in the core curriculum. Somebody in the adminisistration took one to be sure. Why didn't that person speak up? He or she was afraid of being fired is why.

There are two on the board dais who have not spent a day in a college or university, and the others have academic-lite degrees from marginal institutions as far as I can tell. With such C and D students from Podunk U as board members who surrender their authority to Ms. Elia so that they can frolic in the public eye and gobble down tax-subsidized chow at community festivals, it's a wonder that things are not worse than they are.

More Kipley-provided teacher rebukes are on the way after the one below. I will end with the Kemp file. It will take me a while to scan in. lee




School Board

Carol W. Kurdell, Chair Susan L. Valdes, Vice Chair Doretha W. Edgecomb Jennifer Faliero

April Griffin

Jack R. Lamb, Ed.D. Candy Olson

~

Hillsborough Coun!y PUBLIC SCHOOLS ifzcelhtce Ut (ff~n

Superintendent of Schools MaryEllen Elia

Deputy Superintendents Kenneth R. Otero Daniel J. Valdez

General Manager of Professional Standards Linda A. Kipley


James P. Parker 2704 Varsity Place Tampa, FL 33612


On January 29, 2009, allegations were reported to the office of Professional Standards by the Child Protective Investigative Department that a complaint was filed with their office that you had "whipped" a student assigned to your classroom at Robles Elementary School. In addition, the Tampa Police Department was involved. During their [its: pronoun reference to "Department"] investigation into the allegations, you were removed from the classroom, [no comma: splits a compound verb]and placed on paid status until the District could review their [its: pronoun reference] findings.

Though the Child Protective Investigative Department and Tampa Police Department closed their case with no indicators, they did so only because the grandparents of the student indicated they gave you permission to "whip" their grandson. You openly admitted to the Child Protective Investigator that you whipped the student four times with an open hand because the student had been in trouble recently for fighting,[no comma: splits a compound verb] and was suspended for two days.

During our meeting on March 10, 2009, we discussed that even though the grandparents gave you permission to spank their grandchild, the School District does not approve or condone any corporal punishment given by teachers. It is your responsibility to create a safe and caring environment free from physical or mental harm. Your actions are considered inappropriate, [no comma: splits a compound verb] and will not be tolerated by the District.

On March 11, 2009, you were returned to your regular classroom duties with the expectation that you would conduct yourself as a professional. As a result, you agreed to accept a three-day suspension without pay. The dates that you and Bonnie McDaniel, Principal of Robles Elementary School, have agreed upon on [are] August 18, September 18, and October 9,2009.

In addition; you are directed to contact Chuck Fleming, Director of Teacher Training and Staff Development, at 840-7021, [superfluous comma: compound verb] and schedule an ["a": precedes a word that sounds as if it began with a consonant] one-on-one training in ''Professionalism through Integrity," the Code of Ethics, [Omit comma: "that" clauses are restrictive.] that will include an online component. Documentation of successful completion must be forwarded to the office of Professional Standards no later than August 17, 2009. [This writer overuses the passive voice, a practice that makes her sound weak and indecisive: "Your supervisor must forward..."]

You are hereby reprimanded for your poor decision-making. A copy of this letter will be placed into your personnel file on or after July 24, 2009. Florida Statute gives you the right to respond [comma: compound sentence] and any response you choose to make will be attached upon my receipt of it. Be reminded that a positive perception of you as an elementary [hyphenated adjective before a noun] school teacher by the community, parents, students, teachers, school administrators, and District officials is critical to your overall success as an educator.

Any future incidents of inappropriate physical contact with students will result in a recommendation that your employment be terminated. If you need assistance in contacting Mr. Fleming, do not hesitate to contact my office at 840-7128.

~~;j

LindaA.Ki~

General Manager of Professional Standards

Certified Mail/Return Receipt Requested

C: Daniel J. Valdez, Deputy Superintendent

Bonnie McDaniel, Principal, Robles Elementary School .;

Chuck Fleming, Director of Teacher Training and Staff Development ./ Personnel file j

Instructional Services Center. 2920 North 40th Street. Tampa, Florida 33605 Office: 813-840-7128. FAX: 813-840-7186

School District Information: 813-272-4000. Web Site: www.sdhc.k12.f1.us

Linda's Toe-popping Fetish

This reader made me laugh out loud. lee

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Toecracker Rides Again":

Maybe Linda Kipley wants her toes popped by that guy! They are probably all a bunch of perverts in administration!

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Posted by Anonymous to Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch at 8:00 PM

This toe-popping escapade has hit people in the funnybone. Here's another message that made me laugh:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Linda's Toe-popping Fetish":

That AP probably sneaks behind the school board dais and pops the toes of the school board members. That is why he is not being fired.

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Posted by Anonymous to Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch at 7:22 PM

Fighting on All Fronts: Public Information from the Sheriff

Hillsborough County Council of Trent School Board Convenes to Ponder Foot Fetishism

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
P.O. Box 3371
Tampa, Florida 33601-3371

7/31/2009

Dear Sheriff Gee:

As a citizen who takes an interest in the Hillsborough County School Board's activities, I would appreciate your help in understanding the puzzling outcome of the recent investigation of a King High vice principal for calling boys into his office and cracking their toes on the pretext of its being a rebuke for bad grades.

A teacher called me several months ago to report this activity that a mother of one of the boys had complained about, and I told him to take the problem to the state Secretary of Education, who, coming out of the school bureaucracy, in my opinion doesn't take a vigorous role in unorthodox matters such as this but who at least should know it is going on in the Hillsborough County schools.

The Child Welfare investigator kept to the physical assault implication of this act as did the State Attorney lawyer. Nobody mentioned the possible psychosexual implications of this apparent foot-toe fetish of the vice principal.

Foot fetishism is not esoteric knowledge. It is an ancient psychosexual disorder.

I recall reading about a case in Ann Landers.

All hands in the investigation, including Ms. Linda Kipley of the Professional Standards Office of the School Board, pooh-poohed the seriousness of the incident. The sheriff's investigator, A. Auzo; the child-protection supervisor, Iris-Valdez; and the Chief of the Child Protection Division, Robert Bullen, passed over these weird and disturbing events taking place in an administrator's office as if it were a joke.

I don't believe this repulsive, privacy-invading toe-cracking activity is a joke. Perhaps that is because I have nursed in psychiatric hospitals and read a great deal on psychosexual pathologies. I think the toe-cracking demands that the vice principal get a psychological assessment before the school board allows him to continue in his job if its members are as concerned about child safety as they repeatedly say they are.

Nobody in the chain of command had the care or the sophistication to suggest an evaluation of the toe-cracker. The board lawyer, Tom Gonzalez, must be familiar with the foot-fetish phenomenon but apparently said nothing.

One could not expect Ms. Linda Kipley to know about the psychosexual implication of this behavior since her academic training is restricted to a basic home-ec degree; hence, she lacks the intellectual and academic sophistication to recognize the suggested psychological condition that underlies the administrator's weird practice on students' feet.

Ms Kipley ruled that no further action was required when the Child Protective Services and State Attorney lawyer bumped the case back to her.

This response does not surprise those who have observed that the school board and administration have a history of using the Professional Standards office never to punish administrators for violations of Professional Standards but to punish only teachers for concocted Professional Standards violations or for embellishment of a trivial incident by teachers as excuse for a Professional-Standards charge against them to scare teachers to death about losing their jobs.

These faux cases act too as a warning to other teachers to deter teachers' comment on the way the board and administration misrun the schools.

If any of the administrators or board had cognizance of foot fetishism, they would remain mum, I believe. Their chief goal is to promulgate only public information that portrays the board and administration as godlike in their handling of the county schools.

I want to ascertain the knowledge base of the people in your agency who collaborated on this strange see-no-evil decision when children's psychological welfare is at stake.

Your biography says you received your degree in math. But even a math major has a core curriculum at academically standard colleges and universities that includes a psychology course. I wonder about the degrees that Mr. Bullen, Iris Valdez Corey, and A. Auzo earned as preparation for their jobs. I ask for their biographies, their job descriptions, and their salaries as public information so that I can determine why this case went through the responsible agencies' investigators and not one spotted the administrator's conduct as possible foot fetishism against which the school authorities and the child-welfare people should have protected the children against by ordering a diagnostic psychiatric evaluation for the subject administrator.

I want to review the public-information documents to determine whether I believe the children are getting qualified people in these important positions for which I expect to find that the public pays good salaries.

I look forward to receiving these data and will pay for copying fees.

Thank you.

Respectfully,

Lee Drury De Cesare

15316 Gulf Boulevard 802

Madeira Beach, FL 33708

tdecesar@tampabay.rr.com

leedrurydecesarescasting-roomcouch.blogspot.com

c: All Members School Board

Chief Protective Investigator Robert Bullen

Supervisor Iris Valdez-Corey

Investigator A. Auzo

State Attorney Office: Tampa

Governor Crist Committee on Child Abuse

Attorney General Bill McCollum

Patrick Manteiga

Paul Tash

The Toecracker Rides Again

Here is the Professional Standards report on the King High School Toe Cracker. I changed it from PDF, so it's messed up in some of the letters, but you can get the information nonetheless.


JUL-28-2009 05:47 From:VELA5CO 8132737315 To:813 2724510
School District of Hillsborough County

Professlonal Standards Department
InvestIgation Report
Incident Information:
Site:
Date oeclIned:

Dnte Reported:
Reported by:
Allegatlon(~):
Killg High School
9/1/07 to 4/6/09
517109
CPIAuza

Complaint alleges that Mr. Alege squeezes students' toes.
Employee Information:
Name: Olayinka Alege, Asst. Principal
•
ComplaInant InformatIon:
Nllme(s): CPI Auza
Victim Information:
Name(s): See HCSO Report
Witness Information:
Narne(s): See HCSO Report

HCSO Child Protection Inyestlgatlon Division Informlltlon:
ON/A CPI Investigator: A. Auza Ph# 627-2000 CPI Report# 09•076481
Findings: Some Indicators

Lnw Enrol•cernent Information:
N/A 0 Agency:k8:iHCSO OTl'D OTTPD OPCPD D Other: __
Officer: R. H~Jes Badge # 4036 Report# 09•25~ZI4 Charge: Battery
Referred: Dyes I8Ino Detective Name: Status: Unfounded

State Attorney Information:
I8IN/A State Attorney __ DivIsIon: 0 Felony 0 Misdemeanor Case# __I _
Pl"Ofessional Standards Infol•lIlatlon:
Professional Standards Investigation Conducted yes 0 110181
P.S. Investigator: M. Slltll_ Date Assigned: Sm09

Attn<:hmcnt.: i/.!& t8J noD o Statements U :Photos 0 Video 181 Other: HCSQ Report Page 1 of 2 P.3 JUL-28-2009 05:47 From:VELASCO 8132737315 To:813 2724510 P.4 Investigation:

On 5/7/09, writer received information regarding this case frOm CPI Auza. He advised that complaint alleges that Mr. Alege called students (male) in to his office to discuss their grades. He then tells them to remove theLr shoes and socks and squeezes their toes. CPJ Auza advised that he was at King High School nOw. CPI Auza advised that five stl.ldents said he mentors them. Wilen they get D's and F's, they remove their shoes and Mr. Alege pops their toes. One pop toe for every D or F. If grades are good, he will high.five them, On 5/11/09,

Mr. Alege was mirandized and did not give a statement. This incident occurred last school year. Four parents signed a Waiver of Prosecution. One parent wanted to pursue charges. On 5111/09, writer spoke with Deputy Hymes. She advised that she contacted the SAO and was told that the incident did not meet level of Battery. Sbe Unfounded report. On 61n109, writer spoke with CPl Auza. He advised that he closed his cuse with Some Indicators for threatened harm. No further information.

This report is being forwarded to Linda A. Kipley, General Manager of Professional Standards, for review and any action deemed necessary. Approvcd_~""""",~_Dl\tc r.ia8/O? APPl'ovcd-j:-,,=-;..;::,....o...-_Dntc ~/:t31-0j_ Approvcd, _____ Date ____ _ Appl"ovcd ______ Date ____ _ Page 2 of 2 JUL-28-2009 05:47 From:VELASCO 8132737315 To:813 2724510 P.5 If? fl, /I L Ii 6- ~ / I<'lr i:, .: ",'~JllN,EWQ}?JtENSE,Hi\lU)(JqPY GO HS200;Lis3714 AC~lV:i£iO~l1:-:" BATTERY ~:i BATTERV•STMI'LE Sex: Race Dole Muster Name Vlc!lmJlJV #3: Sex; __ Race: ...... Dat¢ ofbirlh : .,g ••• Linkage ructo ... Resident SI"tus : Resldenl Stntement tuken : YES Victim of: BATTlmy. 2 BATTERY-SIMPLE• COMl'L'ETED Victim'.s Relntionship 10 Offender: Acqunlnluncc Person's role: Suspect/Ofr # 1 Person's llame : ALEGE, OLAYINKA ADEOLU Victim to Offcnder L:EOKA Detlllls VlctlmJUV #4::1!!!~~ ••••••• (Cuse Specific " Milst.,' Nallle Vlct! Sex: Roce Dote -,,",_ .. - Linkage fuctol'S Resident slutus ; Reslden! Stalement token: YES Victim of: BATTERY.2 BAT'fERY.SIMPLE. COMPLETED Victim's Relationship 10 Offonder: Acquolntnnce Persoll's role: Su'pectJOrf II I Person's name: ALEGE, OLAYINKA AUEOLU Victim to Offender U:OKA Details Fof' PROGERS Monday June 1,2009 Pltgc: 3 of 9 JUL-28-2009 06:48 From:VELASCO 8132737316 To:813 2724510 P.9 ,1~1f~:{l!e8:i~~~~11~~~~IF GORS 2009-253 14 ACTiVJ;;/GPE BATTEHV - 2 UATTERY-SlMPLE VlctimJUV #S:~ ••• I!I ••••• ' (Cu.e SpeCific Information) Linkage factors Resident status:

Re.lport
at that Ume.
MRE attachment,
victim's statements
Document, INVESTIGATION
Author, 4036 • Hymes. Robin J
Related date/time, May-09-2009 0900

On 5/9/09 at approximately 0900 hours writer returned to Kin9 High Schoolto interview another victim, a teacher who overheard a
conversation about the £Ii , and the suspect, olyal'.nka
Alege. Upon arrival writer met w~ and interViewed student I •
and teacher . Writer 11180 met with Olayinka Aleg" and advj.sed
him of his Miranda r:lghts but he exerc:l.s"d his rights and d;,d not make a statement. Writer cont~cted Assistant State Attorney Bob Petshow to review the f"cl;s of this case.

Mr. Petshow. felt as though the facts oe th:l.s oall"
does not meet the c~iteriu for a battery chul;ge and chat this would be!
bet!::er handled through th" school board. .

.Based on the abov" this oase is
closed and unfounded.Dooument.:. XNTERVl:li:W-COMPLAl:NANT/VXCTIM
For: PROGERS Monday June 1,2009 Pngc: 601'9
JUL-28-2009 06:50 From:VELASCO 8132737316 To:813 2724510
lULLSBOROUGII COUN1'Y SHERIFF
. GENERAl:, O]<',FENSE HARDCOPY P.12 GO S 2009-253714 ACTiVE/OPE BATTERY-SIMPL• A\lthO:>:': 4036 -
suojeat:: FARBn:.
Hymes, Robin J
Related date/time: May-07-2009 1130

Under oathil ...... Ii .. a advised of being in M •• Alsge's office to discuss
~ eve,al occas~ons. I advised of one incident where M •.
Alc::ge mothC!r 1;0 discucc -. bad gr desk and hold up foot and. did. said at this time

Mr. Alege grabbed .... toes with his fingers and squeezed III toes. While
squeezing Mr. Alege aaid next time I will pop a toe for each bad grade youd
have. • said Mr. Alege let go of.-. foot anQ then told" to look at
.... grades on the oomputer. "aid~ had to lean close to Mr. Alege
in order to see the computer screen and that'" felt uncomfo.table being eoolos" to Mr. Alege. further advised that Mr. Alege did not hurt_
bul: _ did feel uncomfortaole. advised that this Occurred only once.
Document: I~SRVIEW-COMPLAINANT/VIC~XM
Autho.: 40 6 - J

Subject:
Related 009 1130
oe1ng Mr. Alege's 5th period student
assistant since .:rnnuary 09. a advised that _ had _ toes
popped by Mr. Aloge approximately 20 times with the most recent being on 4/6/09. said Mr. Alege has discussed _ grades with _ and when they nre bad • gets _ toes popped. _ also advised of an incident
where _ told Mr. Alege" would he1p~p something after !!"hool out
_ did not show up. sai.d Mr. Alege confronted _ the next day and
popped _ toes.

While popping ~ toes Mr. 1\lege told that maybe
next time _ w;.ll show up and listen. said Mr. Alege called to
the off ice during homeroom and popped" toes. ""id _ was not
sure why Mr. Aleg" pOpped _ toes this time but it hapPpens often so_
just gives Mr. Alege foot.

For: PROGERS Monday June 1,2009 Page: 70f9
JUL-28-2009 06:50 From:VELASCO 8132737316 To:813 2724510
. IULl5SBOROUGIl COUNTY SHERIFF
. . G]BNJllRAL OF.FEN8E HARnCOPY
P.13
GO HS 2009-253 14 BATTERY - 2 BATTERY-SIMPLE
Document: INTERVIEW-COMPLAINANT/VICTIM
Author, 4036 - Hym:S. Rob~n J
Subject:
Related date/time: May.07-2009 ll30

Under oath ~dvieed of weekly or bi-weekly mo<:>cings with Mr.
Alege where they would discuss _ grades. said if _ bad grades Mr.
Aleg.. would tell _ to remove __ shoe and. would pop" toes by
pulling the toe outward and slightly down. advised of this happening
to _ more than twice. alao advised that'" was present when_
friend, had -. toea popped by Mr. Alege. odd _ J'elt as
though Mr. Alege' a toe popping was a fo:.:m of punishment and that _ ul!luaUy
laughed about the situation with said Mr. Alege would give
the students snacks whether they had bad 0:': good grades and would :.:ewa:.:d
the students with improved grades with donut~ or SOme other snack.
Document: INTERVlEW-COMPLAINANT/VICTlM
Aueho:.:: 4036 - Hymes, Robin J
Subject,
ll."lated date/time: Mey-11-2009 0900 .,
Under oath advised that. is currentl.y being mentcred by_
assistant prinCipal. OlaYinka.Alege. S advised that at the be9inning
o,f. the year Mr. A:tege caned into the office to discuss a couple of bad
grades. After diSCUSSing the 9rades Mr. Alege told -. to remove a shoe.

After removing ~ shce • ' said _ was d;i.rected to put _ foot into
Mr. Aleg"'•.8 hand. At this time said Mr. Aleg" gently pulled_
toes out and down and told _ to bring" grades up. • 8aid chis
occurred ,approximately three times and that _ WaS never hurt by this
action., further advised that. just thought this was some sort of
weird father and son thing between" and Mr. Ales". also advised
that nowadays when told to remove __ shoe _ tells him Mr. Alege no and
tehat _ wiJ.l bring up" grades. provided no further information.

Document; INTERVIEW-WITNESS
Author: 4036 - Hymes. Robin J
SUbject:
Related dote/time: May-OB.2009 0900
Under oath. (a teacher ~t King High sohool) advised that On
Wednesday, 5/6/09. while in his homeroom class he overheard students
ti:llJd.ng about how Mr. Alege pulls ahment. a F said
h", ,,:1,60 heard the s menti as one of th" students having
... toes pulled by Ml:" .. ~~.~.::~ approached and the
atol:"Y was confirmed. ~ GQ~~U provide no further information.
For: PROGERS Monday June 1.2009 Pugo; 8 or9
JUL-28-2009 05:51 From:VELASCO 8132737315 To:813 2724510 P,14
,'" ' , .', .', ")m;l~JoSnQlU)UGH CpUNrI;Y SHERIFF
, ' ". ,c:",,:,, ':"G]':~¥w QI.WJjlNSE ,11A;JtJ)OQ'PX ,
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