MDUSD Celebrate Dick Allen and Paul Strange

Celebrating Richard "Dick" Allen and Paul Strange

See invite

Please join the MDUSD Board of Education in honoring and celebrating Dick Allen and Paul Strange for their "Years of Service" on the Board of Education. November 29, 2010 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Dent Center, Board Room 1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord

You may RSVP or enter messages for the outgoing board members HERE.

Questions: Contact Loreen Joseph at 925.682.8000 ext. 4000

Message from the MDUSD campaign trail - Jeff Adams

Thank you to Jeff Adams for coming here to introduce himself. Again, I'm hopeful candidates who post here will come here to answer your questions if you post them in the comments. If you are a candidate who would like to have a post of your own - email me mdusdparents@gmail.com

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a post to your readers. Here is a report of some recent activities.

This past Thursday, I attended the critical MDUSD Board of Education meeting concerning expenditure of the first $65 million or so of the Measure C funds. Of the candidates running for the MDUSD school board, only Linda Mayo and I were present. Four contractors are competing for a solar panel installation contract, an important plan of action was presented in connection with the requests for proposals each submitted, and financial projections were disclosed. In sum, there are a web of complexities connected to this project and, in my view, it is imperative that board members and candidates remain informed and involved in Measure C oversight.

I am also a founding board member of the United Mount Diablo Athletic Foundation which was formed to save after-school athletics in our school district after the Board of Education voted last year to cut ALL funding of after school sports. Last year, we raised over $100,000 in our 5-K run and substantial work has been accomplished for the event this coming year. We again ask for the support of the community in connection with our second annual 5-K run scheduled on October 10, 2010 at Newhall Park!

I have been privileged to meet with, and been endorsed by, many in the community in the past week or two. This includes Mayor Hank Stratford of Clayton, Mayor Sue Rainey of Walnut Creek, Concord City Council Member and former Mayor Bill Shinn, Bay Point Council member Gloria Magleby, MDUSD school board members Linda Mayo (Pleasant Hill), Dick Allen (Concord)and Sherry Whitmarsh (Concord), eight MDUSD school teachers, two retired MDUSD school teachers, a retired teacher for the County Office of Education, members of the Community United for Excellent Schools, parents and other community members from Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Concord, Walnut Creek and Bay Point areas. It has been a pleasure to meet with these folks and an honor to receive their endorsements.

This evening, I intend to meet with individuals in support of MDUSD music programs. As some of you may know, I help form the Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation last year, created to seek grants and other financial assistance in support of music programs in MDUSD given the music funding cuts in our school district.

Tomorrow evening, I plan to first attend a portion of the Clayton City Council meeting at which a "Do The Right Thing" resolution will be considered. This resolution stems from meetings of representatives (both administrators and faculty club members) from Mt. Diablo Elementry, Diablo View Middle School and Clayton Valley High School, along with leadership from the Clayton Business and Community Association, the Clayton Police Department and other community members to encourage responsibility, respect kindness, self-discipline, integrity and courage in the lives of our youth.

I then intend to participate in part of the Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education Restaurant walk.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to post.

Jeff Adams

P.S. from MDUSDParents: Jeff Adams also has a website:  http://electjeffadams.org

MDUSD Candidate Forum Air Date Schedule

Times Politics Reporter, Lisa Vorderbrueggen, moderated a candidate roundtable for candidates in the MDUSD Board race.

For MDUSD , there is a replay tonight. Check out the air dates for all the local races they covered HERE.

Mt. Diablo Unified School District — Contra Costa TV Channel 27, Astound Channel 32 and AT&T Channel 99: Sept. 2, 9 p.m.; Sept. 6, 9 p.m.; Sept. 9, 7 p.m.; Sept. 12, 10 p.m.; Sept. 20, 9 p.m.; and Sept. 26, 10 p.m. Walnut Creek Comcast Channel 28, Rossmoor Channel 26, Astound Channel 29 and AT&T Channel 99: Aug. 30, Sept 3, 6, 10, 13,17, 20, 24 and 27, Oct. 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25 and 29, and Nov. 1, 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Concord Channel 28: Aug. 28, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Aug. 30, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Aug. 31, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sept. 1, 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

After Labor Day it will also be available online (which is a good thing if you're a Directv subscriber).

You can also check out her recap here.

She notes, in part, the following about the MDUSD race:

BUYER'S REMORSE: Mt. Diablo School Board candidate Jan Trezise surprised everybody during her on-air closing statement when she said she was so impressed with the quality of other candidates that she had decided at that moment to drop out of the race.

What viewers don't see on camera is her request right after the show to have her statement removed.

Sorry. We do not edit candidates' closing statements.

So, is Ms. Trezise interested in being a board member , or not?

MDUSD Tuesday: $3 million cut , decision on secretaries postponed

Theresa Harrington of the Contra Costa Times was at the meeting tonight and has posted her report on the outcome.

Mt. Diablo school board approves about $3 million in cuts

It seems they may be going back to the "drawing board" on the decision to cut 23 office secretarial positions across the district. The plan to cut 5.5 million tonight, ultimately resulted in just 3 million. More cuts are planned for the February 9th board meeting.

I'm starting to hear more and more rumblings of a "walk out," or a march on Sacramento. It's hard to believe there's not a better way to deal with this crisis at the state level. Leave the kids alone.

Change is only 4 letters long

V - O - T - E

Vote for Gary Eberhart and Sherry Whitmarsh for CHANGE in the MDUSD!

www.ChangeMDUSD.com

Remember, though you see alot of signs around, SIGNS DON'T VOTE! Get out there, get involved in some of the activities coming up to show your support for change (including the teacher event today, more is coming in the next couple weeks). Tell your friends, family and neighbors why they need to care about this election.

Signs graphics from: http://myyardourmessage.com

A District in Crisis - What can you do?

Start by reading the open letter written by MDUSD Board Member, Paul Strange. You can find it at http://www.mdusd.net/. There are many of us working hard for change. We can't let up and we need to ramp up our efforts to tell our fellow MDUSD friends and family who we are voting for and why. For many that choice is simple: GARY EBERHART AND SHERRY WHITMARSH.

So read up:

Time for Action - Mt. Diablo in Crisis

Mt. Diablo Unified School District is at a crossroads. We have the opportunity to change the future for Mt. Diablo right now. If change does not occur in this election, the next opportunity won't occur for two years and change will be delayed further. In my circles (and probably in your circles), the need for change is obvious. We have myriad problems. Terrible employee morale, failed policies regarding compensation and benefits, incompetent leadership, a total lack of accountability, a board majority who gleefully follows the orders of the Superintendent, serious budget issues, millions of dollars spent without board approval, a district culture that promotes loyalty to the Superintendent above the needs of our students, an administration in denial of the real problems in our district - these are just some of the problems. Click to see the rest

If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything . . .

If we break down this quote, could it mean the following?

1. If you stand for nothing - you have no strong beliefs of your own about important issues.

2. You'll fall for anything - you may accept ANY ideas because you have none of your own in which to base your conviction.

So what about the status quo? Is that in the "fall for anything" category? Are you ready to accept keeping things the same because you just don't know enough?

The point of this post is to draw your attention to one of the MOST important elections in MDUSD history. If you don't know that, we want to educate you. Have you talked to a candidate? Would it surprise you to learn that you can just pick up the phone or send an email to any current board member? (two of which are running for re-election) I, personally, have tried to email April Treece and I have not warranted a response. Not even an automatically generated "I'm busy" response - nothing. I have heard back from Gary Eberhart and I've heard back from Sherry Whitmarsh. Both Gary and Sherry are responding to questions at http://mdusdelect.blogspot.com.

Did you see Mister Writer's blog post yesterday? If not, it really is a must read and is being circulated amongst teachers. ( Stand Up and Be Counted Before It's Too Late )

Parents, OUR TEACHERS (thru their union, MDEA) are supporting Gary Eberhart and Sherry Whitmarsh for school board. Please, get involved. Let's make this district better. There will be some upcoming "meet the candidate" meetings around our district, so stay on the look out for notices of those meetings, and get educated. Let's not fall for anything. Let's stand united for WHAT is right!

MDEA got it wrong? April Treece a "successful" board member

So MDEA has it wrong - so says Judy Moon of Clayton in her commentary published tonight on CCTimes.com. You can see it HERE.

Ms. Moon explains:
"In the November election for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District Board of Education, MDEA has chosen not to endorse April Treece, a longtime and successful board member. Based on her personal record and performance, their choice is not in the best interest of students or the school district. "

"We all deserve to have ethical support possible by individuals willing to stand for what is wrong, willing to risk for what is right and openly demanding a standard of integrity from those who speak for us."


Stand for what is wrong? Maybe that is what IS wrong.

Just as Ms. Moon suggests, I too challenge you to research Ms. Treece's record and base your choice on what she has done. (or not)

I will do just that . . . and I would urge a vote in November for Gary Eberhart and Sherry Whitmarsh to drive this district forward - in the right direction. To stand up for what is RIGHT. See their campaign statements here: http://mdusdelect.blogspot.com/

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New blog for MDUSD Teachers

A new blog has been spawned for the MDUSD teachers.

"MDEA Teachers Speaking Up" has been started by and for teachers as ". . . a forum for information, sharing our thoughts on the upcoming election, contract negotiations and other issues."

Find the blog HERE and get your voices heard by your MDEA leadership and fellow teachers around the district.

Board Meeting tonight LIVE on webcast!

Thanks to Paul Strange, MDUSD board member, we will be able to watch tonight's board meeting live on the web. Tune in at 7:30pm to http://www.mdusd.net/ and watch the meeting being streamed LIVE. Next, let's work on getting a call in question and comment system!

From Paul:

"Typically the district broadcasts on KVHS, but only until 10:00 and not in the summer. The broadcasting equipment for tonight is just one of my desktops and a webcam. This solution is zero cost to the district. It is still in “beta” and I am using a new broadcasting service tonight so bear with me if there is a problem. The webcast will be on the mdusd blog (www.mdusd.net or http://mdusd.blogspot.com) starting at 7:30."

Thanks Paul! We appreciate the time it takes you to think of those of us who can't always make it live to the meetings ourselves.

"Stirred up, but unchanged . . . "

Jackie Burrell's blog post at the Contra Costa Times about the MDUSD today is sure to evoke some strong responses from those involved in this very contentious issue.

From aPARENTlySpeaking:
"Despite massive financial issues and administrative snafus, a no-confidence vote by the teachers union, a call for the superintendent to resign by two trustees, a parent petition for ditto, and a secession attempt by some of the district’s highest ranking schools, nothing has changed."

One has to wonder what the Superintendent is thinking. I was emailed a little while ago by a "MDUSD Mom" who asked the following:

"Is this really the legacy Mr. McHenry wants to leave for himself here at the Mt. Diablo School district? Does he really want to be known for this? He's overstayed his welcome, resistance to his leadership and to his tenure has grown exponentially and its time for him to do the right thing. I was at the last board meeting, and his smug indifference to those asking for his resignation was very disappointing. He will not be resigning is all he really said. When only your hand picked administration and 3 wayward board members are the only ones wanting you to stay, you have to wonder. Leave already. What is April Treece, Linda Mayo and Dick Allen thinking? They were elected to serve US, not HIM. They were elected to hold HIM accountable. Where is that ? They were elected to care about what WE think and instead they are defensive and in full on defense of McHenry. That is not their job. They are failing miserably. They should be recalled. Thanks to the blogs, many of us parents know a hell of a lot more than we did before and I don't suspect this will die out. The movement for change is growing, and is like a train running downhill, its only gaining strength and I applaud those at the front lines. Keep it going, keep the pressure on, and Mr. McHenry... do the right thing for this district and step down peacefully and without a big buyout. If its truly about the kids, you'd show them responsibility and honor right now. You can't make it right. Stop pretending as though you are trying. "

So, it is with that , that we say that anyone looking to better this district, end the mistakes, balance the budget, stop the financial bleeding, change the culture, rally morale and keep our top notch teachers - you must support Sherry Whitmarsh and Gary Eberhart for School Board in November. April Treece must be replaced. You can read about Sherry HERE.

And as Jackie Burrell so aptly put it related to Sherry, she ". . . is no vanity candidate. "

REMINDER: Meeting with invited guests

Reminder:

Saturday
June 7th, 2008
2pm - 4pm
Skipolini's Pizza
Downtown Clayton

Come meet with invited guests, MDUSD Board members, Paul Strange and Gary Eberhart. Gary and Paul will be on hand to answer MDUSD questions and to provide an open forum discussion on what is happening within our district. So bring your questions and concerns - and tell a friend too. All concerned community members, teachers and parents welcome.

"There is a growing mutiny on your hands Sir . . . "

". . . board members, teachers, parents. So no matter how you arrange the proverbial deck chairs, the ship is sinking with you at the helm."

That is just a snippet of one speaker from the board meeting on Tuesday night. Paul Strange has uploaded the audio of the board meeting at the MDUSD site HERE. If you want to hear the public comments only, including the entire speech of the gentleman quoted above, he's also offered a link to the public comments only.

For anyone not real sure what is going on, or not convinced a resignation from McHenry is what we need, please listen at least to the public comments. Its only about 10-15 minutes of your day and will be worth every one of those minutes.

Some other craziness that was mentioned on Mr. Writer's blog happens around:

18 minutes for April Treece's "voracious reader of studies" comment as she passes around a book she wanted the board to read plus her corporate speak regarding terminology around strategic planning processes. My question is that if there is a strategic planning book on Mr. McHenry's bookshelf, why hasn't he read it?

20 minutes for Gary Eberhart's request and April's response related to Gary's district website contact information.

Around 1 hour 16 minutes. You'll hear the Superintendent's report, and his assertion that "I won't be resigning, just for the people who have asked me to." He notes clearly the board will have to make that decision.

Clayton Community Meeting (MDUSD) - Saturday JUNE 7th

All are welcome to attend an informal meeting for the entire community interested in what is happening at MDUSD. School Board Members Gary Eberhart and Paul Strange have been invited to speak and participate in this Q&A session open to parents, teachers and all concerned community members. (All are welcome, not just those in Clayton.) Below is the text of a flyer being circulated to parents (if you'd like a copy of this emailed to you so you can pass out to parents please email: mdusdparents@gmail.com and, tell a friend!) :

Community Meeting
Mt Diablo Unified School District
School Board Members
Gary Eberhart & Paul Strange

· Concerned about your child’s education?
· Questions about highly qualified teachers?
· Concerned about the current leadership?

Saturday
June 7, 2008
2:00-4:00pm
Skipolini’s Pizza
Clayton

(Thanks to Skipolini's for allowing us the use of their patio during their closed hours. We appreciate it!)

Board Meeting Running Late ?

Hi all, are you at home listening for the board meeting like I am? Its 8:00pm and it seems they are running behind in their closed door session? Must be a good one! I called KVHS to be sure it wasn't a technical difficulty but they are standing by. GOOD JOB KVHS!

That means its not too late to listen in if you're just getting here:

http://www.kvhs.com/main.htm


Update: Well, its 8:45pm... still no meeting on KVHS... maybe I'm the only one listening ... :)

(will probably have to see how it ends up in the morning!)
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Having a little extra time on my hands this evening, I added a new widget to the side bar over there ------> to show some recent comments. Hope you find it useful. Its especially nice when folks comment on older posts, it keeps the conversation going.

Meeting REMINDER Tonight 7pm

Don't forget the MDUSD Community Meeting at Mt. Diablo High School tonight at 7pm for the Mt. Diablo High School feeder pattern schools.

We hear teachers are being asked to make signs and attend the meeting to highlight the fabulous things our teachers do on their own time - for free! Since this is Teacher Appreciation Week at many of our schools please think of the the extras our teachers do outside of school hours (lesson plans, copying, correcting, special events, carnivals, book fairs, fund raisers, communication, report cards, progress reports, phone calls, emails, classroom prep, tutoring before and after school, school site/district meetings, attending PFC/PTA meetings and much much more!) I know at my school sites teachers have (on their own time) helped start gardens, helped weed and beautify the campus, install playground equipment, helped coordinate art and science fairs and even have to sometimes take their lunches or after school time to help some kids serve detention!) Thank a teacher this week, even if it isn't your own....

Thank you for all you do for our kids! Your efforts are appreciated every day.

Wow, its been a BUSY last couple of months

In case you haven't noticed, there is a lot going on in our school district, and I thought I'd use this opportunity to do some recapping and referencing some timely posts on the topic of our district and its future.

We had previously recapped the coverage on these important budget issues on a post entitled "The Coverage is Everywhere on this . . . ".

Since then the Times has covered a recent teacher ". . . march against budget cuts and contract."
Today the Times has a story about the blogging of school issues and a push toward change. Thanks Shirley!

We told you that Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier responded to a recent letter protesting the state budget cuts, and about a petition you can download to Say No to an All Cuts Budget.

So, we started the month of April with a meeting on April 12th at Rocco's with Paul Strange and Gary Eberhart (School Board members): Meeting Recap is here

On April 14th, we had a letter writing campaign organized by Mt. Diablo Parents for Progress: Letter Writing at Monte Gardens

We then had a another meeting on April 26th with April Treece (Board of Education President) and Dick Allen (Board of Education Vice President) at Rocco's: Meeting Recap is here

To recap some of the blog posts of late, I've posted below some of the most commented, controversial, or informational:

First, a post that garnered over 50 comments over at the MDUSD blog authored by Board of Education members Paul Strange and Gary Eberhart. This one was all about our District's budget and some insight into how we got to where we are now: Budget, Budget, Budget - Who's in charge of the budget? These board members have also started to podcast the board meetings, and you can see how to do that here: Board Meeting Podcasts Now Available!

We had Andre Gensburger (aka Mr. Writer) pose a very important question at the last community meeting (April 29th) at Pine Hollow Middle school "What is being done to resolve the split within the board over the issue of the superintendent in order for there to be an effective direction for the board as a whole? " You can listen and read of the (non)results here: April Treece responds

You can also read of Mr. Writer's recently posted strong viewpoint: Somebody Tell Me What is Going on?

Then, some very important questions are still being asked by some Northgate parents. These questions were originally asked of April Treece and Dick Allen (Board of Education President and Vice President), and never answered. To date, only Paul Strange has offered up his answer. Check the Northgate Blog for this one: Still No Answers, We're Not That Patient and Mr. Strange's follow up answer: Board Member Reply

We also had the Northgate High School Blog call for Superintendent McHenry's resignation in their blog post: No Accountability! Then No Confidence!

So parents, if you're reading this now... its not too late to jump right in and get involved. Ask questions, keep reading the blogs and get informed. We will do our best to keep you advised of events and activities you can get involved in and we welcome your voices. Importantly, the following events are coming:

Tuesday, May 6th: Community Meeting at Mt. Diablo High School
Thursday, May 8th: Town Hall Meeting with Tom Torlakson at Las Lomas
Tuesday, May 13th: MDUSD Board of Education Meeting
Wednesday, May 14: Rally at Civic Park in Walnut Creek (details coming!)

CCTimes Reports: Teachers March Against Budget Cuts and Contract

Some of our MDUSD teachers marched from Mt. Diablo High School to Todos Santos Park today to protest state budget cuts (and comment about the lack of a contract or benefits).

From the Times:

CONCORD — After the last school bell of the day rang, Mt. Diablo High School English teacher Steve McCoy walked to the front office and tied a black armband around his right bicep. With help from his fellow teachers, he hoisted a banner and marched down Grant Street toward Todos Santos Plaza.

"The governor's budget is virtually an attack on education. In our local district, we've been bargaining in good faith for a year and still have no contract or health benefits," said McCoy, his sleeves rolled up. "We're being squeezed from all sides."

He joined dozens of the school's teachers who marched in downtown Concord on Thursday afternoon to protest state budget cuts and an unsettled contract that has left 1,900 Mt. Diablo district teachers without paid medical benefits or raises.
Mt. Diablo school district spokeswoman Sue Berg said that the district shared the frustration of teachers worried about their contract and their jobs.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_9125613

Hopefully Shirley Dang from the Times is still working on a larger story about the MDUSD issues . . .

Superintendent Monday Memos & PAC

Some people have asked about this at the last couple of meetings. The MDUSD Superintendent's office puts out a weekly Monday Memo, you can find it here:

http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/superintendent/monmemos.php

And, at the last few meetings there has been discussion about the Parent Advisory Council, you can read those meeting minutes here:

http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/superintendent/pac.php

Clayton Valley Community Meeting Recap

The community meeting tonight was interesting. Far fewer parents than I thought I'd see, though I did see a couple of PFC Presidents and several teachers. There weren't any questions submitted before hand, so we were all able to write our questions on paper and submit them in order that they be answered by one of the several administrators present.

Questions were varied... many questions about discipline and safety including discussion about suspension, expulsion, bullying, threats and fights. There were questions about teacher compensation, benefits, discipline (teacher), the process of considering a parcel tax, student supervision, kindergarten class size changes, substitutes, the lottery money, technology, connect-ed, budget cuts, thefts on campus, library and even a transgender issue. (there were probably more, but I wasn't taking notes)

The question that Mr. Writer posed on his blog, was asked, well, by him.

What will it take for the MDUSD Board of Education to determine what the majority of stakeholders want as far as the future of the Superintendent? What kind of information will convince one side or the other to alter their viewpoint?

It was saved for last . . . I almost couldn't wait for it. Andre' will post the audio tomorrow and you can see what you think. April Treece was selected to answer this particular question, so ....

I did have a nice talk with Board of Education VP, Dick Allen, outside at the end of the meeting. I have to say, he is a very, very nice man, and it seems his heart is in the right place. He and the other board members need to hear from you if you are not happy with the status quo. If the last two meetings at Rocco's showed anything, it showed there is a lot of unrest and dissatisfaction with the administration and fear for the future of this district. So why aren't parents coming to these meetings in droves?

Are you writing to the board members or to the administration? Here are at least three Administrators you can write to:

Superintendent Gary McHenry (925-682-8000, x4009;(mchenryg@mdusd.k12.ca.us)
Associate Superintendent-Educational Services Alan Young (younga@mdusd.k12.ca.us)
Assistant Superintendent-Elementary Education Roger Bylund (bylundr@mdusd.k12.ca.us).