| La Prensa September 17, 2004 Photo of former Castle Park Elementary teachers Peg Myers and Karen Snyder standing together in the bottom photo, with Robin Donlan sitting in front of them. |
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SAN DIEGO EDUCATION REPORT
| La Prensa San Diego articles about Castle Park Five |
| Schools and the Media |
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| Chula Vista Star-News August 20, 2004 Sept. 10, 2004 Ollie Matos & Nikki Perez |
| La Prensa Sept. 17, 2004 School Board Demonstration by Castle Park Five |
| Los maestros de Castle Park cuentan su historia La Prensa Por Luis Alonso Pérez October 8, 2004 El primer día de clases en Castle Park Elementary no comenzó como en años anteriores. Este año los niños se toparon con un grupo de padres y maestros manifestándose con carteles afuera de su escuela, en contra del cambio inesperado de plantel de un grupo de maestros que llevaba varios años trabajando para esa primaria. Algunos niños portaban en su ropa calcomanías con la palabra “Respect”. Cuando llegó Tom Cruz —Asistente del inspector de distrito— se molestó y pidió a los manifestantes que no involucraran a los niños, que ese problema no tenía que ver con los niños. Pero para Peggy Myers —Una de las maestras reasignadas a otra primaria— esto tiene que ver directamente los niños, sus nueve años de esfuerzo como maestra en Castle Park han sido por los niños y por la comunidad. Ahora, Peggy Myers tiene a su cargo un salón de quinto de primaria en Allen Elementary School, pero sigue creyendo que su cambio fue totalmente injustificado y aún se encuentra furiosa por la forma en la que se llevó a cabo esta situación, especialmente la forma en la que se enteró de su transferencia. En agosto pasado Myers se encontraba vacacionando en Londres, aprovechando la oportunidad de ver a su esposo por cinco días —el cual se encuentra asignado por el ejército a una base en Arabia Saudita— cuando recibió una llamada de su hijo Greg, informándole que había sido notificado por Tom Cruz que deseaba hablar con ella en cuanto estuviera de regreso. En los días siguientes Greg recibió llamadas de otros maestros comentándole que habían hablado con Cruz y Lowell Billings –Inspector del distrito– y habían sido transferidos a otras primarias. Al enterarse, Myers quedó totalmente desconcertada ya que jamás lo esperaba. La noticia obviamente arruinó sus vacaciones. Pero Peggy Myers no fue la única maestra sorprendida por la noticia. Stephenie Petti, maestra de tercer grado bilingüe recibió una llamada de Tom Cruz el 16 de agosto, en la cual le informaba sobre una reunión el 18 de agosto para discutir sobre problemas que surgieron el año pasado en CP y analizar su asignatura para el año escolar entrante. Su primera impresión fue que se trataba de una cacería de brujas para deshacerse de los maestros que causaban problemas en Castle Park. Para el día de la cita, Petti estaba tan estresada que comenzaba a presentar síntomas de complicaciones en su embarazo. No podía dormir y sufría ataques de pánico. El día de la cita recibió la sorpresa de que el siguiente año escolar no iba a dar clases en Castle Park, que la habían asignado a Salt Creek Elementary y no iba a tener un grupo bilingüe. La noticia la impresionó al punto en que comenzó a tener contracciones de parto en ese momento, lo cual ocasionó que en una semana tuviera que ir al hospital a causa de problemas físicos y emocionales. Cuando los maestros preguntaron el motivo de la transferencia la respuesta fue sencilla: Los cambios se realizaron “Por el beneficio del programa educativo y los alumnos”. Al escuchar esto Peggy Myers preguntó ¿cómo iba a beneficiar al programa o a los alumnos, transferir a un miembro del único equipo en Castle Park que había desarrollado un currículum diferente al programa tradicional? Lowell Billings no contestó. Cuando preguntó ¿Cómo transferir a una maestra que enseñaba a otros maestros en USD sobre cómo dar clases a grupos bilingües iba a beneficiar? De nuevo Billings no contestó. Stephenie Petti no podrá comenzar a dar clases en este año escolar, ya que se encuentra incapacitada por su embarazo. Regresará a sus labores como maestra cuando nazca su bebé en enero o febrero. Myers y el resto de los maestros creen que el verdadero motivo de su salida de Castle Park fue porque no tenían miedo de mostrar su inconformidad con la manera en que el director de la primaria Ollie Matos dirigía la escuela. “Yo estoy dispuesta a defender lo que yo creo que es lo correcto y a criticar lo que creo que está mal, –comenta Petti– me importan los alumnos y los programas educativos de Castle Park. Tengo un profundo interés en su bienestar, en el progreso académico y en sus vidas personales. Las familias (de la comunidad) son mis familias, sus hijos son mis hijos”. “Yo no le tengo miedo a los administrativos, –agregó Petti– hemos tenido muchos directores que llegan a Castle Park y tratan de cambiar los programas que hemos desarrollado. Después se van, y los maestros se quedan como responsables de reparar los daños ocasionados por un mal director. Ellos vienen y se van, pero los maestros continúan”. “Yo estoy ampliamente calificada para hacer mi trabajo, tal vez el director se sintió intimidado por mí y mis colegas”, agregó Petti. “Hace un par de años –comenta Peggy Myers– teníamos un muy buen líder como director, el cual buscaba las fortalezas de cada maestro y las fomentaba, así que los resultados de nuestras pruebas fueron los más altos que ha tenido Castle Park. Desde la entrada de Ollie Matos, el cual ha sido un líder muy débil, el comportamiento de los estudiantes se encuentra en su peor momento y la moral del staff está en su punto más bajo”. “El problema no son los cinco maestros en Castle Park –agregó Meyers– el problema es que si Lowell Billing permite la transferencia de maestros simplemente porque los directores no pueden trabajar con ellos, entonces todos los maestros de este distrito corren el riego de ser transferidos por expresarse a favor del bienestar de los niños y de la comunidad”. “Los padres de familia de la comunidad necesitan saber que tienen el derecho de mostrar su inconformidad ante las decisiones de los directivos si creen que no benefician a sus hijos, –comentó Petti– necesitan saber que sus voces tienen valor, que sus opiniones cuentan y que tiene el poder de cambiar las cosas en las primarias y el distrito escolar. Los maestros, y los empleados del distrito trabajamos para las familias de la comunidad. Los padres deben de saber y creer esto”. |
| Castle Park teachers tell their story By Luis Alonso Pérez The first day of classes at Castle Park Elementary did not start as in previous years. This year the children were met with a group of parents and teachers protesting with signs outside his school, against the unexpected change in stock of a group of teachers for several years working for the primary. Some children wore stickers on their clothes with the word "Respect". When Tom arrived assistant inspector-Cruz district are upset and asked the demonstrators not to involve children, that this problem had nothing to do with children. But for Peggy Myers - One of the primary teachers reassigned to another-this has to do directly with children, their nine years of effort as a teacher at Castle Park have been for the children and the community. Now, Peggy Myers is responsible for a fifth of primary school classroom Elementary School in Allen, but still believes that his hand was totally unjustified and is still angry at the way in which this situation took place, especially the way which he learned of his transfer. Last August, Myers was vacationing in London, taking the opportunity of seeing her husband for five days, which is assigned by the military with a base in Saudi Arabia, where he received a call from his son Greg, who had been informed Tom Cross reported that he wanted to talk to her as soon as it becomes home. In the days following Greg received calls saying that other teachers had spoken to Cruz and Lowell Billings-Inspector of the district and had been transferred to other primaries. Upon hearing, Myers was totally baffled because it never expected. The news obviously ruined your holiday. But Peggy Myers was not the only teacher surprised by the news. Stephenie Petti, third grade bilingual teacher received a call from Tom Cruz the August 16, in which he reported on a reunion on August 18 to discuss problems that arose last year in PA and analyze his subject for the school year entrant. His first impression was that this is a witch hunt to get rid of teachers who were causing problems at Castle Park. For the day of the appointment, Petti was so stressed out that began to show symptoms of pregnancy complications. I could not sleep and suffered panic attacks. The day of the event was the surprise of the next school year was not going to teach at Castle Park, which had been assigned to Salt Creek Elementary and was not going to have a bilingual group. The news shocked to the point where they began having contractions at the time of delivery, resulting in a week that I had to go to hospital because of physical and emotional problems. When teachers asked why the transfer response was simple: The changes were made "for the benefit of the educational program and students." Hearing this Peggy Myers asked how it would benefit the program or students transferring to a single member of the team at Castle Park which had developed a curriculum different from the traditional program? Lowell Billings, did not reply. When asked how to transfer a teacher to teach other teachers how to teach USD a bilingual groups would benefit? Billings did not reply again. Stephenie Petti can not begin to teach this school year, because it is disabled by her pregnancy. Return to work as a teacher when your baby is born in January or February. Myers and the rest of the teachers believe that the real reason for his departure from Castle Park because he was not afraid to show their dissatisfaction with the way the director Ollie Matos led the primary school. "I am prepared to defend what I believe is right and criticize what I believe is wrong, says Petti-I care students and the educational programs of Castle Park. I have a deep interest in their welfare, academic progress and their personal lives. Families (community) are my family, your children are my children. " "I am not afraid of the administration, he added, Petti-we have had many directors who come to Castle Park and try to change the programs we have developed. Then they leave, and teachers are responsible for repairing damage caused by a bad director. They come and go, but teachers are. " "I am amply qualified to do my job, perhaps the director felt intimidated by me and my colleagues," said Petti. "A couple of years," says Peggy-Myers had a very good leader as director, which sought the strengths of each teacher and encouraged, so the results of our tests were higher than had Castle Park. Since the entry of Ollie Matos, who has been a very weak leader, student behavior is at its worst and staff morale is at its lowest point. " "The problem is not the five teachers at Castle Park," added Meyers, the problem is that if Lowell Billing allows the transfer of teachers simply because managers can not work with them, then all the teachers in this district are at risk of being transferred for speaking for the welfare of children and the community. " "Parents need to know the community have the right to show their dissatisfaction with the decisions of managers believe that if their children do not benefit," said Petti, need to know that their voices have value, that their views count and which has the power to change things in the primaries and the school district. Teachers and district employees are working for families in the community. Parents should know and believe this." |
| (Hilarious) English translation by Google computers |
| Spanish version ... |
| October 8, 2004 La Prensa story |
| Felicia Starr (blonde woman in front of orange sign in top photo) |
La Prensa
September 17, 2004
Approximately 40 teachers, parents and school children protested at a Chula Vista
Elementary School District School Board meeting on Sept. 14 because of a recent
transfer of five veteran teachers from Castle Park Elementary School. The
controversial transfer has been perceived by some as a mere power-play by
Superintendent Lowell Billings — with the net result being a lower quality of
education for the largely Hispanic school.
“They still don’t have a credentialed special ed teacher, teaching special ed class;
they’re just rotating subs,” said one of the transfered teachers Peggie Myers. “There’
s not a whole lot of learning going on there.”
Billings does have the right to make an administrative transfer with certain
conditions, according to Myers, but she believes Billings has misinterpreted his
rights. “If the board gets away with this, they will do this to other teachers,” she said.
The transfered teachers had over 50 years of teaching experience between all of
them. “We need to get this out to the Hispanic community,” she said. “If this had
happened at Allen, Sunnyside, Tiffany, or Hedenkamp we wouldn’t be standing here
right now.”
Photos by J.D. Hawk.
September 17, 2004
Approximately 40 teachers, parents and school children protested at a Chula Vista
Elementary School District School Board meeting on Sept. 14 because of a recent
transfer of five veteran teachers from Castle Park Elementary School. The
controversial transfer has been perceived by some as a mere power-play by
Superintendent Lowell Billings — with the net result being a lower quality of
education for the largely Hispanic school.
“They still don’t have a credentialed special ed teacher, teaching special ed class;
they’re just rotating subs,” said one of the transfered teachers Peggie Myers. “There’
s not a whole lot of learning going on there.”
Billings does have the right to make an administrative transfer with certain
conditions, according to Myers, but she believes Billings has misinterpreted his
rights. “If the board gets away with this, they will do this to other teachers,” she said.
The transfered teachers had over 50 years of teaching experience between all of
them. “We need to get this out to the Hispanic community,” she said. “If this had
happened at Allen, Sunnyside, Tiffany, or Hedenkamp we wouldn’t be standing here
right now.”
Photos by J.D. Hawk.
