As CVE representative, Peggie Myers ran Castle Park Elementary like a STASI official, demanding that teachers report to her any contact with outsiders.
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Myers was determined that Maura Larkins would receive no protection from either the contract or the law. The truth was to be hidden from Larkins at all costs.
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With Tim O'Neill, Gina Boyd, Jim
Groth and Peggie Myers in charge,
CVE became more and more corrupt,
working closely with a PTA
embezzler, a rogue cop, and the
cop's sister, who turned out to have
filed false tax returns hiding about
$7 million in income from stolen
stock options.
CVE worked closely with the district
in these matters. A corrupt school
board is supported by, and supports,
the corrupt union.
This is what Peggie Myers demanded
for herself.
Decision in arbitration.
This is what Peggie Myers wanted
for Maura Larkins.
Show CVE letters.
Myers has clearly opposed the rule of
law and the enforcement of the
contract according to her whim, or
perhaps more accurately, her
calculated grab for power.
Myers doesn't care about teacher
rights, only her own power.
They use the same tactics as the
Catholic church used with its child
molestation problems, hiding
wrongdoing, moving around problem
teachers, never openly confronting
problems, never investigating.
San Diego Union Tribune Letters to the editor: South Edition September 2, 2004
A transfer as seen from a husband's eyes
Chula Vista Elementary School district is a largely dysfunctional organization, failing in its responsibility to educate students and infamous for not negotiating with the teachers' professional organization. This is not due to a lack of quality teachers or concern of parents, but an inability of the Board of Education and the superintendent to move beyond petty politics, and its inability to hire qualified principals.
My wife and I were meeting for vacation when she was informed of her administrative transfer from Castle Park Elementary School. I am currently stationed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and two days into our six-day holiday, she received the devastating news that she was being removed from the school without consultation. She spent the next four days trying to discern what exactly had taken place and would happen, so close to the start of the new school year.
She and the other four teachers transferred are dedicated to their students. I can't speak for the others, but when I was home I witnessed her spending an average of 12 hours a day at her job; arriving at school before 6 a.m. (two hours before class started) to prepare; arriving home and working on grading and lesson plans.
She was constantly searching for that key that might spark the imagination of her students into understanding that reading fluently, writing intelligently, understanding history and having math skills are vital to their success.
She spent an inordinate amount of time calling parents, either to praise a child's success, or warn that he or she was distracted from their main purpose at school, learning. While on holiday, her leisure reading was professional journals and teacher's guides to the curriculum.
One of her last functions at Castle Park was to agree with the principal to tutor a student, stricken with cancer, without compensation. Despite the transfer, she has remained his tutor.
We have spent $2,000 to $4,000 a year on her classroom. I remember nine years ago purchasing and assembling furniture to provide storage for materials in her first classroom at Castle Park. We bought and installed five computers to ensure students had access to the latest technology. We were often there an entire Saturday, putting up bulletin boards, rearranging the classroom, installing new computer programs, so students would have the best learning environment she could provide. Without district funding.
She worked hard, as the mother of four children, all who attended the Chula Vista Elementary School District, to attain her master's degree, and was in a Ph.D. program in administration when she decided her place was in the classroom.
She intended to spend the rest of her career at Castle Park, helping those mostly impoverished students attain self-respect and an understanding that education is essential to their success. I can't remember the number of students who would call or show up at her classroom door, proud of their progress and thanking her for her firm but loving direction.
And now it is lost.
Many parents and remaining teachers have shown up at the teachers' "departing interviews" with the superintendent to protest their transfer, to no avail. Other teachers have now asked for transfer.
Castle Park is a complicated school, in a troubled neighborhood, difficult to teach, to administer and to supervise. But it is in a community that strives to succeed and deserves better.
These teachers did nothing except dedicate their careers and lives to the students. Transferring these five superb teachers is wrong. Public education is blamed for many failings, and teachers are most often cited. What has happened at Castle Park should be a wakeup call to Chula Vista and the greater San Diego area. Students' well-being is secondary to the whims of the administration. The Chula Vista Elementary School District is more interested in propping up one of its unfortunate failings in hiring, than the education of children.
The transferred teachers will be successful wherever they teach because they are dedicated to their profession. Unfortunately, the education of the children of Castle Park and the Chula Vista Elementary School District is not the superintendent's nor the board's primary concern. Their failing in this matter is alarming and should be a bellwether to parents.
TOM MYERS Cmdr., U.S. Navy Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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I agree with Tom Myers that, "Chula Vista
Elementary School district is a largely
dysfunctional organization, failing in its
responsibility to educate students and
infamous for not negotiating with the
teachers' professional organization. This is...
[due to] an inability of the Board of
Education and the superintendent to move
beyond petty politics, and its inability to hire
qualified principals."
But times have changed since Peggie Myers
first started getting involved in petty politics
at Castle Park Elementary School, causing
enormous damage to children, to teachers
who weren't part of the two ruling cliques
(her own and Jo Ellen Hamilton's), and
costing many $100,000s to the taxpayers.
Myers' clique even helped bring about the
embezzlement of $20,000 from the PTA.
Since the district worked with Peggie Myers
and others, such as Robin Donlan, to cover
up crimes at Castle Park Elementary, there
has been a lot more co-operation between
Chula Vista Educators (of which Peggie
became president in 2007) and the district.
But there has been no lessening of
dysfunction in the district.
Collusion in Castle Park
Elementary Cover-up
Things changed dramatically after U.S. Navy Cmdr.
Tom Myers wrote his letter (below right) to the
Union Tribune.
Peggie Myers was soon endorsing the same school board that transferred
her. Why? For Peggie Myers, it's all about obtaining power. If Mrs. Myers
and the district are to successfully cover up their collusion in wrongdoing,
they have to get along.
Letter from Peggie Myers'
husband regarding Castle Park
Elementary
The Danielle Coziahr case is a perfect example of the union's support for illegal actions against teachers who aren't connected to the ruling teacher elite.
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The district removed Mrs. Myers
from Castle Park Elementary in
August 2004 because Myers and
her "Castle Park family" were
behaving very unprofessionally.
They thought that since the district
had covered up tge crimes of their
"family," that the district
understood that they had arbitrary
power at the school.
The district has finally gotten Castle
Park Elementary under control, but
it has worked out a very friendly
relationship with the union.
Together, they violate the rights of
the best and brightest teachers who
are not part of the power structure.
The union, Chula Vista Educators (CVE), endorsed all the incumbents in the last school board election!
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Peggie Myers has proven that she
does not respect the legal rights of
teachers in general. She objects
very strongly, however, when she or
her friends are given anything less
than kid-glove treatment by the
district.
Unfortunately, the education of the children of Castle Park and the Chula Vista Elementary School District is not Peggie Myer's primary concern. In fact, she doesn't care about the rights of all teachers, or the laws of California, either. Her failing in this matter is alarming and should serve as a bellwether to parents. --Maura Larkins
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Chula Vista Educators has worked hand in glove with board members Patrick Judd, Larry Cunningham, Bertha Lopez, Cheryl Cox/David Bejarano and Pamela Smith when she wanted them to violate the law. She looks the other way when they want her to violate the law.
Myers also got help from California Teacher Association (CTA) bigwigs Beverly Tucker and Carolyn Doggett when Myers and Robin Donlan and their gang took over Castle Park Elementary.
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"...[during summer vacation] she received the devastating news that she was being removed from the school without consultation. She spent the next four days trying to discern what exactly had taken place and would happen, so close to the start of the new school year..."
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Mr. Myers seems to think it's not a problem for Peggie Myers' colleague to be removed from her class in the middle of the year, and only after years of legal expenses to expose the truth--in spite of Peggie Myers refusal, even under oath, to talk about her own actions.
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Peggie Myers' victims were just as smart, worked just as hard, and spent just as much money as she did. Peggie Myers has cost the children of Chula Vista more than she has given them.
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It seems that Mrs. Myers indulges in a lot of self-pity and narcissism.
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October 8, 2004
Los maestros de
Castle Park cuentan
su historia
Por Luis Alonso Pérez
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”.
October 8, 2004
Teachers at Castle
Park tell their story
By Luis Alonso Perez
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 to
manifest itself with
posters outside his
school, against the
unexpected change
campus of a group of
teachers who took
several years working for
the primary.
Some children carried on their
clothes stickers with the word
"Respect". When he arrived
Tom Cross-Assistant
Inspector-district were upset
and asked the demonstrators
not to involve children, that the
problem was not dealt with
children.
But for Peggy Myers-One
of the primary teachers
reassigned to
another-this has to do
directly children, their
nine years of effort as a
teacher at Castle Park
have been children and
the community.
Now, Peggy Myers is
responsible for a fifth of
primary classroom at
Allen Elementary School,
but continues to believe
that his hand was totally
unjustified and is still
furious at the way in
which it was carried out
this situation, especially
the way learned that the
transfer.
Last August Myers was
vacacionando in London,
taking advantage of the
opportunity to see her
husband for five
days-which is assigned
by the military to a base
in Saudi Arabia, when he
received a call from his
son Greg, informing him
that he had been by Tom
Cross notified that he
wished to speak with her
so far back.
In the days following Greg
received calls from other
teachers comentándole
who had spoken with Red
and Lowell
Billings-inspector of the
district and had been
transferred to other
primaries. On hearing,
Myers was completely
baffled as they never
expected. The news
obviously ruined their
holiday.
But Peggy Myers was not
the only teacher
surprised by the news.
Stephenie Petti, third
grade bilingual teacher
received a call from Tom
Cross on 16 August, in
which he reported on a
meeting on August 18 to
discuss problems that
arose last year in CP and
analyze their subject for
school year incoming.
His first impression was
that it was a witch hunt to
get rid of teachers who
were causing problems in
Castle Park. For the day
of the appointment, Pettit
was so stressed that
began to show symptoms
of complications in her
pregnancy.
I could not sleep and
suffered from panic
attacks.
The date of the event
was surprise that the next
school year would not
take classes 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
to have contractions of
childbirth at that time,
which resulted 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."
On hearing this Peggy
Myers asked how it would
benefit the program or
students transferring to a
member of the only team
in Castle Park who had
developed a curriculum
different from the
traditional program?
Lowell Billings not
answered.
When asked How to
transfer a teacher who
taught other teachers in
USD on how to teach
bilingual groups would
benefit?
Again Billings not
answered.
Stephenie Petti not begin
teaching classes in this
school year, as he is
incapacitated by her
pregnancy. Returned to
their work as a teacher
when her 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 was because they
had no fear of showing
their dissatisfaction with
the manner in which the
director of the primary
Ollie Matos ran the
school.
"I am ready to defend
what I believe is right and
criticize what I believe is
wrong, says Petti-I care
students and educational
programs Castle Park. I
have a keen interest in
their welfare, academic
progress and in their
personal lives. The
families (of the
community) are my
families, their children are
my children.
"I have no fear of the
administrative,
Petti-added-we have had
many managers who arrive
in Castle Park and try to
change the programs that
we have developed. After
they leave, and teachers are
responsible for repairing the
damage caused by a bad
director. They come and go,
but teachers continue. "
"I am amply qualified to
do my job, maybe the
director felt intimidated by
me and my colleagues,"
added Petti.
"A couple of years ago,"
says Peggy Myers-we
had a very good leader
as director, which was
looking for the strengths
of each teacher and
promoted, and that the
results of our tests were
the highest it has had
Castle Park. Since the
entry of Ollie Matos,
which has been a very
weak leader, the behavior
of students is at its lowest
ebb 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 for the
transfer of teachers
simply because the
directors could not work
with them, then all
teachers of this district
are at risk of being
transferred by express
themselves for the
welfare of children and
the community. "
"Parents in the community
need to know that they have
the right to show their
dissatisfaction with the
decisions of the managers
unless they benefit their
children,
Petti-commented-need to
know that their voices are
worthless, that their views
count and who has the power
to change things in the
primary and the school
district. The teachers and
district employees working for
the families of the community.
Parents should know and
believe this. "
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=
http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/october08-
04/castle.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=4&ct=result
&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dla%2Bprensa%2Blowell%2Bbil
lings%2Bcastle%2Bpark%26hl%3Den%26pwst%3D1
Google search 02/14/08
La Prensa San Diego Bilingual Newspaper - 2 visits -
12/27/07... just rotating subs,” said one of the transfered
teachers Peggie Myers. ... according to Myers, but she
believes Billings has misinterpreted his rights. ...
www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/september17-
04/040917.html - 31k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
Jerry Moore's School Talk: Archive through June 18,
2004Part of preparing for the test was building students'
confidence in themselves. Staff members held rallies and
even organized a student cheering group for ...
www.myshortpencil.com/schooltalk/messages/2/2856.
html?1087591288
UT-South County > Schools > Student of the week: Joey
SniderJoey, an avid reader and writer, is “a great student
who is very concerned about his education,” said Peggie
Myers, his teacher. ...
utsouth.signonsandiego.com/?q=node/51 - 20k - Cached
Jerry Moore's website, "My Short Pencil" Posted the following story on May 06, 2004 Students skip state academic testing
17 at Bonita Vista High displease their principal
By Leslie Wolf Branscomb San Diego Union-Tribune
"...Some students who'd chosen to opt out relented and took the tests. Parent Peggie Myers said her daughter, also a junior, was afraid she'd be unable to get the letters of recommendation she needed for her application to Columbia University's summer school program, which she was in the process of applying for last week.
"The pressure these kids are under is ridiculous. It's out of control," Myers said. "Something has to give, and it can't be the emotional health of our children."
[Note from Maura: How much pressure did you put on your students, Ms. Myers, to make you look good? Logical consistency isn't your strongpoint, is it?]
"So no, I didn't want her taking the standardized tests," Myers said. "It's not going to get her into a better college."
The federal government requires that 95 percent of each school's students take the tests.
Even high-scoring schools like Bonita Vista are expected to meet improvement goals each year or risk being labeled "underperforming."
If the school repeatedly fails to hit certain benchmarks set by the state and federal government, it risks losing funding, having to allow students to transfer to better schools, or even being taken over by a private management company.
Leyba said he realized there was a rebellion brewing when he began receiving dozens of opt-out forms the Friday before the testing began.
He admits pressuring the AP students to take the standardized tests. "I talked about the importance of the test, and the implications for the school," he said.
"I told them our faculty is upset about this, and they think it is unconscionable."...
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Kelley Dupuis wrote about Peggie Myers' complaints about Castle Park Elementary and Bonita Vista High School in the Chula Vista Star-News
This is his blog about writing the Bonita Vista story:
April 28 2004
Yesterday I took a real jog down memory lane: in connection with a newspaper story I was working on, I re- visted Castle Park Elementary School. I don’ t think that I have set foot on the grounds of that school since I was eight years old, although goodness knows I’ ve driven past it plenty of times in the last 40 years.
I went over there to interview a teacher who had a beef against Bonita Vista High School’ s principal, who was supposedly “blackmailing” her daughter into taking standardized tests which she, the mother, didn’t think the girl should have to take.
Everything I looked at brought back a memory: there was the cafeteria where my Cub Scout pack meetings were held, and where I was sitting, finishing my lunch, at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, November 22, 1963. There was the boy’s restroom where I was practicing long distance hit- the-urinal one afternoon when the stupid janitor walked in and, being a janitor and therefore a moron, assumed I was peeing on the floor and forced me to mop up nothing. There was the playground where I stood and watched Marty Martin and his classmates do that chilly hula on that long-ago overcast morning. There was the parking lot where my fourth-grade teacher Miss Seabrook parked her red Sunbeam sports car. And there was the kindergarten playground where my sister Lynne, today a hopeless alcoholic living among a pile of trash and empty brandy bottles, played when she was a happy child of six. Forty years ago, all of it. The school still looks much the same from outside, with a few small changes—in our day there were no grass or trees on the playground as there are now—but of course the insides of the classrooms have been remodeled: gone are the hanging ceiling lamps, the windows up near the ceiling that had to be opened and closed with a pole each day, and of course the wooden desks, and the wood-and- tube-steel chairs which, at the end of each day, we would put on top of the desks so the janitor could come in and sweep underneath. Everything is plastic now. The whole damn world is plastic.
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Peg Myers
President, Chula Vista Educators (2007-2012)
Would Peggie Myers feel this way if her own students refused to take standardized tests?
I doubt it. That wouldn't be in line with her freequently-expressed attitudes toward her students.
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La Prensa article with Google translation
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Blogger Jerry Moore's
comments on story above
Are there teachers and
administrators willing to use
their positions of power to the
disadvantage students who
displease them by doing
nothing more than making lawful
choices? You bet. And they'll do
the same to students if their
parents displease them.
More than one parent has
told me they keep their
mouths shut when it comes
to issues of school quality,
teacher quality, fairness or
poor practices because they
know teachers can do a lot
of good for kids if they
choose to, or make life more
difficult for them.
And you know what happens
when a parent raises an issue?
The universal response is,
"Nobody else has complained." I
wonder why?
I thought educators had an
obligation to put the interests of
students first, not the public
image of their schools.
The Decision regarding the administrative transfer of Peggie Myers out of
Castle Park Elementary was made by Lionel Richman BEFORE HE FOUND
OUT that members of the "Castle Park Five" had cost CVESD school district
$100,000s in legal fees.)
Peggie Myers complained that Lowell Billings wouldn't answer her questions. The fact is that Peggie Myers failed to answer very similar questions when she was asked about her involvement in the transfer of another teacher. Clearly, Peggie Myers thinks she and her friends are above the law.
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San Diego Education Report
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San Diego
Education Report