Whistleblower “Principal Pro” believes SDUSD Supt. Cindy Marten was “schooled” by the SDEA (Teachers Union) in the new contract.

Given the recent thefts on campuses of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of technical equipment, Student sexual assaults and ensuring EL Support to the neediest of Students, it would seem NECESSARY that the Principal on each campus be focused on the day-to-day operation of their school site.

Apparently NOT to Elementary School Supt. Marten

According to Whistleblower “Principal Pro“, the intentionally weak SDEA labor negotiation (or should we say “surrender”) from the SDUSD Management team of Supt. Cindy Marten and departed legal Representative will have devastating effects on the ability of the Principal at each school to fully do their job OPERATIONALLY and EDUCATIONALLY in the coming year.  Principal Pro mentioned NOTHING about the more controversial and contentious issues like Teacher raises, evaluations or tenure.  The primary concern of Principal Pro is with the negative impact on MANAGEMENT OF THE SCHOOL SITE and the negative impact on the OPERATION when scheduled and unscheduled staffing issues occur.

Here is the Principal Pro analysis:

Dear District Deeds,

The new teacher contract has made the job of the principal impossible to do.

Here is why:

1. When a substitute Teacher fails to show up at the school, the old rule was that the Principal could ask Teachers on their prep to cover the class. After 3 different times where Teacher A has covered, the 4th time, the school must pay the Teacher for their services.

 The new rule is that Principals cannot ask Teachers to cover. If they do, the Teacher has to be paid prorata for every hour they cover. The Teacher may agree to cover for one hour free, but the remaining 7 hours has to be paid at the prorata rate.

 Here is the problem:

Schools are already financially strapped, many cannot afford these funds. Also, hard to staff schools have more than one unfilled substitute assignment daily. If the Principal (no VP) covers the class, who oversees the affairs of the school that day?  Many of our elementary schools have no VP. At the secondary level, the Principal is just one person. Multiple unfilled sub assignments will pose a problem.  

Isn’t this double-dipping as well?

2. Principals used to be able to deploy Students to other classrooms when a sub failed to show. Under the new contract, this is no longer permissible. The Principal must become the Teacher and put aside their operational duties…including emergencies and conferences with Parents and Teachers! 

3. Teachers work a strict 8 hour day. In the past, we were able to schedule IEP’s after school to accommodate families and the teacher. Under the new contract, if the Teacher works a minute beyond the 8 hour day, they have to be paid pro rata.

So hypothetically speaking, if school begins at 7:10 and classes actually start at 7:30 am, by 3:10 pm, the 8 hours are up. If at 2:30 when school is out, there is an IEP meeting, the meeting must conclude at 3:10 pm otherwise the Principal is in violation and must pay and can be grieved.

I cannot think of too many IEP’s that end within an hour. What do we then do? Ask to adjourn and have the Parent come back on a different day…how do we reconvene the team repeatedly so we can meet compliance. God forbid a school have a ton of IEP’s they will never get done…ever.  This directly negatively impacts Students and Families that need the most help.

4. Jennifer Carbuccia left the district and is now General Counsel In Sweetwater. Did she flee after she helped negotiate this disastrous anti Student and Families contract? I believe their contract is online.

By the way…adding INSULT TO INJURY…Cindy and the SDEA President co-presented this information to the Principals at a Principal meeting at USD.  What a slap in the face to ALL Administrators to have the TEACHERS UNION PRESIDENT TELL THEM WHAT TO DO!

Thanks,

Principal Pro

District Deeds wonders:

How can even the most experienced of Principals be successful with this type of Operational structure and lack of support by the Supt. Marten SDEA Contract?

The answer?

THEY DON’T!

Over the last 2 years over NINETY PRINCIPALS and SENIOR ADMINISTRATORS have been reassigned, fired or RAN to jobs outside the SDUSD.

The VAST MAJORITY of current Principals are ROOKIES that owe Cindy Marten their job and have seen her retribution first hand with their predecessor.  Many are sorely lacking the CREDENTIALS to be Principal…Just like CINDY MARTEN’S LACK OF CREDENTIALS TO BE SUPERINTENDENT!

The result:

Inadequately experienced, low credentialed Principals who are ALREADY struggling to master the operational needs of a School Site having their hands tied behind their back when Site Staffing issues occur THROUGH THE SDEA CONTRACT SIGNED BY THEIR BOSS!

District Deeds COMMENDS the SDEA for their EXCELLENT Contract strategy and positive results for their members.  They did their job for their Union Members…THEY RAN THE TABLE!

The EXCELLENT SDEA Strategy should be memorialized and hallmarked for ALL TEACHERS UNIONS IN THE UNITED STATES!

Unfortunately, the problem with ONE-SIDED NEGOTIATIONS is that the natural conclusion to arrive at an agreement that is fair for all is next to impossible.

IT IS NOT the fault of the SDEA for being SO GOOD.

It IS the fault of the inexperienced, incompetent Cindy Marten FOR BEING SO BAD and who OBVIOUSLY rubber stamped the Contract with NO KNOWLEDGE of the details…including even the STARTING TEACHER SALARY in the SDUSD!!!

District Deeds HOPES, and is CONFIDENT, that ALL the Teachers at the School Sites will be willing to pitch in during a staffing shortfall and NOT grieve minute issues and add to the Site dysfunction that will arise because of the current contract….but…because of another Marten BLUNDER…they have EVERY right to do so…and some inevitably will…to the detriment of the School Site Community.

We are relying on the dedicated Teachers in the SDUSD to voluntarily help “manage” their peers since we CAN”T rely on SDUSD Senior Leadership to do so.

And what remedy can we expect from the struggling Supt. Cindy Marten for these struggling Principals?

NOTHING…as usual.

And AGAIN ALL the SDUSD Stakeholders pay.

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