Teachers union has second thoughts on endorsement

Once upon a time, the political action committee for the Pinellas teachers union endorsed School Board member Janet Clark (right) for re-election. And why not? She's a former middle school teacher and a reliable supporter of teacher causes. Now the PAC has rescinded its support.

The union didn't like it when Clark joined a 4-3 vote recently to hire Miami educator Alberto Carvalho as superintendent, passing over interim superintendent Julie Janssen. Clark might have redeemed herself in the union's eyes when Carvalho declined the offer and she became the swing vote that made Janssen the superintendent. But the union didn't take kindly to her words in an interview with the Times in which Clark pushed back against the union's aggressive campaign on behalf of Janssen.

"I'm tired of the bullying," she said in the interview, adding that the union could "keep their filthy lucre. I'm not bought."

The PAC took back its endorsement in a three-sentence letter that Clark received in the mail over the weekend. "I don't know that I'm going to spend any time worrying about it," said Clark, who won election in 2004 without the PAC's support."It bothers me that for four years I have  been an advocate to teachers and support staff."

She added: "They were using the political endorsement to force me to take a vote. I don't want anybody living in this county to think I am beholden to anybody."

Jade Moore, executive director of the union, said the PAC will stay out of the District 1 race, where Clark faces a challenge from Jennifer Crockett.

Comments

[Linda]

To: 9/25 at 10:37pm poster

Fact: 75% of Afro-Ameican males failed to graduate from High School.

Fact: Over 13,000 students entered the 9th grade in 2003.
5900 received standard diplomas 4 years later.

Fact: 10 of our 16 High Schools are considered Drop-out factories by an independent study done by Johns Hopkins University.

Fact: 35% of Pinellas County High Schools received a "D" grade in 2008

These are just a few of the "Facts" that our School Board is responsible for. These figures and stats came from the St. Pete Times insert. I am sure you will find some way to question the numbers. Our School Board has been great at masking the true numbers.

In November a new School Board will be seated due to the addition of at least two new members, probably 3. I, for one look forward to their changing the direction of Pinellas County Schools.

By the way, I am curious to what you see is the role of the School Board if it is not Student Achievement and Graduation.

Hey Linda, The comment by 10:37 are from Janet. Take them for what they are worth!

Hey Linda? Try the google search yourself. The only instance of Pinellas on the 1st two pages is a comment from a blogger on The Gradebook.

Linda- your comments show a complete lack of understanding about the "job" of the school board.
Isn't it wonderful that we live in a country where anyone can spout nonsensical comments and even vote no matter how ignorant they are?

[Linda]

Poster on 9/25 at 6:50PM.

Because I think Janet Clark is a terrible Board member and has no idea on how to address the terrible crisis this District is facing makes me Jennifer's mom !

I am certainly not Mrs. Crockett's mom. As a matter of fact I am probably the same age or maybe 1 or 2 years older than Jennifer Crockett.

Look, Janet Clark's record speaks for itself. It was published in the times in a 4 page spread. Did you read it? Did you understand it?

One statistic jumps out and should be outrageous to all of us as parents, 3 out of 4 of our Afro-American students will not graduate from High School this coming year. Where do you think they will end up?

At the last Board meeting Janet talks about their investment portfolio, the Boards Calendar etc. Where do these fit in with Student Achievment or the Drop-out rate in our District?

Let the accountants report to the Board at a workshop like any other Board in the County. If the subject does not address Student Achievement then don't bring it to the Board Table. They workshop everything else in the world. At the Board meetings bring us facts on how we are addressing this crisis.

Janet spent a lot of time on the 6-1 vote to fire a teacher. Take it in the back room, trust me, we want to know about our kids and how they are going to keep them in school. We did not need to hear Janet's nonsense about the decision of the Administrative Law Judge. The attorney said she was off base and she was. Reducing the penalty is not her job but more importantly she can,t do it!

Search dysfunctional school boards in Florida and see who comes up most of the time. Soon 2 will be gone and as one person said at the meeting, "Hopefully 3." I totally agree.

Linda, Er um, Mrs. Crockett's mom. PLUEEEZEEEEEEEE

Ms. Clark thank you for voting against firing the art teacher. he was not charged with a crime, and was at an adult establishment. This man should not have been fired!

[Linda]

To 9-12 Faulty memory...you are correct I apologize.

You did not post at 9:12, Linda. The comment was not directed at you.

[Linda]

I don't believe my memory is wrong at all. On 9/21 at 8:43am Ms. Clark posted the following: "I will continue to speak out for ALL employee groups in my next 4 years."

On the second issue the numbers speak for themselves, hundreds of children have dropped out of school during Ms. Clark's term as a school board member.

I am sure one could get the exact number by calling the District Office.

9:12- Your memory is faulty on both counts.

[Linda]

Ms. Clark, after losing the endorsement of the PCTA you made a statement saying you will continue to speak out for "all" the employees for the next four years.

May I ask when you will start speaking out for the "Students" of this County.

Our teachers and support staff have jobs. They may feel underpaid or not appreciated but still, they have jobs.

The kids we have lost during your term on the school board is outrageous to say the least. They will not find jobs, their future is dim to say the least. When will you start taking responsibility and start thinking about them for a change?

[Linda]

When asked for input from this community on the selection of the new Superintendent it came back to the School Board "Overwhelmingly" in favor of Dr. Janssen.

We kept hearing from a couple of Board members that they were receiving calls against Dr. Janssen but these people were never identified for whatever reason. One would assume they were disgruntled employees. No one spoke at any functions against Dr. Janssen that I can remember.

You were not elected for your personal opinions. You were elected to be the voice of the people. Major organizations in this community, the NAACP, the Urban League, the Education Foundation, the Teachers Association went to their members and came back to you. But a few of you put yourselves above all of their input.

Please keep in mind, as a Board you don't have much to brag about with the sorry state of our schools in this District. But I am sure a couple of you will find someone to blame besides your own short-comings.

I hope for all of us the new School Board in November will take responsiblity for the future of our children and make this District great.

Ms. Clark please provide example of how you are pro teacher? If i remember correctly you voted against an innocent Mark Forznak, and you voted against people with 1 or 2 DUI's.

what exactly does PCTA do for us?

Ms. Clark,

if you represent teachers and support staff why has the contract been violated over and over again? The contract has clear language forbiddining teaching 6/7. Where is the raise or just our steps?

[Janet Clark]

7:58 AM- I do represent teachers and support staff. I spent 11 years, from 1993-2004, as an ESE teacher with a full-time support "partner" who was treated as an equal in my classroom. PCTA knows this and anyone who knows me does too.
SEIU continues to support me. They are the union that represents all non-classroom, non-admin staff.

[Reality Check]

Stop calling it a Union. A Union has the power to strike. The teachers have an association and a very week one at that. They continually let the administration violate the contract. Teachers have lost cost of living raises and salary increases that are standard practice in every other field. It's all a big joke. If you look at average salaries for people with bachelor degrees teachers are way underpaid. It is time to quit acting like people care about education. It is not a priority. If I was Janet Clark I wouldn't want their endorsement either. They are not exactly helping teachers anyway. An enemy of the association must be doing something right, because they suck

[Reality Check]

Stop calling it a Union. A Union has the power to strike. The teachers have an association and a very week one at that. They continually let the administration violate the contract. Teachers have lost cost of living raises and salary increases that are standard practice in every other field. It's all a big joke. If you look at average salaries for people with bachelor degrees teachers are way underpaid. It is time to quit acting like people care about education. It is not a priority. If I was Janet Clark I wouldn't want there endorsement either. They are not exactly helping teachers anyway. An enemy of the association must be doing something right, because they suck

this shows how much are union sucks.

Ms. Clark you are supposed to represent teachers and support staff. Part of being on the school board.

Some of you need to grow up. And Timmy--lay off the oxies...

Maybe filthy described the hair of the unon director or maybe the teeth of the union president.

PCTA is a joke. It only represents about 25% of teachers who are not well liked in their schools or by the parents of the children in their class.

[Timmy!]

Don't like what the union does with the "lucre". Tell them to stop or quit.

What's so hard about that?

[Mary]

Clark was decrying the "filthy lucre" of the union. Some of that "lucre" was contributed by me.

Who said you were filthy?

Me, too.

[Mary]

I belong to the union and I don't think I'm filthy. Count me as a lost vote.

Because, Janet-You didn't listen to the union, to the teachers OR to the citizens of Pinellas. You ARE beholden to your constituents. Get a clue (and so should the rest of the board and admin). Don't ask for INPUT just so you can say you did and then just vote your personal preference. That's what's wrong with politicians today--they don't realize that they are REPRESENTATIVES of the CITIZENS.
Carvalho was a terrible choice.

OUCH!… Why aren’t we talking about how much it cost the taxpayers to hire a consultant and look outside the county, when apparently the best choice was sitting right in front of them?

This is what happens when we allow our School Boards to become Party minion-training class.