Re “Teachers Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contract”
I enjoyed reading Teachers Union President David Mielke’s letter regarding the unions not being invited to interview the potential superintendent candidates. As Mr. Mielke knows, the “old” School Board made an unprecedented decision, and invited the unions to meet the superintendent candidates. That “old” Board had to fight the Search Committee and the District’s lawyers to allow the unions the opportunity to meet with the candidates. While I spearheaded the campaign to allow the union leaders to conduct the interviews, looking back, their collective comments were not really helpful. Each leader’s comments were exactly as I had expected them to be.
Mr. Mielke was well aware of the fight and the “old” Board’s efforts to allow them to conduct interviews of the candidates. After having interviewed the candidates, Mr. Mielke wasn’t thankful, appreciative, or even neutral. Instead, Mr. Mielke blasted the Board because he had to meet two of the three candidates outdoors (to avoid violating California law because the pre-selected off-site facility could not accommodate multiple interviews at the same time. Further, the Brown Act prohibited the union leaders from being in the same room with the Board while the Board conducted its interviews).
Now Mr. Mielke complains that the new Board hasn’t given him a chance to “interview the finalists and make recommendations.” Based on past history, this should be a surprise to absolutely no one.
Mr. Mielke goes on to claim that the “old” Board “set new lows for its treatment of employee organizations.” I’m proud to have been a member of that “old” Board. The alleged “new lows” were instances wherein Mr. Mielke stretched the truth (the politest way I can put it) beyond breaking. Board member Steve Gourley responded by calling Mr. Mielke a liar. This happened on multiple occasions. Mr. Mielke would present inaccurate information, and Mr. Gourley would call him on it, labeling Mr. Mielke’s claims as lies.
Mr. Mielke further complained that the “old” Board (me, specifically) wouldn’t shut Mr. Gourley up. Of course, any such attempt would be in violation of Mr. Gourley’s First Amendment rights, as we learned without a doubt later in the year.
Finally, Mr. Mielke pleads to his union’s members, asking them to contact the members of the Board. “(Board members) don’t appear to be listening to me on this one; maybe they’ll listen to you,” he writes.
There’s little doubt why the “new” Board might not be listening to Mr. Mielke.
Mr. Zeidman, immediate Past President of the School Board, may be contacted at Scott.Zeidman@laslots.com
