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Swooping down with a stunningly dramatic but controlled flair, freshman School Board member Laura Chardiet unexpectedly interrupted last night’s emotional Parents vs. Union meeting of the Board to present a parent-weighted peace proposal she hopes will be put to a vote at the next meeting, Tuesday, March 13.
“My objective,” Ms. Chardiet said, “was to create clarity on our Board policy by institutionalizing the status quo.”
Later in the meeting, Board member Prof. Patricia Siever appeared strongly incensed by Ms. Chardiet’s 220-word proposal that she has spent a week developing. While repeatedly assuring the crowded, animated audience that “I am listening to you,” “we are not the enemy,” “I work for you,” “we are not going to get rid of volunteers,” Prof. Siever pointedly rebuked Ms. Chardiet without naming her. She seemed to feel that a confidence had been broken. Subsequently, Board member Kathy Paspalis assured the room that no rules or confidence had been breached.
In the midst of a gigantic and ongoing organized parent outcry against a perceived union intrusion over what they see as their own private business – personally funding language instruction aides –Ms. Chardiet inserted herself into a stream of parent protests to the Board for relief.
A Time to Lead
After a dozen parents had spoken – and before the final 30 parents came to the podium – Ms. Chardiet broke in with a four-point proposal that set off a standing ovation and a volley of ringing cheers from the intensely partisan capacity crowd in the overloaded Council Chambers.
It was a single-moment opportunity when diffuse elements were remarkably aligned.
Ever since the sizzling disagreement between parent boosters at El Marino Language School and the Assn. of Classified Employees, ACE, over the booster-funding of language specialist aides exploded in public at the Feb. 14 meeting, Ms. Chardiet has been trying to convince her colleagues to seize the initiative, to lead.
For two meetings, other Board members have declined to be assertive.
Generally, they are following President Karlo Silbiger’s wait-and-see attitude.
A Time to Pause
They are standing back, apparently, until the School District and ACE develop a plan whereby President Debbie Hamme’s union may be permitted to recruit among the 20 language specialist aides at El Marino. Or they may turn to a court of pretty much last resort, PERB, the Public Employment Relations Board, for a ruling, and sources say there is precedent for upholding the status quo.
Said Mr. Silbiger at the end:
“I dearly hope this program (ALLEM, Advocates for Learning Language, El Marino, the booster club that funds the language specialists) is able to stay working as it is.
“At a point at which we are able to get (expert) feedback from staff and our attorneys, this is going to be a process.”
Here are Ms. Chardiet’s proposed changes to Board policy:
• For purposes of this policy, any work done by parents or staff or contractors of non-profits that do not encumber District funds, shall be considered volunteers.
• This shall also apply to any positions that are paid for by the District but are reimbursed by a federally recognized non-profit entity.
• If such a position in the same grade or department and at the same school site did not exist, then the work may be done by volunteers.
• Further, if the position had at one time existed but had been abolished or cut with no intention to resume later, then the work may be done by volunteers unless the original intent behind the elimination of the position was to replace it with volunteer assistants.
The District shall respond within 30 days in writing to the offer of any federally recognized non-profit entity to provide volunteer assistance in order to enhance the District education program for students. Such offers may include non-profits that seek to place their employees in non-instructional positions as well as non-profits that would like to reimburse the District for any costs associated with funding of a non-instructional position.
The District shall accept such an offer if it is aligned with the District and the school site educational goals unless it is in violation of the preceding paragraph.
