Re “Silbiger Response to Angry Parents”
The fire was lit for the blazing exchange below – among current and former School Board members – hours before last Tuesday’s Board meeting when President Karlo Silbiger responded to a request for comment on a fast developing power fight.
By the time it became public at the beginning of this week, proud, independent, sophisticated parents of El Marino Language School, who have self-funded nearly two dozen teaching aides for 26 years, were fully mobilized for a full-scale war.
Their opponent: The Assn. of Classified Employees evidently had been snoring away for most of the 26 years, oblivious to events at El Marino. About six months ago, the union awakened, decided it had been missing a veritable pot of fiscal and human gold.
Out of view, a bitter-tasting clash has been heating up.
When this newspaper asked School Board President Karlo Silbiger for his perspective on Day Two after the story became wildly public, he sent a letter that he had been dispatching to concerned parents.
The letter was posted here the afternoon of the evening meeting.
Former School Board member Madeline Ehrlich was furious when she read it, scorching the way Mr. Silbiger characterized his perspective, appearing to be speaking for consensus on the Board rather than expressing his single opinion.
At the Board meeting, Ms. Ehrlich accused Mr. Silbiger: “You have violated public trust. I am concerned this may be a violation of the Brown Act.”
She suggested there was a possibility of collusion with the union ACE.
Speaking gravely and looking directly at him, she said: “You have lost my support, now and forever.” She was applauded as she left the microphone.
The following Facebook exchange took place hours later:
Madeline Ehrlich (20th century School Board member): It is hard for me to get Tuesday night's School Board meeting out of my mind.
Two years ago I supported Karlo Silbiger for the School Board. I even defended him to friends.
On Tuesday he became the biggest disappointment. With the issue of El Marino adjuncts and the ACE union on the front burner, it appears that Karlo has decided to be the union rep and not the representative of our community/children that we elected him for. He had just heard from about 25 concerned parents speaking on behalf of the adjunct program. Instead of expressing support and empathy for the parents, children and the program, he admonished the parents for publicly outing Debbie Hamme, President of the ACE union, for being the instigator of these problems.
The flame of support and trust that I had for Karlo has been extinguished forever.
Kathy Paspalis (School Board member): As a Board member, you are elected to put the interests of our students first. Period.
Karlo Silbiger (School Board President): Wow! I'm trying to find something in this that is accurate, but I am at a loss. I have not yet said what my opinion is on this issue because it is premature! Nothing has been filed. No lawsuit has been threatened. Commenting on a negotiable item during open session is generally not a smart idea. So instead of saying something where I shouldn't, I focused on two issues: How much I valued the adjuncts when I was in the Spanish immersion program (something that you conveniently left out of your hateful post) and how sad it is that I see our parents and our staff fighting. I hoped (as I continue to hope) that we can discuss the issue like adults and not personally attack or threaten each other. Madeline, if you were honest here, you would say that I have over the past two years supported finally fixing the immersion program at Culver City Middle School so that students had more than one period in the target language (an idea that you brought to us!). I couldn't get a second vote. Saying that I don't care about the kids in this program is ridiculous. Those who pay attention know better than to believe it.
Ms. Ehrlich: Maybe you need to reread the post. My post is accurate. You know it, I know it and everyone else knows it.
Scott Zeidman (immediate past President of the School Board): I'm not so sure about the second vote comment. While my memory isn't perfect, I seem to remember the entire School Board (not just Karlo) pushing for core subjects in the middle school taught in the target language.Come to think of it, my memory isn't so bad after all. I do remember pushing for added classes in the target language. I definitely recall Kathy Paspalis and Steve Gourley pushing hard with me. Any claim that someone couldn't get a second vote on adding classes in the target language (at least while Steve and I were on the Board) is revisionist history. Put another way, it ain't true. Fortunately, virtually every School Board meeting is on video. If someone couldn't get a second vote to add more periods in the target language, there would be a video proving it. Don't bother looking. It doesn't exist. (Scott, enjoying private life, just making a cameo here to set the record straight).
