Dedicated to Empowering and Informing the Burlingame Community

Ask for it!

A rising tide lifts all boats,? or in this case a falling tide should have brought them all down. The SMUHSD and Sequoia School districts offer similar programs, pay similar salaries and benefits and most importantly receive their funding from the same source, San Mateo County.

If the two districts face similar financial constraints and cash flows then why isn't the Sequoia District also in financial trouble and laying off teachers and staff?

Superintendent Sam Johnson has offered to tender his resignation if the Board asks for it. Why would an innocent man offer to resign this position of leadership unless he held some degree of culpability?

The Sequoia High School District is hurting, but not failing. Why is the SMUHSD mired in a financial dilemma that may take years to heal?

The SMUHSD Board has been elected to serve and promote the public trust and provide a high quality of education. It is time that the Board ask for Sam Johnson's resignation and begin the healing process caused by this financial mess.

– Written by JC

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60 responses to “Ask for it!”

  1. Joanne

    Thank you, Fred. I’ve had a warm and fuzzy feeling for you ever since you started writing haiku on this blog. You must have had excellent English teachers as well as excellent Civics teachers. I tried to give the same advice (about engaging in debates — even heated ones — with civility), under the “Teaching Moment” thread, but obviously it went unheeded.
    What are you thoughts about increasing revenue?

  2. Rich Grogan

    ASE. I am sorry if you felt I was attempting to marginalize you or your opinions as a student, because I wasn’t; I thought I was offering you a compliment for your civic engagement. You are at a juncture in your life and I am please to see you have chosen to come out of the blocks running and participate in social debate. Keep up the good work!!

  3. RCC

    Joanne, I too enjoy the haiku. It is a nice change from the hum drum I think this or that. I’m sure Fred had plenty of natural talent nurtured by English teacher’s that made him the haikuist he is today.

    I’d love to have a teacher actually teach me how to write like that. The only problem is these teachers are getting a little rusty because they have no incentive to go back to school and become a better teacher accept their good conscience. I’m not saying raises should be handed out like candy on Halloween I’m just trying to think of ways to keep our school system current and competitive. Public schooling lost its competitive nature a long time ago and education has suffered because of it.

  4. Joanne

    So RCC, what is the incentive you think is needed? What would make our school system current and competitive?

  5. Rich Grogan

    Teacher

    What was the “temporary”(2nd year) teacher’s” area of education?

  6. fred

    ASE, you will never be able to convince everyone to agree with your viewpoints, in fact it is hard to convince anyone at all. But, your opinions and actions can make an impact, how big of an impact is up to you.

    Joanne, I am a product of the local public school system and a Burligame High alum. My ideas on increasing revenue include grocery stores, freeway access, former drive-ins…but this is not the post for that discussion.

  7. RCC

    A as I stated before I think raises should go to those teachers who take the initiative to go back to school on their own time to better themselves in the field they teach (this system is currently in place). I also think, and some people really won’t like this, that teacher should have to go either take a test or class every few years to stay current and fresh on new and old material. Other professionals must go back and take a test every few years to keep their licenses why shouldn’t teachers?

  8. ASE

    Rich, if you’re talking about the “temporary(2nd year)teacher” from BHS, he teaches English. And through some very generous donations made by parents (that flabergasted me, to be quite honest) his job will stay intact and the librarian who was to take on his classes (and who had never seen the inside of a classroom and isn’t very fond of students) will stay in her library. However we have lost almost half of our custodial staff. They will be here for about a month, so in about 2 or 3 months time, you will find BHS to be a very dirty messy place. So sad seeing as no portion of it is older than 2 years.

  9. Lee

    Teachers do have to take classes and attend professional development-it’s a requirement to renew our credential every five years. Most teachers I know in BSD do take the time to attend workshops, seminars, take classes, and do additional professional reading to keep current on best educational practices. Perhaps if society started respecting and treating us like the true professionals we are, we wouldn’t have some of these issues!

  10. Mac

    A society in decline seeks scapegoats…

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