Looks like I am jumping back into the fray. There are so many things to talk about, but I have to vent on this one. An incident on a bus where a disabled girl is in distress. The girl dies the next day. There is no record in the Hillsborough County Schools of this event? This is just not right.

Found Under "Retaliation" Label

I see Lee is wanting to look at the Whitehead case that went to Federal court.

Here is the Final Order.

See how many times you can find how the District obfuscated, flat out lied and basically retaliated against the parents for advocating for their son. See how they dug themselves in deeper protecting one bad move after another.


The jury award was substantially reduced by the judge. Imagine that.

What is more interesting is to read the depositions given by the Board members, who repeated stated they knew nothing of the case, yet kept voting for it to be continued.




Wrightslaw - The Division of Administrative Hearings: "State of Florida
The Division of Administrative Hearings
Special Education Hearing
Andrew K. Whitehead, et.al, Petitioner,
v.
Hillsborough County Sch. Bd. Respondent.
No. 93-4021E"

This Is It - Arrogance With Ignorance

I have been writing about it for almost 17 months : "Arrogance with ignorance". Check out the labels on my blogs.

The arrogance of the HCPS School Board chair was to threaten a board member to be removed from the board meeting. The ignorance was that the Chair did not have authority to do so.

School Board talk on travel takes harsh turn - St. Petersburg Times:

"In fact, she had no authority to do so, board attorney Tom Gonzalez said."

To add insult to what should have been a professional at work, the Times reports this in the same above article:

"Faliero later said she never intended to have Griffin removed,..."

Ms. Griffin had what it took to withstand this threat. She even stated that the Chair was a peer, not an employer. Look at what happened to Doug Erwin. Look at what happens to school employees, parents and students who cannot overcome the arrogance with ignorance when it happens.

For those who are concerned that people do not respect the school system, look no further. It was on full display yesterday at the ROSSAC.

A Very Long Time - 40 Years and then 33 years

I was researching something else because someone had asked a question about change.

Hillsborough: County schools' attorney to resign

By MELANIE AVE
Published September 30, 2004

"Few, 71, plans to step down next week as Hillsborough school attorney after nearly 40 years. He plans to work part time for a while as he ends a tenure as one of the longest-serving school attorneys in Florida.

At Tuesday's board meeting, superintendent Earl Lennard will recommend Tom Gonzalez replace Few as school attorney at Few's request. Gonzalez has handled the district's labor issues since 1975."

Interesting that the reins held by one for 40 years were turned over to one who has had their hand on the reins for (at the time) 29 years.

Maybe this longevity provides concrete stability to a system.

Ms. De Cesare has an uncanny insight

Just like Goader, I have never met Ms. De Cesare - however I have seen both of them on the HCDS school board public broadcast. I probably would not recognize either one of them if I ran into them in a store.

Each of us has our own writing style. I admit up front that Lee's style of writing is a bit distracting. If I had paid more attention, I might be able to compare her writings to classic writers who took 375 pages to say what I would say in 3 pages, double spaced in large letters.

I have to say Lee has an uncanny insight into the ethos of the HCPS. In fact, she nails it every time. One must read through the fluff and puff of her tangents of ridicule to see that she speaks the truth regarding the character of the different school personnel that she writes about.

She and I both have written about our perception that the district could be an allegory to the Wizard of OZ. Just read all of our posts to see the connection.

Here is one more post I agree with her on: Realpolitik at ROSSAC

Finally -someone has questioned the information

Click here: School Nurses Alarmed Over Shrinking Staff, Rising Needs

List Of Nurses Turns Up 'Placeholders'
Despite the cutbacks, Nelson Luis, who oversees health services, said he is confident children are safe and schools are covered.
"No child's going to go without care," Luis said. "I'm convinced we are doing what we need to be doing - with less people, with cutbacks."
Luis, the district's general director for student support and federal programs, said Monday morning that there is a health professional at every school. On Tuesday morning, he produced a list showing at least one person's name beside each school. Luis said the list was valid as of last week, although subject to change.
The first name The Tampa Tribune checked out was Tanski. The list shows her as the sole health care provider assigned to the South County Career Center.
"I don't even know where that is," Tanski said Tuesday. Her assigned schools are Dowdell Middle and Clair-Mel and Palm River elementary schools, with Summerfield Elementary added this year, she said.
Gallogly said late Wednesday that the list remains "fluid" and is being revised. Tanski's name was listed next to the career center as a "placeholder." There is a nurse at the school, Gallogly said, but she teaches there and is not employed by her department."

If this story is correct, then this is an example of obfuscation by the District, and finally someone has dug a little deeper.

So the question remains - How long will Tanski last in her position? Telling the truth outside the system could have it's effects, only the wrong ones.