It is interesting that the downtown administrators of the Hillsborough County Public School system were head over heels to spend oodles of money to remediate Ellyn Smith’s leadership abilities, yet they didn’t offer this reporter two cents worth of training before sending me into a severely mentally handicapped classroom. No one cared that I was placed in a special education setting that was over my head with not a scintilla of training beforehand. Instead, they left me there to languish until the inevitable mistake occurred and then threw me under the bus. On the other hand, when Smith faltered they couldn’t devise ways to train her fast enough. They tripped over the money piles set aside for that purpose.

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Recently, I read an article in The Gradebook about the damage to reputations blogs were causing when people could freely comment anonymously. Public figures like Jennifer Faliero voiced concern that commenters could “get away” with posting anything they wanted to say. Even if the public person disagreed with the comments, there was nothing they could do about it. If only the government could place restraints on commenters’ individual freedoms to post anonymously—to make them register using real names. That way, the aggrieved public figure would know to whom to direct retribution—who to hold accountable.

To Jennifer and others who would rein in the freedoms of others I say:

I will defend your right to call for the truth police and the end to anonymous commenting with the very life of this blog: EsKay.

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Here I am in the board meeting room at the Raymond Shelton building in downtown Tampa. It is just past 3:30 in the afternoon and the school board meeting is underway. Everyone seems to be in their proper places: board members on the dais and school officials lined up in the front row. Candy Olson is speaking currently, and she is seated on the opposite side of the dais from where she sat the last time I was here. The last time I was here was around two years ago. Krudell is the chair and Valdez is next her in the Vice Chair position.

I don’t know what the hell they are talking about. All I hear is blah blah. I will try to pay attention and listen to what the topics are…

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Jennifer Faliero commented on the Alafia Elementary School Blog recently. I think that is admirable and wish she would contribute to this blog, EsKay. As a sitting board member, she could offer a firsthand account of board matters. For this reason, her comments would be invaluable as contributions to any blog engaged in critical analysis of the school district. If Ms. Faliero were reading this, I would ask she not take personal offense to the following analysis. Rather, I hope she would read it as constructive commentary, which is only concerned with her role as an elected constitutional officer. With that said, here is what I have to say about the comment she made on the Alafia Blog.

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Kudos to Pinellas County Middle School Teachers for winning their arbitration hearing. The school board had the nerve to unilaterally impose a 6/7 instructional scheme on the secondary teachers in violation of their contract. They just blatantly snubbed their collective nose at the teachers’ contract and did what they wanted to do.

A similar thing happened in Hillsborough County last year but there was a major difference. Hillsborough’s teachers’ contract stipulated instruction was not to exceed 300 minutes per school day. The five-period language didn’t make it into their contract. It is for that reason Hillsborough’s School Board was able to shove it down teachers’ throats.

Way to go Pinellas teachers it’s good to see ordinary people win every once in a while!

The arbitration decision is located here.

Many thanks to Anonymous Nov 30 8:08 PM for the link to an excellent research paper on bullying in the workplace. Anne L. Jefferson Ph.D. at the University of Ottawa wrote the paper. It seems to be aimed at universities; however, much of it is relevant to all administrators and teachers. The paper begins with the statement, “Leadership has mistakenly been assumed to be a quality processed [sic] by all individuals who have positions of authority.” It is so easy to think that because one holds an administrative position he or she is part of the leadership. Authority does not assure leadership no more than age guarantees maturity.

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Retaliation per se is legal unless it involves discrimination based on race, gender, age, or disability. It may be morally objectionable, but in the eyes of the law, it is null. In the worlds of public and private business, it is all too often not viewed as objectionable, however. In fact, for the most part, it is kept out of view all together. Rather it operates in the shadows of covert behavior. It finds its way into situations through stealth and anonymity. No one admits to it.

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Retaliation implies attempting to cause harm to another because of a perceived likewise harm. It has a negative connotation. It refers to one or more persons causing injury to another because that person allegedly injured the former. It is about retributive harming of others. Apparently, its justification is the perceived original harm done.

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Here are some open questions for all to answer.

If any of the above applies, can you elaborate briefly without giving yourself away? Anonymous comments are encouraged.