I hope it snows like a SOB...I don't even want to look at CSD #1 for a few days.

It's days like yesterday that make me ashamed to admit that I have spent almost 39 years of my life (combined with 37 years for my "better half") working there. When I die, I surely will go to heaven...I've spent my time in Hell.

Okay, you may have figured out by now that I am mildly agitated...as in PISSED.

I had the "pleasure" of attending a mediation session on Wednesday on the matter of "James Gibson v. Cairo School District Number One".

I will NOT go into details, because such matters are "confidential". Suffice it to say...Cairo School District Number One would rather pay James Gibson to go away than allow him to earn of living.

And, WHY?

James Gibson performed his job duties to the rave reviews of his colleagues and immediate supervisors...including two superintendents. He did this despite being hired "on the cheap". James was promised "teacher pay" after 15 days of substituting during the second semester of the 2003-04 school year, but received substitute pay instead. James was promised "teacher pay" for the 2004-05 school year, but again received substitute teacher pay instead. After being burned twice, James informed the superintendent that he was taking a teaching job in another district during the coming year. In order to keep an excellent employee, the superintendent promised James a teaching position for the 2005-06 school year, and backed it up with a written contract offer as "Crisis Classroom TEACHER" (emphasis added). In good faith, James signed the contract, accepting Cairo's offer and turning down the other district. Then FOUR MONTHS LATER, CSD #1 informs James that the contract he signed was a "typographical error" that he was a "Crisis Classroom Supervisor", then a "Crisis Classroom Monitor", then a "Teacher Aide, and finally a "Crisis Classroom/Detention Monitor"...ALL noncertified positions.

James "earned" the ire of District officials by having the audacity to question his reclassification! How dare he!!!

I mean...James "turned the cheek" after being screwed the first year. Then, James "turned the cheek" after being screwed the second year. What did District officials expect him to do the third year? Oh, yeah...probably wanted him to bend over, firmly grasp his ankles, and...kiss a few butt cheeks.

Okay, I digress...

The third time proved to be the charm. James, with the support of CAT-IEA-NEA, challenged his employment status by filing a grievance through CAT. After many delays, James went to arbitration last summer...and won. The arbitrator ruled that James had indeed been hired as a teacher and ordered the District to "make him whole" - i.e. pay the difference between his teacher aide salary and the teacher salary that he should have received for the 2005-06 school year.

In addition to the grievance, James filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against the District, mostly because they decided to RIF him at the end of the 2005-06 school year. Retaliation, you say? Of course not, said the District...they lost their grant funding for the crisis classroom.

Give me a break! Why the hell didn't they just sell shares of the Brooklyn Bridge or the f'ing moon to fund the crisis classroom?! If we're dumb enough to buy into a "Crisis Grant", why we'd surely buy the other.

Guess I digressed again...

ULPs are heard by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board in Springfield. Yesterday was to have been James Gibson's day in court. However, the District sought and won yet another delay. (This is the District's "modus operandi"...stall, stall, stall. Hey, we're only human...maybe we will die before the case goes to court!)

So, instead of testifying to the District's dastardly deeds and finally obtaining a decision, we had to subject ourselves to 8 hours of insult and injury.

And, speaking of negotiations...

What's that, you say!

Okay, we weren't speaking of negotiations, but we sure got a preview yesterday. Almost the first words we heard...which were repeated often..."the district is broke!"

I'm going to count to ten now...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Let's try that again...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

BS!

Hey, it worked...only two letters instead of two words with four letters each!

As I told the mediator yesterday, the District can readily and eagerly spend over $20,000 in ONE MONTH to their legal firm to fight James Gibson et al, but then claim they don't have any money to pay him for disrupting his life...FOR YEARS! Yes, they CAN do it, but don't expect us to buy it!

Quit paying lawyers and pay the people who have been wronged by (former) agents of the District. Quit paying to clean up their messes and pay the damage they caused on your behalf. Quit paying lawyers...THEN you will have money!!!

The District paid two attorneys yesterday for an 8-hour day along with driving time, meals, and possibly motel rooms...all to make an insulting offer that could have been turned down over the telephone. Of course, from what I understand, THAT was an improvement over last time. Last time they didn't even make an offer...just paid the attorney!

Guess we all know where the priorities of Cairo School District Number One lie...and it ain't with you!

It's 12:30 a.m. I just looked out of the window. It's not snowing yet.

DAMN!

POSTSCRIPT:

Hell, you can't even call in sick to Hell!

I tried! Used my emergency call list to notify the District that I was going to take Thursday off...to calm down before I re-entered the "hallowed halls". Also, figured that I would put the finishing touches on our contract proposal.

Called the number at 6 o'clock last night...got an answering machine...left the message, with a request for a return call for confirmation. (Trust, but verify. After all, one of James Gibson alleged discretions was calling the wrong person to report a late arrival. James Gibson was threatened with dismissal for that "crime"! Hey, I learn from other people's "mistakes".)

Well, by 6 a.m. this morning, no return call...and no f'ing call that school was being dismissed for the day!!!

So, I called again...and woke some poor guy up...some poor guy who now has the telephone number published for CJSHS folks to call in sick...BEFORE 6 a.m.!!!

Having no other number for the "proper person", I called a back-up...let the phone ring about 8 times...and hung up.

Rather than call the Principal direct...which actually used to be (may still be) the District requirement under the ESP contract, I gave up. As soon as I finish typing this, I will get ready for school. First order of business will be to turn in the paperwork...and take TOMORROW off! There's more than one way to skin a...oops, forget that.