The purpose of this E-Mail is to share with you Monday Bits and Pieces. These are the information items of interest or alerts of importance.
1. The EPISD January Board Meetings are scheduled for Thursday, January 25th.
The first meeting is at 2:00 PM and is a “Special Board Meeting” where the Superintendent’s contract and compensation package will be amended. The rumblings are that it will be 10% to 15% raise plus perks.
The second meeting begins at 5:00 PM and is the “Regular Board Meeting”. The agenda is very light on substance until you dig to the second and third levels and read the fine print. Even though there is a lot of critical planning and activity ongoing, this speaks to transparency and just how much oversight our elected representatives, are allowed or in some cases, want.
The links to sign up will not be posted until mid-day tomorrow. I will share them for members who will speak to issues like lock-step curriculum and its problems, the lack of due process, lack of support to frontline educators on campuses, the many issues with Special Education, rank-and-file employee compensation, the voiding of the Bill of Rights in EPISD or even the basic question ‘will EPISD honor its 2016 Contract with the Voters?’
As you can see, there are a plethora of questions the Superintendent and Administration need to answer publicly. One of which is why should we believe anything said. After all, if they will lie about $3.2 Million, are we to hope they won’t lie about smaller stuff.
A review of the agenda item B.1 reveals money received from property sales of Morehead and La Farelle is $4.5 Million. Morehead was a 2016 Bond sale and as such the $3.2 Million was promised to employees in the EPISD’s 2016 Contract with the Voters. It is being put into the District’s Unreserved/Undesignated Fund Balance.
That means three things.
The Supe can spend it on anything she wants.
The Supe has broken the District’s promise to the voters.
$3,200,000 is Wage Theft on an unprecedented scale.
And about, “Culture of Accountability - El Paso ISD cultivates a culture of transparency, care, and service.” Yeah, right, sure.
2. General Membership Election Meeting/Mixer.
There will be a General Membership Thursday, February 1st at 5:00 PM. It will be at the Federation Building at 4024 Trowbridge Dr. There will be a brief business session that will address the 2024 EPAFT officer Elections occurring later this Spring and the need for advocates. Otherwise, it will be Gathering, Greeting, Grazing and Getting to Know your EPAFT sisters and brothers.
3. Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation.
The EPISD system of reporting such is irreparably broken and has been ‘weaponized’ against the reporting person and designed to protect the offenders. Friday, I notified Ms. Sayavedra and Mr. Irrobali that EPAFT will no longer play their rigged game. Instead, we will go to the Federal and State Governments for protection of members from Admin predators, ageists, and bullies. 
There will be a follow up Email discussing the details of this and other ways around EPISD’s “Anti-Employee Relations Department” to ensure real due process and an honest look at employee complaints of Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation.
See you Thursday at the Board meeting at 5:00 PM. I will be speaking at both the 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM. This is not the time to meekly smile, nod and say thank you for allowing me to work for you. This is the time to speak up and be heard.
In Solidarity,
Ross