Hemet Unified

I have battled with addressing the poor education in our city for a while.  I am a huge advocate of education and feel that it is imperative to a healthy community.  I have said before that public safety is arguably a good place to start when it comes to re-building a community, but the other main component is undoubtedly education.
I have known for a while that our teachers for Hemet Unified may go on strike. They say they want smaller classroom sizes and better pay. All I am going to say about this is that there is a budget. Smaller class sizes equals more teachers unless you are able to somehow shift students around in a logical fashion where more teachers are not required. More teachers equals more money. A raise also equals more money. Anyone care to tell us all what the budgeted amount is for salaries?
This opinion will not be popular particularly as it relates to our own Hemet Unified, but it is my honest opinion. I also feel that the future of our kids in this town is worth it.
The way we educate our children is disgraceful. First, the clear boundary between teacher and student; adult and child seems to have dissolved leaving classroom management near impossible. Adults must set boundaries for children in-order for children to safely and independently learn right from wrong; failure and success and learn to manage emotions. You cannot be friends and expect to effectively do your job.  Children have to learn independence in a structure.  They have to learn there are definitive consequences with follow-through.
I do not feel that the majority of the teachers, particularly in Hemet Unified, are doing their job even to the level of satisfactory. Scoring below average on Standardized Exams and an average high school GPA of a 2.7 with a current drop-out rate of 6% (if it continues at this rate then it will be somewhere between 10-15% by the end of the school year) is not something to applaud.  I am offended that anyone would state that we have good schools.  The only exception is the Science Academy.  I also do not feel that the schools are being managed well enough to get a handle on the big issues. I have had parents tell me how they want to pull their kids out of traditional school and place them in a home-school program. The school district of course fights this. Bodies in chairs equals money. I just wish the education of those children sitting in those chairs was a priority. Students tell me that they walk into a math class with the examples of new material written on the board.  They copy down the notes and grade each others homework with almost no teacher participation.  I have parents of autistic children telling me the fight they have to endure for their child to receive any education at all. The teachers have told these parents that your child doesn't behave well and its difficult to do their job.
The principals are not stepping in to manage escalated issues.  They are allowing them to escalate further.  How does this give our children a strong foundation to base their educational future?  How do they feel safe enough to be students?  What incentive do they have?
How is it that one of the most important jobs on the planet has no enforced evaluation structure?  How is it also difficult to be fired from this job if you are poorly evaluated or worse, have violated children?  People pay money to earn an education to be able to teach for a living.  I have always felt that you can't teach someone to teach. You are either a teacher or you are not. There is a large gap it seems between teachers who can do their job effectively and those who cannot.  I have attached a link to an LA times article just printed about how districts are failing to do their jobs in adequately evaluating our teachers. This is not only hurting our children, but our communities and our nation. Our children are lacking the fundamentals needed to make critical decisions and exercise practical judgement. Moreover, children are not learning the art of learning. I guarantee you the impacts of this will weigh.  If you are paying any attention, then you have already started to see it.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-teacher-eval-20150120-story.html

Council Meeting - January 13, 2015

This Council meeting started out with a packed audience and awards from the Christmas parade. Once all that excitement ended, so did the packed house. A girl can still dream!!!
Anyway, an hour conversation happened regarding the speed limit set at Seven Hills Drive. I would love to say this was an intelligent conversation but no one had accurate information. It was the most frustrating thing to sit and have to listen to inaccurate information for an HOUR!! First of all, it is a state thing; not a federal thing. Two- I believe an ordinance can be passed to do whatever is necessary. Third- Chief Brown was in the room along with several other of Hemet's finest.  Someone had accurate information.
The best part of the meeting related to having a quarterly town-hall, each having two council members present. If it is kept at two council members, then a real conversation between elected officials and constituents has potential.  Milne's comment regarding the whole idea: there is so much misinformation out there that a town-hall would be a great way to get the accurate information out. I just had to sit and listen to her give misinformation and have no idea what she was talking about for an hour.  The idea of having her voice at a town-hall just thrills me.  I hope our constituents are armed and ready with facts when she speaks.
Another great item on the agenda was the unveiling of HPD's Strategic Plan. I have read it and taken notes. I do have some questions.  When I get those answered, then I will comment.
Is there any way more people in our city can attend the regularly scheduled council meetings?  And is there any way our council members can be somewhat informed on issues related to the agenda prior to the meetings?  I believe most of them have iPads with them. I think it's called Google?  But please, feel free to double check.

A new council we have!!!

Ladies and gentlemen!  If you want entertainment in your politics, this council may be the place to find it! I do not doubt, as long as we citizens do our job, that this council will be far more productive than its preceding majority.  All seriousness aside, the dynamic of those five will no doubt entertain!
Milne was absent for the commencement and Youssef left about 45 minutes into the meeting on an emergency phone call. Just a question- at what point are council members removed due to very poor attendance?
The meeting started with telling Smith how great of a mayor he was and how great his service to this city has been. This presentation was done by none other than Youssef. People clapped! Really? It is in moments like these where the honesty needs to maintain. Let's break this down simply, shall we? One down and two to go!!
The main item on the agenda for the majority of people who attended, was the ability for the new council to overturn the September 9th decision to contract out to Calfire.  You already know what happened! Our council members who want a future decision to contract out, should it arise, to go to a vote of the people have not abandoned that stance.  I am sure this will come up and the vote will be in favor of going to the people.
Now, what this council needs to focus on is going after grants that will make the changes needed to cut unnecessary spending from our budget. This way we keep jobs and start to build back our public safety. We need to build this city to a community people want to invest in and families want to live.