This is an email that Shirley Person sent to Karen Aronowitz, president of United Teachers Of Dade, regarding the school bond referendum in this year’s election. Shirley agreed to share it here with all of you. Share it with others who will be voting this year in Miami’s school bond referendum. Vote #223 VOTE AGAINST THE BOND.
Greetings Karen,
I disagree with UTD’s support of this bond referendum. Read the The Herald article dated Saturday, October 20, 2012 entitled “Broken promises marred last Miami-Dade bond issue for schools.” I have had a plethora of UTD members and non members tell me they are not voting for this bond referendum because they have not received 5 years of steps and pay raises, and they simply cannot afford to pay another 30 years for this bond. They are still paying for the 1988 bond until 2017 and, as taxpayers, they have a right to make a decision based on their financial situation.
My question to you is were the UTD members polled and ask whether or not they agreed with this new M-DCPS bond referendum? This is just too rushed and the taxpayers can no longer take M-DCPS word for anything when it comes to their finances. But we must have a legally binding, written and itemized plan as to how this new bond money is going to be spent and who will be held accountable if their is misappropriation of monies. Furthermore, will these individuals go to jail or be terminated from M-DCPS if the monies are misappropriated. After all, if a teacher misappropriates money for any reason he/she will lose his employment with M-DCPS.
Hey, don’t shoot the messenger, I am simply relaying the fears and concerns of many of the members and non-members. They are not happy campers on this new bond referendum.
Another concern, it says on the M-DCPS website that they are going to remove portables from Andover Middle, well Andover Middle school does not have any portables; it is a brand new school. This is a concern because it is misleading to the general public who is not even aware that Andover Middle is a new school with no portables. Then the question becomes who is correcting these errors for the taxpayers since M-DCPS has posted this information in writing on its website. Other employees are saying they saw the same information posted for their schools and they don’t have any portables to be removed. What will happened to those monies that are earmarked for the removal of portables from school sites that don’t have any portables to be removed? Mmm… inquiring minds want to know!!!
Additionally, many members are highly upset because this is a political issue and we are being informed, by our adminstrators/principals that there are signs already printed if we want them, to be placed on lawns and signs encouraging thecommunity to VOTE YES for 222. We should not have been discussing this political issue during our faculty meetings according to M-DCPS rules and regulations. What about the faculty members that disagree with the bond referendum? Do we have a right to disagree without being punished for our political differences? Political flyers are placed in our mailboxes and hand delivered to teachers to give to the students. Correct me if I am wrong, but M-DCPS policy states that we can’t distribute these political flyers during the instructional day. Then why are they even in our school mailboxes? I am simply trying to get some clarity here.
Finally, this is a democracy or isn’t it?
Concerned Member,
S. Person