It’s Thanksgiving in America. Can’t lose this opportunity to share with all of you my reasons to be so thankful this year.
- I am thankful that I am not a school board member of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
- I ran for school board in district 7 a couple of years ago. I am thankful I didn’t win the seat. Carlos Curbelo won. It would be very difficult for me to lie to my constituents on a daily basis and once a month on televised Miami-Dade school board meetings. Somehow these board members have done an excellent job of saying one thing and doing another. Anyone check out yesterday’s board meeting? Teachers like myself received a raise of $300 because supposedly there is no money yet, they voted to give the paper pushers downtown a raise in the thousands! Where did they find the money for them? Who will question that?
- I am thankful that my sources were correct when they told me that Principal Reva A. Vangates of Dr. Rolando Espinosa K- 8 Center would be getting promoted in the middle of the school year because her sister, Ronda Vangates, (you can read about her tarnished reputation here ) pulled strings to give her that promotion. This is the principal who treats her faculty as if they were slaves in a plantation. Recently, she denied a pregnant teacher leave to attend a doctor’s appointment because she didn’t give 48 hours notice. The teacher gave 24 hours notice and it was on a day when the students would be out on early release. Isn’t this a kind person? With various complaints against her, Miami-Dade County Public School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho did the best he could to make sure she doesn’t mistreat the teachers ever again. So he promoted her! That’s one sure way to get a raise in Miami-Dade! Do wrong and you get promoted! Way to go, Alberto Carvalho! You wouldn’t want to reward the people who actually did the work to give you that Broad Prize for Urban Education. That’s too logical. (rolling eyes)
- I am thankful to not be a part of United Teachers of Dade. Imagine giving my money to a union who actually agreed to a contract that gave all of its members a pay cut by having to cough up more money for health care? Umm NO! I am not crazy. I wouldn’t give them a dime. Thank you Karen Aronowitz, president of United Teachers of Dade. You’ve managed to cheat the members out of a real vote, a pay increase and better health care. You must be getting your Turkey stuffed from someone downtown. Chef AC?
- But enough about my job as an educator. I mean who really cares about teachers anyway, right? We only mold the future. Let’s talk about something more important. I am thankful that my friend and fellow OI’er Becky J. Sisco is doing much better. Few people fail to understand that having Osteogenesis Imperfecta isn’t the same for everyone. I have had to conquer my own health issues and am always thankful for every year that God has given me. If you saw my medical co payments, you would understand that I can’t afford to get sick. As people with brittle bones, we can choose to sulk and lick our wounds or go out and live an audacious life. I’m choosing the latter. So is Becky! Good for you, chica! Another kudo goes out to another OI’er Claudia Leal and her hubby Fernando for their exciting journey into parenthood. I love celebrating the amazing events of fellow OI’ers because life is short. Sometimes as short as our stature! So we must make the best of it.
- I’m thankful that I have a car and can drive because I just found out that the commissioners of Miami-Dade County voted to give the entire Paratransit contract to the one company with the highest complaint ratio, Super Nice Limo aka SNL. That’s scary! They didn’t even allow the public to sign up to speak. Whenever politicians forbid the community to speak up, something fishy is being hidden. Hmm…. No more Zuni Transportation as of March 2013. That’s really a shame. They have had the lowest complaint ratio and highest on time service than any other special transportation service company in the last 20 years. (Now I have to make sure that my car is always in tip top shape!)
- I’m thankful to have kept www.audacitymagazine.com running for several years. I promise to continue to give a voice to the community of physically disabled people who choose to live an audacious life. If you happen to know anyone filthy rich, please direct them to our Paypal link. It is a non-profit organization, contributions are tax deductible. The money will help the organization expand. It would be nice to pay the writers a little something for their articles. They have been extremely generous so far. Thank you, guys!
Of course, I am thankful for my friends who cheer me on as I conquer the wrong doings of the world. But I am thankful for the friends who do their best to put me down by saying I am wasting my time fighting the injustices of the world. They make me stronger. Thank you, Bernabe Perez!
I’m thankful for my family who will one day give me enough fodder to finally write my best selling novel. They make every day an adventure. Without them, I wouldn’t have the strength to keep on fighting the fight.
Did you think I was going to write a sappy article? If so, you don’t know me too well.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Please share what you are most thankful for that others might not know.