she is trying to hold us accountable to that Attachment A, to make sure that
we can go through a process whether or not that process leads to school
closures of these school, whether or not that process leads to the exact
dollar amount that's in Appendix A, that is irrelevant at this very moment.
What is being asked of us is, to put together metrics for starting a process
to consider AB1912. And so, I think that the discussion, even though folks
want to uncouple the budget process in this process, they are coupled in that
way, and that's why the FIGMAT Trustee has, from my perspective, the ability
to tell us that we need to abide by what we said in Appendix A, and we need
to do that process sooner rather than later, so that we can pay for our labor
contracts. Again, speaking as an individual, this is my thinking and my
understanding of the process. That is why I have been working with other
Board Members to figure out how do we prevent a labor strike from happening
thirty (30) before the end of the School year, while other Board colleagues are
trying to initiate a labor strike happening before the end of the School year. I
also been thinking through and talking about how do we make sure PSAC
and other groups of parents and groups of labor partners are for sure included
in this process, so that it is done with fidelity. That is something that we
need to have a conversation about, but we need to do this part of the process
first before we can have that conversation which is literally coming up right
after we finish this part of the conversation. So I'll conclude my comments for
right now on that, but I wanted to share that history because I feel like it's
getting lost in the weeds and folks are not understanding how this process is
tied to potentially giving our labor partners the respectful raises they deserve.”
Vice President Hutchinson, following Director Bachelor's comments stated,
“unfortunately we seem to have lost the focus of what we are voting on here.
So if people want to give history lessons, I'm all for it. I remember March
27th, when I sat here and Directors railed against taking a vote because we
have to do more engagement. Now, those same Directors think that they can
write themselves with no engagement. Now I don't know who you are
referencing to with who wants to force a strike, but lets be clear, as a Board,
we took action to Authorize negotiating a raise with our unions, and that's the
action that the Trustee stepped in after the fact, without telling us, and tried
to stop it. The Trustee is engaging in an unfair labor practice right now. This
is what's happening. I never thought I have a day in 2024, where I hear
people pushing that the Trustee is doing right by us. That means that folks
just haven't been around here long enough to know what the real deal is. We
as a Board, based on Staff's recommendation, made budget adjustments. I
sat here and argued that we need to make bigger adjustments. Then we as a
Board, based on Staff's recommendation, voted to Authorize negotiations.
The Trustee stepped in and says she thinks she knows better than Staff
recommendation, then our vote, and our communities that elected us. Like
I'm amazed, if folks want to back the Trustee, I can't wait until we go to the
community. Because there's not anyone in the community who says we want
this oversight. We want to elect you as a School Board Director, but we want
someone appointed over just to make sure. And the fact that the Trustee
has never showed up in person at one meeting, this Trustee, not once. The
fact that Alice Castro, who suppose to oversee the Trustee has done nothing.
Like I'm waiting until we get pass this, but I'm amazed, because the videos
are out there from our March Meeting when Directors made impassioned
speeches about what needed to happen first. And it sure seems like,
because the Trustee is speaking to you privately, because no I tell the
Trustee to kick rocks. The Trustee is talking to people privately, and now
they think the Trustee is right over all the recommendations we've received
and the work we've done for six (6) months. So this is clear this vote right
now is whether your saying what I said at the last meeting doesn't matter, and
