I am seeking some help. I am confused on how to get access to particular resources that are being afforded to others, therefore, I am extending a formal request to have access to the special resources your group offers. How do I get on the list so that I can circumvent due process and take care of some personal grievances I have?
Which one(s) of you do I call for this? Which of you takes personal phone calls or messages about personal grievances rather than referring the matter through the properly established channels like HR, UCP, etc. I would much prefer this option to all the extra work that comes with affording people due process.
Which of you do I reach out to when I know something that someone has allegedly done is so bad that it will cost them a job opportunity and subject them to public humiliation but somehow isn’t bad enough for Board Members to uphold their duty to report misconduct to the district for a formal investigation? Do I just say that I’m scared of retaliation? Is that the line I use?
Which of you won’t question if perhaps the person(s) whispering in your ear are the problem and assume the unvetted information being shared is fact and couldn’t possibly be skewed by personal bias, grievances or displeasure with a decision that has been made?
Which of you falls for lines like: “if you only knew how bad it is”, “oh there’s so much nepotism around here”, “it’s because of the good ‘ol boys”, “the district is going to get sued over this!” and other fear mongering rhetoric not backed up with evidence or by due process?
Which of you will commit to upholding my confidentiality and circumventing of process, even through the wake of massive public blowback, after using the information I whispered to you to make a decision?
Which of you is most comfortable compromising your integrity and ethics while hiding behind confidentiality agreements?
Which of you has allowed your position of power and authority to seep so deeply into your character that you now know better than the educational professionals actually doing the work?
I am also requesting to know which of you are simply the followers who can be pressured by others into going along with the louder voices on the board rather than using your own independent thinking and judgment. I don’t want to waste my time with those particular ones – I’d like to get straight to business.
Lastly, I would also like to extend my thanks and gratitude for demonstrating publicly that this special resource exists and is accessible. I had always suspected it, but it is nice to have confirmation. A commendable demonstration of transparency. Thank you for that. Now I just need to know how I can sign up.
As a publicly elected official, you need to provide this service access to all of your constituency, not just a select few.
I anxiously await your responses and further information in order to gain access to this resource. You have my unwavering allegiance.
Long live the SCUSD Board of Education!
G. Hall (Santa Clara resident, SCUSD parent, SCUSD educator)
Previous Op-Eds:
Op-Ed United Against Hate: Condemning Anti-Semitism in Our School Community – Opinion
OpEd: Save Denali School
It has become evident that the current composition of the board is undermining the integrity of our district. There are serious concerns that certain board members are engaging in special favors for families, which creates an unfair environment and erodes the trust placed in them.
For the sake of fairness, transparency, and the long-term well-being of our district, it is imperative that the board be reconstituted with trustworthy individuals who are committed to upholding ethical standards and acting without bias.
Michelle Ryan and Vickie Fairchild are THE ABSOLUTE WORST. They need term limits and need to be voted out.
Lots of protection for certain staff members who do not follow the law when it comes to our kids. We go through all the work to provide what they agree is a “preponderance of evidence” yet nothing is done to these employees.
Dear G. Hall,
Well, now. That was quite the sizzlin’ skillet of a letter—equal parts suspicion, sarcasm, and singed eyebrows. I had to pour myself a tall glass of sweet tea just to cool off after reading it. Somewhere between all the rhetorical fireworks and barbed hypotheticals, I gather you’re upset about what you believe is a secret back channel of influence on the school board—a velvet-roped VIP lounge for grievances, while the rest of the world’s stuck in line at the DMV of due process.
Now, I hate to break it to you, sugar, but there’s no underground tunnel, no Bat Phone, no secret society of board-whisperers. What you’re seeing—what’s got your hair standing on end—isn’t corruption. It’s called community engagement. That’s what happens when folks speak up, show up, and—heaven help us all—have opinions.
But here’s the catch, and this is where your letter runs clean off the rails: just because somebody speaks out doesn’t make them right. Democracy isn’t a talent show where the loudest act wins a prize. It’s a big, messy front porch where all kinds of people holler about what matters to them, and then the grown-ups sit down and sort through it, together. Respectfully. Sometimes even with coffee.
See, what concerns me more than your imaginary conspiracy hotline is the air of certitude wrapped around every sentence of your letter. As if you’ve cornered the market on truth, and anyone who sees things differently must be corrupt, cowardly, or just plain dumb. That’s not civic engagement—that’s just hollering into a bullhorn and then complaining that no one wants to have a conversation.
Let me tell you something, darlin’: if you walk into every room convinced that you’re the only one who’s right, you’re going to find a lot of doors closed and a lot of backs turned. People can disagree—fiercely, even—without being unethical, or dishonest, or under someone’s spell. Some of the folks you’re side-eyeing might just have different experiences, different values, or—brace yourself—different solutions. That doesn’t make them wrong. It makes them part of the same blessed, aggravating, pluralistic mess we call a democracy.
So no, there’s no special list. No super-secret access pass. What there is, is a system that listens to everyone—even the folks who don’t shout the loudest or write the most pointed letters. If you want your voice heard, use it. If you want to be part of the conversation, pull up a chair. But if you come swinging with a sword of self-righteousness and expect everyone to fall in line behind you, you’re likely to find yourself marching alone.
Now, thank you kindly for your letter. It’s passionate. It’s clever. And Lord knows it’s got more spice than a bowl of five-alarm chili. But if you truly want to help, you might try seasoning your advocacy with a dash of humility and a spoonful of listening.
That’s how grown folks move the needle. That’s how we build trust. That’s how we serve the kids.
Yours in democracy,
A Fellow Public School Advocate
P.S. It is comforting to know that you’re “anxiously awaiting” a response. A little patience goes a long way in these parts—especially when you’re navigating a system that belongs to everyone, not just the folks who shout the loudest or assume the worst.
?“Sweetie”?
Yeah, you just showed your hand for all to see.
Your response epitomizes all that is broken in our district.
Transparency? Broken
Community Engagement? Broken
Labor Management Partnership? Broken
Due Process? Severely broken
?“Sweetie”?
Yeah, you just showed your hand for all to see.
Your response epitomizes all that is broken in our district.
Transparency? Broken
Community Engagement? Broken
Labor Management Partnership? Broken
Due Process? Severely broken
Dear Ms. Hall,
Oh, honey.
Now, I do apologize if the word “sweetie” hit you sideways — I meant it the way I imagine your entire letter was intended: with a heavy drizzle of sarcasm and a dollop of theatrical flair. But let me set the record straight before you turn this into a full-blown Greek tragedy narrated by Gloria Swanson.
You say I “showed my hand”? Well, darlin’, that’s because my hand was already on the table. Open. Face-up. Holding nothing more dangerous than a pen and a healthy respect for spirited disagreement. You, on the other hand, seem to think that anyone who doesn’t bow down before your version of the truth is part of some backroom cabal with a vendetta against justice. That’s not showing your hand — that’s slapping it down and accusing the rest of us of cheating because you didn’t win the last round.
As for your litany — Transparency! Community Engagement! Labor Management! Due Process! — well, heck, I’d agree we’ve got room to grow. But shouting that it’s all “broken” just because people disagree with you? That’s like stomping out of a potluck because not everyone brought your favorite casserole. It ain’t leadership — it’s theater.
You want things fixed? Great. Roll up your sleeves. Offer real solutions. Join the conversation with folks who *don’t* already agree with you. But please, for the love of civil discourse and the children watching from the sidelines, don’t act scandalized when someone calls you “sweetie” in a letter laced with Southern charm and sharp elbows.
You posted your same reply twice, which tells me either you felt real strongly or you just wanted to hear yourself echo. Either way, we heard you. Loud and clear. Twice.
Now, if you want to keep talking, I’ll be here. But if you’re only interested in hearing applause from your own reflection, you might consider running a mirror, not a movement.
Yours in civic sass and stubborn hope,
**A Fellow Advocate for Public Schools**
P.S. If “sweetie” truly offends you more than public misinformation or the erasure of other voices, we may have just found the real issue. And bless your heart if that’s the worst thing you’ve been called lately.