Friday, May 10, 2013
Republicans, are you kidding?
I realize that I should be impartial as the keeper of the blog, but this time I couldn't help but wonder out loud. Sue Haynie has declared she is running again for the Board of Education. Republicans do you read this blog and other blogs, opinions? Are the Republicans seriously going to back her? Norwalk voters pay attention to this woman's behavior. By all means, judge for yourself.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Deep background----- Lisa Thompson has injected herself in the Republican fight. She is threatening to go nuclear if Haynie doesn't get the nomination. If you read what she wrote in The Hour, she's afraid of a primary.
ReplyDeleteI'd respect the Republicans if they came out with who the party leaders wanted. What an insult to interview three incumbents who have served for three years. Either the Republicans know what those three stand for, or they don't.
ReplyDeleteHere's my prediction--- the Republicans will nominate Sue Haynie to keep Lisa Thompson quiet.
Boy this is pretty nasty but the way people keep going after Sue makes me think she's really got them scared...wake up Norwalk. Haynie is in there for the kids. Dadonna and Mellion are the ones ripping NPS apart in the pathetic attempt to hold on to their power. They don't want an outspoken voice like Sue Haynie shining a spotlight on their poor leadership and self-serving decision making. As NPS continues to sink in the mire of poor scores think about who has really been in charge all these years...BOE members come and go but Dadonna and Mellion have had control for decades. Pulling a BOE apart is like shooting fish in a barrel for these two. They have been doing that for years and are doing NOW. Our BOE needs to stand strong together or these 2 will divide and conquer once more...so sad:(
ReplyDelete.Scared? Haynie has people scaredd? She behaves irrationally and erratically and you think that scares people? Yes, it does! It scares people that Haynie has such an angry agenda that she doesn't care whom she hurts along the way. She forces Central Office to spend time on her minutiae, namely FOI requests that are so frequent that CO practically needs a full time person to cater to her whims. She supported Marks, who had no idea what she was doing. She over spends on budgets for legal council, she is rude and disruptive at Board meetings.......shall I go on? If loose canon had a name, it would be Haynie.
DeleteHaynie's for the kids??
DeleteReally? Then why did she . . .
1. Vote to cut teachers in Susan Marks' first budget, when those classroom cuts weren't needed?
2. Support the current Special Ed director even though lots of parents complain that she doesn't hold staff accountable for messing up education plans?
3. Vote to cut out elementary intervention aides, the middle school learning teams and the high school transportation technology program?
4. Try to stop the improvements to Naramake and Rowayton?
If you think those actions by Haynie were pro-student, then it's obvious you don't have a grasp on the diversity of Norwalk's school children.
5. Push for a ELA curriculum that does not have anything for 4th or 5th graders, that teaches students one way, and insists that those who do not understand just need more practice with the same instruction! No, no, no...Sue Haynie is not there for the kids. If she was, she would put ALL their needs first - not just a few.
DeleteAren't there 9 members on the BOE???? This blog is just a little biased, if not amusing!
ReplyDeleteThere are nine members of the Board of Education. But there are only two who insult staff and the other Members.
ReplyDeleteIf you think Haynie is being picked on, ask yourself how many times she's attacked her fellow Board members. Ask yourself how many times Mike Barbis has insulted his colleagues and Mayor Moccia. Then ask yourself how many times Haynie or Barbis have been personally attacked themselves.
6.33 You're joking right? From the cheap seats there seems to be a large gap and disagreement on what is accountability and what are personal attacks. Ironically, this blog has been dedicated to trashing Marks and Haynie and Thompson from time to time. Some even generate a chuckle. The fact remains, that this schoo,district and city is in trouble. The keepers of this blog seem to want to lay the blame at a couple of individuals, but the fact remains, people have been bailing out of this distriict for decades. Teachers know who the bullies are. As for Moccia, he has run one campaign too many. Of course, the dems are completely capable of self destructing and handing another term to a mayor who doesn't care one bit about education. Word is out on that!
DeleteHaynie attacks with a venom. It's all about her hate agenda, not about accountability. Yes, Marks, Haynie and Thomson belong together. Send them to another district to spew forth their hatred on some unlucky group who will have no use for their antics. They don't belong in Norwalk. Oh yes, we got rid of Marks because we finally realized she was incompetent. How long will it take to get rid of the other two?
ReplyDeleteMarks wasn't incompetent...she was disgusted. She continues to support Dadonna via emails and phone calls.
DeleteBruce and Tony must just love all this talk of camps. And this has their names written all over it. And while we are talking about camps, let's not forget to tell the people what camp Colarossi is in...he's in the Mellion/Dadonna camp! That's why those 3 continually bash Sue. Mellion and Dadonna thrive in a disfunctional BOE environment. Sue doesn't hate teachers or unions but she does hate the way Dadonna and Mellion have conspired over the years to keep their strangle hold on NPS. They have continually been the catalyst that turns board members against board members and board members against the superintendent. They set these factions against each other and then do whatever the hell they please. That's their tactic...divide and conquer, always shining the light away from their own maneuvers. Anyone who doesn't realize that these two are the power behind all the decision making are either blind or in cahoots with them! Can someone please explain to me what Dadonna did to warrant a $32,000 pay raise??? He was already the highest earner in the city at $198,481 dollars and yet our BOE voted to give him a $32,000 increase and he's only an interim! Sue Haney was the one and only BOE member to vote against this pay raise. Someone pointed out that Sue voted to cut aides...maybe she wouldn't have had to do that if Dadonna had not had his greedy hand out, taking even more out of the system. I mean what does that say when the city's highest earner has no problem taking a $32,000 pay increase when there are positions and programs being eliminated. You honestly want me to believe this guy is there for the kids. And yes, what about those low math scores at Nathan Hale...was that what warranted the raise? What the hell has Dadonna done to become the top city earner? And why is no one questioning that? That's why there is a hate campaign against Sue, because she speaks out against the staus quo and they don't like it! and I've got a pretty good idea who's behind all this hate rhetoric...you are so transparent boys. Think about it folks...what ownership do either Dadonna or Mellion have in NPS???? Dadonna takes his $230,000 (top earner in the city) and pays his taxes to the town of Weston. Mellion has been drawing a salary from the teacher union dues for years. He claims 9 Mott Avenue is his address but that's the union office, not his residence. He has to list that address because he doesn't live in Norwalk either! Talk about “financial transparency and accountability”, what about those union funds, Bruce. No one knows where that money goes. And neither of these guys have ever had a child, let alone a child in NPS. Sue Haney, on the other hand has had 3 kids go thru the system and pays her taxes in Norwalk. She's not taking a big fat salary for the work she's doing and she got nothing to lose by speaking up but Dadonna has his eye on the prize and wants to keep that fat salary. Mellion doesn't want to give up control of all those union funds. They don’t want people thinking about the fact that they are carpetbaggers that are sucking the system dry. They would much rather the Norwalk tax payer think about Sue. If they are successful in their attempt to oust Haney, they will attack and vilafy the next person that challenges their power. Look back and you will see Haney is not the first and she won’t be the last. Dadonna and Mellion have A LOT to lose if people like Sue Haney threat the status quo. They are on the ultimate power trip and have no intention of giving up their power..we will have to take it.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, in an effort to discredit me, a nameless nabob of negativism classifies me as belonging to a "camp" and serving as the Union Manchurian Candidate.
DeleteYet, despite the perpetual slander that a former teacher, guardian ad litem, juvenile public defender and attorney for pre-school programs can't possibly make up his own mind about educational issues, none of the "anonymous" posters can ever point to a single vote I've taken that wasn't in the best interests of our children and wasn’t respectful of our taxpayers. It could all make one wonder if the thing this group really seeks to reform is history, and not education.
I have the strength of my convictions to be unabashedly pro-education-- if self-described "reformers" want to equate being pro-education with being a union-hostage, then they are certainly free to draw their own erroneous conclusions. Of course, such a false conflict only perpetuates the "status quo" they claim to resist as it promotes a need to vanquish a foe rather than achieve progress for our students. Which, I suppose, explains why the alleged proponents of transparency and fiscal accountability actually support the habitual overspending in the school department’s legal services account by the chairperson of the BoE’s Negotiations Committee (who has continued to communicate with private counsel despite being stripped of any spending authority).
As for the contorted argument that I somehow favor the "status quo", how then can those who suggest that square their view with the vigorous work I did on the school department budget forcing administration officials to justify, and then correct, expenditures, finding errors throughout the budget book and forcing a careful examination of spending in many areas that had long been overlooked. A “status quo” advocate would not have publicly challenged a very popular superintendent on her repeated violations for hiring administrative personnel and giving raises to them without authority from the Board of Education. And, a status quo advocate would not have personally drafted policy changes (and succeeded in getting all of them approved) as I did which gave more power to the superintendent to immediately discipline staff members accused of abuse, and which identified adult bullying and set up a mechanism to investigate it and root it out of our schools.
Wow. That is scary. And if it is even halfway true, God help us.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, it is not true. It is the RedApple version of the truth, which is to lie, lie and lie. Melion and Daddona are not in cahoots. Is Daddona trying to work with Melion? Yes. Marks did not, and look what it got her. Is Daddona giving in to Melion's demands? Hell no! There is a difference between working with unions and giving into their demands. redApples don't want you to know that. This is the RedApple way of scaring the voters. Do you really think that because Daddona doesn't have kids means that he is not capable of running a school system? He has been in education for over 30 years. He has worked his way up the ladder and understands Norwalk. Look at the facts, Norwalkers! Teachers, administrators and parents (minus the few RedApples) are happy with the way test scores are rising and that there has been healing in the schools. Voters and taxpayers, do you really want to live with these ridiculous scare tactics anymore? Get Haynie out if you want strong accountability, but with a conducive environment in which our children thrive and learn. Stop the scare tactics, Haynie!
ReplyDeleteFYI I am not Union or Central Office.
Healing in the schools? Have you visited a school this year?
DeleteWell the part about Dadonna getting a $32K raise is true. And there wasn't any explanation as to why that happened???? Mellion gets a salary of over $108,000 from union dues. That's also true. I've asked teachers if they get a financial report on how money is spent and that info never gets back to the teachers. Who says teachers are happy? I know a lot of teachers who have no respect for either of these guys. Healing...that may be your perspective but it certainly isn't everyone's. You obviously haven't asked teachers. Test scores are rising???? Let's see if those NHMS scores went up? Anonymus 2:44 has a point...these guys are tying up a lot of money???? The last respnse was a lot of hot air with little substance to back it up. This site's obsession with Sue Haynie is like watching fox news election coverage!
ReplyDeleteTeacher here. True that about no financial reports. Is that his salary???? Vote of no confidence for these two clowns.
ReplyDeleteI should be sleeping. But instead I read this blog and the whacky comments that are made. It's pretty funny to read the same talking points over and over again. If you're on the BOE and you have an open mind regarindg Mr. Daddona becoming superintendent, you're in favor of the evil "status quo". If you're close-minded and are refusing to consider a guy with lots of years of experience, then you're a "reformer".
ReplyDeleteIf you favor smaller class sizes which are better for kids, you're in favor of the "status quo". If you support bigger elementary school class sizes with less and less of a safety net for the kids, then you're a "reformer".
If you held the former superintendent accountable for her mis-spending and other mistakes, you are a tool of the "status quo". If you attack and belittle the current interim superintendent, you are a "reformer".
Thanks Steve!
Delete"none of the "anonymous" posters can ever point to a single vote I've taken that wasn't in the best interests of our children and wasn’t respectful of our taxpayers."
ReplyDeleteWhat about that vote to give Dadonna a $32,000 raise. Can we get back to that one for a minute? How was that in the best interest of the taxpayers or the students when the system was already looking at big budget cuts! You and all the other BOE members approved that and there are lots of us taxpayers out here still wondering why. It's hard to separate the truth from the venom but that's pretty cut and dry...he was the highest paid person in Norwalk and he did get a big fat raise on top of that...how is that good for the kids and the taxpayers? Not sounding like that was good for me or my kids!
Haynie voted against Daddona's raise and Barbis abstained. Check the record
DeleteYou are wasting your time trying to bring up facts about our overpaid superintendent and that despicable union president! This blog is dedicated to Sue Haynie bashing...get with the program! hehehehehehe....
ReplyDelete"And, a status quo advocate would not have personally drafted policy changes (and succeeded in getting all of them approved) as I did which gave more power to the superintendent to immediately discipline staff members accused of abuse, and which identified adult bullying and set up a mechanism to investigate it and root it out of our schools."
ReplyDeleteBullying is a way of life for teachers in Norwalk. But what would you BOE members know. When was the last time any of you came into a school to see what's really going on. You sit down at 125 East Ave and make deisions about teachers and schools but you are so out of touch with us. All you did was give Dadonna more power to bully us. Just ask anyone who has ever worked at West Rocks with the witch Moore! She's good buds with Tony and Bruce. Bruce even put his vacation home up for the West Rocks auction, something that was not offered to any of the other schools (as far as I know)that had fund raising auctions! Boy did my eyes pop out when I saw that on the auction list. Why does the union president offer his home to the principal with the worst reputation for bullying? The more I think about it the more all this cronyism makes sense! Thoroughly feed up with this BOE and the current super...time for a change all around.
Let me response to your deep frustration-- I do visit schools and talk to staff, students and administrators. It's critical that I know how a policy will be implemented before I draft it.
DeleteThe Adult Bullying policy I wrote included protections for students and all staff members; it banned retaliation. Now, I realize that adding a provision that bans retaliation might not deter everyone- but including that provision sends a strong message and provides a powerful tool in helping to stop bullying on all levels.
I teach at WR and yes, the home was part of are auction and NO, we can not depend on Bruce to defend us against Dr. Moore...he's her friend, not ours...sad but true. Bullying by adminstrators is a problem and Dadonna is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Sorry, Steve, but you are wrong about that one.
ReplyDeleteOverpaid superintendent? Has anyone seen the salary advertised for the next superintendent? Get real! Why are you not complaining about that? Because RedApples wanted that huge increase?
ReplyDeleteMoore is not a friend of the superintendent.
Bullying at WR? If you are not complaining other than anonymously, don't complain at all.
Bullying is not the fault of the superintendent. It is the fault of your principal.
Just keep passing that buck boys. Bully is the fault of anyone who knows about it and does nothing, turns a blind eye. Victims are afraid to speak out, that's aprt of the awesme power the bully holds over his/her victims! That was one of the stupidest and most unfeeling things I've heard in a long time. Sounds like YOU are a bully!
DeleteSomeone has an agenda with Daddona on here. Someone who works at West Rocks. Interesting, since teachers don't usually have anything to do with a superintendent. A teacher would never be bullied by a superintendent....I know who you are now. Not too smart! Keep it up and I will reveal your identity, loser!
ReplyDeleteSounds like another bullying threat! Are you threatening me? Seriously! So what happens if you figure out my identity...are you going to come bully me???? Go ahead and try to identify me..I could do the same because I am pretty sure I know who you are too - LOSER!
DeleteDo you really think that someone could publicly complain about bullying, and sign their name to it? If you do, you have no idea about life as a teacher. Or parent.
ReplyDeleteBlaming a teacher, parent or kid for being bullied is like blaming a rape victim for being raped! Bullying is the fault of anyone who helps perpetuate it. "Some ONE" has an agenda with Tony..ONE! Boy are you in denial.
ReplyDeleteParents and others, I implore you to do your own fact checking. There is indeed a problem at West Rocks, and it isn't just the principal. Daddona, as superintendent, deals primarily with administrators, supervisors and parents. He holds people accountable and expects his administrators to hold people accountable,, and that causes some to be angry. Accountability can be creating a paper trail, but that is extremely confidential. The only person who knows about a paper trail is the recipient of the warning. There is a very angry person at West Rocks.
ReplyDeleteWell, 6.06am, if there is a problem at West Rocks, whey did Tony not deal with it when he was an Assistant Super...or was this not his job. I'm a parent in WR and I'm experienced several issues with the staff and not fund of the principal. Her EGO needs to be popped and her attitude should be checked. I can't wait for my 8th grader to get out of there and glad I don't have another child at this school. There are many angry people at this school - facts are written every where!
ReplyDeleteThere are A LOT of angry people at West Rocks! Parents and teachers. And at Nathan hale too! "Extremely Confidential"! Please! Do you think we don't talk to each other and share information. And you better not "implore" too hard...no telling what facts might be uncovered!
ReplyDeleteSince all the complaints are extremely confidential, how do you expect anyone in central office to know about them? Do you think they are mind readers? Also, how do you know nothing is being done to create the paper trail necessary to fire someone? That's all confidential too.
ReplyDeleteReally...who do you think these complaints would have to be filed with? Answer, human resources at Central Office (Currently Dr. Robert Dylewski) or the union president, Mr. Mellion. He in turn would have to pursue said complaint with either Human Resources or the superintendent. Of course, any administrator named in the complaint would also have to be notified. Confidential meaning, "not general knowledge" (supposedly). Of course Central office would have to be aware of complaints filed...The IQ on this blog seems to be dropping at record speed. That last comment was outright stupid!
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, I hope you are not a teacher. Should I start with correcting your grammar or should I reprimand you for stating that my comment was outright stupid? Why waste my time. You didn't even comprehend the main point of my response. I would be more than happy to compare IQ, degrees, whatever you choose.....
ReplyDeleteI would never call anyone's thoughts stupid. Do you do that in a classroom? I believe I'm beginning to sense why you are so angry with everyone. Bullying is not the word I would use to describe support for for less than proficient teachers.
No, you should start but responding to the chain of commmand for reporting bullying, which you obviously side-stepped by focusing on my poor typing skills. Whatever. You offered no information or correction about how people who are being bullied should file a complaint. Unlike you, I am not a LA teacher but I know where a bullying complaint should be filed. So am I wrong in saying it would be filed with either Mellion or Dylewski, possible even Morris? Do you want to address that or would you rather people check my response for grammar errors?
DeleteI do like grammatically correct sentences, but no, I am not a language arts teacher. I don't think you are a teacher either based on your responses. Sorry, I will not indulge in this back and forth any longer. I believe I have successfully made my points.
DeleteWhat points...that my grammar was dicey???? Still believe you are that LA teacher. In two responses you have not address one point besides my grammar. The only point you've made is that you cannot refute my statements. Again, you offer no information about the process for reporting bullying. You have not either denied or confirmed that bullying should be reported to Mellion or HR. Other than being a bully, what do you actually know about the process?
ReplyDeleteDifferent person responding here. If this is a teacher (6:07 AM) I pray a principal shows her the door.. She is a hell of a disturbed person.
DeleteWhy is someone who is asking for the proper chain of command to report bullying "disturbed"? The fact that this person has asked for that process to be clearly stated (may be reaching out for help) and all he/she is getting back is snide remarks about grammar and is being called "Disturbed"...well, that's bullying folks. And still no one has explained that process. So are you going to explain it or take a pot shot at me too??? And we wonder why teachers are afraid to report bullying! THIS IS WHY! Go ahead, bully me and say I'm disturbed for asking, too! Or answer the damn question!
DeleteIf you're reading this blog, you have some interest in the schools, right? You want "things" to get better. So what do you some of you do? You spread rumors, make bizarre claims that an insider would have trouble figuring out and then you shotgun blast some insults.
ReplyDeleteIf you were the ones complaining about being bullied, did any of you read the policy Colarossi says he wrote? If you don't think it'll work, did you make any suggestions?
Bravo for your comments! The voice of reason speaks.
DeleteDid YOU read Colarossi's Bullying Policy? A question was asked, what would the procedure be if someone was being bullied. I don't see any bizarre claims or rumors in that. The response above...no substance, no information, smacks of a bullying tone. Asking for an explanation of the policy or procedure is not ""complaining about being bullied" and hardly constitutes a "shotgun blast"! I have yet to read any explanation of the policy. If you have read the policy, why don't you give a brief explanation instead of bullying people who are trying to get answers to valid questions?
DeleteInsults are being hurled because the list of candidates for superintendent are in, and the RED Apples are afraid Daddona is among the finalists. What do they resort to out of fear that Daddona will be in charge and not them? Lies, rumors and insults! Yes, scare tactics too. The truth is the Apples are behind it all hoping that no one searches for the truth. If you believe only what they write, you don't deserve better than what they dish out! Get informed! But not by them.
ReplyDeleteNo, all the teachers and taxpayers are afraid that Dadonna is a finalist! You are so out of touch with the way teachers view this guy. But then that's a Pandora's Box you are trying not to open at all cost! You are NOT a teacher so PLEASE, spare me the "teachers love Dadonna" speech. They don't, and they don't trust him either!
ReplyDelete(Not a Red Apple, a teacher!)
The typical teacher and parent wants a leader. I don't think any of them feel so strongly about anyone. They just want someone who will take responsibility and lead by example.
DeleteDaddona has a reputation for not being a leader. But he's setting a good example in suspending teachers who don't follow the rules. He did good work with getting Briggs state help. He is showing real leadership skills now.
I am so sick if the "B" word! It's gotten politically charged, and to the absurd point where every time a child takes someone else's pail in the sandbox, parents cry that it's bullying.
ReplyDelete