About Higley Schools Blog
Higley Schools Blog is a place to discuss issues and news about Higley Unified School District.
The site is managed by Geoff Johnston, a parent of 4 kids in the school district. Join in the discussion here at the blog if you would like to voice your opinions about the happenings at HUSD. You can also contact Geoff at geoff@arizonainternetworks.com with any questions or ideas.
Shaniqua Brown:
Regarding Don Motz, Director of Community Education, if you ever need to find him, he spends his time and District money sitting daily at “Duncan Donuts”. He stinks like Tar, smells of coffee and is very RUDE.
He is cutting his Staff’s salaries, blaming it on Budget Cuts. Maybe that is why he is out shopping everyday. His Staff should not have their salaries cut, considering Community Education is separate and should not be affected by Budget Cuts. There are very qualified people applying for positions and he refuses to interview. He interviews and hires only who he wants, and they came from Gilbert. Why wouldn’t you hire within the District to save money especially if you have qualified people?
April 15, 2009, 8:07 pmMaria Maria:
Don Motz, is always out in about taking his 20 to 30 minute smoke breaks. I guess whatever Jen used to do every morning exactly at 10 am (going to Starbucks)rubbed off on Don. But his isn’t Starbucks his is Dunkin Donuts. I’ve heard most of his staff at the campuses that work for Kids Club are tired of him always threatening them he’s going to fire them, that he can easily replace them. I can imagine the morale of that department. Poor staff! Apparently, some employees have already brought it up to the higher up (Don’s bosses)in the district office and nothing has been done. Maybe what Don tells them is true. We are so easily replaced
April 17, 2009, 4:24 pmGeoff Johnston:
Sheesh. Easy on the axe grinding there folks.
April 17, 2009, 4:32 pmJen, Yes the real one:
If you have questions ask!
April 20, 2009, 8:15 amJen, Yes the real one:
I have spent many months quietly observing this board and now that someone has felt the need to bring my name up, I can no longer sit quietly.
Yes, I am Jen. I was the community Education Specialist for over two and a half years and am surprised that someone felt the need to bring my name into something, considering I have not been with the district for almost 5 months.
It is said that I left the district offices at 10 am sharp daily for a starbucks run. Considering I am entitled and encouraged to take two breaks each day, I did. I went to Dunkin Donuts, Sonic and several other local establishments. I don’t see a problem with that. Each employee needs a moment or two to refresh their minds. What most people don’t know is that I was up each morning at 4:30am answering emails and phone calls from Kids Club staff members, Parents and even vendors; all of this done on my own time. I also continued to do this until 11pm each night. Anyone that knew me, knew that my door was always open for the staff and families. They were my priority and this program was something I believed in and gave my all to. I was not someone that simply punched in and out and only worked those hours in which I sat behind the glass window. For the record, The hours outside of 7-4 were unpaid as I was not on Higleys time, but my own…
I rarely left my desk to take a lunch, I worked with many different departments. When the front lobby filled up with parents needing to register, I was happy to jump in and assist. If the receptionist needed a break or was out, our department often covered, as did others. When there were problems with the preschool, our department jumped in to make suggestions and took care of those families. Dr. Cisar worked with me to find the best way to service them. When our wonderful Director, Tot Wallace, was reassigned I happily jumped into place to run our summer camp program with little to no assistance, leadership or interaction from administration, as they were not aware of our program and what Community Education did. As the main contact for our Staff and parents, I thrived on that challenge.
Working for the Higley Unified School District took alot of backbone and standing up for what I believed in. When I had problems arise, I went to HR to seek assistance. Unfortunately, the squeaky wheel did not get oil. Instead I found myself preparing over 7 weeks, for a meeting with the Governing Board, who by 10pm and many, many executive sessions, found that it was simply too late to actually speak to me and instead ended my contract. What they failed to understand, is that, there are many employees that do come forward and are simply overlooked and many more that want to come forward and are scared to do such. I took a stand, and it backfired. Do I regret it? Not for one moment.
I was the employee that gave up my personal time, my childrens time and my life for the district. I had over 110 vacation hours banked when I left the district and I was forced to give up my 65 hours of personal time that I had earned. I showed up for work every day, even when ill and had to be sent home by my supervisor. I worked while my children were home, sick or needed volunteers in the classrooms. I was happy to be part of such a program.
Yes, Community Education is a self funded program. (it was as of 12/08) We received NO funding from the state and none of our programs were tax donation applicable. We spent money that was brought in with tuition, for the needs of the children enrolled. Our staff developes crafts, cirriculum and camps based on the supplies purchased. If our coordinator saw a need for supplies, he would get them, no questions asked. Many children in the program spent their entire day in our care and deserve quality items and a choice of what to use during their time with us.
To make verbal attacks on ANYONE that takes a break is just plain ridiculous. If you know where I was everyday at 10am, you had too much time on your hands. Perhaps you could have offered to wear one of my many hats or grab me a coffee when you were out; Maybe some lunch too.
To the amazing staff at Kids Club, both past and present, your support though the difficult time meant more than you will ever know. You are awesome people who are often underappreciated. I continue to receive praise calls and emails from parents and know you struggle from time to time. Keep up the good work.
In the future, if someone has something to say about me or questions my work, please get your facts straight or ask.
April 20, 2009, 9:05 amsam:
Jen
Don’t let this comments bother you.
The problem here is the a Community Ed.Coordinator (The Bully and his clan from Gilbert)
He interviews and hires only who he wants, and they came from Gilbert.
Kids Club = Hostility,Fear,Anger,Humiliation,lies,and some employees have already brought it up to the higher up (Don’s bosses)in the district office and nothing has been done.
April 20, 2009, 6:07 pmReally sad….
sam:
Community Education employees who have been 12 month employees in the past will become 10 month employees, with the attached two month job descriptions becoming available for interested Community Education employees and other District employees.
This is what the board members approved.
Jobs becoming available for Community Ed and Higley District Employees.
Why wouldn’t you hire within the District to save money especially if you have qualified people?
Why people from Gilbert.
People that didn’t need the job, people that is getting generous wages.
Why?
April 20, 2009, 6:42 pmAlex:
Sam and who’s going to be taking the payments if these employees become 10 month employees? Who’s going to work during the summer? I also heard all K thru 8 registration will be there at district office during the summer. Who’s gonna be doing that? Last year it was a mess! There was no one assigned to do that. They just pulled people from where ever they could and had them register students. Talk about paperwork all messed up! Especially the shot records. No one knew what the heck they were doing. They were accepting children with no shots, missing shots, or having them sign waivers. And if there was a break out of some kind since these kids didn’t have their shots. The district would have been to blame!
April 26, 2009, 4:52 pmGerrie Messer:
I attended a town hall meeting with prospective school board members prior to the last year election. During that meeting, it was mentioned that the board encourages teachers,staff,and parents to attend school board meetings. All of the prospective members wanted to hear from employees without fear of being reprimaned. Is the board aware the the Higley Unified School District does not have the same position. For example, I know of a 5 year HUSD employee who has been attending school board meetings. On her first meeting She was question by a District department head, why was she there? This dedicated employee is a parent of a future HUSD student. She has always been a loyal,concern and dedicated worker for our school district. This week, this staff member was fired for a trival offense. Is the district office trying to hide something from the board? I invite the HUSD school members to take a look at this incident.
July 19, 2009, 6:01 pmKatie:
Gerrie, Word spreads fast, as I have just recently learned of this situation as well. Unfortunately, this is not an individual case. I have seen it happen before. That employee, as well as others, have been targeted after trying to become more informed about not only the way the school district does things, but also where funding is coming from or going to. Past employees have been let go for asking where unaccountable computers were going or asking for assistance with an uncomfortable situation.
Employees are continually told that there are proper procedures for filing complaints or going to your supervisor for help. In many cases, they don’t even give you that opportunity. I vividly recall sitting in the board room in the earlier part of the year behind a group of employees there to support a fellow member who was to appear before the board. The employee, as well as her prior supervisor, sat for hours, ignored by administration only to be unable to plead her case. I spoke with the group, in the parking lot, for quite some time as they were in disbelief that the case was not heard. The employee had asked for help, over and over, and had not been heard. They said several employees had also asked for assistance for a similar matter and were either intimidated until they resigned or transfered to another department within the district. The one employee took a stand to be heard and stand up for what they believed in and for those that were too scared to, only to be ignored in the end. It’s not a wonder that nobody comes forward.
I, for one, WILL be in attendance for this board meeting. I sincerely hope this time the board actually speaks to the employee. There are too many unanswered questions.
July 21, 2009, 9:33 amKatie:
another HUGE disappointment just occured at the hands of our mighty district. It is very disappointing to know that the district has lost another AMAZING employee. I was really hoping the board would have looked more into the issues at hand rather than simply let a valuable, hardworking, long term employee. My greatest hope is that they look into the statements made by the former employee and all of the past ones that have tried to approach the board, only to be shut down.
Board members, you continue to say the floor is open for employees to come forth if there is something bothering them. Those that try to are either intimidated by the district office bullies or written up/excused or asked to resign before getting the opportunity to do such. Whether they are able to reach you via email/phone, causing you to exclude yourself from the voting process, look inside your hearts and ask yourself what you would do if your loved ones were being prosecuted for such or harrassed at their place of employment.
July 23, 2009, 10:09 pmazfam:
More terminations and resignations of long term employees are around the corner.
August 8, 2009, 10:04 amHR shares their side with the board (and we all know they are masters of turning any story to their own advantage), but the employees on the chopping block do not get to tell their side.
Way to go HUSD. Nothing like turning a once close community school district who really cared about the kids into a mini Dysart and Birdwell family reunion.
Susie:
What about those nasty offices Special Education is working out of, these offices smell and look disgusting. I went by the other day to Higley High School to meet with one of the Special Ed Managers. I was lucky enough to get a tour of the building where Special Education Department and Alternative Education is being housed at. If this is the way Higley District treat these two departments, I can just imagine how the district treats and sees our children who fall in these classrooms. Parents who have children in Special Education need to go to this building and ask for a tour. This building is open to the parents.
August 26, 2009, 9:39 pmGerrie Messer:
If you really want to know what is happening, I invite everyone to read the “East Valley Tribune” Aug 28th
August 29, 2009, 3:41 pmhttp://www.eastvalleytribune.com/share/profiles/?slid=271e65b9-4b68-7cb4-1995-1f5e2b604bbe&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=271e65b9-4b68-7cb4-1995-1f5e2b604bbe&plckPostId=Blog%3a271e65b9-4b68-7cb4-1995-1f5e2b604bbePost%3aa8bc282b-1b53-42d8-bf6f-ffa0ee683b6c&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest
sadbuttrue:
Gerrie,
August 30, 2009, 6:52 pmThanks for sharing the EVT article. I get the feeling that there are a lot of people who disagree with Birdwell’s leadership for a lot of reasons. Hopefully the board will see this too and do a search for new leadership this fall. Birdwell had her chance, and she has continued to run HUSD into the ground. She is unprofessional, unethical, and egotistical. I am not sure why Higley has such a hard time finding good leaders. I am just glad that we moved into CUSD this summer so that my kids are getting more from their education.
Polly:
Just want to say that the bullying continues in this district regarding teachers. Interesting cases going on at this time! It is shameful to the extent that this district will go to get rid of wonderful, think out of the box, teachers.
June 10, 2010, 5:07 pmI honestly don’t know if I want to continue to have my children attend school in this district based on my knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes. We teach our children that bullying is not acceptable and yet the administration/HR does it on a daily basis to it’s employees; that my tax money pays to have.
Very dissapointed!!