[familyschool] Re: Hola Familia!
- From: amber moore <finnyma@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "familyschool@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <familyschool@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2014 04:38:03 +0900
Thank you for sharing your story, Esly. I feel sorry for not knowing about
all the hardships you all endured sooner, and grateful for the
illumination.
Amber
Finley mama
On Tuesday, June 3, 2014, rsafree <rsafree@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Esly, you are an amazing person, an excellent teacher, a trusted comrade,
> and a treasured friend! Our Family School family would not be complete
> without you! My deep love n respect to you!!!
>
>
> From my Android phone on T-Mobile. The first nationwide 4G network.
>
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Starshyne 777 <starshyne777@xxxxxxx
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','starshyne777@xxxxxxx');>>
> Date: 06/02/2014 11:31 PM (GMT-06:00)
> To: familyschool@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','familyschool@xxxxxxxxxxxxx');>
> Subject: [familyschool] Re: [familyschool] Re: Hola Familia!
>
>
> I am so grateful for you, Esly... you have always been an incredible
> teacher... my girls adore you... and yep it is true... Trinity will be
> jumping right into Spanish 2 because of you...
>
> Sent from Windows Mail
>
> *From:* Jeff Moore
> *Sent:* Monday, June 2, 2014 9:32 PM
> *To:* familyschool@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','familyschool@xxxxxxxxxxxxx');>
>
> Esly, the kids like you and I think you are compliant enough to be one of
> Southsides many great teachers!
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 2, 2014 at 7:47 PM, bmarget macpag <brymarmacpag@xxxxxxxxx
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','brymarmacpag@xxxxxxxxx');>> wrote:
>
>> Thank you for your letter Esly! You are awesome!
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jun 2, 2014 at 7:42 PM, Karen Thill <krnthill@xxxxxxxxx
>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','krnthill@xxxxxxxxx');>> wrote:
>>
>>> Esly,
>>>
>>> Thank you so much for sharing your incredible, frustrating story. I am
>>> so sorry you were treated in this way.
>>>
>>> I haven't been able to read all the emails, but it seems things are
>>> looking up. Thank you for your diligence and commitment
>>> to our kids and the school.
>>>
>>> Best of luck as you figure out your licensing options. I hope you look
>>> back at this time as a little bump in the road!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Best-
>>>
>>> Karen Thill
>>> Rebecca Richardson
>>>
>>> parents to Isaac Richardson, 2nd grade
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Jun 2, 2014 at 5:40 PM, esly giron vargas <eslygiron@xxxxxxxxxxx
>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','eslygiron@xxxxxxxxxxx');>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> HOLA FAMILIA!
>>>>
>>>> I want to take a minute to thank all of you for your incredible support
>>>> and love. The last few months have been full of sadness, disappointment,
>>>> and anger for me. But above all those feelings, the love for your
>>>> wonderful kids makes things better every day. Last Monday I was feeling
>>>> extremely sad and I thought “it is over” and there’s nothing we can do.
>>>> But I was so wrong and after our meeting on Tuesday my heart was feeling
>>>> full and hopeful . I have been really proud to be part of the Family school
>>>> community, and your energy, work, great ideas, and your desire to keep the
>>>> Dream alive is so great, and I want to keep being part of this great
>>>> community.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I know my name has come up as part of the “compliance/licensure” issues
>>>> that the school has had. I do not like to talk about myself but I feel like
>>>> I have to for you to understand why this situation has been so difficult
>>>> for me. To that end, I would like to share some info about my path to
>>>> being an educator who loves her job!
>>>>
>>>> I was born and raised in Guatemala and completed the education and
>>>> training there to be a licensed elementary school teacher in 1993. I was a
>>>> licensed teacher at a 2 primary schools in Guatemala for 2 years and taught
>>>> 3rd, 4th, and 6th grade. Additionally I received training on teaching
>>>> Spanish as a second language in 1997 and worked for nearly 2 years
>>>> (1997-99) as a Spanish Immersion Teacher in a non-profit Spanish Immersion
>>>> School in Guatemala. During this time, I also continued my education and
>>>> was close to completing additional courses to be a High School Teacher but
>>>> met a gringo named Brian and moved to the U.S. in 1999.
>>>>
>>>> In 2001, I applied for a Spanish Instructor opening at Southside Family
>>>> School. At that time, Southside Family School was an alternative school
>>>> and a state license was not required for the position. Nonetheless I
>>>> submitted my resume and credentials from Guatemala and was hired. I have
>>>> loved working at this amazing school since. The opportunity to teach not
>>>> only my native language but my culture and history has been extremely
>>>> rewarding. I know I have the skills, knowledge, experience, and
>>>> determination to be an effective Spanish teacher. I am thrilled to hear
>>>> from former students how many have jumped up 1 to 2 years in Spanish as
>>>> high school students.
>>>>
>>>> When the school switched to charter status I continued working in my
>>>> role as Spanish Instructor. There were a lot of changes in becoming a
>>>> charter and I had no idea I was not in compliance. I have never
>>>> intentionally worked out of compliance and have always worked with
>>>> administration and my co-workers through these issues. I am currently
>>>> licensed (as of mid April) by the state of Minnesota as a Community Expert
>>>> to teach Spanish. This license is good through the current academic year.
>>>> I have the option to re-apply as a Community Expert for next year or work
>>>> on getting a provisional license. I am currently undecided and debating
>>>> what direction to take. It is hard for many immigrants who are trained and
>>>> have the skills to do a job to jump through hoops. To get a provisional
>>>> license I need to translate and submit my Guatemalan credentials. I am
>>>> happy to have my current license but so sad and upset at the path it took
>>>> to get it.
>>>>
>>>> In the spring of 2013 I had my first direct “bad” experience with Toni.
>>>> She came to my room at the end of a long day and in a very rude way she
>>>> told me “ I don’t have anything in your file that proves you are qualified
>>>> to do this job”. I was shocked and very offended. I told her that I had
>>>> gone through the whole interview process -application, having interviews,
>>>> probational time period and had submitted the names of people and
>>>> organizations that knew about my ability to do what I was hired to do. She
>>>> said, “I am not saying that you don’t do your job the right way, I am
>>>> saying that you do not have anything in your file”. I submitted college
>>>> transcripts that I could obtain but felt embarrassed because I could not
>>>> prove with papers my ability to do my job.
>>>>
>>>> In the fall of 2013, Toni talked about doing work to be in compliance.
>>>> I did NOT resist this and was given two options:
>>>>
>>>> 1. Apply for the Community Expert licence. She stated that it wasn’t
>>>> an easy process, that there were a lot of requirements, and that it wasn’t
>>>> a guarantee I was going to get it. I was also told I would have to quit
>>>> and re-apply. The school would post my job but that she would try to re
>>>> hire me. But I was told that if the licence did not go through that I
>>>> wouldn’t have my job back.
>>>>
>>>> 2. Change my position to a “Para” where my payment would go from
>>>> salary to hourly employee. As a Para I was not going to get pay for days
>>>> off like winter break and spring break.
>>>>
>>>> Toni also said many times that as “para” I was paid too much, much more
>>>> that any para in any charter school. And that my payment was going to be
>>>> frozen, because of my perceived high pay situation.
>>>>
>>>> I discussed my options with my family and close co-workers. I really
>>>> wanted to do the Community Expert Licensing option but was very concerned
>>>> about my family’s economic well-being. My husband, Brian, had just
>>>> completed schooling for Occupational Therapy and had not secured stable
>>>> employment yet. Option 2 seem the safer and easier option and I decided to
>>>> go with that option, but I was feeling bad about myself for not having the
>>>> papers to keep doing what I had been doing over the past 12 years. I know
>>>> now that was her way to keep me quiet. I really wanted and needed to keep
>>>> working here, and I did not share my situation with many others. I was
>>>> very frustrated, but kept my frustration to myself.
>>>>
>>>> After the Febuary board meeting I was approached by Toni and the staff
>>>> to find a solution to my “compliance” and licensure dilemma. I applied for
>>>> the Community Expert License and received it in mid April of this year. I
>>>> am currently licensed through this school year with the option to re-apply
>>>> for a community license next year or apply for a provisional license. The
>>>> Community Expert License process was relatively easy and I did not have to
>>>> quit as previously stated by Toni. Again I am happy to currently be in
>>>> compliance and licensed but very frustrated and saddened by the deception
>>>> of our Executive Director throughout this process.
>>>>
>>>> As hard as it was dealing with this personal problem, things really
>>>> started to get ugly when I noticed that it wasn’t a Esly/Tony problem.
>>>> Toni started to make big school related decisions on her own. She would
>>>> talk in a rude, disrespectful way to my co-workers. Day after day, it
>>>> seemed her goal was to make sure we knew she was the “director” - the one
>>>> who makes decisions, the one who can treat people the way she wants, the
>>>> one never comes to classrooms to check how the staff or the kids are doing.
>>>>
>>>> We need change in leadership. I would love to be a part of the future
>>>> of this incredible school and really do hope to. For the record, I have
>>>> stated to Toni and my fellow staff that if my compliance/licensure issues
>>>> ever jeopardized the health and sustainability of the school I would step
>>>> aside. I would rather have a great school for my daughters and your
>>>> children than cause any damage to the school. Thank you so much for taking
>>>> the time to hear my story and I really do help it helps clarify and inform
>>>> your opinion. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
>>>>
>>>> Muchas gracias!
>>>>
>>>> Hasta la victoria siempre!
>>>>
>>>> Esly Giron Vargas
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Jeff Moore
>
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