There was something amiss during the next to last meeting of the Brownsville Independent School District when Superintendent Brett Springston – in management – threw his lot in with the Association of Brownsville Educators, a labor organization.
How can management's top representative be a member of a labor group that negotiates with the BISD and the board of directors over wages, working conditions, and labor-management relations?
The AOBE lists among its members everything from insurance staff, food
service and transportation representatives.When George Borrego, president of the organization, presented Springston with a union T-shirt, the drums were rolling, the dancing girls were twirling, and the cameras were rolling.
But now, as the AOBE announced its endorsement of Rick Zayas, Ruben Cortez and Otis Powers (?) for the upcoming November elections, the impropriety of the Springston membership is becoming all too obvious.
Does this mean that Springston, as a card-carrying member of the AOBE is endorsing the three candidates over the others? Let's not forget that Enrique Escobedo – an incumbent – is running against Cortez, also an incumbent.
Does he not realize the tenuous position that he's taken? What is the message he is giving the 4,000 members of the AOBE, many of them district teachers and staff? Is he telling them that he favors Cortez over Escobedo? Is he – by being a member of the group – taking sides over who will be his boss?
Never mind if this is professional. Is this ethical?
And what is his message to the thousands of district residents who voted for Escobedo last time? Is he telling them that he didn't like the choice they made when they went to the voting booth and cast their ballot?
Springston is on a slippery slope by making his membership in this obvious interest group so public. He knows that his decision carries great weight over the employment and livelihood of district employees. And he puts his impartiality and professionalism in doubt when he joins an organization whose aim is to go to the bargaining table with the BISD administration where he represents the members of the board who hired him.
Why is fact this escaping Springston. Does he think that by joining the 4,000-strong association that he is buying protection from moves by future boards?
And what if Cortez loses? Where does he think his credibility as an employee at the pleasure of the board will be?
15 comments:
That was exactly the same question I posed when I heard that he had become the 4000th member of the organization. I was a member of that organization and we were always under the belief that administrators were not a part of the group because of their status when and if we were to ever go into bargaining with them. Mr. Springston WAS a very ethical man, but as they say, "money is the root of all evil." I once even saw Ruben Cortez working hard to learn the process of being a good board member, but once his compadre was initiated into the gang, the whole thing went capute. Mr. Escobedo had finally settled the group down and the board meetings were run under rules of order and working for the children of BISD. It is a shame to see how people change for a "bit of change." "I am disappointed in you," Mr. Springston and because of that, I am about to give up on ever getting BISD to where we were before.
The problem is Borrego. As a Union Boss, he is the epitome of a corrupt individual. He is more concerned with the trips he takes than about the district. The worst part is, he is playing politics at the expense of the support staff. These individuals have the lowest wages in the district and are seriously being played by him.
AOBE members should be asking themselves, what has Borrego done for them lately? Vote him out!
Mr. Montoya,
As usual, you are twisting events into your own political view.
First, there is nothing wrong with an employee (teacher or administrator) joining a union.
Second, the union may negotiate with the board, but it is the board not the superintendent who ultimately decides on raises.
Third, just because someone joins a union does not mean that that individual agrees with their views, view-points or endorsements.
BISD is a Payton Place.
BISD and other education organizations are very incestuous.....the administrators and superintendents belong to the same professional labor union as the worker bees. Teaching, as a profession, is very much like lawyers....they make rules that aid and protect their profession. Teachers aren't focused on education and lawyers aren't focused on justice. So, what can we expect....they are all wards of the almighty public dole. Why should we expect more from teachers than politicians...they are all working for their own interests and greed is a tough pig to slop.
I am ashame to agree that SOME teachers have no business in the profession. You are right in stating that some of them are there for the 25th. Believe me when I say that those "teachers" are the first ones to ask about their checks and are sure to use direct deposit to get their check a few hours before. It takes a special caring person to be a teacher and it seems that we can now count them on the fingers of one hand. Teaching is now a process by which you see how many handouts you can run off for your students and who can beat who to the xerox machine. I blame TAKS and the administrators for the loss of academic freedom in the classroom where students are actually taught with rigor, with lessons they can relate to and they build a relationship with their students that makes them want to produce to please their teacher. Those days are gone and I am certainly glad that I went to school when my teachers were all of high caliber, respect and integrity. Teachers have given the profession a bad name and ammunition for every other person to criticize. The only time they love and miss teachers is during the summer when they have to supervise their "angels" and also feed them.
Lets get straight to the point, its 400th member, that is a small number of members compared to the number of teachers. What matters is that thsi UNION SUPPORTED TWO CORRUPT MONEY INTERESTED MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT WORTH MENTIONING IN THIS RESPONSE. But who I can mention is their opponents Saavedra, Escobedo and Longoria. It is about the Children people let's VOTE these losers out of office. We can do it Brownsville.
Springton is a SHAME to our District. QUE DIOS NOS LIBBE!!
If Mr. Springston is honestly backing Cortez and Zayas, I will certainly and for sure, lose what little respect I still have left for him. He of all people knows exactly what these guys are about and should be the one reporting them to TEA. But I guess they scratched his back when it was itching for the superintendent's job, so he now has to scratch the inside of their pockets. Oops, didn't come out right!
Mr. Springston, at one time you impressed me as a very objective and strong leader, but you are now drowning in a 20 feet "sesspool." You have let us down, your employees, but most of all, you have let the children down. And you are right about George Borrego and his nincompoop public addresses every week at the board meetings and the trips he takes to avoid being in the classroom and having to teach. I guess he does the head shaving for Springston instead of "le hace la barba a Springton" "le hace la pelona."
George Borrego is a liar just like his buddy Alegeria. Watch out borrego, it's all going to catch up to you. Attention AOBE members, if I were you I would join another organization that really cares about the employees not only themselves. Keep an eye on how you monthly dues are being spent.
So S.Fox is off on another conference. I called Thursday and she won't be in until Monday because she is in a conference probably out of state. I hear she is sending three of your employees to San Diego for training. Who is approving this?
Couldn't resist to comment. LOL at "le hace la pelona". Very well said.
Vote, Pena, Escobeod and Longoria!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vote Escobedo, Saavedra, and Longoria. They will do a better job.
Borrego, taking member dues for his own purposes (trips and hotels). Vote him out!!!
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