District Shows Off New Building. But Who Will Maintain It?

Before their meeting on Wednesday, the Amador County Unified School District Board of Trustees toured a new building at Ione Jr. High School. As wonderful as this new building is, it leaves me wondering about how they — the school board — intends to maintain it. They recently sent the entire maintenance department packing when [...]

School Superintendent Glock determined to lead district down illegal path

At their Jan. 28 meeting, trustees discussed creation of new positions that could bring some workers back at reduced pay rates. Wednesday night, Superintendent Dick Glock addressed that possibility. “Just because someone gets a layoff doesn’t mean that position is gone,” he said. [Ledger-Dispatch, 02/13/09]
According to the California Education Code, there are only two legal [...]

Maintaining schools not a priority for trustees

by Randy Bayne
Amador trustees are clearly not interested in the maintenance of the schools and other facilities under their care. They are also not interested in questioning their chief employee, Superintendent Dick Glock. Supporting the superintendent’s wishes, trustees voted 6-1 to layoff all eleven maintenance employees, leaving no one to maintain Amador’s schools. The lone [...]

Governor’s proposal makes deep cuts in schools

“As part of his proposal to close the 2008-09 and 2009-10 budget gaps, Governor Schwarzenegger would cut funding for California’s public schools, which serve 5.9 million students, by a total of $5.2 billion – a reduction of $875 per student’” says a new analysis by the California Budget Project. The analysis examines local impacts of [...]

School employees avoid job loss — for now

By Randy Bayne
Earlier this week, the Amador Co. Unified School District Board voted to do nothing. Actually, they voted to table a decision on laying off 11 maintenance workers for the district. This, of course, would mean no maintenance of school district property and the loss of more jobs in already beleaguered Amador.
It began Monday [...]

Physicians for Social Responsibility announces scholarship opportunity

Physicians for Social Responsibility
Sacramento Chapter
The Sacramento Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility announces its 2008 High School Scholarship Essay Contest, open to high school seniors in Sacramento and surrounding counties, including Amador. More than $10,000 in total scholarship money will be awarded to the top 10 winners in the contest.

Agreement reached with school staff

Amador County classified employees and teachers packed school board meetings to express their outrage at not getting a fair share when it came to contract negotiations. That was over a month ago.
Finally, according to the Ledger-Dispatch, employees of the school district and county office of education have settled their dispute.
All district staff will receive a [...]

Lt. Governor John Garamendi addresses Amador Co. Democrats

by The Bayne of Blog
Lt. Governor John Garamendi was in Amador County on Thursday night to address the Second Annual Amador Democratic Central Committee Dinner. About 150 people attended the dinner which was held at the Jackson Rancheria Hotel.
Lt. Governor John Garamendi poses with his mother Mary Ann, Sally Trestrail, Amador Co. DCC Chair, and [...]

Superintendent claims to give teachers priority…

…but his actions, and the board’s, tells a different story.
By the way, shouldn’t an article like this one be coming from the board anyway? It raises the question about whether or not Superintendent Mike Carey is voicing his own opinions or the boards. Personally, I don’t care what he thinks, I want to know where [...]

A fair share, not the full share

Employees of the Amador County Unified School District and Amador County Office of Education made a big impression at a school board meeting on Wednesday night. With classified employees donning red and certificated black, well over 100 employees and supporters filled the board room at the county administration building to ask for a fair share [...]