You read with thine own eyes the unequivocal minutes of the July 20th FOP meeting...when the FOP voted 3-0 to NOT create the proposed new administrative position of "Assistant Principal" at Cairo Jr/Sr High School. It bears repeating...THREE TO EFFING ZERO. (MY bad this time...I apologize. The devils made me do it...)

As reported previously, Superintendent Swopes (with the blessings of at least a majority of the BOE) went back in August and tried again...to sell the FOP on abandoning "fiscal responsibility"...presented a two page argument in hopes of persuading the FOP to reconsider.

To their great credit, the FOP stood its ground.

End of discussion...right?

Well, maybe...I doubt that Superintendent Swopes (and at least a majority of the BOE members) will try, try again.

NOPE, it's on to PLAN B...

Change the name (of the position) to protect the GUILTY!

Came into possession of the following fax cover from Cairo Jr/Sr High School...

No...we don't have an "Assistant Principal" at CJSHS. We have an "Administrative Assistant"!

Something about ducks comes to mind...

You will note that I changed the names (well, removed the names) of the INNOCENT. (As I indicated in a follow-up post last month, the objections expressed in CAT Tracks to what is transpiring has nothing to do with the people occupying these positions. It's all about creating not one, but TWO new administrative positions after crying broke during negotiations. It's all about creating not one, but TWO new administrative positions after crying broke during the Regular September Meeting of the Cairo Board of Education...TWO EFFING NIGHTS AGO! A chorus of crying broke that included not-so-veiled threats to close buildings...to dismiss employees! A chorus of crying broke that was accompanied by the Superintendent's admonition that "We've got to live within our means."

Well B*** S***!

Whew...

Folks, there's a name for this...a name etched in legal parlance.

The word...

INSUBORDINATION!

Folks, if you did something this blatant...this defiant...YOU would be written up, at best. At worst...your fuzzy a...uh, butt would be history. YOU would be FIRED!

As the FOP considers its "options" for insuring the financial survival of the District at its regular meeting on Friday (and the coming months), it needs to look at ALL the "stakeholders"...including those (who think and act like they are) at the top!

How can a reasonable person expect educators to respond in a respectful way to leadership that is NOT respectful of others...below or above?

Fortunately, years and years of abuse by successive Superintendents and School Board Members have somewhat numbed CATs and their educational colleagues. You have become adept at ignoring the "slings and arrows" hurled in your direction. I know...been there, done that.

Got the T-shirt to prove it!

Actually, it's a sweatshirt with a variety of acronyms that were appropriate for the time period. ("FU" wasn't on it, but "BS" sure was!) Another former CAT reminded me just a couple of days ago of maybe the best from that shirt...one that has come to memorialize the memory of our former Chief Negotiator (Steve Kohn). Credit Steve with "IWDIWAC"...I Won't Do It Without A Contract".

Okay, I digressed. Excuse my brief journey down memory lane. Hey, that's what us old retired folks do!

So, returning to the bottom line...

WE have grown accustomed to "Contempt of CAT". Ignore what we ask, no surprise there. Tell us to do stupid things...CERTAINLY no surprise there!

However, for Superintendent Leotis D. Swopes and (at least a majority of) the Cairo Board of Education to so blatantly ignore the dictates of "the powers that be", the FOP...

Well, they got my attention!

Will they get the attention of the FOP?