Board President Virginia de la Piedra with Barbara Lemons. Photos courtesy Bob Crum.

Board President Virginia de la Piedra with Otmara “Maggie” Lofton.

Tuesday's Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board Meeting was beyond standing-room only. Close to 70 people attended the meeting, with half standing and overflowing out the door. Some had come to honor those receiving awards and others to address their employee grievances with the Board.

The meeting began with honoring the FUSD Persons of the Year. First recipient was Classified Staff Employee of the Year Barbara Lemons. Lemons commented that she and other family members were Fillmore High School graduates and how much she appreciated the recognition.

The second recipient was Otmara "Maggie" Lofton, who spoke of her devotion to teaching, humbly stating, "I accept this on behalf of all the other educators." Lofton also received five other recognitions from throughout California including State Senate, Ventura County Supervisors and others.

Mary Williams was honored Administrator of the Year and Misael Ponce, Student of the Year; both were not in attendance.

Next was Public Comments with six FUSD teachers addressing the Board and Administrators. All six addressees read prepared comments that they attributed to writers other than themselves. One of the many grievances was that they had seen an increase in administrative staff, yet not an increase in teaching faculty. It was stated that the teachers had negotiated for two years of training to improve teaching techniques and they were responsible for building the curriculum. They were told teachers would be compensated by the degree of their effectiveness, but now feel they are being asked for more than was being compensated. They also stated that they want the student per teacher ratio lower and an equal number of students per grade in all classrooms.

Teacher Susan Butts read what an anonymous writer, a parent of a Mountain Vista Elementary student, wrote; Tonight I am writing as a proud parent of two students that attend Mountain Vista. I choose to have my children attend Fillmore schools. I have been more than satisfied with the education they are receiving. We drive by our school and see the teachers' cars in the parking lot late into the evening, weekends, holidays, and during the summer. Our teachers are dedicated. My children LOVE their teachers. Because of this, my children LOVE learning. I am very perplexed as to why class size does not seem to be a priority for you. I am confused when I hear that one elementary school may have 30 or more students in second grade and another has 22. Please show consideration to all teachers that work extremely hard in this district by equalizing and lowering class size among all elementary schools. Please provide teachers with the resources and curriculum basics they need. Please make sure that the teachers' salaries and insurance benefits are equal if not more than surrounding districts. Please show parents that you are working as a district/teacher team, and listening to concerns from both sides."

Another anonymous writer stated; "First of all, I think we can all agree no one that pursues a career in education is looking to become a millionaire! Money is definitely not why I became a teacher. And I have never met a teacher who didn't have altruistic intentions when pursuing their careers. We are here for one reason; we love children and want to make a positive impact on their futures. There are so many demands that are required of us; to inspire a love of learning, be an expert in a wide-range of fields, care for and foster healthy relationships, continue our own formal education and of course teach. In a given week I spend countless hours on top of what our contract requires, including my weekends and breaks. I spend my own money to buy supplies for our class every single month. Of course I am happy to do it, because my students are worth it. Unfortunately, as altruistic as we are, teachers are human too. We have needs and families that depend on us. Personally, I have my own children that need before and after-school childcare, I am still paying off three student loans and have driven the same car for the last nine years. My family doesn't live extravagantly and we don't expect to. However, what I want is to feel that my personal contributions to Fillmore Unified are appreciated. When there is a huge divide between the pay of teachers and administration it makes me feel as if I am underappreciated. Over time, this can demoralize a person into thinking maybe another district is the answer. Clearly, if the pay and benefits are better almost everywhere else in the county, Fillmore will continue to loose amazing teachers. I have seen it countless times. The steadfast people who choose to stay should not be taken for granted. In addition, if we are not competitive in our salaries, we will not attract new quality teachers. I only ask that you will consider where you place your priorities. If our budget continues to place teachers in a lower position, ultimately the students of Fillmore Unified will suffer. What a shame that would be since our families deserve the best we can possibly give them.”

Just after a complaint of top-heavy administrative staff by the teachers, there was a discussion on FUSD Purchasing Practices Study presented by Assistant Superintendent Andrea McNeill. McNeill discussed the need to have a standardize list of purchases that would make buying more efficient. McNeill suggested such things as having one style of school furniture throughout the district and that one person should not cover the complete transaction; that each step, such as making the order, receiving the order and paying for the order, should be done by separate individuals. She suggested hiring a "Purchasing Agent or a position with a similar title." There was an added line in the presentation in which to justify the expense; "Adding this position will result in additional expenditures, however having an effective purchasing program will result in savings that will offset the cost."

Also, on the Action portion of the agenda was Resolution No. 15-16-14 Staff Appreciation Week for the Week of May 9, 2016-May 13, 2016 which was approved.

And, there was a new Fillmore High School Course for the 2016-2017 Academic Year, "Mariachi Ensemble A/B" presented; which the Board approved.