Cairo Association of Teachers

Cairo Association of Teachers - Grapevine

The Latest from CNN - CAT News Network...

This page was begun in September, 2001, to serve as a "truth squad"...to address a flurry of (what seemed to be) "tall tales" that were "making the rounds". (Unfortunately, some of the seemingly "tallest tales" proved to be true!) Finally, the "rumor mill" quieted, and this page was "suspended" in June, 2003...

June 19, 2003 - RUMOR: A certain someone recently received payment of $5,000 in "overtime" from financially strapped Cairo School District Number One. FACT: The Cairo BOE voted to approve a "compensatory package" for Director of Finance and Payroll Ilene Pierce last month...

June 2, 2003 - RUMOR: Last day of school will be Monday, June 9th. FACT: CJHS personnel were told that this was a possibility...that ISBE had yet to approve May 7th...and...get this...that the District had not applied for one of the earlier days...

May 30, 2003 - RUMOR: Lump-sum payments to RIFed and resigned employees will AGAIN have excess Federal and States taxes withheld...despite specific contract language to the contrary. FACT: A That's according to those who have talked to Director of Finance and Payroll Ilene Pierce...Ilene says, "That's the way the computer does it, so that's the way it has to be." The Association protested in writing. On June 5th, Superintendent Isom indicated that the withholdings would be done according to the contract...withholding at the normal rate/amount. Stay tuned!

May 13, 2003 - RUMOR: CHS Principal to be rehired! FACT: Yeah, they did!

April 17, 2003 - RUMOR: CHS Principal to be fired! FACT: The Cairo Board of Education voted last night to authorize the Superintendent to schedule a dismissal hearing for the Cairo High School Principal. No reason was given for the action. Two independent sources have told the CAT that the action stems from a disagreement between the Board of Education and the Principal over the graduation date...that the BOE wants May 25th and the Principal wants June 1st. (Remember...at the Public Hearing for RIFs...President Griggs making the statement that the Board had no intention of usurping the Principal's authority when it set May 25th as the CHS graduation date. Hmmm... Evidently, it has gotten much more heated during the past two weeks!) There's got to be more to this story...dismissal for a disagreement over a graduation date? But...then again...this Board did dismiss a 34-year employee for allegedly failing to paperclip, failing to put a date, ...

April 3, 2003 - RUMOR: District to fire 58 employees. FACT: District fires 55 employees, including 25 certified staff. Cuts do not leave the District with enough employees to open the buildings next year. Firings cause unnecessary emotional distress and uncertainty in a District already "at risk"!

March 31, 2003 - RUMOR: District to fire 58 employees. FACT: Superintendent Isom held a 10 a.m. meeting with union leaders, informing them that the FOP had rejected the District's plan to cut $250,000 from next year's budget...insisting on $850,000 in cuts...to balance the budget "as required by law". The "across the board" cuts totaled 58 employees, including 28 certified staff.

January 3, 2003 - RUMOR: When ISBE "bails" on the "restructuring conspiracy", CSD #1 takes matters into their own hands and locks out high school teachers to start the New Year! FACT: Just joking...we hope. High school teachers will find that their old keys do NOT work...because the locks were changed due to scheduled renovation during the holidays. Teachers will receive new keys to match the new locks.

October 10, 2002 - RUMOR: State of Illinois to take over Cairo School District Number One. FACT: An ISBE team of 16 people is in Cairo, inspecting/reviewing all aspects of the educational system. Dr. Isom says that they are here at his request...a request made when he first came to Cairo in 1998 and repeated on two later occasions.

August 6, 2002 - RUMOR: Board appoints former Board Member/President Vernon Stubblefield to fill vacancy created by the passing of June Vaughn. FACT: TRUE...He "passed the audition" last May when he spoke against teachers during a Board meeting...to the applause of the Board members present.

July 15, 2002 - RUMOR: Wedding bells are ringing for the President of the Cairo Board of Education.

June 12, 2002 - RUMOR: If teachers go out on strike next fall, they will be fired! FACT: Contrary to what a current CSD #1 administrator is telling CATs, Illinois law permits strikes and protects strikers.

June 4, 2002 - RUMOR: Superintendent arrested...again.FACT: ??? Apparently did NOT happen. Where do these rumors get started?

May 11, 2002 - RUMOR: The CAT bargaining team lied...the proposal delivered to the District administration at 3:15 p.m. Friday was not the same proposal that was explained to the general membership on Friday. FACT: THAT is the lie...The proposal was exactly as explained! You are welcome to see it...and Barney's own letter of rejection confirms it! We told you at the very beginning...there are those who, for whatever reason, will try to undermine the membership's trust in its leadership. You need to make your conversation with these people short. If the person is an "outsider"...politely inform them that they have no way of knowing what they are talking about. If the person is an "insider"...a CAT...then tell them to (1) take their concerns to the bargaining team, (2) bring their accusations to the membership meeting, and/or (3)leave you alone. In other words, "put up or shut up"! P.S. The CAT bargaining team knows that the vast majority of you trust us...we have worked hard to earn/keep that trust. Thank you! And...keep us up to date on the next rumor...there will be many. P.P.S. The District's new flyer...you know, the "prostituting" one...seemed to resonate well at Friday's meeting...REALLY firing people up...somthing that is NOT GOOD for the Board of Education, as they try to divide us with their aforementioned rumors. BUT...the members of the bargaining team had quite a different reaction...we smiled. Why? The Board's flyer...filled with attacks against your character and professionalism...is a clear indication of their desperation. Their "house of cards"...their "house of lies" is starting to quiver...

May 10, 2002 - RUMOR: Board rejects CAT's proposal to end strike...including CAT's acceptance of the Board's own offer of a one-year agreement.FACT: It's true...Board Attorney Barney Mundorf sent fax indicating same only a little over an hour after it was hand delivered by the CAT bargaining team...with no questions...no contact.

May 2, 2002 - RUMOR: CSD #1 to close for remainder of the year. Administrators have been directed to compute grades in preparation of passing all students onto the next grade and graduating 8th graders and Seniors. FACT: As many of you heard/read on/in the media this week, the Cypress school district suffered extensive damage from a tornado. The Cypress superintendent asked the state for "special dispensation" - to call off the remainder of the year...due to an "Act of God". "NO!", said ISBE. You must complete the year...hold classes...or you will lose state aid AND lose accreditation. OPINION: The Cairo Board of Education and administration has shown a past proclivity to violate the law and their own policy. HOWEVER: When CSD #1 floats a "trial balloon" at the beginning of May that it is going to shut down because it does not like the fact that its teachers are involved in a LEGAL ACTIVITY, a right guaranteed by the collective bargaing law of the state of Illinois, it runs the high-profile risk of incurring the wrath of the state. Combine this with the FACT that the District WOULD LOSE MONEY if it followed through on its threat - a fact that belies the Board team's assertion that their actions are guided by a concern for the financial solvency of the District...as usual, "It just don't add up!" The Board of Education is willing to spend thousands of dollars on Barney Mundorf and take actions that would cause the District to lose revenue (and accreditation)...all in an effort to break the backs of their employees. Contrary to the Board's assertions, this is fiscally - and morally - IRRESPONSIBLE!

April 29, 2002 - RUMOR: Teachers' Assistants and Custodians to go out on strike. FACT: The District's other unions are under the same legal constraints as the CAT. There are certain requirements that must be met before a union can actually go out on strike. First of all, the 10-day strike notice must be served on the employer. (The CAT has heard a rumor that this is in the process...possibly as early as today.) Also, at least one mediation session must be held prior to "walking out"; that has not yet occurred. However, it appears that other unions in the District...that have been treated even worse than the CAT...may be on the verge of "taking it to the streets". We "feel their pain"!

April 28, 2002 - RUMOR: Barney Mundorf makes $200 an hour as the Board's attorney...to sit at the table...for hours on end...telling the CAT that there is no money for teachers. FACT: When asked point blank by parents at a meeting called by the District administration, ostensibly to arrange the opening of school for Seniors and 8th Graders, but instead used by the Board team to bash teachers...Barney refused to reveal his salary...twice! OPINION: Draw your own conclusions!

April 25, 2002 - RUMOR: Local 773's Teachers' Assistant Union and Custodial Union to honor picket line...will not report to work. FACT: Local 773 made that offer...even though the members of the organizations had been threatened by the Board's attorney...that if the members took such action, they would "put their jobs in jeopardy". On advice of IEA counsel, the CAT declined their offer of support and encouraged them to report to work AS ORDERED.

April 22, 2002 - RUMOR: The CAT is going out on strike. FACT: This afternoon, following last minute negotiations to avert same, the general membership of the CAT held a meeting in the CHS cafeteria and voted overwhelmingly to strike beginning on Thursday, April 25, barring any significant change in the Board's proposal...a proposal calling upon teachers to take a pay cut AND begin paying $130 a month for their health insurance.

April 17, 2002 - RUMOR: Contrary to the tentative agreement reached at the table that states that taxes will be withheld from lump-sum payments at the same approximate rate/dollar amount as if the amounts were paid out over the entire summer, the District has been told by the IRS that extra taxes MUST be withheld from these lump-sum payments. FACT: The Board team assured the CAT that they had NOT heard of such a thing...that they planned to honor the tentative agreement and withhold taxes from lump-sum payments at the "normal" rate.

April 4, 2002 - RUMOR...NOT: The Board team confirms previous rumor as true...a Principal IS moving to the Central Office. Board team added an additonal piece of "FACT"...The District is proceeding on the assumption that Early Childhood will NOT be refunded...that the program will be eliminated...thus, freeing up classroom space to close the Bennett Elementary building. OBSERVATION: Everyone else says that Early Childhood WILL be refunded...and you know what they say about "assumptions".

April 3, 2002 - RUMOR: Wife of CAT President to be fired. FACT: Following almost three months of suspension (without pay) "pending further investigation" - a suspension resulting from her hosptalization over the Christmas holidays (a charge of "job abandonment") - Julie Newell received a certified letter ordering her to an April 8th "pre-termination" hearing with the Superintendent - at exactly the same time that she was scheduled to have rotator cuff surgery. (During this entire 3-month period, no one from the Board of Education or the District administration contacted Julie Newell, choosing instead to send out "surveys" to fellow employees and prepare a list of charges - alleged deficiencies that were never brought to her attention at the time that they occurred.) Following objection by Newell's attorney, the pre-termination hearing was rescheduled for May 20th.

April 1, 2002 - RUMOR: A current CSD #1 principal is on her way to the Central Office next year...but NOT as superintendent. FACT: Resignation of the Curriculum Coordinator on March 25th created a vacancy.

March 26, 2002 - RUMOR 1: The CAT is intentionally "stalling" the negotiations process...in order to get large lump sum checks like the secretaries did. FACT: Let the record speak for itself! The CAT has repeatedly pushed/dragged a reluctant Board of Education (Two of them!) and Superintendent to meetings. The Board insisted on time limits for the meetings that we did have. It was the CAT's suggestion to bring in the federal mediator. We have done everything possible to expedite the process. But...it takes two to negotiate! And finally...large lump sum checks? NOT after what happened last June 15th...HUGE tax deductions for those of you who have not heard!

March 26, 2002 - RUMOR 2: The CAT is intentionally planning to strike so as to disrupt state testing. FACT: The CAT is not planning to strike...period! The CAT Bargaining Team has maintained an open mind throughout this process and is trying to reach a negotiated settlement. The CAT leadership knows the damage that the last strike inflicted on all concerned. We know the history of the District and are trying to insure that it is not repeated.

March 19, 2002 - Bond referendum conducted...ask voters for permission to raise property taxes to finance local portion ($4+ million) to build new $16+ million K-8 Elementary School and demolish/sell existing Emerson, Bennett, and CJHS buildings. RESULTS: YES (342)...NO (791)

February 7, 2002 - RUMOR: Board offers superintendent a two-year contract extension with a 5% raise. FACT: During last night's Special Meeting of the Board of Education, HEAVY negotiations were taking place. The District's attorney ("on the clock"...in the District...from 9 a.m.) beat a path between the Board room and the superintendent's office. However, no public action was forthcoming...stay tuned!

January 10, 2002 - Wife of CAT President (union activist in her own right) suspended without pay after being hospitalized over the holidays. Charge: Job Abandonment!

December 3, 2001 - Cairo School District Number One will close on Friday, December 7th, so that staff and students may attend the funeral services of Karen Adkinson.

December 2, 2001 - Received the very sad news that Karen Adkinson passed away today. Our deepest condolences go out to her family and friends.

November 7, 2001 - At a Special Meeting, the Board seats new members (elected last Spring). Leaving the Board were President Vernon Stubblefield, Vice President Robbie Koen, and Secretary Tim Pierce. Replacing them were Joe Griggs, Berlene Jones, and Carlandus Mallory. The new Board selected its officers: President - Joe Griggs; Vice President - June Vaughn; Secretary - Brenda Gooden; Treasurer - Marlene Schultz. The Board established the fourth Thursday of each month to be their regular meeting date with a starting time of 5:00 p.m. Since that date conflicts with Thanksgiving this month, the first regular meeting of the new Board of Education will be Wednesday, November 14th, at 5:00 p.m.

October 3, 2001 - At a Special Meeting, the Board votes to reinstate the superintendent, place a letter of reprimand in his personnel file, and develop new guidelines for use of the District vehicle.

September 28, 2001 - It's exactly one month until the deadline for teachers whose certificates expired on June 30, 2001 to submit a plan for recertification to the CLPDC. If you have yet to submit a plan, you have already lost any professional development activities completed since June 30th, e.g. MRSH training.

September 19, 2001 - At its Regular Meeting, the Board votes to continue the "suspension with pay" of the superintendent and seek the services of an independent investigator.

September 12, 2001 - At a Special Meeting, the Board votes to suspend the superintendent with pay.

September 5, 2001 - RUMOR: If the CAT merges with other groups, we will have to go out on strike if one of those groups votes to strike. FACT: NOT TRUE...If CAT merges with other groups, it becomes a new union whose membership consists of all members belonging to the former separate groups. ALL decisions...including a decision to strike...would be made by a majority vote of the entire membership of the new group. In other words, the only way that the CAT can strike is if the majority of the total membership--including teachers--vote to strike.