Paso Robles Public Educator (PRPE) President's Message 9/14/2009

Welcome back to the new school year.  Although I know that each and every one of you is dedicated to your students and you bring positive energy and commitment to a quality education for the children of Paso Robles, this will be a very challenging year.  We all miss our colleagues who were laid off and we all feel the effects of the massive budget cuts here and throughout the state. We know that it cannot be business as usual with larger classes, less resources and less support.  We must reach out to the community in order to meet the ongoing and future challenges that an underfunded education system presents.  We need partners to help us spread the message that an investment in education is an investment in our children and consequently the future.  I have included a Community Involvement Survey with this message.  Please take the time to fill it out completely and return it to your PRPE site representative by 9/21/09.  Thanks.  

I want to acknowledge those teachers who have also taken on the crucial job of representing their sites at our executive board meetings.  We have meetings on the first Monday of every month and that is just the beginning of their work.  They are the frontlines of our organization and they represent PRPE at every site.  They work gathering information and concerns and then presenting them at our meetings so that the executive board can act on them and bring situations to the attention of the administration and/or the school board.  Our hardworking site reps are as follows:  John Hagy KK, Elaine Bertolette WP, Beth McGill VP, Mary Roberts PB, Jillian Johnson BS, Willow Runninghawk GB, Jenny Martinez LMS, John Hutchings FMS, and Shannon Gidcumb PRHS.  These teachers work very hard for you and do their regular teaching duties as well.  Thanks so much!

I also want to thank the PRPE Executive Board whose members do even more work to help our organization function.  Terry Dyksinski K-5 Vice-President KK, Fred Kloepper 6-12 Vice-President LHS, Robert Skinner Treasurer PRHS, Nanette Carminati Recording Secretary LMS (a special thank you to Nanette who is joining our board this year), Samantha Brossette Corresponding Secretary FMS,  Lisa Tate Negotiations Chair KK and Melissa Molina Membership Chair FMS  Take the time to say thank you to these unselfish teachers for all the work they do for you.  We would be poorer in so many ways without their dedicated service.  You’re the best! !  I’d also like to thank Dan Sharon who is now the Dean of Students at Phillips Freedom Community Day School.  He served our union for many years, most recently as our 6-12 Vice President.  Good luck in your new job, Dan!        

I will visit every site in the district to hear your concerns and ideas for improvement as well as to explain further the community outreach initiative and its critical importance to our profession.  I am also a San Luis Obispo County director for the Tri-County (Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo) Education Coalition so we can connect with education and business organizations throughout the region.Our affiliates CTA, CFT, NEA and AFT also are very concerned about our society’s overall commitment to a quality public education system.  CTA will be conducting a member survey to help develop a plan to counteract the forces that are aligned against this cornerstone of our democracy.  Go to www.standupforschools.org to get information on how to spread the word about the devastating cuts our students have to endure and ideas for solutions.   

We have work to do, but what else is new?                   

Jim Lynett
PRPE President
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805- 239-0410