PGCPS Eisenhower Middle School students out of control and Drug use is a concern.

John Mangrum is the principal at Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School, he sixth principal at the school. (Photo courtesy)

Laurel, Md. (Reform Sasscer) – Ask anyone who has worked in some of America’s failing public schools and nearly all of them will tell you the same thing: The biggest problem isn’t the quality of the teachers. It’s the behavior of the kids: angry, disruptive, and disrespectful kids whose behavior is out of control. This is true not only in the poor schools in the inner cities, but in schools in the largely white rural parts of the US as well. The kids themselves are only partly to blame — students, after all, are what adults make them. The ongoing fiasco at Bladensburg High School is a tip of the iceberg in Prince George’s county. Parents, staff and students must demand answers and the county citizenry must stand in solidarity to create proper reforms.

After our reports earlier this year concerning Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Eisenhower Middle School, reports reaching Reform Sasscer Movement indicate that, the same School is out of control. According to the information received by several sources who did not want to be identified, “kids told the staff they were running the halls because they did it last year and still passed to the next level,” stated one concerned member.

The principal told the teachers recently to address people outside of the classroom before they address him. He is afraid to run the school. There are concerns that new teachers receive little to no support. There are reports that the Instructional Director (ID) has been watching and it’s possible that she knows of the situation but is powerless.

Last month during parent-teacher conferences, the Principal told several staff that they were not permitted to go to the restroom against the union rules. He wanted the teachers to meet with more parents and thought they would leave early. The principal has allegedly turned several staff members away, but one Mrs. Johnson kept walking and went on. She had to go to the bathroom according to the reports received. During the same conferences, a lot of parents were complaining about all the bullying going on at the school.  However, President Theresa Dudley of Prince George’s County Education Association (PGCEA) has failed to respond to many challenges affecting teachers in the county including at Eisenhower Middle School, Bladensburg High School and others due to all conflicts of interests she is engaged in.

Recently a parent complained that she came to the school and saw students twerking on desks. New teachers are not being supported and they want to leave the teaching profession all together because of the lack of support. The principal, Mr. Mangrum, can do better according to the staff members who shared their concerns.

Inadequate Monitoring

Corruption thrives where principals (the rank and file) cannot effectively control their agents (union officers) or hold them accountable. External monitoring of union officers is weak as seen in Prince George’s County. Past reports concerning union corruption have pointed out that “it is all too easy for racketeers to control and exploit, in part because there is no effective mechanism for policing internal union affairs. The Landrum-Griffin Act was passed in an attempt to assure that workers would be represented by democratic unions” (Goldstock et al. 1990, 49).

In the 1980s, congressional hearings surfaced sharp criticism of the Department of Labor’s failure to monitor unions and their pension and welfare funds effectively (Jacobs and Mullin 2003). Because the Department of Labor’s “primary mission is to resolve labor-management problems [,] this necessarily requires good working relations with high-ranking labor officials, and makes investigating and enforcing the complaints . . . against top labor officials at best awkward and, at worst, a conflict of interest” (Goldstock et al. 1990, 181).

Drug Use at Eisenhower Middle School

Smoking weed in the bathroom is a common occurrence. Parents and teachers smell it when they enter. Many teenagers try marijuana and some use it regularly. Teenage marijuana use is at its highest level in 30 years, and today’s teens are more likely to use marijuana than tobacco. Many states allow recreational use of marijuana in adults ages 21 and over. Recreational marijuana use by children and teenagers is not legal anywhere in the United States. Today’s marijuana plants are grown differently than in the past and can contain two to three times more tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the ingredient that makes people high. The ingredient of the marijuana plant thought to have most medical benefits, cannabidiol (CBD), has not increased and remains at about 1%.

There are many ways people can use marijuana. This can make it harder for parents to watch for use in their child. These include:

• Smoking the dried plant (buds and flowers) in a rolled cigarette (joint), pipe, or bong
• Smoking liquid or wax marijuana in an electronic cigarette, also known as vaping
• Eating “edibles” which are baked goods and candies containing marijuana products
• Drinking beverages containing marijuana products
• Using oils and tinctures that can be applied to the skin

Parents and Prevention
Parents can help their children learn about the harmful effects of marijuana use. Talking to your children about marijuana at an early age can help them make better choices and may prevent them from developing a problem with marijuana use later. Begin talking with your child in an honest and open way when they are in late elementary and early middle school. Youth are less likely to try marijuana if they can ask parents for help and know exactly how their parents feel about drug use.
Tips on discussing marijuana with your child:

• Ask what they have heard about using marijuana. Listen carefully, pay attention, and try not to interrupt. Avoid making negative or angry comments.
• Offer your child facts about the risks and consequences of smoking marijuana.
• Ask your child to give examples of the effects of marijuana. This will help you make sure that your child understands what you talked about.
• If you choose to talk to your child about your own experiences with drugs, be honest about why you used and the pressures that contributed to your use. Be careful not to minimize the dangers of marijuana or other drugs, and be open about any negative experiences you may have had. Given how much stronger marijuana is today, its effect on your child would likely be much different than what you experienced.
• Explain that research tells us that the brain continues to mature into the 20s. While it is developing, there is greater risk of harm from marijuana use.

Sometimes parents may suspect that their child is already using marijuana. The following are common signs of marijuana use:

• Acting very silly and out of character for no reason.
• Using new words and phrases like “sparking up,” “420,” “dabbing,” and “shatter”
• Having increased irritability.
• Losing interest in and motivation to do usual activities.
• Spending time with peers that use marijuana.
• Having trouble remembering things that just happened.
• Carrying pipes, lighters, vape pens, or rolling papers.
• Coming home with red eyes and/or urges to eat outside of usual mealtimes.
• Stealing money or having money that cannot be accounted for.

Effects of Marijuana
Many teenagers believe that marijuana is safer than alcohol or other drugs. When talking about marijuana with your child, it is helpful to know the myths and the facts. For example, teenagers may say, “it is harmless because it is natural,” “it is not addictive,” or “it does not affect my thinking or my grades.”

However, research shows that marijuana can cause serious problems with learning, feelings, and health.

Short-term use of marijuana can lead to:

• School difficulties
• Problems with memory and concentration
• Increased aggression
• Car accidents
• Use of other drugs or alcohol
• Risky sexual behaviors
• Worsening of underlying mental health conditions including mood changes and suicidal thinking
• Increased risk of psychosis
• Interference with prescribed medication

Regular use of marijuana can lead to significant problems including Cannabis Use Disorder. Signs that your child has developed Cannabis Use Disorder include using marijuana more often than intended, having cravings, or when using interferes with other activities. If someone with Cannabis Use Disorder stops using suddenly, they may suffer from withdrawal symptoms that, while not dangerous, can cause irritability, anxiety, and changes in mood, sleep, and appetite.

Long-term use of marijuana can lead to:

• Cannabis Use Disorder
• The same breathing problems as smoking cigarettes (coughing, wheezing, trouble with physical activity, and lung cancer)
• Decreased motivation or interest which can lead to decline in academic or occupational performance
• Lower intelligence
• Mental health problems, such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, anger, irritability, moodiness, and risk of suicide

Medical Marijuana
Some teens justify use of marijuana because it is used for medical purposes. Marijuana use with a prescription for a medical reason is called “medical marijuana.” Laws for medical marijuana are rapidly changing and are different from state to state. In some states, children of any age can get medical marijuana if they have a “qualifying medical condition.” There is very limited research supporting use of medical marijuana in children or teens for most conditions. In most states that allow medical marijuana, the marijuana is not regulated and therefore is not checked for ingredients, purity, strength or safety. There is no evidence that medical marijuana is any safer than other marijuana.

Cannabidiol (CBD)
Many parents have questions about CBD and how it may be helpful for their child. There is ongoing research on the use of CBD-containing products for conditions such as epilepsy, , PTSD, Tourette’s disorder, pain, and other diagnoses. For now, the use of CBD is only FDA-approved in children for specific forms of epilepsy and in adults for chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. At this time, there is  not enough evidence to recommend CBD for other uses, in children and adolescents including the treatment of autism and other developmental disorders. The approved CBD requires a prescription. Many stores sell CBD products. However, there are no safety and quality requirements for non-prescription CBD. They may have harmful additives or interfere with prescription medication. If you are considering using CBD for your child, please discuss this with their physician prior to starting to prevent harmful effects.

Conclusion

There are ongoing problems at PGCPS Eisenhower Middle School and other schools in the county in which teachers, parents, and students are affected. This is due to lack of support from the administration of CEO Monica Goldson and lack of professional development which has been stopped until further notice.

Marijuana use in teens can lead to long-term consequences. Teens rarely think they will end up with problems related to marijuana use, so it is important to begin talking about the risks with your child early and continue this discussion over time. Talking with your child about marijuana can help delay the age of first use and help protect their brain. If your child is already using marijuana, try asking questions in an open and curious way as your teen will talk more freely if not feeling judged. If you have concerns about your child’s drug use, talk with your child’s pediatrician or a qualified mental health professional.

In addition, the parents and Prince George’s County employees must demand action due to the Union shenanigans currently at play in Prince George’s County public Schools (PGCPS) and illegal interference of the Maryland court system. At the moment, local court system appears currently hijacked by the cartels tied to the union corruption due to lack of external monitoring of union officers in Maryland.

Call your local elected representatives  and state officials. Demand answers ASAP on PGCPS shenanigans led by PGCEA, MSEA, AFSCME International and ASASP Union corruption currently in progress in Prince George’s County! Demand corrective actions immediately. #Resist

• Read more>>> Fiasco after PGCPS Bowie High School teacher charged with sexual abuse of former student
• Read more >>>PGCPS Largo High Sch teacher arrested after major fight 
• Read more >>> Update: PGCPS Largo Teacher Charged with Assaulting Student
• Read more >>> Prince George’s County special ed teacher among 27 charged in federal drug bust in DC area
• Read more >>> ‘Corruption in Plain Sight’- Prince George’s County Cannot Afford the Kirwan Plan – Or Much Else

An email recently sent to PGCPS staff partly shown here means that, there will be no more professional Days (PD) during school day until further notice.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

***

Corruption is in full swing in the Maryland Judiciary!

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals in Annapolis.

The latest graft disclosures in the Maryland Judiciary, in which documents filed with the court disappear and judges ignored overwhelming misconduct of attorneys involved in cases, underscores just how complicated the war on corruption in Maryland and elsewhere has become. We have heard that a person can buy their case in most Maryland courts if they have the money, or the connections.

This unfortunate incident is a painful reminder of a reality that points to a general collapse in the war on corruption in the state of Maryland and in Prince George’s County in particular. Other counties such as Montgomery County are the epicenter of the misconduct alleged here with connection to other counties.

The war on graft in the Judiciary is not isolated from the national war on corruption that is currently in progress in Maryland and throughout the country. We must continue to request help and work closely with the U.S State attorneys and other leaders committed to reforms in various parts of the country.

For effective war on corruption to be waged, we need all the three arms of government working in sync: This is because, for effective delivery of service, these arms of the state must interact.

For example, if the Executive decided to fight corruption to the exclusion of either the Judiciary or Legislature, the likelihood is that the other two will sabotage such an endeavor. We have seen this first hand after several Maryland delegates in Prince George’s County joined forces to ruin our careers in conspiracy with others.

Much as the Judiciary is an independent arm of government, judicial officers do not have the individual independence to immunize themselves from corruption.

Corruption erodes the independence of our courts. Most judicial officers do not want an independent Judiciary because it reins in their desire to be corrupt.

A wholesome effort is necessary, but the challenge comes once it is clear that society worships the beneficiaries of corrupt dealings. Rather than become an expensive, nauseating enterprise, more people are being attracted to this enterprise because it provides one with the ‘sweet’ opportunity of scaling the economic ladder.

In Prince George’s County, the U.S Attorney office tried to wage this complex war during the tenure of former County Executive Jack Johnson, but from the look of things the County, the Judiciary and personnel connected to the executives are back to being its former true self.

These latest disclosures concerning Federal bribery charges filed over Prince George’s County liquor licenses suggest that corruption is still in full swing in Prince George’s County and in the state of Maryland. Further investigations will review that, the same arm of government that is supposed to fight corruption without any reservations might be heavily involved in some circles. As citizens, we must request for anyone involved to resign their seats.

The tragedy in all this is that, as bad as these events are, the local state Judiciary has not shown a single person with the fire in the belly who can lead the war on corruption and so effectively.

What is needed is a person who can cultivate respect among peers and instill fear in errant judicial and state officers throughout Maryland and set an example for others to follow.

We need new judicial leaders in Maryland who can make cartels and officers engaged in professional misconduct and fraud throughout howl with pain. On these issues, we have been actively trying to get the attention of the Baltimore Sun, the Washington Post, WUSA 9, NBC4 etc for some of these issues, but have been told by many that the politics behind newspapers has stopped some good local stories from being reported there first. So perhaps they will jump on the bandwagon once another one writes first?

All eyes are on Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr in the next few months concerning these issues if the highest courts in Maryland fail to act. As stated in the New Year message, a clean, competent, caring, accountable, inclusive and honest local government is what we must expect. If you missed it, read our new year message here.

Dr. Martin Luther King challenged our nation many years ago to live out that sacred truth: to banish the evils of bigotry, segregation and oppression from the institutions of society and the hearts of men.  He was indeed a champion of great principles, laboring mightily and in the end sacrificing his life to advance the cause of equal rights for all. At the level of first principles—in his commitments to natural rights, democratic government, and the irrelevance of race to moral personhood and just social deserts—King’s political thought might properly claim a consensus among virtually all American citizens.

• >>>Read more Rising Corruption in Maryland Politics
• >>>Read more Prince George’s County juvenile judge reassigned after Malpractice
• >>>Read more Stop Crooked Politics In Maryland Government

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

***

Supreme Court majority is critical of compelled public employee union fees

United States Supreme Court justices.

By Robert Barnes

A majority of the Supreme Court on Monday seemed prepared to hand a significant defeat to organized labor and side with a group of California teachers who claim their free speech rights are violated when they are forced to pay dues to the state’s teachers union.

By their questioning at oral argument, the court’s conservatives appeared ready to junk a decades-old precedent that allows unions to collect an “agency fee” from nonmembers to support collective-bargaining activities for members and nonmembers alike.

It is the most important Supreme Court case of the year for unions and one of a clutch of politically charged cases that puts the justices in the spotlight as the nation turns its attention to the elections of 2016.

The case involves only public-employee unions — not private workers — but those unions are the strongest segment of an organized labor movement that is increasingly tied to the Democratic Party. At the same time, Republican governors across the nation have become embroiled in high-profile battles with the public-employee unions in their states.

Conservative groups have directly asked the court to overturn a 1977 decision, Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, that favored the unions. That ruling said that states could allow public-employee unions to collect fees from nonmembers to cover the costs of workplace negotiations but not to cover the union’s political activities.

The unions say losing those fees would be a heavy blow because there is no incentive for workers to pay for collective-bargaining representation they could receive for free. About 20 states, including California, allow what the unions like to call “fair-share” fees.

But conservative justices sharply questioned whether it was possible to separate public-employee negotiations from the kind of public policy questions — teacher salaries and classroom sizes, for instance, and the tax dollars that must be raised to pay for them — that are raised.

“When you are dealing with a governmental agency, many critical points are matters of public concern,” said Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who traditionally is the most likely of the court’s conservatives to join with liberals to form a majority.

Some teachers disagree with their unions on issues such as merit pay, promotion and the importance of seniority, Kennedy said.

The fees “require that employees and teachers who disagree with those positions must nevertheless subsidize the union on those very points,” he said.

It is not enough to argue that the teachers can speak out on their own as citizens, he said.

In the current case, union leaders were not counting on Kennedy but on another conservative, Justice Antonin Scalia.

Scalia in the past has expressed sympathy for the view that the unions needed to collect the fees to prevent “free riders” — those who benefit from the agreements that unions reach with government employers but who do not pay for the union’s costs. But he did not pose any questions Monday that favored the union’s view and said he shared Kennedy’s concerns.

“The problem is that everything that is collectively bargained with the government is within the political sphere, almost by definition,” he said.

He also questioned the contention that the unions would not survive without collecting the fees. Already, there are 25 states that do not require their collection, and Scalia said the unions should do a better job of persuading those eligible to join.

California Solicitor General Edward C. DuMont, who was aligned in the case with the teachers union, said the California unions already had extraordinary participation but prohibiting agency fees fights human nature.

“Many people can want something in the sense they view it as very advantageous to themselves, but if they are given a choice, they would prefer to have it for free, rather than to pay for it,” he said. “This is a classic collective-action problem.”

Oral arguments are not always predictive, but it seemed clear that DuMont, California Teachers Association attorney David C. Frederick and Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr., representing the Obama administration, were treading against the tide.

The court’s five conservatives in 2012 and 2014 had expressed grave doubts about whether the Abood decision had properly taken into account the First Amendment rights of the union objectors.

It has been the pattern of the court headed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to take incremental steps toward undermining a precedent with which it disagrees before delivering a final blow.

The court’s liberals said the challengers had not made the case for why the court should abandon a precedent rather than take the normal path of upholding it.

[Two teachers explain why they want to take down their union]

Justice Stephen G. Breyer said the Abood “compromise” had worked pretty well over the last 40 years. When the court starts overruling precedents, he said, “What happens to the country thinking of us as a kind of stability in ­­a world that is tough because it changes a lot?” Breyer asked.

Justice Elena Kagan also pushed that theme, telling Washington attorney Michael A. Carvin, who represented the objecting teachers, that he had a “heavy burden.”

“That’s always true in cases where somebody asks us to overrule a decision. It seems to be particularly true here,” Kagan said. “This is a case in which there are tens of thousands of contracts with these provisions. Those contracts affect millions of employees, maybe as high as 10 million employees. So what special justification are you offering here?”

Carvin replied that the strongest reason for overturning a precedent is when it “erroneously denies a fundamental right’’ — in this case, freedom of speech and association.

Kagan and other justices said the court’s precedents were clear that when government is acting as an employer, it can act as any employer in restricting employee rights.

Frederick argued for leaving the decision about requiring fees to the individual states, rather than forbidding the process. “Different states have different experiences, and this is an opportunity for the states to draw upon those distinctive experiences in coming up with a system that’s fair for everyone,” he argued.

There seemed to be two options if a majority disagreed with Abood but was reluctant to overturn the precedent.

The justices could remand the case to the lower courts. Carvin and his clients had raced through the lower courts in hopes of getting the case to the Supreme Court faster.

The justices could also change how the agency fees are collected. Currently, the fees must be paid, and then employees “opt out” of funding the union’s political activities and receive money back. Objecting employees say that minimizes the burden on them.

But there was limited questioning from the justices about whether such a change might be an alternative to overturning the system.

The case is Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association.

***

PGCPS Board of Education partners…

…with Panasonic Foundation

According to Washington Post, The Prince George’s County Board of Education, facing a rocky start in a new era of school governance, has entered into a short-term agreement with a corporate foundation to help ease its transition from an elected board to a hybrid board with government oversight.

Board Chairman Segun Eubanks said the school board voted Thursday night during a closed session to partner with Panasonic Foundation, which works with urban school districts to implement education reforms. He said the partnership is designed to “move [the county’s] agenda forward. “Reports reaching reform Sasscer Movement  according to Mr. Edward Burroughs (District 8), said,  “the new structure has created a situation where there is no accountability to the board because board leadership is appointed.” He said, “for example, that a member of Baker’s administration received a presentation from Panasonic, but most board members were excluded. Still, the board was asked to vote on the agreement.”  Further Mr. Edward Burroughs’s District 8 lost substantial funding due to recent corruption in which money ($1.4 Million) was sent back to Annapolis.  Reform Sasscer movement is against side deals being conducted at night and away from the public. This is the reason why we lobbied lawmaker to create the current Board with a great hope things were going to turn out for the better >>>Read more Washington Post

OPINION:

Without mass media, openness and accountability are impossible in democracies. Our prayer is make sure that, what we advocated for is a dared to within the school system. We want the medium to be transparent to vision so that we can accurately view what is on the other side. As articulated before, Mr. Rushern Baker’s biggest test is creating a smooth transition within the schools to include transparency and avoid appointing leaders from the old regime who caused problems in the first place. However, if he wants to pass this test, he must persuade every single PG County citizen that he has sincere intentions that transcend his own political interest, for the wellbeing of the County to include other groups into the change management with the New CEO. One can well understand why politicians would want to divert attention from information that is detrimental to their interests as open expressed by Mr. Burroughs and others recently. Our interest as media blog is very different as we are interested in transparency and accountability issues on behalf of everyone.  Indeed, the media’s interests are quite different from those of politicians. Nevertheless, the media’s collective efforts also subvert the political values of transparency, even – and perhaps especially – when media and politicians view each other as adversaries.  BOE members who caused problems in the first place must be encouraged to resign to create a smooth transition.

Most individuals have only limited time and attention to devote to public issues. Political values of transparency do not demand that citizens spend all of their time on public subjects. Rather, they make information available to individuals so that they can use it if they so choose. But when there is too much information, filtering necessarily occurs. This filtering occurs both in terms of what media decide to cover and what individuals decide to watch. Media companies must pick and choose among hundreds of possible subjects to discuss especially as we move forward in the new era of accountability. Individuals must choose among thousands of hours of potential coverage of public events and we plan to do this in the future.

###

Mr. Edward Burroughs whose district is affected by corruption

Back to school: It’s worse than you think in Philly.

Philadelphia public schools are opening for the new school year today Monday September 9, 2013 without many of the basics any reasonable person would expect. Paper, for example. Guidance counselors. Nurses.

Amid an agonizing financial and leadership crisis, the appointed School Reform Commission, which has run the district since the state took it over a dozen years ago, passed a “doomsday” budget this past summer that included cuts so drastic there was no money for schools to open this fall with funding for things such as paper, new books, athletics, arts, music, counselors, assistant principals and more. Teachers were laid off. This came after the closure of a few dozen schools.

How did this happen? The state government has financially starved the district for years, and the city’s public school system has been subjected to one reform experiment after another.

How bad is it? Superintendent William Hite made some accommodations to allow schools to open, but parents say the answer to the question is this: Worse than you think.

According to our own considered opinion, it appears Dr. William Hite et al organized a secret plan to promote charter schools as a solution to the Philadelphia public school problem, making the situation ungovernable as he did in PGCPS through the Unions and others. This way, he can advance corruption in Philadelphia public schools and rule by decree while simponing money through the back door using his conspirators. The collapse of rule of law in the Philadephia public school management under Dr. Hite is most egregious scandal in the United States. Only this time it is bigger than PGCPS MESS…

We strongly feel that this is all by design to defame high salary teachers and dismiss them through a coordinated effort using newly hired staff from PGCPS. Many of these teachers and staff being fired are not part of the “good old boys club” which is patently obvious in many district-those teachers who went through the district or are married into it (or are lower in the salary scale) are given the best students and those that are not of the former are given students who need more help. Is there any recourse many have? We are convinced that the local, state and national unions will only afford one a token gesture of support to teachers in their plight for the sake of politics including in Maryland. Time will tell….

(Read more)

(Read more)

Dr. William Hite Jr

###

ASASP Lawsuit in Greenbelt Federal Court Dismissed.

ASASP Union Case Terminated.

Reform Sasscer Movement for Prince George’s County “Movement” has established that, law suit filed in Federal court last year, (See details here ~~>asaspunion-complaint) has been dismissed. Many members of ASASP and others within the county system expressed dismay since as it turns out, the suit was more of a cover up than anything else. Following our explicit account almost two years ago, previous President Mr. James Smallwood resigned but then was replaced by his friend Mr. Dwayne Jones who is engaged in the same diabolical conduct at Laurel High School. Mr. James Smallwood still sits in the same Board of Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (ASASP) and has been calling the shots behind the scenes in retaliation. Mr. Smallwood’s name is not published in ASASP Website in order to deceive members that he is no longer a member of the Board of Directors but he is. Something needs to be done to create a strong accountability mechanism on these guys. On this note, Someone needs to ask them to do the right thing and step aside to allow proper investigations to occur. The above lawsuit appears it was more of a publicity stance and concealment of illegal activities by Dr. William Hite, Ms. Monica Goldson, Mr. James Smallwood and their conspirators committed while in Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS).

The time has come to demand accountability from these same Unions which appear to have lots of money to dupe innocent members while paralyizing the school Disctrict for their own personal motives. We have had enough with the corruption involving unions here in PGCPS and other entities who might be benefiting from the same. The cycle of corruption must be eliminated or minimized somewhat. We therefore should never rest easy.  In our own considered view, the suit was never intended to fix any problems whatsoever other than cover up the bad guys. Enough is enough.

Time has come for new leadership involving ASASP and other Unions in PGCPS engaged in wrongful conduct which includes bribing attorneys in conspiracy with the Thatcher Law Firm and other players. We must demand an end to these shenanigans and other pranks within our PG county system ASAP! We hope the Board members and other government officials will look at the activities of these selfish individuals with a view to making proper changes. We cannot be a butt of all manner of jokes without taking action against the fire!

As articulated before, Corruption flourishes when someone has monopoly power over a good or service; has the discretion to decide how much you get or whether you get any at all, and where transparency and accountability are weak. So, to fight corruption we must reduce monopoly, reduce discretion, and increase transparency in many ways. (see ~~> ~~> Reduce corruption ~~> Audit and Accountability)

Corruption = Monopoly + Discretion – Transparency

Enhancing accountability means many things, and creative leaders use a remarkable variety of methods. One way to improve accountability is to improve the measurement of performance. Leaders can work with their employees and clients to create new systems for measuring the performance of agencies and offices—and then link rewards to results.

Accountability is also increased by inviting outside agencies to audit, monitor, and evaluate.

What about ethics and morality? Successful leaders set a good example. They sometimes create training programs for employees and citizens. Nonetheless, in the success stories I have studied, what might be called “moral initiatives” are not the key feature of the long-term reforms. The keys are systems that provide better incentives for imperfect human beings to perform in the public interest—and to avoid corruption.

Subverting Corruption

When corruption has become systemic, it resembles organized crime. It has its own parallel system of recruitment and hierarchy, of rewards and punishments, of contracts and enforcement. This parallel system has some inherent weaknesses. For example, in no country of the world are bribery and extortion legal. Therefore, they must be kept (somewhat) secret. The money gained must be hidden. One cannot openly recruit new members. The mechanisms for enforcement are illicit.

How can these corrupt systems be subverted? Obviously we cannot count on members of organized crime to clean themselves. Instead, we must analyze the corrupt systems and ask, “How might they be destabilized?” Who is “we”? It can be a new president and his or her team, or a new mayor or head of a public enterprise. But it can also be you and me as members of civil society. Around the world we see new examples of citizen activism, of business groups entering into “integrity pacts,” of intellectuals and journalists and religious leaders going beyond lectures and sermons to analyze corrupt systems and work together to subvert them.

Finally, according the FBI, Public corruption poses a fundamental threat to our national security and way of life. It impacts everything from how well our borders are secured and our neighborhoods protected…to verdicts handed down in courts…to the quality of our roads, schools, and other government services. And it takes a significant toll on our pocketbooks, wasting billions in tax dollars every year.

###

If you and I are not part of the solution then we are simply part of the problem. ~ Anonymous

Judge’s order ~> show_temp.pl

ASASP’S ~> voluntary dismissal

Union accountability is needed now.

Weingarten rights don’t mean anything any more to PGCPS and all other unions in PG county Maryland.

There is no victory without honor. Never give in, never give up, Never in nothing, great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force, Never yield to coercion nor tyranny of galvanized racial emotions as shown by previous Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) management led Ms. Verjeana Jacobs and Dr. William Hite Jr.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of COMFORT and CONVINIENCE but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. This is one reason why we are demanding change of leadership in ACE-AFSCME Local 2250 and other unions in Maryland.

If you do not know the truth when you find it, you will follow the one with the greatest story. It has been happening in Prince George’s County public schools politics, Union business and religion etc …we have been following the person who sounds the best and with the most money only to be duped. That is how we screwed up in the last Board of Education elections. Picking our leaders in PG County is a display of charisma and developed skills of persuasion, not evidence and TRUTH. But despite all the evidence that seems to be to the contrary, ONCE you take a stand on SUBSTANCE and TRUTH, the WORLD will come after you.

Misery loves company and finding the truth about the lie of racism and political quackery and opportunists in PGCPS District will make those in misery jealous and angry with you. They will call you names, because that is all they have left. The only power they have now is our fear of being called names. At the very hind of being, “Hater, mean spirited, activist, or any other of their very colorful names, we back up and apologize. Let’s stop backing up and stop apologizing and tell these racists idiots they are not going to destroy our community with their gullibility, ignorance and misplaced naive vanity emotions. Prince George’s County belongs to all of us whether we are White, Black, Latino, Asian etc. On this note, We must learn to create a sense of community and compassion for the most vulnerable in society. As we continue to work with everyone in PG County to celebrate the diversity that we love as Marylanders and help bring the nations of the world together.

We need to face the fact that we have for so long been misled by con-racist demigods, and many people whom we respected. That is the only way conmen can succeed, by getting us to respect them.

However this is a MORAL universe, and despite all the evidence that seems to be to the contrary, there is no way that evil and injustice and oppression and lies and impunity and emotional racist tyrannies can have the last WORD.

This is why we are asking the ACE-AFSCME Local 2250 membership to ask the union henchmen identified here (Mr. James Spears and Mr. Daniel Besseck) to step aside to allow proper investigations to occur. The Union Executives sleeping with their subordinates and making innocent workers pregnant without check, must also step aside. It’s time!

LEGISLATION NEEDED

• Support increased penalty for contraband in jails, prisons and especially schools.
• Support strong penalties for union executives and administrators who sit on grievances with serious implication and danger for the society.
• Reform Sasscer Movement would be interested in working with the legislature to explore the state’s ability to prosecute gang members within the school district who have connection with the jails.

“But the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, or dig their heads in the sand like an ostrich!” ~  Benji Ndoloh

Lawlessness in PGCPS Sasscer.

An increasing number of people believe that we owe it to future generations of people not to undermine the quality of the community’s life. When asked how we are accountable for the moral duties of our descendants, the plain answer is that they are people. Persons have human worth and rights. Our actions and decisions, if not made in good faith, undermine their opportunities for fulfilling lives – whether they live today or tomorrow.

We believe this common sense view is correct.

After the passage of HB 1107 by the General Assembly which was signed into law by Governor O’Malley early last month and goes into effect on June 1, 2013, we want to encourage everyone to join forces here in PG County to support members of the Prince George’s County House and Senate Delegations for delivering incredible legislative success for residents of the County. They did this for sake of the future generations. Prince George’s County was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children… let us take care of it for them.

Any choices that exclude Verjeana Jacobs and her husband David as a leader in Prince George’s County Public schools (PGCPS) is a tremendous advantage for our children. The proposal giving additional power will enable Mr. Baker to exercise much needed and long overdue exercise of authority. PGCPS desperately needs this overall and drastic change in direction and Modus operandi. We cannot afford to continue with the present dubious set up which allows the school Board to act disingenuously and with malice. Verjeana Jacobs and company are wasting and maundering people’s time. Their small little games are a distraction to the community, all the time pretending to ‘love to educate’ the children.  The cartel which includes hustlers and con artists, to the ninth degree, parading in the PGCPS solely for the purpose of ‘taking’ money is a disgrace to the human race. The league not only includes PGCPS legal department, Ms. Verjeana Jacobs, Labor relations led by Mr. James Whattam et al but also communications Director. It is a gang of masquerades with nefarious, insidious and capricious intend.  They have perpetrated, air brand rip off schemes unabated for decades clandestinely including a ‘bonanza’ of arrays which includes the PGCPS unions.

The co-opting of the unions into unholy alliance has been severe to the detriment of our students, hardworking staff and families of PG County. The election and elevation of Mr. Baker with enhanced powers is a welcome recipe to an othinus smudging of unending horror show on PGCPS street with the current Board chairperson Ms. Verjeana Jacobs in a starring role as Freddie with popcorn. Unfortunately in our scenario, there is no intermission. Our only hope is on Mr. Baker supported by others to help put an end to the fiasco and bad acting. It is our hope that he will put an end to this unholy alliance

For the most part, PGCPS administration is racist, they like engagement of conmanship, gerrymandering and plain professional misconduct, including nepotism and corruption in conspiracy with others.

Above all, they are willful violators of everything under the sun. Their history, whether on or off the record, demonstrates, if not imputes, incompetent. They do not abide by contracts, laws, rules, etc. They are constantly being sued for egregious violations. Don’t believe us?

http://therealprincegeorges.wordpress.com/2011/11/…

http://pgcares.newsvine.com/_news/2012/11/12/15123…

http://pgcpsmess.wordpress.com/tag/100-million/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y834d8c6ZA

The trivial pursuits and cheer foolishness engaged in by the Board of Education in hybrid situation with the PGCPS Unions, bogs the mind. This set of unethical behavior engaged by the Board of education for Prince George’s County is hurting the taxpayers of Prince George’s County and our poor children. There is something completely rotten about the state of PGCPS. While doing anything but work at their desks, the Board of Ed. admin staff reads the newspaper, novels or plays on their cell phones. Others are selling real estate, meat, jewelry etc. without consequences.  Every now and then, you have bus drivers who appear drunk and sometimes sleeping on the bus. Nevertheless, to implement proper and effective change, We must begin this one at Sasscer. The main rot starts at Sasscer administrative building in Upper Marlboro and trickles down to schools, Bus lots and the Unions. The epicenter of the PGCPS corruption is currently rotating around legal and labor relations departments at Sasscer Adminstartive Building. Something needs to be done to change things for the better. No organization has ever thrived on lawlessness forever.

The Communication Director Mr. Brian Coleman handles school District matters as his own. He plays favorites and does not like County Executive Baker, the Washington post and others who try to expose the situation. (PGCPSLies). He should be the first one to go for unshamely hiding the corruption and for using the school system email to advance his own sick agenda. (See here). The employee should not have used the school system email. This is a clear example of shameful, abuse of authority and willful neglect of duty in order to undermine the government.

The so called Elected School Board, on its own, is a joke.  We all know that and so does Mr. Baker, Governor O’ Malley, the State of MD Courts, etc.

Corruption always starts at the top. The fish always rots first in the head and smells the worst. Remember the last bad fish we had and now causing problems elsewhere? Name the last good superintendent? How many high ranking directors have been caught doing something illegal or sued for civil issues or discrimination? All of this is hush hush.

All in all, the system is broken from the ground up. Our question to you is: “why would anyone highly qualified that is in their right mind want to teach in PGCPS when they can get a job in neighboring counties that have better resources and prospects in every aspect?” We must at least fix the issues identified in our blogs first in order to create a stable enabling environment for a better future for our kids.

Our work lies with those of us who are raising the next generation. It lies in teaching our sons and daughters to become liberated, respectful adults who know that bad leaders who willfully break the law and practice corruption are making a choice, and will be punished.

Barely ten (10) years ago, we could not have imagined thousands of people endorsing a fight against corruption in PG County, let alone Maryland General Assembly voting to make changes swiftly as we have seen these past few weeks, indeed, it has been a major breakthrough. And yet, there is still work to be done. These elaborate systems have taken generations to flourish and allow manipulation to become patriarchy, caste and social and sexual inequality that allow abuse to flourish. But unlike the weather, discrimination is not a byproduct of climate change. It can can be fixed. We need to shelve all the gibberish about status and virtue and “it’s a democratic right to be racist, discriminatory and practice corruption and so forth.” We need to put responsibility where it lies: on men and women who violate the law willfully and on all of us who let them get away with it while we point accusing fingers at their victims.

With respect for the humanity in all persons, they would surely have avoided endangering the conditions of a truly human life for any person, – future or present. By falling short of this moral ideal, we fail in our moral duty to future generations, regardless of who they will be. Since these are moral duties of justice, our breach of them now infringes rights they will eventually acquire.

We conclude that we ought to persist in our common sense view that we do have a moral responsibility to the future generations, and that unless we change our ways, we infringe their moral rights. The PGCPS status quo of continuous unabated corruption, conmanship, gerrymandering and professional misconduct etc. is not the answer! It is up to each one of us to tirelessly strive to save the future for our kids and create peaceful neighborhoods. This is the wakeup call against the status quo. It is not going to be business as usual. It is Mr. Baker’s time with the support of our elected representatives in Annapolis Maryland.

###

“The freedoms which democracy brings will remain empty shells if they are not accompanied by real & tangible improvements”  ~ Nelson Mandela

Letter to Maryland General Assembly.

Dear Maryland General Assembly,

On behalf of Prince George’s community, we offer the gift of perspective.  Consistent with any other gift, whether you choose to accept is up to you.

Our message to you today is predicated on the substantial support of Prince George’s County citizens with regard to the controversy between County Executive Mr. Baker and Board of Education Chairperson Ms. Verjeana Jacobs.  The inherent conflict in Mr. Baker’s proposal is outweighed by the potential progress of the school system and community.  The Prince George’s County school District system BOE leadership is not working and change is overdue!  Mr. Baker proposes that very change and we support him.  Here are our reasons.

1. The approval/decline of Mr. Baker’s proposal, regardless of what direction is takes, has far reaching consequences well beyond the political triumphs, or failures of Ms. Verjeana Jacobs.
2. Your decision will reflect on both your integrity and the integrity of the Prince George’s County Public Scholls (PGCPS) District system. It will set a precedent as to whether (a.) nobody messes with the Maryland General Assembly or (b.) The Maryland General Assembly can be bought or sold to the highest bidder…or the one with the most money.
3. Your decision will not be silent with regards to the children; the children will see first-hand your expectations of the school system and what initiative you will take to protect the children.  In approving Mr. Baker’s proposal after amendments, you are sending a message that is loud and clear even to our children – there are bad consequences for bad actions and corruption involving elected Board members does NOT pay in Prince George’s County Maryland.  It is only fair to tell you that the democratic process does regretfully allow you to choose to send the message that corruption, neglect and waste do pays.  Further, you will be encouraging the children to become corrupt politicians and officials, as those professions (if you want to call them that) are lucrative venture and will incur no scrutiny from the Senate. Consequently, all self-respecting political aspirations must take a back-seat to the engagement of conmanship, gerrymandering and plain professional misconduct, including nepotism and corruption.
4. The PG Senate and the entire General Assembly is in fact the judge in this trial that decides the fate of our PG community.  The General Assembly has the opportunity, if not privilege, of handing down a sentence that redresses the inadequacies that have plagued the Prince George’s County community.  But in order for the General Assembly to do so, the community must take its rightful position as jury and find the School Board guilty in light of its neglect of the community that it has sworn to protect.  That guilty verdict will act as the ultimate precedent; it will deter future politicians and officials from neglecting the lives of the citizens of this community.  You will be effectively telling us tomorrow whether we voted for you to be our custodians or not. You have only one chance to do it. That chance is this year, 2013. If you bungle it then, 2014 will be next year too late; the die will have been cast and the future will have been set in stone.
5. Prince George’s heart is bleeding. It has been bleeding for sometime now and the corruption keeps on cropping up.  It especially bled during the days of Jack Johnson who is serving time in jail for corruption and other vices. Thank God! Many of you have been around and you care.  But the ulcer really flared up after  Ms.Verjeana Jacobs was elected as the Board Chairperson.  Impunity reigned supreme as the corruption, professional misconduct and nepotism glared before cameras of our televisions. You were there. Thank God! We bled profusely and many students have died recently as impunity was sworn in at night. You were there. Thank God! Because you know, five years later, impunity has taken a new face; this one is more clever, smoother, craftier and lawyer-like.  This new face is armed with sophisticated tools such as powerful organizations and lobbyists that benefit directly from the Board of Education. This entity camouflages itself in the skin of a snake-oil salesman. You, as the Maryland General Assembly, have to remind that heckler that Prince George’s County wants that element gone.
6. Your decision will inspire and influence the integrity of the Board of Education aspirants; your sweeping reform will deter corruption and inspire a system that is based on merit and the ability/capability to truly build the nation and advance our resources for posterity.  In the absence of such reform, corruption will have been rewarded, encouraged and advanced.  This course of action will foreseeably deal a lethal, if not fatal, blow to the entire democratic process.
7. Reread No. 6.
8. Repeat No. 7
9. Go back to No.5 twice, then No. 6 again.  You have a huge decision to make and should treat it as such.
10. Eschew No. 6
11. IF YOU FAIL TO LIVE UP TO 12, and only IF; We and many others will view you, for the long term, as nothing more than political egg-heads intent on sleeping with Prince George’s County enemies of progress, thereby proving that there is nothing supreme about you; in fact, you are nothing more than ordinary self-serving business types bearing a striking resemblance to members of the even-toed ungulates of the Suidae family.

Well, Great men and women of Maryland General Assembly, thank you for your patience in reading thus far.

Here’s hoping you will DO THE RIGHT THING!

12.  If you do the right thing, all Prince George’s County citizens will know that whether high and mighty or lowly and meek, the Maryland General Assembly is above reproach and does not bow down to any self-declared deities, much less self-imposed and willfully manipulative characters intent on abducting democracy in Maryland and especially in Prince George’s County School District.  The malefactors suffer from delusions of grandeur and superiority and you can give them their wake-up call.

Our courts and media must continue to play their rightful roles.

Diverse players from the non-state sectors must raise their voices.

The Prince George’s County reform efforts especially for schools will only show a maturing County if we collectively demand changes and keep the social cost it entails at a minimum.

Sincerely,

Reform Sasscer Movement for Prince George’s County.

Prince Georges House Delegation

We are all very desperate for schools improvement; however, this is not enough to justify adopting a proposal which needs a further amendment for now. The fact that it has provoked such emphatic opposition from some of the stakeholders is also ample reason to review it further. Nothing is perfect and mistakes can be corrected here and there if detected early. For example, rather than taking away the bargaining roles of the unions, this can be strengthened. However, Unions themselves needs to have a strong oversight to make them accountable and to keep them transparent.  There is no need for them to take money from employees and refuse to represent them properly or not at all.

We definitely do not want this issue to drag out any further.  It will just continue to damage an already-broken system with an already terrible reputation. Mr. Baker should cut the bait, but all actors must DEMAND greater accountability and performance metrics from every level of PGCPS. An Inspector General should be appointed to address the issues heads on. It is not fair to be the toilet bowl of education in the whole state of Maryland.

Let us please dismiss the canard that more money is the solution here. PGCPS has been getting more money to educate fewer students for many years; cash cannot compensate for cultural deficits, demographic hurdles, little-to-no accountability, and families which do not show a commitment to learning. PGCPS has long been a magnet for dysfunction—and the poles must be reversed.

We are pleased to read from the Washington Post that Mrs. Jacobs and Mr. Baker are going to meet. This is a good start. It is too bad it had to get to this point for that to happen.

We disagree that the individuals in the Washington Post article represent the voices of all, majority, or minority volume of parent groups. All of us that have been following this very serious issue most certainly do not feel “betrayed”. Surprised, yes, but not “betrayed”. Mr. Baker and the County delegation in Annapolis needs our support and should move quickly to address the issues. Mr. Baker and the County delegation should also be flexible when dealing with those who support them and address the matters without any further delay. This way, Mr. Baker could avoid making the same mistakes Washington DC made during the Ms. Michelle Rhee reign from 2007 to 2010.

In addition, We wish individuals and organizations would speak ONLY for themselves when providing their individual opinions and concerns and leave “WE” out of their dialogue in this important change. (See Washington post article)

WE Prince Georges County residents, especially those of us that have kids enrolled in PGCPS, have the ability to speak and think for ourselves and hope our voices are heard now more than ever. Several organizations who benefit from dysfunctional Unions and other connected individuals to the bootless Board of Education are the ones making the loudest noise. We understand their dilemma “Shifting the roles to the County Executive office is like taking away a cake just before they eat”. The dysfunction must be addressed properly otherwise, there will be “an Arab spring right here in PG county in 2014”. Our group is monitoring and we are in touch with many grassroots individuals and organizations who will be voting in the next election. The hot potato must be handled with caution and problems fixed properly right away.

Contact your representatives

They are looking to hear from their constituents.

Here is the contact information:

Maryland Legislature – Elected Officials

Website: ~~> Prince George’s County Delegation

Delegation Also Accepting Written Testimony on School Board Changes

Prince George’s County Delegation Chair Jolene Ivey is inviting members of the public to write their suggestions and comments on a new proposal to change the county school board.

Members of the public are encouraged to send their written testimony on amendments released yesterday that would alter the membership and operations of the county board of education. Testimony should be sent to the delegation office by email at pg2@mlis.state.md.us by March 27, 2013.” You can also email us your input by email to us at reformsasscer@gmail.com. We will be talking to the elected representatives.

It takes time to clear with the General assembly once they receive your suggestions and feedback. The data has to be analyzed to make sure everything is accounted for and goes on smoothly to cover each corner. They have to get it right. Integrity supersedes speed here but we are trying, aren’t we?

Thank you for your continued engagement on our social media platforms. Keep up the pressure!

###