Friends –
Thank you for your support! We are humbled by your faith in the reform Sasscer movement to carry out your message to the Pg county voters forward.
Now the second phase of our fight begins in earnest. We are going to carry our message to every nook and cranny in the Pg county School District. The future of our county and our children is at stake and we look forward to discussing these issues with citizens from every Council, town, and village in Prince Georges County (Pg). Join us in this endeavor–contact our Headquarters to find out how you can help. Email (reformpgcps@gmail.com) & blogs.
We would also like to thank Mr. Edward Burroughs, Mr. David Murray, Ms. Raaheela Ahmed, Ms Carletta Fellows, Mr. Micah Watson, Mr. Dennis Smith, Mr. Sandy J. Vaughns , Ms. Deidre N. Jackson and others for running a smooth campaign. Their sincerity, honesty, and sportsmanship are commendable and made the races enjoyable. We invite them to join our campaign in our effort to give the citizens of Pg county school System – Board of Education members who will better represent everyone. The fight against corruption, proffessional misconduct and nepotism at Sasscer Administration Building and in the schools should be a concern to everybody especially the voters.
Once again, thank you for your vote of confidence in helping advance change, innovation and transformation in Prince George’s county public schools (Pgcps). Together, We look forward to making sure that Ms. Verjeana Jacobs ( Board of Education Chairperson pictured below) loses her seat in November 2012. She is and has been the epicenter of corruption in Pgcps and has failed to address the issues brought to her attention through the blogs (read more) etc.
Sincerely,
Reform Sasscer Movement.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PARENTS, MARYLAND BLOG 
When they changed the laws and took teachers’ rights and “checks and balances” away and made the running of PGCPS similar to an Aldof Hitler Natzi dictatorship with an absence of democracy, the Amercian public needs to know this. Teachers, councellors –have been FIRED without them even seeing their final evaluations. One consellor was FIRED without a hearing, without having been allowed a chance to EVEN KNOW some of her accusers or the reasons she was fired, without a chance of their presenting witnesses of their own — or even facing the ones who accused her. This ia Natzism! That’s like throwing you in jail, no trial –no nothing. And the Union does nothing!
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The Union is in bed with Dr. William Hite jr and Ms. Verjeana Jacobs the BOE Chair. This is crazy. The union is not doing what they are supposed to do and they are fueling the corruption.
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Is that why Rushern Baker, with whom Hite does lunch quite often, has Christian Rhodes as the Education Liaison for his office? Is that why Jacobs’ husband was lunching with Rhodes and Nat Exum?
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We must expose these deals which continues to create a conflict of interest in the highest levels. The corruption has got to stop by electing the right people.
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There are four unions in PGCPS. Please be clear. The Administrators union is certainly not in bed with the administration. That’s why they catch all the flack.
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We are concerned mostly with the activities of PGCEA, MSTA, ACE_AFSCME Local 2250 and afew members administrator union. We respect your work as a Director of ASASP but afew elements are spoiling the broth.
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Be clear –if a teacher is fired and union procedure is clearly not followed–the union can NOT sue them for you–soverign immunity stops that—they can fire ANYONE witrhout due process… even 1st amendment violation…and you can’t sue–soverign immunity!
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Something must be done!
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You are right about that. We must stay involved and make sure that, there is accountability. We can’t close our eyes and pretend everything is okay when it’s not. Dr. William Hite must go!
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Congrats for winning your case. Please keep in touch. The battle to change the county is far from over. By the way, Largo high school was a hostile work environment.
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Yes–it was hostile work environment, but we feel the jury wanted to be ‘fair’ and gave that to Simpson-Marcus, giving the rest of the verdict to me–that’s all…it just was the jury wanting to seem to be fair. However, the judge may reverse it in my favor due to overwhelming evidence in my favor showing Largo was –in my case at least– a hostile work environment, especially since Simpson-Marcus blocked my Aug ’08 transfer–which did go thru– keeping me at Largo so she could fire me–she actually told me that herself [that she blocked my transfer to keep me at Largo so she could fire me and take my certificate, retirement, medical benefits –AND SHE DID!
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Wow! Well, you will have the last word when all is said and done. Let us wait and see the next steps in the near future.
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All rights and checks and balances to protect teachers are gone –several teachers/counsellors were fired without seeing their evaluations/having hearings/knowing what the charges were or who made them …but you can’t sue –SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY. Fired without a hearing or knowing what you did wrong or who accuses you—Natzi Germany had that –no rights –guilty immediately–no trials—it seems the Amercian flag flies over individual PG schools, but the Natzi flag flies over the Sasser Building!
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The teacher’s union is actually an association and they are the biggest waste of teacher’s money. They do nothing nor do they fight for their teachers.
The biggest problem with PGCPS starts at the Superintendent, the staff at the PGCPS Board of Education, the elected Board of Ed. and the schools’ administration. More often than not, the Principal is a psycho weasel who does not support his/her teachers, doesn’t dispense discipline because they cater to the parents, who have very little if any respect for their kid’s teacher. If principals were to suspend and/or expel discipline problems, the school system could actually move forward. But then, enrollment numbers would substantially drop because a large percentage of the student body are discipline problems.
I am not here to say the teachers are great or some shouldn’t seek a different profession. I will say that PGCPS is a ghetto school system and its main problem are the students and their parents. Having witnessed what takes place in PGCPS, I think the teachers are angels for going to work every day. We must find a way to deal with the corrupt unions and especially the PGCEA. The union attorney Mr. Felton is very corrupt and is giving the union a bad name.
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Yes, but the main issue regarding teachers unions in Maryland is –with soverign immunity, the teachers unions can not sue school boards on your behalf if union procedure is not followed…so, why even have union procedure?? WE HAVE TEACHERS FIRED –THEY NEVER HAD HEARINGS OR EVEN SAW THEIR FINAL EVALUATIONS… All of our protections, checks and balances, are GONE! CONTRAST — in Ohio, if you don’t sign your evaluation, they can never use it against you–you have a job for life! SOVERIGN IMMUNITY must be gotten rid of –we need to contact the ACLU –1st amendment rights are being violated–like Natzi Germany!
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Can’t teachers file complaints at the MD Bar against Felton?
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I think it is great that young people are running for office and that they are winning. I would assume that voters are taking the time to look at all the candidates and chosing the best ones who have no ties to corruption.
Like any other election if the voters don’t take the time to do their homework before an election they get what they deserve. In this case it seems like they are getting three young, bright and ambitious members of the school board. Their innovative ideas will help change PGCPS proper! I agree with you, SOVERIGN IMMUNITY must be gotten rid of completely.
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We need a supreme court ruling making sov. immunity “EL GONZO”. We need to invlove the ACLU– if someone is tossed into jail without a trial–doesn’t even know who accuses him…well…HELLO ACLU….this is what happened [in comparison] to teachers in PGCPS. This is FIRST AMENDMENT violation…what are we…Natzi Germany??
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Mr. Jon Everhart – It feels like being in Nazi Germany in that regard. William Hite has changed everything from bad to worse. Teacher rights have been taken away and very little is being done to address the many problems in the schools. Many teachers are being harrassed and discriminated against. William Hite has only been “hiring” young politically connected females. We are glad the Chairperson will loose her seat this year. We must expose William Hite and let the chips fall where they may!
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NO ONE here in Ohio can believe the sov. immunity law –my god, 1st amendment rights are being violated and no one [the courts] are doing anything about it. I guess you gotta have $1 million retainer for that —so, let’s involve the ACLU –they can DO THAT–go to the Supr. Court with it if needed. Here in Ohio, if a teacher doesn’t sign an evaluation, it can never be uede against them –they got a job for life! Being fired with no hearing, not even knowing what the charges are or who made them…c’mon….where’s the ACLU!!!
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It would be good to see not only the school board in its entirety, including and especially the incompetent superintendent, be ousted from office. They spend millions of taxpayer dollars annually with negligible performance results. I cannot help but feel the existing board does not have a clue about what needs to be done to turn around the school system and enhance student performance. If they did have such a clue, one would think they would have demonstrated such acumen by now!
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They do not have a single clue about what to do. Hite seems clueless, though I believe his allegiance to Broad clouds his judgment. It has to do with Jacobs’ connecions to so many politicians. Her name was on so many slates. If you look at that, you will see where a lot of her support is.
The other issue is the many attorneys they have in place who appear to operate in blatant defiance of the law. Jacobs is an attorney, yet the Gazette reports how she took the $8,000 in contributions from Thatcher personnel just after extending their contract, a no bid contract from the start. Was that compensation for job security?
Next, Synthia “H-1B” Shilling, Esq. She is Chief Human Resources Officer and an attorney who served as an assistant to Roger Thomas, Esq., the General Counsel. How did she allow the H-1B fiasco? Yet, Hite fired Cathy Jones for her RIF fiasco. Why did Hite not review the RIF? Where was Roger “19 years on the job” Thomas? Why did he not review the RIF? Howard Burnett had his issues,including influencing the hire of his baby’s mothers for jobs at regional offices and other school system jobs but he never made errors like these under Hite.
Let’s look at Jim “All about PGCEA” Whattam, Esq., who presides over Labor Relations. How does he oversee discipline for all employees given the ties he has to one group? He and Shilling have allegedly disciplined employees, failed to give hearings and even notify folks about decisions. All Whattam appears to care about from what he has allegedly bragged about is collecting his pay to finish paying for his retirement home at a Delaware beach.
Finally, there is Roger “19 years in the game” Thomas. Never until Broad supt Deasy came did an attorney solely represent the superintendent. He was around for Washington Plaza and H-1B.
He stands by like a mute while secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, principals, assistant principals and other employees are pushed out without any respect to contracts. Thomas was around when the contracts were written and modified. Why does he appear to ignore right and uphold wrong?
Who is in charge?
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You are correct. Roger Thomas, Shillings and Whattam all attorneys are very suspect and their role in all this corruption has never been investigated yet. We must demand answers and they must be forced to retire. They have eaten enough. Time to change things have come. They must be forced to cut fat made up of corruption. Dr. William Hite must be exposed with his pack of “young women” who are politically involved with him.
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What pack of young women? You mean the young women he hires? The ones who are underqualified and underexperienced?
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WE GOTTA GO TO THE ACLU to get them to go to the Supr. Ct. if necessary, to declare soverign immunity unconstitutional as it allows firings without ANY DUE PROCESS —fired with no hearing, fired never knowing what the CHARGES ARE– fired without even SEEING YOUR EVALUATIONS, fired without eve KNOWING WHO MADE THE CHARGES. If someone went to jail without trial or even not knowing what they are accused of or who their accusers were–wouldn’t the ACLU be right there with a lawsuit? We need that protection NOW–where are they????
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Mr. Everhart – I’m not sure if you know this, but one of your staunch supporters was let loose by corrupt William Hite recently. This is not fair to all hard working teachers in the county. I’m not sure if the soverign immunity will fly around this time. The following is what the amended complaint says.
On March 23, 2012, Dr. Hite informed Dr. Johnson that he is recommending to
the Board of Education of Prince George’s County that she be terminated from her position as Guidance Counselor. Dr. Hite placed Dr. Johnson in the status of administrative leave without pay pending action by the Board of Education on his recommendation that she be terminated
On February 17, 2012, during discovery, Dr. Johnson was deposed by the Defendant. At her deposition, Dr. Johnson gave sworn testimony that affirmed the allegations contained in paragraphs 25 through 37 of this Amended Complaint. Dr. Johnson complained to Dr. Hite about Principal Simpson-Marcus’ harassment. However, Dr. Hite never got back to Dr. Johnson; Prince George’s County Public Schools did not conduct an investigation or take corrective action; and, Principal Simpson-Marcus’ harassment did not stop but became worse.
On March 23, 2012, Dr. Hite informed Dr. Johnson that he is recommending to
the Board of Education of Prince George’s County that she be terminated from her position as Guidance Counselor. Dr. Hite placed Dr. Johnson in the status of administrative leave without pay pending action by the Board of Education on his recommendation that she be terminated.
Plaintiff’s retaliation claims relates back to her EEOC charge, the above captioned lawsuit, and specifically Plaintiff’s sworn testimony about Dr. Hite at her February 17, 2012 deposition.
Federal Case Number: 8:11-cv-01195-PJM
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Yes…what I can never understand is teachers have been terminated [I never saw my final evaluation!!!!] without due process—but with sov. imm. they [or the union] can not sue. I know Dr Johnson was fired unjustly and without even a hearing! HOWEVER, this could be just a legal maneuver by the ‘other side’. With an amended complaint, “it” starts all over again: motions to dismiss [18 months], discovery [20 months] ….and then they’ll fire another “one of us” IN 38 MONTHS, the complaint will be amended again, then another 18 months, then 20 months …etc…etc. Then, the BIG MOVE, 1 week prior to a scheduled trial, the “other side” will “fire” their att’ys, hire new ones, and another 5 yrs of motions to dismiss, discovery, etc…etc…etc….That’s the oldest trick in the book–keep “firing” their att’ys, hire new ones, and they can stall for 15 yrs like they did in an Ohio school board case [Fairport Harbor Local Schools, near Cleveland, 1972 until 1988] THEY KNOW THEY”RE LICKED…only the judge can stop it by ordering them to trial and saying: “now…now…now….no ‘firing’ of att’ys to keep on delaying…”. THEY KNOW they’ve had it..they will stall…stall…stall…as much as they can –ONLY THE JUDGE CAN SEE WHAT’S GOING ON AND ONLY HE COULD STOP IT.
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Keep up the good work. We see that, your case is progressing a lot.
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Congrats for your case sailing through. Keep your head high.
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Congrats to all ‘educated’ newly soon-to-be office holders , Ahmed, Burroughs and Murray please lead the way.
First order of business fire, shove and push Dr. William Hite out the door and rid us parents with children in the PGCPS of this debacle and fallacy known as the Pee Gee Schools Supritendant. .
And thank GOD we never have to look at a Rosalind Johnson again my eyes were being tested and I could not stomach watching the meetigs on cable just because of her demeanor being so UNattractive.
The way the students and staff are being treated is completely unacceptable. I hope teachers and other members of staff will wake up and check how their collegues are being treated through the court system. The amount of bribes happening to defeat justice. Mr. Everhart, we wish you all in your endevours.
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It would be good to see not only the school board in its entirety, including and especially the incompetent superintendent, be ousted from office. They spend millions of taxpayer dollars annually with negligible performance results. I cannot help but feel the existing board has no clue about what needs to be done to turn around the school system and enhance student performance. If they did have such a clue, one would think they would have demonstrated such acumen by now!
Firing Dr. William Hite should be the top priority in November 2012. We will continue to push that, until the final elections are done.
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As long as another Broad person doesn’t come. Those 16 instructional director positions need to be eliminated too.
Also, the Board and Hite are in violation of another State of Maryland law. It is alleged that the three area superintendents — Coley, Goldson and Zuckerman — do not have all of the credentials they are supposed to have according to State Law. MSDE verified that if you have the word superintendent in your job title that you are supposed to have superintendent’s licensure at the time of hire. Goldson barely taught before being pushed along rapidly. Allegedly, her cousin and godmother, Dr. Jackie Brown and Gloria Lawlah, advocated for her. One woman supposedly sings in the church choir with Bob Gaskin in HR. According to people in HR, Goldson did not have supt’s credentials.
Coley allegedly babysits Coleman-Potter’s son when she travels for business and interviews. Having just been a principal, it is unlikely she has those supt’s credentials.
As for Zuckerman, it is alleged he just earned his Admin II credentials last summer at Bowie State. How could he have supervised principals when he just earned credentials equal to theirs last summer?
Does State law not matter to these people? Where was Synthia “H-1B” Shilling when they appear to have violated state law when these people were appointed? What research did the Board do before confirming these people? What was Hite’s role?
Our county appears to be operated like the wild west, where anything goes.
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