"Master energy healer" in Mt. View Schools

Perhaps I shouldn't speak too soon, but I'm relieved that we seem to have more sense here in B'game than some of our neighboring towns.  Exhibit A this weekend was in the Daily Post.  Headline "Parents step in after healer".  It's an odd fragment of a headline, but reading on we learn:

Superintendent Ayinde Rudolph is forming a committee with parents and teachers to advise him on the budget after he caught flack for hiring an "energy healer" who gave teachers guided meditations.  The (Mountain View Whisman School District) gave $121,150 to "master energy healer" Alycia Diggs-Chavis to do sessions with 159 employees, district spokeswoman Shelly Hausman said.

Yikes.  It had better be a very good energy healing meditation for $761.95 per session.  One wonders what the teachers' union had to say about this.  Or is the "master energy healer" a union member?

As we ponder Measure GG here in B'game let's hope our teachers are self-energized.  That is the kind of nonsense that turns people off that might otherwise $upport the $chools. I will have more to follow on GG, but you can peruse John Horgan's survey of the tax landscape here.  He starts:

It’s a gamble. Dedicated advocates of adding money for the operation of Burlingame’s public elementary schools believe it’s a risk, a leap of fiscal faith if you will, that must be taken.  In essence, a proposed new property levy, if approved by the electorate (a total of 19,799 voters at last count), would be a new parcel tax on top of an existing parcel tax, a monetary double play.

Comments

[Spurrina]

No on any more taxes, bonds, fees.
Stop this funding of inefficiency.

[Michelle]

Burlingame High School is forcing kids to spend an entire day on some touchy-feely SEL program trying to force friendships and connections between kids (that NEVER works!) Waste of an instructional day at best (I've heard other negatives about this program but I don't want to confirm anything my child hasn't experienced yet.) Also I'm sure this program is quite expensive (4 days total for all kids.)

[Fugit All]

I'm sure the parents concerned have never benefitted from holistic practitioners like yoga teachers, massage therapists, reiki practioners... (I could go on: the list is long). Money is certainly tight in public school education so it makes sense that the community THAT GETS BY ON SUCH A LOW MEDIAN INCOME would gripe about an expense any local tech company would rank as bottom tier...

The outrage would make sense if teachers weren't already paid next to nothing. And around here, yikes.

[Cassandra]

Look at the massive, hardly used California Teachers Association headquarters on Magnolia.

Boo-hoo.

[Editor]

A lengthy comment that is repetitive to several comments made on other School posts has been removed. Other versions remain where originally posted.

[Mom]

Can't you get a year membership at Prime Time for about $760?

That's energizing.

[Peter Garrison]

No on 5

Mercury News editorial 9/13/24

But, as we’ve seen repeatedly in the Bay Area, the carveout for school bonds has been an electoral disaster. Proposition 5 would magnify the abuse.

We have witnessed local school officials, sometimes with questionable relationships with companies that stand to benefit, engage in deceitful political tactics and campaigns at taxpayer expense to pass their measures.

We often see ballot wording carefully crafted by political consultants to puff up the benefits of the measure, never mention the word tax and hide the true costs to taxpayers. Rather than fix these abuses, some state lawmakers have sought to enable and expand the deception.

[Mom]

I only skim a lot of what gets posted here about Skelly but I have to say I was surprised that the Mountain View district just hired him to fill in while this Randolph person gets investigated. Is the superintendent pool in the Bay Area that shallow?

[Defrauding the taxpayers- Supt. Skelly- as the new...]

Thanks Mom!
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Superintendent Skelly still states that he "retired" from the SMUHSD, but Trustee Land knows a different answer to that statement. ​ One that should have been disclosed to the people.
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When Skelly is once again charged by the state for his actions in the SMUHSD, ​ are his legal fees paid by his "current employer" the Mountain View Whisman School District Board or is it the expense of the SMUHSD where the negligence took place?
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How ironic that the Mountain View Whisman School District Board, facing state scrutiny over "possible fraud, misappropriation of funds or other illegal fiscal practices," is hiring the SMUHSD's Kevin Skelly to provide ethical and transparent leadership. ​
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Bank President Bernie Madoff- "Your money is safe with me!"
---Looking at you, Trustee Land. ​
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A question for the Mountain View Whisman School District Board regarding its hiring pool for Interim Superintendent.
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"Were than any applicants that were NOT investigated by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Three (3) time in one year available?"
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"Any candidates that did NOT defraud their entire School Board?" ​ --Looking at you Trustees Land, Griffin, Lees-Dwyer
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"Any candidates that did NOT defraud the San Mateo County Counsel?"
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"Were there any interview questions about perjury?" ​ Did Skelly answer them?
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"Any candidates that are NOT about to face additional state charges for their actions in the SMUHSD?"
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"Do you have any space for an English Teacher who will also need a employment, but cannot be asked questions about ethics or perjury in the interview process?"
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---Still... ​ Looking at you Trustee Land. ​
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The Burlingame Trustee is supposed to represent interests of Burlingame... Can the Mountain View Board sue the SMUHSD Board for failure to disclose known legal issues covered up by the SMUHSD.
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In Real Estate, these known flaws would be "required disclosures."
In the rest of the world, its called fraud.
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---Still looking at you, Trustee Land.

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[HMB]

You'd think the folks in Mountain View would remember how he left their neighbor Palo Alto in disgrace.

["Dick in the Box" meets the ...]

Don't forget that Superintendent Skelly DEFENDED BHS Principal Di Yim for her SEX-CHARGED-Hip Thrusting dance with the senior boys of the Water Polo Team....

Skelly actually apologized to Yim from the district for "what the boys had done to her..."

Superintendent Skelly knew about the dance but NEEDED to lie to the Trustees to get Mr. Nelson removed from BHS.

The Master Energy Healer cost the Mountain View district $121,150.

The "Dick in the Box" dance by Principal Di Yim has now come at a cost of well over $1 million to the SMUHSD in investigations expenses and legal fees.

This does not include the cost of the dignity of Trustees Land, Griffin, Lees-Dwyer, Hanley, and Friedman who all "fully embraced" the lies of Superintendent Skelly and should be extremely embarrassed that they were far too ignorant (blinded by Skelly's Bullshit) to see and speak the truth.

As it turns out, Superintendent Skelly would continue to defraud the Trustees themselves and in 2021 pushed the financial losses (and disgrace) even higher.

Land and Griffin are still concerned that they will be "outed" for their ignorance, negligence, and participation in covering up these acts.

The Master Energy Healer at a total cost of $121,150.00 is a deal in comparison to the millions of tax payer funds and personal embarrassment spent on the

"Dick in the Box."

Hey-At least the SMUHSD has the video of Principal Yim "shaking her money-maker" for the boys of Burlingame.

Murphy's Law- Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.