Monday, February 23, 2009

Flashback to September 11

RESPONSE TO DISCIPLINARY LETTER FROM BETTY ROTULA


Dear Ms. Rotula,

I am writing this letter to respond to your letter of October 6, 2008. I will quote your letter in its entirety and respond in detail.

Ms. Rotula’s letter

Dear Ms. Untamed:

We met on Monday, September 22 at 3:00 PM in room 127 in the presence of your union representivative, Mr. Clyde Baker to discuss the unprofessional conduct you exhibited on Thursday, September 11, 2008.

Moriah’s response

I agree with the time and place of our meeting and the people attending it. However, your definition of unprofessional conduct as a science educator must clearly be different from mine.

The word unprofessional has the following meanings: not pertaining to or characteristic of a profession; at variance or contrary to professional standards or ethics; not done with professional competence; characteristic of an amateur; inexpert; not a qualified member of a professional group; not characteristic or befitting of a profession.

Synonyms for unprofessional are: amateur, inexperienced, inexpert, shoddy, sloppy, unethical, unprincipled, unskilled

According to this definition, I will demonstrate that I displayed professional conduct as a science educator; and you, unfortunately, did not.

Ms. Rotula’s letter

Specifically, you repeatedly interrupted a Science department conference despite my assurance to you that I would address your concerns after the meeting.

Moriah’s Response:

Your idea of a science department conference seems to be one in which you do all the talking and everyone else listens without comments or questions. You said that you “would address my concerns after the meeting”. That means that you were not allowing me to ask questions or make comments in front of the other members of the science department. Addressing my concerns outside the meeting would have isolated my input from the rest of the science department.

It is up to the educator leading a meeting to allow the other educators to voice questions and concerns during the meeting—not after the meeting.

Repeatedly means “over and over, often, frequently, many times, again and again.” It is a gross exaggeration to say that I repeatedly interrupted the meeting. I tried on two or three occasions to give input. Each time I tried, you interrupted me and prohibited me from participating.

In my opinion this is an unprofessional way for a science educator to run a meeting involving other educators.

To be continued tomorrow

2 comments:

Chaz said...

Where is the union in all this nonsense.

Moriah Untamed said...

So far, sitting beside me at meetings and hearings.

I wish I didn't have to go through these meetings and hearings to begin with.

I remember a time when I didn't have to worry about receiving and replying to disciplinary letters and unsatisfactory observations--all based on bogus BS.