The Warm Fuzzy Mommy Moment

A lot of moments in a child's life can be considered proud parental moments but none so bright as watching your child evolve. When I had Grant I was a full time career woman, basically a child was extracurricular for me at the time. Call it status quo of life, having a child at 25 was something I was suppose to do and internally I had this drive, a desire to be a mother. I did not quite grasp the motherhood warm and fuzzy until Big G was about three. The Chad and I experienced a lot of emotional and trying ups and downs early into Grant's life; with living in a nice but cramped Scottsdale apartment as we waited for our home to sell in Albuquerque so that we could buy another home here in Arizona, putting a dog down, losing employment, gaining employment, having a child, moving again, getting pregnant again (with twins) and losing the pregnancy, losing employment again, gaining employment again. We went through a lot so we were busy trying to be the responsible adults and basically in survival mode to care for our child that I did not get to stop and say, "Hey I am a mom, my child is unbelieveable."

I finally was able to experience that warm fuzzy, the emotional wave of the real connection of motherhood only after our turmoils, only after I received the opportunity to stay at home with Grant and work out of the house. My baby boy was sent to daycare at the ripe age of seven weeks. I missed almost everything, but experienced and learned a lot. I look back now and am sad that our life circumstances were such, but I do not carry any regret just a pain in my heart that I know will be healed over time. But I had my moment where I watched my boy play and smile, cause trouble and push the envelope of what was allowed in our home and I was awe struck. Dumbfounded at best. I could spend all day with him, uninterrupted, raw, precious.

He is my child. I gave birth to him. No aliens will be back to take him home. He is not leaving, he's all mine, to love and guide through life. To watch him fall down and get up, to watch him follow his dreams, to gaze upon him and he in turns looks at me to embrace me with the largest hug his small arms can muster and say:

"I wub joo mama"

I have watched him as he has evolved in his young life. I will watch him as he continues to evolve, grow and mature into a wonderfully brilliant young man. From the day he was born I knew he was brilliant. Not because of his father and I (although we do make damn fine children), but he has a spark like that of a growing star. His spark will one day reach a super nova and revolve in that state for all eternity as I do not see his brilliance overtaking him. But in the last few years I have really watched him change and become his own person.

So today was like any other day with the exception of a parent teacher conference. I chalked this visit to be like the rest, minus The Chad again as he is traveling for business. Upon walking into this meeting though I did have a new feeling, the warm and fuzzy that has swept me before, came in waves again. I began to recall Grant through the various stages of his life. From the bean sized shadow on a black and white ultrasound printout, an infant, an adventurous tot, and now he is a young boy, almost a young man with his demeanor.

One day I felt I woke up and he was this magnificent creature who has a wide and wondrous mind that sees no boundaries in his fellow man. Each carries the same features and abilities as he, ever accepting, ever loving, and he treats everyone as an equal. I am speechless to watch him interact, his bold blindness as if he were Eve prior to the apple debacle. The meeting commenced and when they told me of his educational brilliance I felt another wave, deeper than the one before. I could not believe the accomplishments of my child. Math, addition and subtraction, graphing, time and money, grammar and grammatical tenses, reading books at the first and second grade levels and progressing rapidly. My eyes began to well and I fought back the tears. I fought my feelings in the middle of a mundane, seemingly average parent teacher conference.

Tears of grief for the fact that I am slowly losing more and more time with my boy as he becomes a man. I want nothing more than to hold him tight to take in as much as I can during the ever fast moving continuum of time. Soaking in everything as I watch as the gears turn and lights click with him. Of course my tears of joy at his singular accomplishments. While I know I am his mother, and his father and I have played an intricate role at home, I know he is on his own. I am not there to hold his hand but I gave him tools and he is creating a masterpiece. For which I will always be his biggest fan, ever so proud of him in everything he does from his most prestigious accomplishments to the most dolt fall backs, he amazes me still and forever. I also know that your brother and sister are so lucky to have you as an older brother. I am so proud of you.

A Day Made Better, For a Phoenix Teacher

OfficeMax developed a program in 2007 that helps erase teacher funded classroom, that program is called "A Day Made Better," Office Max teamed with Adopt-A-Classroom to aid teachers for supplies for classrooms. This program is so much more than just donations for a teacher, this is to help enrich the lives of our children and is a tremendous movement. For more information go HERE.

I got involved with A Day Made Better and Office Max by participating in the Girls Night Out on Twitter with Jyl Pattee of MomItForward. I have to say that was a great party! But on top of the Twitter party, I had the opportunity to go party for a teacher with Kelly Loubet. Have you met Kelly? If not, you should! She is a heck of a woman with a big heart, a fellow Arizonan, Phoenician, and blogger..ya herd! She is helping her daughter's kindergarten teacher, who was nominated, to enjoy A Day Made Better!

On Saturday October 3rd Kelly held a soiree at Scrap Happy Sisters in Glendale so we could "scrap it up" in, what I have to say is the coolest scrapbooking store EVA eat some YUMMY Organic pizza from ZPizza, guzzle gallons of water and wine, and have a great time for a great cause! But don't let me ruin the good time for you! Be sure to go Tweet up Kelly and read her story over at Whrrl!

Thanks so much Kelly, I had a great time at the party (and our super cool after-party at Applebees) and I am glad I could help be a part of your Adopt-A-Classroom and A Day Made Better with OfficeMax!

BIG THANKS to Office Max and Adopt-A-Classroom to help erase teacher funded classrooms!

Fisher Price: Playing and Learning

Can you name any brand of toy that is synonymous with playing and learning? I know the first one that always comes to my mind is Fisher Price. What I did not know is that Fisher Price has been making quality toys since the 1930s, did you know that? I know I did not, but I knew that Fisher Price was and is the first choice of toys for my kids.

Recently the great ladies (and gents) of Mom Select contacted moms (moi) about reviewing Fisher Price's infant toys. I know my kids would be perfect since they are in that toddler demolition derby mode, so let my kids really put the products to the test. The two great items we received to review are the Laugh and Learn™Learning Farm and the Go-Baby-Go™Stride-to-Ride™Lion.

When the packages arrived you would have thought my kids were going to lose their minds! Big G was still at school, but I tell you the twins were going crazy! They saw all the pretty colors on the packaging (great marketing folks!) and they knew immediately that these packages were for them. I wasted no time as I was about to be mamed by two little people if I did not get on the ball with putting these toys together.

I tackled the ride-on lion first and Little Bitty was losing her silly little mind because guess what moms and dads......he sings! Yes. He has great sing songs, his nose lights up, and he roars! Adorable. So Little Bitty entertained herself with the lion head while I put the scooter (sit and ride) seat together, which is super easy! I think all in all maybe 12 screws to hold everything altogether. I snapped and screwed it altogether pretty fast...but clearly not fast enough for a couple of 19 month old twins who were slapping each other to get to it. As you can see....Bitty snagged her position on the lion ASAP...she is wiry for such a little girl! I think she is a bit snarky like mom too! (*wink...thats for you Carissa!)

Next we moved onto the farm. I tell you....that farm is truly a farm of a toy to put together. I did need to read the directions a bit to make sure everything was copacetic for the put together, had a few more pieces and handling pieces for the kids for sensory learning. However, the twins were not having that. I could see their little feet tapping....waiting....impatiently for me to give them the mind blowing toy of the century that sings, has a radio dial....YES...A Radio Dial! Lots of learning songs from ABC's to the 123's, hand toys like vegetables to feed the cow, and eggs laid by the chicken. I wasted no time installing the electronics as I needed to calm some crazed gnomes fast! Whew, sing songs...we're all good!

Yes, that is my Seth-En-Stein and his white boy dancing. Isn't he just the cutest? Rock ON Seth!

By this time Grant was home from school. I was happy to find that even a kindergartener was enjoying the new toy and learning options, plus the songs are great for kids no matter the age.

I have to tell you that the learning farm is a HUGE hit in our home. The barn gate is a big winner too...Seth is seriously OCD about doors so he has great time opening and closing that. In addition to all the fun hands on learning, the kids will learn about shapes, colors, weather (I know...forgot to mention the radio has weather), animals, and as I mentioned before letters and numbers.

The lion is also a GREAT toy for my kids, they are at the age where riding toys are fun and are great for learning coordination and balance. Especially if they are using the lion like my kids do....as a step stool to snag stuff off the counters. DO NOT TRY!! I could not bear to snap a photo as I was sure someone would end up in the ER, so I had to prevent the lion from being used in such a manner. But when the lion is not a ride on toy he can be used as a walker for those just beginning to get their footing and learning to walk.

What I get to share with you!!

So with all my babble about Fisher Price and these FABULOUS toys that my kids will enjoy for years as will other children, I will enjoy sharing this fabulous offer with you to save $20 on your purchase of $100 or more of Fisher Price's Laugh & Learn™ and/or Go Baby Go!™ Infant Toys. But I cannot claim all the credit, the lovely ladies (and gents...I didn't forget!) of MomSelect are sharing this with me to share with you! Be sure to go HERE to get your savings good in stores only for Fisher Price toys.

Thank you again Mom Select, Maria Bailey, Amy Sobel, and Fisher Price!

*Disclaimer: For all The Five Fish transparency and disclosure policies, 
be sure to click the link Looking in the Fish Bowl.
*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!

Wordful Wednesday

The mail finally came. The day finally arrived. Wednesday is here!

This Wordful Wednesday is probably the most important to me because of the simple fact that Three Years, Nine Months and Two Days ago I began an important journey. Unlike any journey of self gratification and growth this journey was of fulfillment and total and complete accomplishment. This journey was about me, when I was me, before my kids became a part of me, this is the five year old me "What do you wanna be when you grow up?"

In 1996 (I am dating myself here.....bear with me) I was awarded the Regents Scholarship Award to the University of Arizona. Quite the prestigious award right? You bet. I was a smarty pants. I was so smart and so good at school I was awarded a scholarship for it! To my favorite state university too. I was AMPED!! So some months passed and I was readying myself for the BIG COLLEGE experience when I was hit with a ton of nonsense.

Dorms....FULL.
Student Housing....FULL.
Accepted and Ready to Go to College...CHECK.
Parents were as broke as Humpty Dumpty....CHECK.

Just shy of my 18th birthday I was destroyed. I spent hours on the phone trying to find a way into housing, find a way to get to college. Then I heard these words, "Probably a good thing....you would just party your way through school and destroy your scholarship anyway."

FANTASTIC!

So I was destined for nothingness right? WRONG

In September of 2005 one year after DH had finally finished his degree program (many years after high school and his "college" experience at UNM) I grow some large kiwis (thats for you Lizz because I wub joo) and I apply to college. And I am accepted. And I cannot believe it.

For the last three years I have sacrificed my time and self for this fancy piece of paper that tells me that I have mastered the fine art of BULLSHIT. (LOL) No really....it says so....BS.

Just kidding.

But really my degree is a BS. A Bachelors of Science in Business Finance. This is my second degree, my first is in just plain old business. However, the document before you is the real deal. I have been waiting ANXIOUSLY to get this is in the mail to show that I did it! And I partied too!
I also happened to maintain a 3.83 GPA thank you very much. In this time that I have gone back to school I did the following:

• Worked Full Time
• Raised a Family
• Had a Breakdown
• Recovered from a Breakdown
• Put Down my Bassett Hound (who was like my first born, I had her before I had kids and she was so young too...she is my next WW post!)
• Found I was Pregnant with TWINS!
• Went through Nine Months of Twin Pregnancy
• Delivered my Twins in the Middle of a Class, and finished with an A
  
• Raised Twins and a Larger Family
• Managed to maintain my normal home life, BLOGGED, (woot!!) worked, had kids, and still graduated!

On July 18th 2009 I will be celebrating my graduation by participating in the commencement ceremonies at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale and I am as giddy as a high school girl. The day my diploma arrived I was shaking and in tears. I just had to share that ANYONE can do it at any time! Go back to school, fulfill your dreams, don't let anything stand in your way!

Happy Wordful Wednesday Everybody! And as always make sure you stop by Angie's to give some linky love and share in your Wordful Wednesday!

The Good, The Bad, and the Unclear?!

Moms, grandmoms, Great-grandmoms, just about any mom you can think of asks this question when they see a young child and or baby:

Is he/she good?

I mean seriously? What kind of question is that?
When anyone asks me that I truly think about messing with them a little and telling them how awful my child is because he has a small (I mean child size)penis aiming into a LARGE porcelain bowl and he can never hit it....always the outer edges making cleaning a real bitch....how my youngest boy Pickles Magoo is the biggest whiner and Mama's boy ever....and Little Bitty.....yeah, she is no princess....she is the second biggest whiner in the house and to top things off she beats up her twin....I mean who does that to their twin?

But all of that does not make my children good or bad. My kids are awesome. Do they have moments of bad behavior? Sure. Moments where they forget to use manners, hit, or worse.....forget to brush their teeth. (LOL)

Kids and people are never bad. Bad is a terrible word, the use gives a connotation and an association that suggests that this is a quality or trait of an individual. That by telling your child when they have done something wrong "bad boy" or "bad girl" they lose self-esteem and or self worth. They then feel that they are less because of their actions and choice resulting in actions and consequences.
(I hope I didn't lose you)

For example, Big G had a problem with hitting when he was a toddler in daycare. I attributed this to the fact he was the largest, the largest eater, and he learned this from other children. I learned to tell him, "No, we do not hit. Hitting is bad" as the proper way to tell my child what he had done wrong at a young age. If I told him "NO! Bad boy" he probably would have been lost as to what the hell I was talking about. Here is the thing, if you are questioning whether or not your child understands.....DO NOT underestimate them. Seriously, for little people they are super smart and they can comprehend a lot more than what we give credit.

No one, in my opinion, is bad. I think even the killers and criminals of the world are not bad people, they have just made bad decisions and they behave badly because no one showed them otherwise or they were not given the right environment or love needed. But I believe they are inherently good people. Maybe because I carry a Rogerian theory of people, but I think that we learn how to behave properly or in a way that is acceptable, ethical, and at best morally sound.

Maybe my years of therapy and self help books (thank you Melody Beattie) have helped me to become a better person and a better mother in the way I discipline and teach my children. Some people are truly unclear on the thought that actions do not make a person, they do not define the very essence of their being, so by telling them they are bad or good because of the good and or bad things they have done sends mixed signals. When I discipline Big G I am always sure to tell him these sentences and they seem to be a HUGE difference in his demeanor:

"Big G, what you did is unacceptable. We do not (*insert bad action) hit our little brother. If you are mad or you want to hit something, go get the stuffed Spongebob and wail on him. Now I need you to take a time out. I love you very much, you are a very good boy, but hitting our little brother is bad, you hurt him."

And with that, he is upset because I made him take a time out and he understands WHY he is taking a time out and why I am mad. I am mad because he hit his sibling and he knows that I love him, that he is still a good boy, and that we take out our anger on things like a punching bag like Spongebob because that always makes us feel better when we need a release of bad energy.

Some may not agree, which is Okay by me, I am not looking for approval. I just know that no matter what, my kids are GOOD kids ALL the time, not just because they picked up their rooms or helped me set the table for dinner. I tell them all the time what great kids they are for no reason and in return I have happy kids who learn actual right from wrong and good from bad.

Summer Reviews and Giveaways!

I was contacted by a pair of lovely PR ladies the other day. One of whom wants my gnomes to test out some really cool summer products! I am ecstatic to review them because my gnomes will be spending a lot more time outside now that the weather is warmer and school is out. Not to mention that my pool is already a tepid 83 degrees! In addition to the review.....GIVEAWAY!! So stay tuned for that great stuff.

I also have the opportunity to catch up on my much needed reading! All the reading I have been doing for the last three years are text books. So I am happy to announce that my nose will be pulled from the text books and shoved back into some much needed, much appreciated, much loved novels, books, and short stories. These items will be reviewed and shared with you all as well, which will be super fantastic! Some great reads for mom by the pool....multi-tasking and reviewing multiple products at one time....bring on more!!! I can handle it....I have twins HEAR ME ROAR!!

Here is a glimpse of the summer products! Based on my these for the elementary school so I am super excited!! Make sure you Digg, Stumble, or Technorati these sites, I know I did.

MFS Eyewear

Sun Protection Zone

S.O.S. - Save Our Skin

Did you know that one MILLION new cases of skin cancer alone will be diagnosed this year? Just skin cancer. Did you know that the odds are 1 in 272? Those are good odds if you consider that some schools have upwards of 500 children in each school or more, so that's at least 2 kids.


The people that are diagnosed are just the people who have regular doctors appointments to have something checked or because they happened to notice a funky mole, maybe a dark spot on their skin that looked funny, or maybe some splotching that seemed out of the ordinary. The rest go completely undiagnosed.


Did you know that the chances of getting skin cancer start from birth? You got it! All the time of being exposed to the sun without protection, exposed to the harmful UV rays sets us up for skin cancer. Granted the sun is an excellent source for vitamins in our body and helps us to metabolize these vitamins and the sun provides us energy from the natural light, but the sun is also very dangerous.

How often do you send your child to school without sunscreen? You are probably laughing and saying "Um, like everyday, who has extra time for sunscreen and they aren't outside that long anyway." Well that is what I said too. Did you know 20 minutes is all it takes a day to be exposed to the harmful UVA/UVB rays that cause burns and can eventually lead to skin cancer later in life? That's right and that is about the time your child spends on the playground and outside in P.E. (Physical Education) class everyday if not longer!

With all of this being said I am the new Treasurer for the Hermosa Vista Elementary School PTO. At our end of the 2009 school year meeting the board was advised by the principal of Hermosa Vista that the P.E. teacher might make a motion to the board about allocating funds for a sun shade for the kids. Why a sun shade? Take a look at this picture below:







Doesn't that picture make you want to play on the playground? In the shade, no hot slides to burn your legs (like we all did as kids), and MOST OF ALL no sunburns!!! The kids are pleasantly shaded from the sun and the harmful UV rays. Wouldn't you want to see those at your kids school, especially in the warmer spring and late summer months? I know I do. Want to know what else I want to see?



I would love to see one of these bad boys put over the outdoor area where the kids play basketball and have P.E. so they aren't exposed to all those nasty UVA/UVB rays, the unrelenting Arizona sun and heat, and caring parents like us aren't worried about gobbing the sunscreen on everyday during the warmer Spring and Summer months. So I am asking you as a Board Member to the Hermosa Vista Elementary PTO to make your donation today, either in funds, goods, and or services for our awesome P.E. teacher Mr. Peace (yup, that's his name...awesome!!) so that he is able to have a safe environment for our children to learn outdoors.


I would also love to see some corporate sponsorship (*hint hint) for community PR, exposure, and education about the benefits and drawbacks of the sun. Plus just a great plug to show how much the big guys love us little guys in the community and so we can show support in return!


Donations can be made by clicking on the little linky on the side of my page, all donations are accepted through PayPal and will be directly paid to Hermosa Vista Elementary School PTO. Thanks again for your support!!

Update to "Moral Obligation"

Alright so I actually got a Tweet to give an update on my bout with the City of Mesa Public Schools, you know the one questioning the Moral Obligation of the board and superintendent to the teachers with skill and the students who need teachers with skill and expertise.

I have to say that I am quite disappointed that the only response that I received was one that was fluffed by a PR pro. The weak attempt to disarm me has left me holding the bag wondering when I would receive some sort of half cocked, debatable response. To no avail.... a week has passed and nothing. I am severely disappointed and frustrated that a school board, in fact the current superintendent, can leave a tax paying, parent to a school aged child hanging with a half-arsed, vague, weak, unexplanatory email. So now that a new week is upon me and I have some free time this early in the week I think I might have to battle with the beast again and see what sort of response, and hopefully an honest response, I can solicit from the Board, the Superintendent....and hell while I am at it...the state. Email moves fast, so I will make sure that my fingers are punching the keys like the ivory of a piano as I play my concerto of questions and I demand true answers. Wish me luck....and if you are as passionate about education as I am....get involved in your child's education and his or her school, we are the foundation for their future!

Where is the Moral Obligation?

Okay, folks I so plan to give you the Five Fish "FREE" Week Day 3 review....its a WIP (work in progress) but this is something I am absolutely, most definitely passionate about...EDUCATION!

As most have read I have finished my college career (thus far) so you know I love education, I am an advocate for learning, I love to learn, I love to teach my children, and most of all I love that they love to learn and my oldest, Big G, is in school. He is in kindergarten but not your standard kindergarten program. He is in a program that you would call a YLK (Young Learner Kindergarten). What is YLK? Well this program is designed for children who's birthdays fall after the school deadline for standard kindergarten registration. So say school starts in August and your child's birthday is in September, well they have to wait another year. Not my kid!! He got to go to a FREE, yes FREE, program with the city of Mesa Public Schools.

He did three weeks of all day with a teacher who did not fit his personality and the poor boy suffered. So we got him into this program and I can say he is a changed boy and ready for next year. However, I don't think that Big G would have been such a changed boy or been at the aptitude he is had he not had Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Long by his side. Why are Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Long so fantastic? Well let me tell you!!

Mrs. Burton has been teaching for 15 years with Mesa Public School and for the last 10 years she has done the YLK program. Now I must confess and most any other parent will tell you that to get a 4 or 5 year old to listen to you, follow your directions, and be fully engaged is a FEAT!! This woman and her partner in crime Mrs. Long can engage these children, teach them, and get them to follow directions!!! To have that ability with over 20 children ranging from age 4-5 is expertise and experience, not to mention a whole BOAT load of patience.

So upon speaking with Mrs. Burton yesterday I saw that AZ is keeping all day kindergarten. (This is what has fueled my passion......) I was ecstatic! My boy will be gone all day to learn and run off RAW energy next year! HOORAY!! But I was informed that Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Long will be let go. I was pissed!! Even worse, they will be replaced by a teacher who has about a year, maybe two, of teaching experience. So we are looking at a teacher who is roughly 21 years of age!! UM??!!! HELLO!!!??? I am all about the younger generation teaching, but not to my kid! I want a teacher who has been around the block, is loving, patient, kind, and can give my child the educational attention he needs to strive and excel. Mrs. Burton and I chatted up for a while and then I went on my mission. I came home, bitched to DH, bitched to my mom, I bitched to anyone who would listen........including the Superintendent and the School Board for Mesa Public Schools. Below is my email correspondence back and forth as of 10:05am AZ time. I would love to hear from you about this!!! If you live in AZ or Mesa, help me stir the pot to save the jobs and education of our children!!

Dear Sirs and Madam,
The topic of the Young Learner Kindergarten program was brought to my attention recently and how the program would be losing some of the finest, experienced, and trusting educators I have met as a parent. I am EXTREMELY disappointed in the lack of judgment on behalf of the board, superintendent, and those involved in the decision to terminate the employment of seasoned, experienced, and well respected educators only to be replaced with younger, less experienced, cheaper paid contract educators.
Are you able to put a price on the value of a young learner’s education? As a parent and continuing education adult I cannot! Had my son, who’s birthday falls after the cutoff for the 2008-2009 full day kindergarten school year, not been able to attend the Young Learner program with Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Long at Hermosa Vista Elementary he would be just that much more behind entering the 2009-2010 full-day kindergarten. This program with the EXPERIENCED educators that currently are involved in the program are the foundation and first stepping stone in our children’s education. These educators have readied my son to a level where he would almost be bored in an all day kindergarten class. Their experience is what sets them apart from the lower paid, younger, less experienced (1-2 years teaching) educators. These educators know how to help these children LEARN, they don’t just teach, they help these children to use the power of his or her own minds to grasp for everything that is endless in this world to learn. If you eliminate these teachers you are eliminating the endless power that a young learner beholds!!
I know that the objection that will be brought to my attention is that of funds, money, the economy, and added pressure from the state due to a financial deficit. To which I will respond to you as a frustrated and angry parent…..HOG WASH!!! I am a finance major and I could tell you that I am sure you have not completely weighed all the creative financial loopholes, ideas, opportunities available to save these educators jobs. I am sure you have another means to reduce expenses. I am sure a portion of the educators may be close to retirement, or say within a year or two…..my financial decision would be to meet his or her vestment and cut losses now rather than to continue to pay the added expense of certain benefits and tax payments. How about those who have less tenure teaching or who only have a few years under his or her belt, cut their contract payments by 15% or more. They are younger, they are less experienced. Mesa needs, DEMANDS the top notch educators that have allowed these younger children the opportunity to be our future, the pioneers, and educational prodigies. Please note that as a parent and member of the Mesa community I hope to band other parents in an attempt to sway the board to save these educators positions with the schools. I will also use the power of social media and networking with Twitter, Facebook, and blogging in hopes to get the word out that education cannot be sacrificed, nor can experienced educators. Although, if the decision is not swayed I can only chalk the decision up to par based on the national rankings of Arizona schools which suggests that Arizona cannot afford to lose experienced, top notch educators. Attached is a flyer “raving” about the YLK program…..which in my opinion would include the staff that has been teaching and involved in the program for the last 10 years.

I thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Karie Herring

Response from the Superintendent :
Thank you for your e-mail about the YLK program. Your disappointment is misplaced; please address your support for YLK programming to your elected state officials. It is their position that children whose 5th birthday falls after September 1, will not generate funding to pay for teachers, supplies, etc. Before I became Superintendent, I put the YLK in place. I recognize the value of this program and have data to show its impact. The 2003 newsletter you included reference that success and it continues today.However, as sad as this is, this is a funding issue at the state level. As a finance major, you might want to investigate the manner in which Arizona funds education and the multitude of rules and regulations that dictate our actions. Someone with your passion and a fresh look might garner the attention of those with the power to change things. With reference to Mrs. Burton, and other experienced part-time teachers, we are obligated to follow adopted policies and procedures. Currently, we must be assured that all full-time continuing-contract employees have jobs. Once our obligation to them is settled, we will address those valued staff members who were not guaranteed employment by virtue of the contract they signed.
Deb Duvall
Alice Swinehart
Executive Secretary to Superintendent/Governing Board Dr. Debra Duvall
Mesa Public Schools
480-472-0200

And now my response TODAY, and probably not my last:
Dr. Duvall,
I am a smart individual and find hard to believe that my disappointment should placed with the state….when as you stated
“With reference to Mrs. Burton, and other experienced part-time teachers, we are obligated to follow adopted policies and procedures. Currently, we must be assured that all full-time continuing-contract employees have jobs. Once our obligation to them is settled, we will address those valued staff members who were not guaranteed employment by virtue of the contract they signed”
So how is this a matter of the state, other than a funding issue? Again my disappointment, as do other parents within the Hermosa Vista Elementary boundaries, place blame on the district and Mesa Public Schools. I do carry disappointment with the state in the mismanagement of funds but I am disappointed that the first obligation is to the full time continuing contract teachers and NOT the students who will be greatly and most definitely adversely affected by this decision. I beg the question in the future of child education……where is your obligation? The fulltime employees or the children who need the experience and expertise showcased by teachers such as Mrs. Burton.

Karie Herring