DPS funds used for mortgages, etc.

[Buy American]

When will the corruption end in Detroit? Are there any people with integrity left in Detroit? I hope Kym Worthy throws the book at these thugs and once they are in jail, throws away the key.

http://www.freep.com/article/2010083...ds-Worthy-says

[Crystal]

In addition to the wrongdoers, SHAME on the system whose lack of checks and balances allowed this to happen in the first place.

I'm sure there are honest accountants, clerks, and many others in the finance departments at DPS. But the system that allowed this to happen is seriously impaired.

[firstandten]

The CTE [[Career Tech ED) centers are where most of this crazy stuff happens. Many of the teachers are classified as day trade so they also have there own businesses on the side, and too often the systems are so lax that the administrators grab stuff from the school store [[at the CTE schools its more like a mini clothing store) or have work done by the teachers and instead of coming out of your own pocket to pay for the work, they have the school pay for it. Sometimes the administrator will repay the school at a later date, sometimes they forget, sometimes they never intended to repay the school account. I believe some of these administrators felt that getting a deal to have work done at there personal residences was a perk of the position.

Bobb knew the financial controls at the CTE centers were weak and he has been going after the various administrators for a long time. He also knew that especially these centers even more so than the comphrensive HS needs to be audited on a regular basis. It looks like he can now say before he leaves that he sent some folks to jail

[Lowell]

Keep that broom moving Kym!

Just in from Crains... full article

Charges will be filed against Gwendolyn Miller, 58, former principal of the A. Phillip Randolph Career and Technical Center in Detroit; Eugenia Rose, 47, the technical center's former accountant; Robert Gibson, 57, a former Detroit police officer; and Eric Holimon, 22, Rose's son.

“A principal of a school is supposed to be not only its educational leader, but its moral and ethical center,” Worthy said in a statement. “A police officer is sworn to uphold the law. We trust our accountants to guard finances ethically.

“The evidence in this case will show that a principal, a school accountant, and a Detroit police officer stole nearly $150,000 from some of the poorest school children in the nation,” she said.

[Detroit Stylin]

That is why they are so hostile toward Robert Bobb cleaming house becuase the gravy train thatr has been in in place for decades is coming to a screaching halt followed by a paddy wagon that is coming to take the thieves to prison...


I appluad Bobb

[DetroitTeacher]

Please don't lump all teachers or administrators [[principals) in this boat. Most of us are honest and are really in it for the kids [[and the majority of us have zero access to monies in the school but wouldn't take it even if we did have access).

[Detroit Stylin]

No I would never do that DT. That would be like saying all "Detroit Residents" are criminal... I know there are some hard working teachers out there busting tail with the best interests of their students in mind. who SHOULD be held more accountable and this is coming from one of those "Detroit Residents" [[lol) are those of of us who consistently defend the idiot thieves even they SEE their hand in the cookie jar [[mostly older generation...but still nonetheless...)

[DetroitTeacher]

I agree, we all need to be held accountable for our actions. I just didn't want this thread to be a "all teachers and admins are theives" kind of thread. I think the majority of us in DPS are hard working [[sometimes working too hard against the wind...<read central office>) folks who really love our kids and have the best of intentions. It's the few thieving folks who make a bad name for those of us who play by the rules.

[Detroit Stylin]

For the most part Ihave a positive view of teachers. I have alkways thought that you all were the most underpaid profession, given the high amounts of stress and respoinsibilities your deal with. I have always thought that teachers should have salaries equivalent to at least mid range corporate executives....

[Hypestyles]

hmm... since Kym Worthy and Robert Bobb are out front on this... I'm waiting for the backlash.. the semi-inevitable carping that it is yet another witch-hunt orchestrated from Lansing on Detroit black employees/officials, when there are [[presumably) white co-conspirators 'out there' who get off scot-free..
does the Detroit Federation of Teachers have an official position on this?

[fryar]

I hope Kym Worthy throws the book at these thugs and once they are in jail, throws away the key.

+1

In addition to the wrongdoers, SHAME on the system whose lack of checks and balances allowed this to happen in the first place.

+1

That is why they are so hostile toward Robert Bobb cleaning house because the gravy train that has been in in place for decades is coming to a screeching halt followed by a paddy wagon that is coming to take the thieves to prison...

I applaud Bobb

+1. I had no idea that's what his agenda was, but good for him.

Please don't lump all teachers or administrators [[principals) in this boat. Most of us are honest and are really in it for the kids [[and the majority of us have zero access to monies in the school but wouldn't take it even if we did have access).

I think that's probably understood by most. I can't speak for anyone else, of course, but I have always imagined that most of you folks do an admirable job. This probably doesn't reflect half as badly on you and your fellow teachers as you might imagine it to.

Thank you for your service, as it were.

[Buy American]

hmm... since Kym Worthy and Robert Bobb are out front on this... I'm waiting for the backlash.. the semi-inevitable carping that it is yet another witch-hunt orchestrated from Lansing on Detroit black employees/officials, when there are [[presumably) white co-conspirators 'out there' who get off scot-free..
does the Detroit Federation of Teachers have an official position on this?

It was inevitable...the race card is thrown out yet again. Do you really believe that Worthy [[black) and Bobb [[black) are only gunning for other blacks? Give it a rest and just accept the fact that these people are criminals and race has nothing to do with it.

[firstandten]

does the Detroit Federation of Teachers have an official position on this?

Probably not since we are talking about an administrator and accountant. The administrator for sure is not represented by DFT also maybe the accountant as well.

[firstandten]

I agree, we all need to be held accountable for our actions. I just didn't want this thread to be a "all teachers and admins are theives" kind of thread. I think the majority of us in DPS are hard working [[sometimes working too hard against the wind...<read central office>) folks who really love our kids and have the best of intentions. It's the few thieving folks who make a bad name for those of us who play by the rules.

Actually there are no teachers involved in this

[fryar]

hmm... since Kym Worthy and Robert Bobb are out front on this... I'm waiting for the backlash.. the semi-inevitable carping that it is yet another witch-hunt orchestrated from Lansing on Detroit black employees/officials, when there are [[presumably) white co-conspirators 'out there' who get off scot-free..
does the Detroit Federation of Teachers have an official position on this?

I don't imagine DFT has a position on people playing the race card.

[Detroitnerd]

Based on my own workplace experience, I would guess that to really get the juice as a corrupt official, you'd have to be management level, administrator or higher. Hey, I don't doubt that there are some teachers who "f*ck the dog" -- I sure saw a few at my suburban schools -- but not on the scale of this. What, these people are either administrators or cops.

Hey, Detroit teachers aren't all angels [[a few are), but they're not the white-collar crime we're talking about.

[firstandten]

The reason the stealing was so bad is that you are dealing with the CTE schools. These schools were designed to give students hands-on experience with different careers and techical occupations. The centers have state of the art equipment. And many areas operate like a mini-business. For example two of the centers had working, functioning restaurants that opened to the public for lunch. Same goes with auto repair etc. These centers would have a little more money going thru it than your typical comphensive high school.

The problem is that the financial controls were too lax. You might have gotten away with it in a comphensive high school, but in the CTE centers the chance for abuse is just too great.

[Zacha341]

Oh, you must mean the "everybody else does it" or "they do it too..." defense/ justification... yeah that's wearing thin, especially considering that politic does little to help black people in the first place [[well except for the the persons benefiting directly from said justification)...

hmm... since Kym Worthy and Robert Bobb are out front on this... I'm waiting for the backlash.. the semi-inevitable carping that it is yet another witch-hunt orchestrated from Lansing on Detroit black employees/officials, when there are [[presumably) white co-conspirators 'out there' who get off scot-free..
does the Detroit Federation of Teachers have an official position on this?

[Danny]

YAY! Way to go Bobb and Worthy. Keep on cracking down those low-lifes.

[English]

One of those people spent $95,000 in appliances from Lowe's and Home Depot for their home. How is that even possible? I know there are high-end appliances that people like me can only dream about, but I am trying to mentally put together any appliance package from a big box store that would cost more than a house. What on earth?

BTW, while some of the DPS folks were stealing the system blind, some of us are still owed back pay that we never received. AND many of us were spending hundreds and even thousands of our own money purchasing not just school supplies, but tissues and sanitizers, first aid kits [["Ms. English, can I have a Band-Aid?"), cleaning stuff, other stuff I can't even remember right now, and even went to Lowe's and Home Depot to PAINT our classrooms, and JoAnn Fabric to buy material to cover the boards [[paper rips if you're changing student work often), and Talking Book World prior to the mp3 revolution to BUY books on tape for kids who needed ADA accommodations.

Meanwhile, people with the access to funds we could have put to good use were enriching themselves. They were spending this money in IDIOTIC ways... what kind of moron buys $95K in appliances???

I don't begrudge my kids, who are now all young adults, anything EVER. But I want these thieves to pay into a fund so that teachers don't have to dip into their own pockets all the time to buy kids pizza when they're staying after school. Or have to charge kids all the time for the bus when it's time to take a field trip, or in order to paint a picture, or play a musical instrument.

[fryar]

BTW, while some of the DPS folks were stealing the system blind, some of us are still owed back pay that we never received. AND many of us were spending hundreds and even thousands of our own money purchasing not just school supplies, but tissues and sanitizers, [[...)

I'll believe that in a heart beat, my ex-girlfriend did precisely that as well in NYC. Good for you. The tax deduction for that, as I recall, was limited to an amusingly unrealistic $250.

As to that earlier point [[DNerd, I think?), IIRC the culprits here were administrators, and a DPS cop/security officer.

[DetroitTeacher]

English: It's funny, I just spent an ungodly amount of money at an un-named big box store for the supplies you named [[and then some). My cart was filled and my credit card went into cardiac arrest when the bill was tallied. It's amazing because we don't buy dollar store toilet paper for our kids [[mine get the 2-ply super soft stuff), we don't buy generic bandaids that don't stick [[we get the super duper brand with all shapes and sizes...and even come in different skin tones). I thank the folks at Little Caesars for offering a 5 dollar pizza, too! They have fed many of my kids after school. Thankfully, I partner with UM and they take us to A2 twice a year, on a swanky charter bus, and treat us to lunch...all on their dime. Some of my colleagues have taken kids to the Science Center on the DOT bus [[we have to do what we have to do).

I agree that a fund should be made [[perhaps as part of restitution) that would be made available for direct use by/for the kids. This is a shame and people often ask me how I do it [[no other employer forces their staff buy supplies for their job...like pens, paper, toilet paper, paper clips, staples and pencil sharpeners). Central office staff go to swanky retreats while our kids can't wipe their behinds....sad.

[DetroitFats]

English and DTeach,
What a coincidence! I'm just heading out to buy light bulbs, cleaning supplies and first aid provisions for my classroom. I'd bet any DPS teacher with more than a few years on the job has spent hundreds, if not thousands, of their own money on basic supplies. Most teachers I know don't even think this is odd, it has just become part of the job.

[DetroitTeacher]

I buy stuff throughout the year and I can't even begin to tell you how much I spend. Later today, I'll be at the Teacher's Store buying some more stuff [[I need some new borders and board stuff and a new eraser...mine is beyond help). I also need new bathroom passes! Moving schools brings up a whole new list of stuff that needs to be replaced!

Funny, they have a teacher's store but not a manager's store, engineer's store, nurse's store, and so on!

[Hermod]

so that teachers don't have to dip into their own pockets all the time to buy kids pizza when they're staying after school

When I was going to school in Detroit, my teacher never bought me pizza when I stayed after school.

She [[a multitude of she's) either had me cleaning the blackboard and the chalk trays or had me writing "I will not talk in class" two hundred times.

Back then in DPS, the janitors cleaned the floors, but the teacher was responsible for the blackboards. Every day, she was looking for a malefactor to clean the boards. As the clock moved closer to dismissal, the criteria for being a "malefactor" dropped. You couldn't relax until she had found a "stuckee" to stay after school.