12/2/10
Re MY CONVERSATION with REGINA ECHOLS & MARJORIE JOSAPHAT AT LAUSD
To KENNON: I spoke AT LENGTH with REGINA & MARJORIE JOSAPHAT ...at the LAUSD sub unit several issues were addressed...lack of calls...seniority...my feelings of being discriminated against, as well as the attitudes of some of the ladies who answer the phones at the sub unit (in particular, Irma & Diana) , & the list goes on, too much to mention in a mouthful, and nothing really was resolved.
They even had security outside the door because they thought I might be potentially violent (isn't that nice?) . I also mentioned the fact that there were NO anglo males working at the sub unit, nor males of any race answering phones, & I wondered aloud if it might make a difference in terms of how we (as anglo males, or simply men of any race) are treated.
I wasn't planning on going to the Beaudry today, but when Diane snapped at me on the phone & I snapped back (actually just hung up on her), I decided I should make a cordial visit . I handle all issues in a civil manner & did so again today.
Of course, they denied that there is any possibility of discrimination against Anglo males in the schools or at the sub unit. I reminded them of personal experiences I've had & occassional names called (or whispered), & they tried to brush it off as something "every sub" experiences, & Marjorie said, theoretically, "if she went to an all-white school, she would probably experience some of this same sentiment, but the truth is there are NO all-white or even mostly white schools in the LAUSD (at least none that I've experienced).
As for the ladies who answer the phones & their attitudes & abrupt demeanor (Irma, Diane), they responded that they are trying to "train" them to work better with people on the phone.
It turned into one of those "venting" sessions where they started talking about substitutes sometimes being "abusive" towards the phone ladies , & Marjorie told me if I'm a "sub" I have to be able to "deal with" sub issues, to which I responded that I think I have "dealt" pretty well with numerous issues for eleven years, but that this is NOT a factory & we are not working with "objects" but people, & I have felt more like an object at times.
Anyways, I didn't record the whole conversation, so I am just trying to recall some of what was discussed, & nothing really resolved. I mentioned that I really DON'T KNOW if I can keep doing this job much longer the way things are going, & Marjorie said it's not the way it used to be, but it is a "living", to which I responded, "Not really a living for me." I didn't become a teacher for the money, nor can I call what I am doing now as a substitute a "living" anymore, if it ever was. It's a vocation, or was supposed to be, but not a living.
I will leave it at that for now.
JPVK
Cc: dave peters
