We were a nation of literate, extremely well read folks from the 1600s through the 1800s. The big decline started in 1930. So what happened?
Over the last four years in teaching day care staff, home day care business folks and day care center directors, I've done anecdotal research and asked on introductions at the start of class if folks have actual memories of learning how to read.
Few have actual memories of first learning the mechanisms of reading. Most of us somehow just started reading; and a great many of us love to read.
From a National Education Association (NEA) report in 2004: "The decline in reading among every segment of the adult population reflects a general collapse in advanced literacy. To lose this human capacity - and all the diverse benefits it fosters - impoverishes both cultural and civic life."
The NEA was created through Congressional legislation in 1854 and from my readings of history it is where the decline of literacy started in the USA. The NEA and the hold it's having over our country is the problem.
The evidence from reading John Taylor Gatto's book, The Underground History of American Education and Alex de Tocqueville's Democracy in America published in 1832 about 2 decades before the political creation of the NEA supports the hypothesis that the NEA is the problem.
"John Adams spent many years in France and often talked about the fact that France had 24 million citizens but only 500,000 who could read, compared to America where nearly everyone read. The state of literacy in America was detailed by French jurist and philosopher Alex de Tocqueville, who toured America in 1831 and wrote in his book, “Democracy in America,” pp. 328-329, “Everything about him (the American Frontiersman) is primitive and wild, but … (h)e wears the dress and speaks the language of cities; he is acquainted with the past, curious about the future, and ready for argument about the present; he is, in short, a highly civilized being, who consents for a time to inhabit the backwoods, and who penetrates into the wilds of the New World with the Bible, an axe, and some newspapers. It is difficult to imagine the incredible rapidity with which thought circulates in the midst of these deserts (wilderness). I do not think that so much intellectual activity exists in the most enlightened and populous district of France.”
(DON M. POWERS The Edmond Sun)
This is high praise from the French wouldn't you say? : )
I was extremely blessed for three years to do child care on and off for my to-be grandsons. They were five and three years old when they first came into my life.
One night early into the beginning of first grade for Isaiah, he was in such agony trying to learn to read. I looked at what he had to read. It was those Bob Books. I couldn't believe it. What the heck kind of books were these? "Mag sat on a rag rug." I thought, "Are you kidding me? What drivel."
I was reading John Taylor Gatto's book at the time and from reading his book I finally remembered how I learned to read. So I made Isaiah a "Secret Codebook" of phonemes and we started having fun learning how to read.
One night I was talking to my son about Gatto's book and how I finally realized the mechanics of how I learned to read; and I wished I had remembered them when he was young and struggling with public school and learning how to read. Later, I saw Isaiah thumbing through Gatto's book.
Ah, ha another clue, he's listening to our adult conversation, now he's fascinated by this adult book. I asked him, "Do you want me to read this book to you?" Yes, he did and so did his four year old brother, Cole. Cole, also, wanted a Secret Codebook of his own so I made one up about the alphabet.
Ok! I had bought a share in a CSA farm so the boys could experience being with the land and be little farmers. They loved it. They preferred going there rather than going to see a movie. So with green beans to prepare we all came to the table.
2 hours. Two hours I read to them, not one fidget, not one of them had to go to the bathroom, they were in hog heaven. I read to them about Benjamin Franklin's and Thomas Jefferson's schooling.
I then went to the Humane Society's Paws and Claws Thrift Store in Vancouver, Washington and bought two adult dictionaries and highlighting pens for the boys. Again the boys were in hog heaven. I taught Isaiah how to look up words. He'd highlight the word he looked up. Cole wasn't at the reading stage yet so he'd look up pictures and I would read the word and definition to him; and he'd highlight that.
Isaiah did so well that he got in trouble with his first grade teacher. She sent home a week's worth of homework, some to do each night. Well, it was so easy, he did it all in one night. Public education is about obeying authority more than it is about learning. So she wasn't happy he did a week's worth of homework in one night. He had anxiety from being reprimanded by the teacher.
The boys loved going to the library with me. They didn't want to be in the children's section. They wanted to be in the adult world so they got books without pictures and graphic novel kind of books. Most times in the car they had books to read. They loved it. Cole was so cute, he kept saying, "Can we go to the library and buy more books." I'd explain we weren't buying them, but he kept saying it so I slowed down to understand why he thought that way. The library card looked like a credit card. : )
Cole hated Kindergarten. He's a kinesthetic child, he's got to move! The night before the first day of first grade he didn't want to go and he said he didn't want to learn how to read. I looked at him and thought, "Oh, my and he's has to survive 12 years of public education." I looked at him and I thought what is his motivation then it hit me. "Cole, I said, do you know why you want to learn how to read?" He gave me that look, like, "What's Margo coming up with now." I said, "You want to learn to read, so you can read things adults don't want you to read." That did it! He came home from school each day with new words, he'd say the word, sound it out and without it being part of the homework, use it in a sentence.
The boys kept their adult dictionaries and highlighting pens underneath their beds to grab them quickly when the time came to look up some words.
Isaiah's second grade teacher, he said, told him if he struggled with more than three words the book was too hard for him. So we got an adult book about pirates since the boys loved pirates. It took him about 40 minutes. He patiently and determinedly looked up a number of words in the dictionary. He did it. He read a long page from an adult book. He felt good about his accomplishment.
This long holiday weekend as we remember how this country of ours came to be and the high literacy rate we had; rejoice in that and see what books your kids want to bring along in the car as you travel from point A to point B and back again.
More about the NEA and 1930 in a later article. Nancy Drew will help with that story.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Parents - Insist on Many References from a Day Care Facility
The Marietta Daily Journal - Recent incidents at day care centers shine light on child safety issues
What licensed center director Marnie Stevens had to say is valuable for parents, her recognition of the problems with her state licensing agency and her insistence that the parents coming to her facility to contact references, many of them not just a select few. She determines if they did or did not:
"Insist on many references," she said. "They don't know it, but I quiz people on my references. I put people on the list with wrong phone numbers. I ask 'Did you talk to Jane? I miss her kids so much.' If they say yes, I know they're lying."
Many people don't take enough time in not only checking references, but researching facilities in general, Thompson said."
As a former licensor in talking to parents I'd urge them to ask any and all questions of a provider; and if the provider reacted in any way defensively and/or with any hostility (subtle or not) to trust their intuition. Yes, and like in this article licensing isn't out monitoring very often, but what I couldn't tell them is that my managers, too many times, were not allowing me to perform my job per law and the regulations of Washington State.
It's hard on parents between Child Care Resource and Referrals and the Department of Early Learning who does the licensing a reasonable person could conclude proper oversight, monitoring and action is occurring, but that too often isn't the reality.
There are excellent day care providers and I had some on my caseload. One in particular each time I visited her would ask, "Why do you let them keep their licenses? It isn't that hard to follow the licensing requirements." And again I couldn't get into the dynamics I was seeing in the state government with the unelected managers who operated the child care licensing agencies.
Recommendation: Do all the independent investigating you can do before putting your child anywhere and like the director suggested ask for many references; and ask those references very detailed questions. Any hesitation on their part or it appears they can't answer very specific questions, that a clue; and again honor your intuition if something doesn't feel right.
Two parents did in the daycare home where Jaclyn Frank died December 1, 2005; and took their children out of the home, but they didn't call the department to lodge a complaint (which can be understandable if you don't believe the regulatory body will do anything), they called after Jaclyn's death. It's likely, that even if they had called, the department would not have taken action, but I know they will always have that on their minds that if only...
So I urge parents and citizens to call...even if you don't believe the agency will do anything. Do it for your own peace of mind.
What licensed center director Marnie Stevens had to say is valuable for parents, her recognition of the problems with her state licensing agency and her insistence that the parents coming to her facility to contact references, many of them not just a select few. She determines if they did or did not:
"Insist on many references," she said. "They don't know it, but I quiz people on my references. I put people on the list with wrong phone numbers. I ask 'Did you talk to Jane? I miss her kids so much.' If they say yes, I know they're lying."
Many people don't take enough time in not only checking references, but researching facilities in general, Thompson said."
As a former licensor in talking to parents I'd urge them to ask any and all questions of a provider; and if the provider reacted in any way defensively and/or with any hostility (subtle or not) to trust their intuition. Yes, and like in this article licensing isn't out monitoring very often, but what I couldn't tell them is that my managers, too many times, were not allowing me to perform my job per law and the regulations of Washington State.
It's hard on parents between Child Care Resource and Referrals and the Department of Early Learning who does the licensing a reasonable person could conclude proper oversight, monitoring and action is occurring, but that too often isn't the reality.
There are excellent day care providers and I had some on my caseload. One in particular each time I visited her would ask, "Why do you let them keep their licenses? It isn't that hard to follow the licensing requirements." And again I couldn't get into the dynamics I was seeing in the state government with the unelected managers who operated the child care licensing agencies.
Recommendation: Do all the independent investigating you can do before putting your child anywhere and like the director suggested ask for many references; and ask those references very detailed questions. Any hesitation on their part or it appears they can't answer very specific questions, that a clue; and again honor your intuition if something doesn't feel right.
Two parents did in the daycare home where Jaclyn Frank died December 1, 2005; and took their children out of the home, but they didn't call the department to lodge a complaint (which can be understandable if you don't believe the regulatory body will do anything), they called after Jaclyn's death. It's likely, that even if they had called, the department would not have taken action, but I know they will always have that on their minds that if only...
So I urge parents and citizens to call...even if you don't believe the agency will do anything. Do it for your own peace of mind.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Governor Gregoire Hiding Public Records-Refusal to Release Public Records
In the linked article below written by Erick Smith, reporter for Washington State Wire regarding Governor Gregoire not releasing public records and making comparisons with former president Richard Nixon was an eye opener to this former DSHS social worker/public disclosure coordinator and off and on whistle blower during my more than 20 years inside the state government bureaucracy.
I appreciate the non-partisan reporting by this...what looks to be a fully on line newspaper...so to speak. The article caught my attention when it mentioned the Freedom Foundation, as recently I came across an excel spreadsheet on line created by the Freedom Foundation in March 2009 with my name on it (Margo Logan).
The spreadsheet shows that four emails I had written to the Governor regarding SEIU 925 related to the so-called 2009 collective bargaining bills which was once more making its way through the state House and Senate that year were withheld from the Freedom Foundation's public disclosure request.
Those emails were and are wholly public records and, indeed, had been written as open letters (emails) not only to the governor, but also to senators and representatives on both sides of the aisle.
I made whistle blower reports in 2005 and testified to Rep. Ruth Kagi's children's committee about DSHS managers hiding, concealing, ordering public records altered whereby the managers then had the originals destroyed. I gave Rep. Kagi a copy of a packet of background clearance documents I found in a notebook in the office and testified those documents had been removed from a licensing file.
I made this report not only to the State Auditor, Brian Sonntag, but up the DSHS chain of command to DSHS Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams to Governor Gregoire and to Attorney General Rob McKenna.
DSHS child care licensing supervisor Lzady Culver in 2005 (and still a supervisor today in the Department of Early Learning) emailed me that the Attorney General's Office didn't want emails put into licensing files. I replied back, why? Culver wrote it was so our computers would not be subpenaed. My reply was why would it matter...it is all public business and public records.
I can't tell from Washington State Wire article if my four 2009 emails will be going to the Washington State Supreme Court as part of this legal issue. If so, I am willing to submit an affidavit as a former DSHS public disclosure coordinator and now private analyst/consultant/expert witness that withholding my four emails was in violation of the public records act.
Please click on the link below...well done non-partisan journalism.
http://www.washingtonstatewire.com/home/10015-shades_of_richard_nixon_%E2%80%93_governor_claims_%E2%80%98executive_privilege%E2%80%99_and_some_say_she%E2%80%99s_conducting_business_in_secret.htm
From All the President's Men, Deep Throat, Mark Felt told Woodward and Bernstein to "follow the money" and in this case the money comes from at least AFSCME/WFSE and SEIU as well as other such taxpayer unions. See my other blog entries on SEIU to give you the history I researched as well as experienced with AFSCME and SEIU.
The government of the people, by the people and for the people is the focus government must have whether they are elected officials or unelected bureaucratic managers.
The amount of work, from my experience and opinion, that could get done within these bureaucracies would be amazing if they weren't so focused on covering up some of their work product.
To the Governor: Please release my four 2009 SEIU emails to the Freedom Foundation.
I appreciate the non-partisan reporting by this...what looks to be a fully on line newspaper...so to speak. The article caught my attention when it mentioned the Freedom Foundation, as recently I came across an excel spreadsheet on line created by the Freedom Foundation in March 2009 with my name on it (Margo Logan).
The spreadsheet shows that four emails I had written to the Governor regarding SEIU 925 related to the so-called 2009 collective bargaining bills which was once more making its way through the state House and Senate that year were withheld from the Freedom Foundation's public disclosure request.
Those emails were and are wholly public records and, indeed, had been written as open letters (emails) not only to the governor, but also to senators and representatives on both sides of the aisle.
I made whistle blower reports in 2005 and testified to Rep. Ruth Kagi's children's committee about DSHS managers hiding, concealing, ordering public records altered whereby the managers then had the originals destroyed. I gave Rep. Kagi a copy of a packet of background clearance documents I found in a notebook in the office and testified those documents had been removed from a licensing file.
I made this report not only to the State Auditor, Brian Sonntag, but up the DSHS chain of command to DSHS Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams to Governor Gregoire and to Attorney General Rob McKenna.
DSHS child care licensing supervisor Lzady Culver in 2005 (and still a supervisor today in the Department of Early Learning) emailed me that the Attorney General's Office didn't want emails put into licensing files. I replied back, why? Culver wrote it was so our computers would not be subpenaed. My reply was why would it matter...it is all public business and public records.
I can't tell from Washington State Wire article if my four 2009 emails will be going to the Washington State Supreme Court as part of this legal issue. If so, I am willing to submit an affidavit as a former DSHS public disclosure coordinator and now private analyst/consultant/expert witness that withholding my four emails was in violation of the public records act.
Please click on the link below...well done non-partisan journalism.
http://www.washingtonstatewire.com/home/10015-shades_of_richard_nixon_%E2%80%93_governor_claims_%E2%80%98executive_privilege%E2%80%99_and_some_say_she%E2%80%99s_conducting_business_in_secret.htm
From All the President's Men, Deep Throat, Mark Felt told Woodward and Bernstein to "follow the money" and in this case the money comes from at least AFSCME/WFSE and SEIU as well as other such taxpayer unions. See my other blog entries on SEIU to give you the history I researched as well as experienced with AFSCME and SEIU.
The government of the people, by the people and for the people is the focus government must have whether they are elected officials or unelected bureaucratic managers.
The amount of work, from my experience and opinion, that could get done within these bureaucracies would be amazing if they weren't so focused on covering up some of their work product.
To the Governor: Please release my four 2009 SEIU emails to the Freedom Foundation.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Posting of Revocations, Suspensions, Denials of Day Care licenses by The Department of Early Learning (DEL)
I blogged in April 2010 about RCW 43.215.370, bill passed in 2007 by the Washington State legislature (over a year ago) that DEL would not comply with.
I contacted DEL managers, I contacted the governor, I contacted the attorney general, I contacted the state auditor, I contacted the office of financial management, I contacted senators & representatives and I contacted the media about this "shall" law, meaning "ya gotta do it."
DEL managers claimed they did not have the computer ability to do it. Through public disclosure I received a spreadsheet of such a list and have now created a page on my blog related to revocations, suspensions and denials of child day care licenses in the state of Washington from 2001 to 2008.
In the olden days we typed up such lists. In that spirit I've created a new page on my blog to give the public the information the legislature required DEL to begin doing in 2007.
Cost to put it on this computer system, this Google blog? $0.00. Hours of my time? About 3 hours.
Spreadsheets don't copy easily, however, the basic information is listed so parents and other citizens see the work of child care licensing regarding revocations/suspensions/denials of child day care licenses and applications at least from 2001 to 2008.
The Records Retention Center requires these files to be kept 35 years. One good reason to do so is that a parent or citizen can determine the status of the day care person who they are considering leaving their child with and this is a treasure trove of data that can be mined to improve day care licensing processes, including being fair to the applicant and licensed provider.
I'll post more when received and I will also post an article when DEL puts such information on their 3 computer sites; and give them a big hearty thank for complying with this law.
I contacted DEL managers, I contacted the governor, I contacted the attorney general, I contacted the state auditor, I contacted the office of financial management, I contacted senators & representatives and I contacted the media about this "shall" law, meaning "ya gotta do it."
DEL managers claimed they did not have the computer ability to do it. Through public disclosure I received a spreadsheet of such a list and have now created a page on my blog related to revocations, suspensions and denials of child day care licenses in the state of Washington from 2001 to 2008.
In the olden days we typed up such lists. In that spirit I've created a new page on my blog to give the public the information the legislature required DEL to begin doing in 2007.
Cost to put it on this computer system, this Google blog? $0.00. Hours of my time? About 3 hours.
Spreadsheets don't copy easily, however, the basic information is listed so parents and other citizens see the work of child care licensing regarding revocations/suspensions/denials of child day care licenses and applications at least from 2001 to 2008.
The Records Retention Center requires these files to be kept 35 years. One good reason to do so is that a parent or citizen can determine the status of the day care person who they are considering leaving their child with and this is a treasure trove of data that can be mined to improve day care licensing processes, including being fair to the applicant and licensed provider.
I'll post more when received and I will also post an article when DEL puts such information on their 3 computer sites; and give them a big hearty thank for complying with this law.
The Marietta Daily Journal - Laura Armstrong Children dying in hot cars a rising phenomenon even in Cobb County
The Marietta Daily Journal - Laura Armstrong Children dying in hot cars a rising phenomenon even in Cobb County
I've blogged a number of times in the last couple of months about this rising tragedy of little ones dying in HOT CARS.
Checking the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) website, their Facebook Fan Page and their blog DEL Connect I find nothing alerting daycare providers and/or parents regarding this increasing national tragedy. I also found nothing on the Service Employees International Union (SEIU 925) giving a heads up, an alert to their community of day care providers.
Thus I blog again as May through August are the worst months for such tragedies to occur. A heads up and an alert as we may actually be getting warmer and then hot summer weather in the Pacific Northwest.
Do a roll call not a head count, call each name and hear each voice before closing that door on your daycare van or car.
I've blogged a number of times in the last couple of months about this rising tragedy of little ones dying in HOT CARS.
Checking the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) website, their Facebook Fan Page and their blog DEL Connect I find nothing alerting daycare providers and/or parents regarding this increasing national tragedy. I also found nothing on the Service Employees International Union (SEIU 925) giving a heads up, an alert to their community of day care providers.
Thus I blog again as May through August are the worst months for such tragedies to occur. A heads up and an alert as we may actually be getting warmer and then hot summer weather in the Pacific Northwest.
Do a roll call not a head count, call each name and hear each voice before closing that door on your daycare van or car.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Rob McKenna, Tom Robbins & unelected State Bureaucratic Managers, Betty Hyde, Bob Hamilton and Amy Blondin, DEL with 6/24/11 Update
FACT CHECK: McKenna campaigns with faulty data | Seattle Times Newspaper
The AP reported Rob McKenna's (Washington State Attorney General and candidate for governor in 2012) math was faulty in regards to curbing the costs of personnel in statement government.
It's one of those math calculations both by the AP reporter and Rob McKenna's campaign that reminded me of Only Cowgirls get the Blues, by Tom Robbins, Washington State author. In Robbin's book Sissy describes (page 31) how she feels about math problems: "If a hen and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half how long would it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick out the seeds in a dill pickle?"
Understanding government budgets can produce such a sentiment as Tom Robbin's character feels.
Math calculations aside McKenna makes the cogent and important point that there are problems with "personnel in state government."
As a one time, long time Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and the Department of Early Learning (DEL) insider and whistle blower McKenna's underlying foundational perspective has validity.
The costs in dollar amounts must be analyzed per RCW 41.06.169 in computing how state personnel manage state agencies in terms of performance evaluations: "...shall place primary emphasis on recording how well the employee has contributed to efficiency, effectiveness and economy in fulfilling state agency and job objectives."
This "shall" RCW is not on the radar of the unelected bureaucratic managers in my witnessing. A performance audit I would recommend to State Auditor, Brian Sonntag is to collect and report on the data on how many and which unelected bureaucratic managers received a performance evaluation let alone that this RCW was complied with.
My managers at one point (between times when I wasn't making whistle blower reports) sent me to take the week long Basics of Supervision training. It was touchy feeling, we were trained to view employees as though they might have mental health issues and the most important trait managers were to look for in an employee was "loyalty". No focus on we must operate per the laws passed by the legislature (like RCW 41.06.169), no focus on the citizens of Washington and no focus on that fact we are operating on taxpayer money.
Costs to the taxpayer and citizens that aren't in the data used by the AP report are the cost of lives of the children who were emotionally damaged, physically injured, permanently maimed and dead. The cost to their parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
My blog article April 25, 2011 entitled "Spending Taxpayers' money wisely & words from the day care provider who Killed Charlotte Wetzel" I sent to the managers of DEL with the intent that 14 month old Charlotte's death might move a heart in the agency responsible with overseeing child care licensing (my former agency with the usual name change).
Bob Hamilton, Deputy Director of DEL and for Amy Blondin, Communication Manager of DEL. Bob Hamilton makes $112,000.00 plus and Amy Blondin, $93,000.00 plus a year I learned per making a public disclosure request.
I also sent my blog article to Washington state senators and representatives, to Governor Gregoire, State Auditor Brian Sonntag and Attorney General Rob McKenna: "The budget dilemma cannot be analyzed only from numbers on a page."
My recent request for emails was to see if any of the unelected bureaucratic managers, none of whom I know personally from my time inside the bureaucracy to see if my historical knowledge and documentation would result in a thoughtful or critical thinking process.
Director of DEL, Betty Hyde on April 25, 2011 wrote to Bob Hamilton and Robert McLellan regarding my article about the death of 14 month old Charlotte Wetzel and spending taxpayer money wisely was: "More...Is this harassment?"
Bob Hamilton on April 26, 2011 wrote in an email string regarding my "Spending Taxpayers' money wisely..." post to Amy Blondin "I am just pleased that I make more than Amy." To which Amy responded, "You are hilarious!" To which Bob responded, "Life is hilarious, I just savior the opportunities."
In February 2011 I sent an email to senators, representatives, child care advocates, other agencies, Bob Hamilton and Amy Blondin about unlicensed care and DEL not posting revoked licenses on their website. Amy wrote in part to Bob: "We are all for sharing more data, but we at this time don't have the tools or staff capacity we would need to do that." Bob responded, "Thank you, Amy----are you busy?" Amy responded, "Nah, I'm bored."
You're collecting $93,000.00 with generous health and retirement benefits from the taxpayer and you're bored?
My annual salary when I worked for the agency was about $48,000.00 a year. I was not bored, not when my caseload was 260 and not when my caseload was at 100.
When the state legislature gave us an increase one year I sent a thank you card to our local representative. He called me at work to verify that it wasn't a joke, that I was a state worker, that a state worker actually was saying thank you to the legislature rather than the usual whining.
6/24/11 update to my article after hearing back from Amy Blondin:
What is easier is to calculate is the productivity and the quality of productivity produced by unelected state bureaucratic managers.
When citizens and taxpayers speak up to hold government of the people accountable the right action is to do a review of your work productivity and quality of work productivity rather than what is revealed in the emails quoted in this article that were obtained through public disclosure.
Amy Blondin responded on 6/23/11 after my article posted and email in the same vein as the previous emails. I responded that I would be pleased to write an article of the work plans currently being done to enact the Colby Thompson Act and increased monitoring now that the non-expiring license bill passed.
If Brian Sonntag and Rob McKenna both run for the office of governor and were to further address these issues I could see myself campaigning for both of them.
The AP reported Rob McKenna's (Washington State Attorney General and candidate for governor in 2012) math was faulty in regards to curbing the costs of personnel in statement government.
It's one of those math calculations both by the AP reporter and Rob McKenna's campaign that reminded me of Only Cowgirls get the Blues, by Tom Robbins, Washington State author. In Robbin's book Sissy describes (page 31) how she feels about math problems: "If a hen and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half how long would it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick out the seeds in a dill pickle?"
Understanding government budgets can produce such a sentiment as Tom Robbin's character feels.
Math calculations aside McKenna makes the cogent and important point that there are problems with "personnel in state government."
As a one time, long time Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and the Department of Early Learning (DEL) insider and whistle blower McKenna's underlying foundational perspective has validity.
The costs in dollar amounts must be analyzed per RCW 41.06.169 in computing how state personnel manage state agencies in terms of performance evaluations: "...shall place primary emphasis on recording how well the employee has contributed to efficiency, effectiveness and economy in fulfilling state agency and job objectives."
This "shall" RCW is not on the radar of the unelected bureaucratic managers in my witnessing. A performance audit I would recommend to State Auditor, Brian Sonntag is to collect and report on the data on how many and which unelected bureaucratic managers received a performance evaluation let alone that this RCW was complied with.
My managers at one point (between times when I wasn't making whistle blower reports) sent me to take the week long Basics of Supervision training. It was touchy feeling, we were trained to view employees as though they might have mental health issues and the most important trait managers were to look for in an employee was "loyalty". No focus on we must operate per the laws passed by the legislature (like RCW 41.06.169), no focus on the citizens of Washington and no focus on that fact we are operating on taxpayer money.
Costs to the taxpayer and citizens that aren't in the data used by the AP report are the cost of lives of the children who were emotionally damaged, physically injured, permanently maimed and dead. The cost to their parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
My blog article April 25, 2011 entitled "Spending Taxpayers' money wisely & words from the day care provider who Killed Charlotte Wetzel" I sent to the managers of DEL with the intent that 14 month old Charlotte's death might move a heart in the agency responsible with overseeing child care licensing (my former agency with the usual name change).
Bob Hamilton, Deputy Director of DEL and for Amy Blondin, Communication Manager of DEL. Bob Hamilton makes $112,000.00 plus and Amy Blondin, $93,000.00 plus a year I learned per making a public disclosure request.
I also sent my blog article to Washington state senators and representatives, to Governor Gregoire, State Auditor Brian Sonntag and Attorney General Rob McKenna: "The budget dilemma cannot be analyzed only from numbers on a page."
My recent request for emails was to see if any of the unelected bureaucratic managers, none of whom I know personally from my time inside the bureaucracy to see if my historical knowledge and documentation would result in a thoughtful or critical thinking process.
Director of DEL, Betty Hyde on April 25, 2011 wrote to Bob Hamilton and Robert McLellan regarding my article about the death of 14 month old Charlotte Wetzel and spending taxpayer money wisely was: "More...Is this harassment?"
Bob Hamilton on April 26, 2011 wrote in an email string regarding my "Spending Taxpayers' money wisely..." post to Amy Blondin "I am just pleased that I make more than Amy." To which Amy responded, "You are hilarious!" To which Bob responded, "Life is hilarious, I just savior the opportunities."
In February 2011 I sent an email to senators, representatives, child care advocates, other agencies, Bob Hamilton and Amy Blondin about unlicensed care and DEL not posting revoked licenses on their website. Amy wrote in part to Bob: "We are all for sharing more data, but we at this time don't have the tools or staff capacity we would need to do that." Bob responded, "Thank you, Amy----are you busy?" Amy responded, "Nah, I'm bored."
You're collecting $93,000.00 with generous health and retirement benefits from the taxpayer and you're bored?
My annual salary when I worked for the agency was about $48,000.00 a year. I was not bored, not when my caseload was 260 and not when my caseload was at 100.
When the state legislature gave us an increase one year I sent a thank you card to our local representative. He called me at work to verify that it wasn't a joke, that I was a state worker, that a state worker actually was saying thank you to the legislature rather than the usual whining.
6/24/11 update to my article after hearing back from Amy Blondin:
What is easier is to calculate is the productivity and the quality of productivity produced by unelected state bureaucratic managers.
When citizens and taxpayers speak up to hold government of the people accountable the right action is to do a review of your work productivity and quality of work productivity rather than what is revealed in the emails quoted in this article that were obtained through public disclosure.
Amy Blondin responded on 6/23/11 after my article posted and email in the same vein as the previous emails. I responded that I would be pleased to write an article of the work plans currently being done to enact the Colby Thompson Act and increased monitoring now that the non-expiring license bill passed.
If Brian Sonntag and Rob McKenna both run for the office of governor and were to further address these issues I could see myself campaigning for both of them.
Monday, June 20, 2011
I-Team: State Turns Blind Eye to Illegal, Unlicensed Day Cares - WI and the Colby Thompson Act in Washington State
I-Team: State Turns Blind Eye to Illegal, Unlicensed Day Cares - TODAY'S TMJ4
The Colby Thompson Act signed by Governor Gregoire in Washington State came about because of 9 month old Colby Thompson's parents, Jamie and Christopher's intent that unlicensed facilities caring for children would be addressed.
Like the Wisconsin story linked above, as a former child care licensor in Washington State, I witnessed the same turning of a blind eye to folks doing unlicensed care both by unelected state bureaucratic managers as well as by some licensed child care providers witnessing such businesses in their own neighborhoods.
Just as we want our hairstylist, our barber, our manicurist and our dog groomer to be highly knowledgeable about our care and our dog's care so do we want our children to be safe and healthy.
With a hairstylist, barber, manicurist and dog groomer we are only there a short period of time. The knowledge requirements for these professions are in depth.
Our children are left for 8 hours or more in homes and centers; and what do we know about these places and people within them? How do we know who to trust?
Being licensed is not a guarantee of quality as the state child care licensing agencies (under five different names in the last 18 years) has extremely serious quality control issues.
Child Care Resource and Referrals who get millions of federal and state taxpayer dollars...these agencies you call to find a child care provider have NO ACCESS to the histories in the state licensing files when they speak to you about day care providers. If a parent does ask (and many have including parents whose children have died in child care) they will be told to call the Department of Early Learning (DEL).
When you call DEL you will not get a detailed history on the home. Being told there are no valid complaints doesn't tell you if the facility has had violations or what kind.
Unless you use the words "licensing violations" the bureaucratic system employees will likely not offer the information; and then that history may be censored.
In addition, after I left the agency in 2006 the unelected bureaucratic managers ordered "inconclusive" no longer be used in complaint "investigations". In fact, the unelected bureaucratic managers in 2007 ordered that the word "investigation" no longer be used.
As a result "inconclusive" became "not valid" which further muddies the water and the information that parents so need to make health, safety and well-being decisions for their child.
The licensed child day care providers who I witnessed to have the best businesses meaning children were happy, engaged, healthy and safe were from the start...right-on quality business people.
It's the reason I tell folks looking to get a license who contact me to start with SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), get a free mentor there and write a business plan. Take some of their classes.
The State of Washington unelected bureaucratic managers took out of the Washington State Administrative Code (WAC) Family Home Child Care Business Regulation WACs the requirement to get annual training in October 2004.
Almost 7 years now and the managers have not put that educational requirement back in the WAC even though DEL stands for the Department of Early Learning. The irony.
I will be tracking how the unelected bureaucratic managers will enact the Colby Thompson Act and report back.
The Colby Thompson Act signed by Governor Gregoire in Washington State came about because of 9 month old Colby Thompson's parents, Jamie and Christopher's intent that unlicensed facilities caring for children would be addressed.
Like the Wisconsin story linked above, as a former child care licensor in Washington State, I witnessed the same turning of a blind eye to folks doing unlicensed care both by unelected state bureaucratic managers as well as by some licensed child care providers witnessing such businesses in their own neighborhoods.
Just as we want our hairstylist, our barber, our manicurist and our dog groomer to be highly knowledgeable about our care and our dog's care so do we want our children to be safe and healthy.
With a hairstylist, barber, manicurist and dog groomer we are only there a short period of time. The knowledge requirements for these professions are in depth.
Our children are left for 8 hours or more in homes and centers; and what do we know about these places and people within them? How do we know who to trust?
Being licensed is not a guarantee of quality as the state child care licensing agencies (under five different names in the last 18 years) has extremely serious quality control issues.
Child Care Resource and Referrals who get millions of federal and state taxpayer dollars...these agencies you call to find a child care provider have NO ACCESS to the histories in the state licensing files when they speak to you about day care providers. If a parent does ask (and many have including parents whose children have died in child care) they will be told to call the Department of Early Learning (DEL).
When you call DEL you will not get a detailed history on the home. Being told there are no valid complaints doesn't tell you if the facility has had violations or what kind.
Unless you use the words "licensing violations" the bureaucratic system employees will likely not offer the information; and then that history may be censored.
In addition, after I left the agency in 2006 the unelected bureaucratic managers ordered "inconclusive" no longer be used in complaint "investigations". In fact, the unelected bureaucratic managers in 2007 ordered that the word "investigation" no longer be used.
As a result "inconclusive" became "not valid" which further muddies the water and the information that parents so need to make health, safety and well-being decisions for their child.
The licensed child day care providers who I witnessed to have the best businesses meaning children were happy, engaged, healthy and safe were from the start...right-on quality business people.
It's the reason I tell folks looking to get a license who contact me to start with SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), get a free mentor there and write a business plan. Take some of their classes.
The State of Washington unelected bureaucratic managers took out of the Washington State Administrative Code (WAC) Family Home Child Care Business Regulation WACs the requirement to get annual training in October 2004.
Almost 7 years now and the managers have not put that educational requirement back in the WAC even though DEL stands for the Department of Early Learning. The irony.
I will be tracking how the unelected bureaucratic managers will enact the Colby Thompson Act and report back.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag might run for Governor?
Auditor Sonntag's fights for accountability irk fellow Democrats | Crosscut.com
I have had my sharp criticisms of Brian Sonntag and his office backing off from fully investigating my whistle blower reports related to the health, safety and well-being of the child in licensed child care and my reports of unelected bureaucratic DSHS managers concealing public records, removing documents from public files and ordering public records be altered whereby the managers had the original record destroyed.
I have also seen spot on audits about the child care licensing agency where I worked and my unelected bureaucratic managers who ignored the State Auditor's findings.
I more recently learned that my former union was the impetus on weakening the whistle blower program in 2006.
If voters from both parties do have a high regard for Sonntag his election success could provide, with the backing of Washington State's citizens, that something could happen with these out of control state agencies like DSHS as well as these so called collective bargaining unions that are not, in my research and opinion, unions.
The citizens of Washington State have a lot of power and using it could be history changing.
I have had my sharp criticisms of Brian Sonntag and his office backing off from fully investigating my whistle blower reports related to the health, safety and well-being of the child in licensed child care and my reports of unelected bureaucratic DSHS managers concealing public records, removing documents from public files and ordering public records be altered whereby the managers had the original record destroyed.
I have also seen spot on audits about the child care licensing agency where I worked and my unelected bureaucratic managers who ignored the State Auditor's findings.
I more recently learned that my former union was the impetus on weakening the whistle blower program in 2006.
If voters from both parties do have a high regard for Sonntag his election success could provide, with the backing of Washington State's citizens, that something could happen with these out of control state agencies like DSHS as well as these so called collective bargaining unions that are not, in my research and opinion, unions.
The citizens of Washington State have a lot of power and using it could be history changing.
Friday, June 17, 2011
AFSCME/WFSE...the story behind the story in Washington State
Government Employee Unions Undemocratic, Unfair, Unsustainable « Publius Forum
This blog article linked above brings in the historical backdrop to my personal, direct and experiential membership in the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees (AFSCME)/Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) in Washington State as a state government social worker.
The rank and file in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) were not clambering to their union representatives in 2004, "Hey, pass a collective bargaining bill in the legislature!" The union reps, and in particular, the one in my next of the woods, Don Barber was telling us this is going to be great! Inside the brick fortress in our oppressive maze of cubicles the feeling in the air was one of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
With supervisors in the state union the feeling had been in my time on the inside like being between a rock and a hard place. Rank and file attempts to utilize the union to improve the government system (and not by asking for more money) was met with resistance thus non-action was the result in attempting to improve services to the public...the taxpayer.
The union reps were friends with our union supervisors. What were supervisors even doing in the union? I got my masters in social work administration to improve the government system. I got pressure from my supervisor at that time not to take the "administrative" track in graduate school. Later I learned from one social worker moving up to the management level the requirements which by her accounting were you had to accept emotional abuse, work lots of overtime and you had to doorbell for the Democratic party.
I was a Democrat, I was a union member all my life and I was hugely appalled at this unwritten requirement to become a social work manager.
Needless to say I was never promoted to manager. I began my long journey of making whistle blower reports in 1998 (up through 2005) as well as reporting up my chain of command. Sitting in my boss' office for my weekly supervisory conference with a stack of child protective services referrals I was investigating in my lap, I had to wait while on the phone and on taxpayer money my boss discussed campaign strategy with the candidate whose campaign he was managing.
One year the legislature got wind of how terrible it was being a state employee and invited employees to testify to a legislative committee. Of course, I didn't get the invite because it came through the management channels. I happened to be watching TVW and lo and behold there testifying to the committee were my unit co-workers. How could they have not told me? Ah, yes, they were union employees, one a shop steward...all personal friends of our boss, a union supervisor.
One year in a lunch time celebration he bragged to the whole lot of us how he and his secretary knew how to break every personnel law on the books. Someone tried to mitigate his testimony because I was in the room and everyone knew I'd complain up the old chain of command. He said he didn't care that it would take five years to fire him and by then he'd be gone. He was right.
Once the mandatory collective bargaining bill was passed, employees were threatened with being fired if they didn't fill out that little card to have their dues automatically taken out of the their paychecks.
My recommendation to the Washington State legislature is to reverse what they did in 2004 and in the hearts of the rank and file they would be pleased. Right after the so called collective bargaining bill passed the union/management committee I was on in the child care licensing agency where I worked was immediately dissolved.
The romantic image many of us had of unions standing for justice and equality; and rights was certainly a mirage with AFSCME. If the legislature just reversed what they did, but add the piece that supervisors cannot belong to the union then it opens up the system for employees like me to utilize that creation for a bigger goal related to the health, safety and well-being of the public in Washington State. Before 2004 it was an option to belong or not belong, make that so again.
Do it with all the so called collective bargaining unions that came about because of bills in the legislature including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) whose been riding that gravy train for sometime.
The belief is that the unions brought about the 8 hour work day. In reading a book about Henry Ford, it was Henry Ford who brought about the 8 hour work day for a very pragmatic reason. If you're going to sell cars you have to give people time to drive them.
This blog article linked above brings in the historical backdrop to my personal, direct and experiential membership in the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees (AFSCME)/Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) in Washington State as a state government social worker.
The rank and file in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) were not clambering to their union representatives in 2004, "Hey, pass a collective bargaining bill in the legislature!" The union reps, and in particular, the one in my next of the woods, Don Barber was telling us this is going to be great! Inside the brick fortress in our oppressive maze of cubicles the feeling in the air was one of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
With supervisors in the state union the feeling had been in my time on the inside like being between a rock and a hard place. Rank and file attempts to utilize the union to improve the government system (and not by asking for more money) was met with resistance thus non-action was the result in attempting to improve services to the public...the taxpayer.
The union reps were friends with our union supervisors. What were supervisors even doing in the union? I got my masters in social work administration to improve the government system. I got pressure from my supervisor at that time not to take the "administrative" track in graduate school. Later I learned from one social worker moving up to the management level the requirements which by her accounting were you had to accept emotional abuse, work lots of overtime and you had to doorbell for the Democratic party.
I was a Democrat, I was a union member all my life and I was hugely appalled at this unwritten requirement to become a social work manager.
Needless to say I was never promoted to manager. I began my long journey of making whistle blower reports in 1998 (up through 2005) as well as reporting up my chain of command. Sitting in my boss' office for my weekly supervisory conference with a stack of child protective services referrals I was investigating in my lap, I had to wait while on the phone and on taxpayer money my boss discussed campaign strategy with the candidate whose campaign he was managing.
One year the legislature got wind of how terrible it was being a state employee and invited employees to testify to a legislative committee. Of course, I didn't get the invite because it came through the management channels. I happened to be watching TVW and lo and behold there testifying to the committee were my unit co-workers. How could they have not told me? Ah, yes, they were union employees, one a shop steward...all personal friends of our boss, a union supervisor.
One year in a lunch time celebration he bragged to the whole lot of us how he and his secretary knew how to break every personnel law on the books. Someone tried to mitigate his testimony because I was in the room and everyone knew I'd complain up the old chain of command. He said he didn't care that it would take five years to fire him and by then he'd be gone. He was right.
Once the mandatory collective bargaining bill was passed, employees were threatened with being fired if they didn't fill out that little card to have their dues automatically taken out of the their paychecks.
My recommendation to the Washington State legislature is to reverse what they did in 2004 and in the hearts of the rank and file they would be pleased. Right after the so called collective bargaining bill passed the union/management committee I was on in the child care licensing agency where I worked was immediately dissolved.
The romantic image many of us had of unions standing for justice and equality; and rights was certainly a mirage with AFSCME. If the legislature just reversed what they did, but add the piece that supervisors cannot belong to the union then it opens up the system for employees like me to utilize that creation for a bigger goal related to the health, safety and well-being of the public in Washington State. Before 2004 it was an option to belong or not belong, make that so again.
Do it with all the so called collective bargaining unions that came about because of bills in the legislature including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) whose been riding that gravy train for sometime.
The belief is that the unions brought about the 8 hour work day. In reading a book about Henry Ford, it was Henry Ford who brought about the 8 hour work day for a very pragmatic reason. If you're going to sell cars you have to give people time to drive them.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
State Rep. Ruth Kagi and the Manson Family
Business | State Saw Many Signs Of Trouble At Home Where 4 Infants Died -- Case Files Show Little Done Despite Warnings | Seattle Times Newspaper
No, not that Manson Family.
Four dead babies, 1 a daycare child, the other 3 foster babies. It was 1994 in Washington State, the same year 7 month old Jesse Hunt who had been in the Edith Goetz daycare home died.
After interacting with unelected state bureaucratic managers for almost 2 decades are representatives, senators, the state auditor and his staff, the governor and the attorney general numbed out about the deaths of children? Are feelings repressed? Does one dissociate in order not to grieve?
Rep. Kagi is listed as a "child advocate and public policy consultant" in the February 4, 1995 Manson Fatality Review Committee report. This report was the reason the legislature strengthened RCW 74.15 in 1995 adding a clear "intent" to the law that the health, safety and well-being of your children in state care was paramount over the right of someone to get a daycare license.
For parents and the public out there in readership land the "intent" gives assistant attorneys general, administrative law judges, superior court judges, appellate court justices and supreme court justices a heads up as to just what the legislature intended in passing the law.
The report recommended: "Regular reports of child fatality reviews should be made available to...licensors to increase their understanding of risks for children for whose well-being they are responsible." The unelected bureaucratic managers never did that in the 13 years I was a licensor.
In 2004, 2 year old Hailee Rhodes was slammed down in the playpen by licensed daycare provider Danette Zaring. Hailee suffered brain damage. I brought a card to our regional meeting and asked the managers if they would pass it around for the licensors and supervisors to sign to send to Hailee. They said no.
January 27, 2005 and February 9, 2005 I testified before Rep. Kagi's children's services committee about managers removing information from files, destroying records and not investigating applicants as required per RCW 74.15.030(2)(3)(b). I gave her a copy of a packet I found in a notebook from 2002 when I conducted the background clearances on applicants in Vancouver DSHS office. I discovered in 2005 it had been removed from the Jennifer Jones licensing file.
Rep. Kagi merely turned around and gave it to director Rachael Langen. The 1994 Manson Fatality Review report stated: "high priority must be given to formation and maintenance of files so that information is complete, easily accessible and useful..."
From 2002 when Christine Gregoire was attorney general to this present moment in 2011 with Rob McKenna as attorney general I have tried to get an official opinion on the record from these two top elected officials about unelected bureaucratic managers concealing, removing and destroying records in violation of the law.
Why won't they go on the record? Why didn't they and why didn't State Auditor Brian Sonntag investigate the concealing, removing and destroying records allegations I reported through the whistle blower program in 2002 and 2005 as well as up my chain of command; and through the House and Senate? It's a class C Felony.
The management mind set in 1994 that led to the deaths of those 4 unnamed babies and 7 month old Jesse Hunt continued to be the management mind set I witnessed through most of my 13 years as a daycare licensor. More about that in another article I will write.
In 2003 I had a good supervisor who allowed me to follow the law; and he didn't conceal, remove, didn't order records to be rewritten how he wanted them nor did he destroy records.
From 1989 in DSHS until towards the end of 2001 I had never been ordered to rewrite a record (whereby then the supervisor had the original destroyed). 2001 was the turning point.
Currently, the public disclosure process being done by the child care licensing agency, the Department of Early Learning (DEL), is centralized out of headquarters and is being done with integrity. And I just learned that licensing files on revoked licenses are required to be kept for 35 years. I have not been able to learn who made the request to the records retention committee which I would like to know as I want to give credit and kudos when high quality practices are done within the government agency.
Are we overwhelmed with guilt and grief about the many children who have been treated meanly, horribly injured and those that died...that forgetfulness, numbness and denial prevent the running of government as required by RCW (efficiency, effectiveness and economy) and we ignore what is paramount in day care licensing which is the health, safety and well-being of the child?
Is Rep. Kagi protecting herself from those feelings?
No, not that Manson Family.
Four dead babies, 1 a daycare child, the other 3 foster babies. It was 1994 in Washington State, the same year 7 month old Jesse Hunt who had been in the Edith Goetz daycare home died.
After interacting with unelected state bureaucratic managers for almost 2 decades are representatives, senators, the state auditor and his staff, the governor and the attorney general numbed out about the deaths of children? Are feelings repressed? Does one dissociate in order not to grieve?
Rep. Kagi is listed as a "child advocate and public policy consultant" in the February 4, 1995 Manson Fatality Review Committee report. This report was the reason the legislature strengthened RCW 74.15 in 1995 adding a clear "intent" to the law that the health, safety and well-being of your children in state care was paramount over the right of someone to get a daycare license.
For parents and the public out there in readership land the "intent" gives assistant attorneys general, administrative law judges, superior court judges, appellate court justices and supreme court justices a heads up as to just what the legislature intended in passing the law.
The report recommended: "Regular reports of child fatality reviews should be made available to...licensors to increase their understanding of risks for children for whose well-being they are responsible." The unelected bureaucratic managers never did that in the 13 years I was a licensor.
In 2004, 2 year old Hailee Rhodes was slammed down in the playpen by licensed daycare provider Danette Zaring. Hailee suffered brain damage. I brought a card to our regional meeting and asked the managers if they would pass it around for the licensors and supervisors to sign to send to Hailee. They said no.
January 27, 2005 and February 9, 2005 I testified before Rep. Kagi's children's services committee about managers removing information from files, destroying records and not investigating applicants as required per RCW 74.15.030(2)(3)(b). I gave her a copy of a packet I found in a notebook from 2002 when I conducted the background clearances on applicants in Vancouver DSHS office. I discovered in 2005 it had been removed from the Jennifer Jones licensing file.
Rep. Kagi merely turned around and gave it to director Rachael Langen. The 1994 Manson Fatality Review report stated: "high priority must be given to formation and maintenance of files so that information is complete, easily accessible and useful..."
From 2002 when Christine Gregoire was attorney general to this present moment in 2011 with Rob McKenna as attorney general I have tried to get an official opinion on the record from these two top elected officials about unelected bureaucratic managers concealing, removing and destroying records in violation of the law.
Why won't they go on the record? Why didn't they and why didn't State Auditor Brian Sonntag investigate the concealing, removing and destroying records allegations I reported through the whistle blower program in 2002 and 2005 as well as up my chain of command; and through the House and Senate? It's a class C Felony.
The management mind set in 1994 that led to the deaths of those 4 unnamed babies and 7 month old Jesse Hunt continued to be the management mind set I witnessed through most of my 13 years as a daycare licensor. More about that in another article I will write.
In 2003 I had a good supervisor who allowed me to follow the law; and he didn't conceal, remove, didn't order records to be rewritten how he wanted them nor did he destroy records.
From 1989 in DSHS until towards the end of 2001 I had never been ordered to rewrite a record (whereby then the supervisor had the original destroyed). 2001 was the turning point.
Currently, the public disclosure process being done by the child care licensing agency, the Department of Early Learning (DEL), is centralized out of headquarters and is being done with integrity. And I just learned that licensing files on revoked licenses are required to be kept for 35 years. I have not been able to learn who made the request to the records retention committee which I would like to know as I want to give credit and kudos when high quality practices are done within the government agency.
Are we overwhelmed with guilt and grief about the many children who have been treated meanly, horribly injured and those that died...that forgetfulness, numbness and denial prevent the running of government as required by RCW (efficiency, effectiveness and economy) and we ignore what is paramount in day care licensing which is the health, safety and well-being of the child?
Is Rep. Kagi protecting herself from those feelings?
Friday, June 10, 2011
Daddy Daycare Clips with these Wonderful Children
Wonderful examples of what not to do in your daycare and wonderful examples of what a loving engaging daycare environment can be. Kids are so great. This film is a keeper...also a good training film for anyone contemplating opening a daycare business. You see the learning curve these guys go through. A smile for you this weekend.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Christine, Rob, Brian and the Whistle Blower
Sonntag requests veto of performance audit fund raid | Washington Policy Center
Thank God for all the citizens out there in blogger land. Blogger land is providing more detail and depth than the mainstream media. I'm glad I ran across this article.
After this author, this whistle blower state employee got thrown off the DSHS unelected bureaucratic train in 2006 I became an entrepreneur out of necessity. It wasn't satisfying enough for these unelected bureaucratic managers paid by taxpayer money to retaliate against me on and off for 16 years as I periodically made my whistle blower reports...the retaliation continued after I no longer worked for the state government (I have the documents).
I must say being a small business person and entrepreneur to be a life giving creative endeavor and is providing me with a whole new education; and appreciation for that which is the backbone of the economy of the United States of America.
Me and Christine Gregoire, me and Brian Sonntag and to a lesser amount of time me and Rob McKenna have had over a decade long relationship...as me, the insider, the whistle blower going "Oh, Yoo Hoo! Something's going on in here."
I've been an insider witness for 22 years...speaking up off and on. There were a few years where I was allowed to fulfill my child care licensor duties which I owed to the taxpayer for paying me well and giving me benefits. One year after the legislature gave us a raise, I sent a thank you card to our local representative. He was so shocked he called me at work to see if it and I was real.
January 1994 7 month old Jesse Hunt died. I looked at that daycare licensing file and went, "Oh my God." 1998, 14 month old Charlotte Wetzel is murdered by her daycare provider. March 2000, 6 month old Nathan Slater killed by his daycare provider. January 2004, 2 year old Hailee Rhodes permanently maimed by her daycare provider. 10 months after I made a slew of whistle blower reports to the State Auditor as well as up my chain of command on December 1, 2005 18 month old Jaclyn Frank died at her daycare. These children, other children who were maimed and/or died, these and the many sad, sad faces I saw in daycare homes will forever haunt me.
It also drives me not to quit.
Christine, Rob and Brian are our top elected officials. They form a triangle. Maybe an iceberg?
Rob is the legal head honcho, holding the scales of justice in his hands, to tell these unelected bureaucratic managers to obey the laws.
Brian with his Sherlock Holmes cape and magnifying glass looks at agencies and programs to make a judgment...are all these taxpayer funded government bureaucracies obeying the laws enacted by the citizen legislators?
Christine appears to be the uber head honcho with a magnifying glass in one hand and the scales of justice in her other hand.
Christine in my detective work so far appears to be at the pointy top of the triangle with Brian and Rob at the base.
Deep Throat (Mark Felt) told Woodward and Bernstein (All the President's Men) to follow the money.
In my whistle blower investigations that I ended up doing myself, (and a few that DSHS Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams ordered to be done)I followed the documents and in particular I followed the email threads and, as young George Bush might say, Christine appears to be the "decider". Christine's point man, Christine's the top of the triangle, Christine's the tip of the iceberg.
Christine, Brian and Rob are all human beings with pasts and relationships. I've witnessed Christine being very kind and engaging with children. Through friends I am one degree of separation away from Christine, Rob and Brian. It can't be a coincidence that some of the most memorable friends I've had in my life hung out and/or hang out with these three people.
With that sidebar it is simply in the best interests of the 3 people anchoring the points of the triangle to have the resources to see that laws are enacted, obeyed with efficiency, effectiveness and economy (that's an RCW) and all of that be transparent immediately for the taxpayer to oversee how you three are using their money.
I say with all due respect and affection to the Governor, Governor Gregoire, please fully fund the State Auditor's performance audit program.
Thank God for all the citizens out there in blogger land. Blogger land is providing more detail and depth than the mainstream media. I'm glad I ran across this article.
After this author, this whistle blower state employee got thrown off the DSHS unelected bureaucratic train in 2006 I became an entrepreneur out of necessity. It wasn't satisfying enough for these unelected bureaucratic managers paid by taxpayer money to retaliate against me on and off for 16 years as I periodically made my whistle blower reports...the retaliation continued after I no longer worked for the state government (I have the documents).
I must say being a small business person and entrepreneur to be a life giving creative endeavor and is providing me with a whole new education; and appreciation for that which is the backbone of the economy of the United States of America.
Me and Christine Gregoire, me and Brian Sonntag and to a lesser amount of time me and Rob McKenna have had over a decade long relationship...as me, the insider, the whistle blower going "Oh, Yoo Hoo! Something's going on in here."
I've been an insider witness for 22 years...speaking up off and on. There were a few years where I was allowed to fulfill my child care licensor duties which I owed to the taxpayer for paying me well and giving me benefits. One year after the legislature gave us a raise, I sent a thank you card to our local representative. He was so shocked he called me at work to see if it and I was real.
January 1994 7 month old Jesse Hunt died. I looked at that daycare licensing file and went, "Oh my God." 1998, 14 month old Charlotte Wetzel is murdered by her daycare provider. March 2000, 6 month old Nathan Slater killed by his daycare provider. January 2004, 2 year old Hailee Rhodes permanently maimed by her daycare provider. 10 months after I made a slew of whistle blower reports to the State Auditor as well as up my chain of command on December 1, 2005 18 month old Jaclyn Frank died at her daycare. These children, other children who were maimed and/or died, these and the many sad, sad faces I saw in daycare homes will forever haunt me.
It also drives me not to quit.
Christine, Rob and Brian are our top elected officials. They form a triangle. Maybe an iceberg?
Rob is the legal head honcho, holding the scales of justice in his hands, to tell these unelected bureaucratic managers to obey the laws.
Brian with his Sherlock Holmes cape and magnifying glass looks at agencies and programs to make a judgment...are all these taxpayer funded government bureaucracies obeying the laws enacted by the citizen legislators?
Christine appears to be the uber head honcho with a magnifying glass in one hand and the scales of justice in her other hand.
Christine in my detective work so far appears to be at the pointy top of the triangle with Brian and Rob at the base.
Deep Throat (Mark Felt) told Woodward and Bernstein (All the President's Men) to follow the money.
In my whistle blower investigations that I ended up doing myself, (and a few that DSHS Secretary Robin Arnold-Williams ordered to be done)I followed the documents and in particular I followed the email threads and, as young George Bush might say, Christine appears to be the "decider". Christine's point man, Christine's the top of the triangle, Christine's the tip of the iceberg.
Christine, Brian and Rob are all human beings with pasts and relationships. I've witnessed Christine being very kind and engaging with children. Through friends I am one degree of separation away from Christine, Rob and Brian. It can't be a coincidence that some of the most memorable friends I've had in my life hung out and/or hang out with these three people.
With that sidebar it is simply in the best interests of the 3 people anchoring the points of the triangle to have the resources to see that laws are enacted, obeyed with efficiency, effectiveness and economy (that's an RCW) and all of that be transparent immediately for the taxpayer to oversee how you three are using their money.
I say with all due respect and affection to the Governor, Governor Gregoire, please fully fund the State Auditor's performance audit program.
Roll Call not Head Count - good Idea from a Texas Daycare
2 Texas children dead from being left in a hot car | children, hernandez, texas - KFDM-TV Channel Six
A baby dying in a hot car can happen in 10 minutes of forgetting. It's good to see this daycare owner stepping up with the observation roll call is better than head counting.
2 more children dead in a hot van, this time in Texas.
From the news report and a responsible idea from daycare owner Dina Hernandez:
"Hernandez is the owner and director of Groves Red Apple Day Care.Today they're going on a field trip. Hernandez has 53 children to look after...each one just as important as the next."
"We do a roll call by name, not by head count, because you could count the same child twice..roll call on the van and off the van," said Dina Hernandez."
As a licensor when doing complaint investigations on daycare homes where we were given a heads up of a provider being overcapacity and what they would do to hide children when the licensor came to the door, I know how hard it can be to do a head count on moving children.
These kind of daycare providers would delay letting the licensor in while the assistant sneaked kids out the backdoor or upstairs to hide them in closets like the former day care provider in Clark County, Connie King, whom the Department of Early Learning (DEL) did a settlement with rather than revoking her license. In addition, when I was her licensor prior to the name change of the child care licensing agency I wasn't allowed to complete my investigation or do monitoring on her business. Parents reported not being allowed to come into her house to get their own children.
While I quickly counted 13 children in the backyard and downstairs playroom the assistant "disappeared". The provider did not want me to go upstairs, she said it wasn't licensed "space". There were 8 children upstairs (no fire escape), 2 of them babies. 21 children and one adult. The maximum capacity in Washington State is 12 with an assistant for family home daycare.
Overcapacity and supervision is a serious health and safety issue in daycare.
An issue ignored for more than a decade by unelected bureaucratic managers in Washington State. Other states have the same lack of oversight and supervision regarding capacity.
Having the children vocalize and interact in a roll call activity is connection and community. It can be life saving in a hot car.
May through August are the worst months for babies dying in hot cars.
A baby dying in a hot car can happen in 10 minutes of forgetting. It's good to see this daycare owner stepping up with the observation roll call is better than head counting.
2 more children dead in a hot van, this time in Texas.
From the news report and a responsible idea from daycare owner Dina Hernandez:
"Hernandez is the owner and director of Groves Red Apple Day Care.Today they're going on a field trip. Hernandez has 53 children to look after...each one just as important as the next."
"We do a roll call by name, not by head count, because you could count the same child twice..roll call on the van and off the van," said Dina Hernandez."
As a licensor when doing complaint investigations on daycare homes where we were given a heads up of a provider being overcapacity and what they would do to hide children when the licensor came to the door, I know how hard it can be to do a head count on moving children.
These kind of daycare providers would delay letting the licensor in while the assistant sneaked kids out the backdoor or upstairs to hide them in closets like the former day care provider in Clark County, Connie King, whom the Department of Early Learning (DEL) did a settlement with rather than revoking her license. In addition, when I was her licensor prior to the name change of the child care licensing agency I wasn't allowed to complete my investigation or do monitoring on her business. Parents reported not being allowed to come into her house to get their own children.
While I quickly counted 13 children in the backyard and downstairs playroom the assistant "disappeared". The provider did not want me to go upstairs, she said it wasn't licensed "space". There were 8 children upstairs (no fire escape), 2 of them babies. 21 children and one adult. The maximum capacity in Washington State is 12 with an assistant for family home daycare.
Overcapacity and supervision is a serious health and safety issue in daycare.
An issue ignored for more than a decade by unelected bureaucratic managers in Washington State. Other states have the same lack of oversight and supervision regarding capacity.
Having the children vocalize and interact in a roll call activity is connection and community. It can be life saving in a hot car.
May through August are the worst months for babies dying in hot cars.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
SEIU 925/Day Care Associations - Kids Dying in HOT CARS
Day care vehicles regulation passed by House panel | Louisiana Politics | 2theadvocate.com — Baton Rouge, LA
Whether little ones are dying in hot cars in New Orleans where the day care association in Louisiana was opposed to requiring day care centers installing alarms in their vans; the histories of either the taxpayer unions and many day care associations show a lack of focus on child health, safety and well-being.
In Washington State the two combined.
Andy Stern, former president of SEIU nationally, learned what a cash cow state government was when he was a social services worker in state government. Thus began the rein of taxpayer unions attempting to fool the public by calling their bills that created them collective bargaining bills. They are not. SEIU 925, taxpayer union and the daycare association have intertwined in Washington State.
SEIU in my opinion and now my own personal experience is simply a legislative creation to continually feed SEIU taxpayer money through an accounting system set up by our state governments.
In my first hand experience I received no phone calls or literature in the mail that "union organizing" was happening. On my ballot I received in the mail I was told no voter or the public could be present for the ballot counting and any other writing on my ballot would make it invalid because the letter said it wouldn't be "secret". Additionally, the "secret" ballot procedure was not like a ballot we fill out for a general election. Highly suspect.
For the next legislative session reversing these taxpayer unions would be to the benefit of the taxpayer, day care providers, state workers
and parents. Only a small percentage knew this was going down and voted.
The recent child care legislative update on the SEIU 925 website related to day care was written by the president of a local day care chapter. The gist of the communication was isn't it great we don't have go through a renewal process every three years, isn't it great we have a mobile criminal history check we can take from job to job and isn't great that unlicensed folks will get some focus for being unlicensed.
Colby Thompson, permanently disabled at 9 months old and for the rest of his life, and his parents, were the reason the unlicensed bill got passed. They were not mentioned in the SEIU 925's website article.
Washington Parents for Safe Child Care who had been working on the FBI fingerprinting bill since at least 1999 was not mentioned. Stu Jacobson, president and parent; and a number of parents over the years worked on getting that bill passed. The work these parents did was not mentioned.
Will SEIU write an article on babies DYING in HOT CARS? It is on the rise since about 2006 with the requirement to put the kids in the backseat.
Google Jan Null at San Francisco State University to get more data about this growing tragedy. Please, get out the word to help prevent such a horrible death to a little one.
May through August are the worst months. Call 911 immediately if you see a baby alone in a car.
Whether little ones are dying in hot cars in New Orleans where the day care association in Louisiana was opposed to requiring day care centers installing alarms in their vans; the histories of either the taxpayer unions and many day care associations show a lack of focus on child health, safety and well-being.
In Washington State the two combined.
Andy Stern, former president of SEIU nationally, learned what a cash cow state government was when he was a social services worker in state government. Thus began the rein of taxpayer unions attempting to fool the public by calling their bills that created them collective bargaining bills. They are not. SEIU 925, taxpayer union and the daycare association have intertwined in Washington State.
SEIU in my opinion and now my own personal experience is simply a legislative creation to continually feed SEIU taxpayer money through an accounting system set up by our state governments.
In my first hand experience I received no phone calls or literature in the mail that "union organizing" was happening. On my ballot I received in the mail I was told no voter or the public could be present for the ballot counting and any other writing on my ballot would make it invalid because the letter said it wouldn't be "secret". Additionally, the "secret" ballot procedure was not like a ballot we fill out for a general election. Highly suspect.
For the next legislative session reversing these taxpayer unions would be to the benefit of the taxpayer, day care providers, state workers
and parents. Only a small percentage knew this was going down and voted.
The recent child care legislative update on the SEIU 925 website related to day care was written by the president of a local day care chapter. The gist of the communication was isn't it great we don't have go through a renewal process every three years, isn't it great we have a mobile criminal history check we can take from job to job and isn't great that unlicensed folks will get some focus for being unlicensed.
Colby Thompson, permanently disabled at 9 months old and for the rest of his life, and his parents, were the reason the unlicensed bill got passed. They were not mentioned in the SEIU 925's website article.
Washington Parents for Safe Child Care who had been working on the FBI fingerprinting bill since at least 1999 was not mentioned. Stu Jacobson, president and parent; and a number of parents over the years worked on getting that bill passed. The work these parents did was not mentioned.
Will SEIU write an article on babies DYING in HOT CARS? It is on the rise since about 2006 with the requirement to put the kids in the backseat.
Google Jan Null at San Francisco State University to get more data about this growing tragedy. Please, get out the word to help prevent such a horrible death to a little one.
May through August are the worst months. Call 911 immediately if you see a baby alone in a car.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
4-17-2009 Marilyn van Derbur interview-part1
1 out of 3 girls. 1 out of 4 boys. I met Marilyn Van Derbur in the 1990s in Portland, Oregon.
As I witnessed inside DSHS (The Department of Social and Health Services) and then as a child care licensor (the agency now known as DEL, Department of Early Learning) the unelected bureaucratic managers of the government of the state of Washington NOT investigate allegations of sexual and emotional violations done to children it was most gut wrenching and painful.
Marilyn Van Derbur was most supportive when I wrote to her expressing my turmoil and pain.
Marilyn said, "You can't quit, you must speak, you must tell what you see." And so I did.
I've documented over the years my journey "of telling" to elected officials, state representatives, state senators, governor Christine Gregoire, two attorneys general, Christine Gregoire and Rob McKenna and the state auditor, Brian Sonntag of Washington State what I witnessed. Some of those witnessings and documents went to Mary Meinig, Office of Children and Family Ombudsman, to two DSHS Secretaries, Dennis Braddock and Robin Arnold-Williams and up the chain of command to two directors, Rachael Langen and Jone Bosworth.
Some day care facilities where children were violated and emotionally abused were allowed to keep their licenses.
If your child or any child you know of; or any adult you know who was so violated as a child share this video with them. In addition, Marilyn, wrote a memoir and she has a DVD telling her story. Just listening to Marilyn's story is healing.
Marilyn has another DVD called Once can Hurt for a Lifetime. One act of betrayal of a child's body and soul can hurt for a lifetime.
Marilyn shows people can heal. It's true what Marilyn says in this interview, if you email her, she will email you back. When she got outted by the press in the 1990s she has since made this her mission in life...and she is good at it.
Pass it on...Marilyn is a wonderful person. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
Mean Mommy - Cory Tomovick
A friend, songwriter and singer, Cory Tomovick, was inspired one day to write this bluesy song after her six year old said to her, "Mommy, you're mean."
It will put a smile on your face this lovely sunny weekend.
Walt Disney's The Kid with Bruce Willis
What if the 8 year old you showed up to give you information about your childhood.
What would your 8 year old self say? How would they present? What would be their behaviors?
What happened to them at 8? And how did that affect the adult you?
Such a heart warming funny Disney film, great comedic timing by Willis and Breslin. Superb screenwriter, Audrey Wells and director, Jon Turtletaub.
I wonder what an 8 year old would think about this film?
Anyway, if you are in need of some smiles and laughter this is a good film to pick up for your summer viewing enjoyment.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Baby Talk, Bla Bla Bla!!!! - Baby Car Seat
Baby Talk, Bla Bla Bla!!!! - Baby Car Seat
A heartwarming reminder how wonderfully engaging babies can be and what happens when they are included in the conversation.
With the rising death toll of babies forgotten in HOT CARS (worst months are May through August), a gentle reminder of what precious little human beings we have in the backseat.
Deaths in hot cars have been on the rise since 2006 with the now universal requirement to keep kids in the backseat. Spread the word, please, and engage babies and children in conversation.
What a good dad here in this video.
A heartwarming reminder how wonderfully engaging babies can be and what happens when they are included in the conversation.
With the rising death toll of babies forgotten in HOT CARS (worst months are May through August), a gentle reminder of what precious little human beings we have in the backseat.
Deaths in hot cars have been on the rise since 2006 with the now universal requirement to keep kids in the backseat. Spread the word, please, and engage babies and children in conversation.
What a good dad here in this video.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Department of Early Learning (DEL) continues to HIDE from Parents VITAL Day Care Information
A 2008 "transparency" article I wrote about the Department of Early Learning (DEL) to give parents a heads up on child day care is reprinted below.
In 2008 the Department of Early Learning (DEL) was scanning in the violations found at a complaint investigation and posting on the DEL website. Observed licensing violations were never scanned in.
DEL quit scanning in violations they found in licensed day care.
Sources told me the so-called union, SEIU, which is merely a taxpayer union (meaning your tax money goes directly from DSHS and DEL to SEIU) complained so transparent information was removed from the website by DEL.
The information that might potentially show the greatest risk to your child are the valid child protective services investigations. They have never been posted on the DEL website, neither on the daycares who continued to hold a license or on the daycares who lost their licenses.
We would like to see the media apply more critical thinking skills and logic to their reporting on these matters rather than parroting a press release statement from DEL director Betty Hyde, deputy director Bob Hamilton and/or communications manager Amy Blondin.
The Fourth Estate is welcome to contact me for research or documents they might find useful as background source material.
Here's my 2008 post:
Is the Governor's Child Care Licensing Agency Schmoozing the Media?
Is the media critically thinking through what the government feeds them for a story? What is the media's responsibility to carefully review information before going with the story?
King 5 reported this week that parents are now better informed, that transparency has been improved as the child care licensing agency DEL (The Department of Early Learning) now scans in the "Facility Licensing Compliance Agreements" into their website.
The most vital information the Governor's office (its Christine Gregoire's agency now) does not give are the child protective services (CPS) investigations.
Most important for parents to know is that the department has allowed providers and facilities with "founded" CPS charges to keep their licenses.
The parent will not find "CPS" information on the Governor's child care licensing website.
The website even tells you that.
Additionally, in direct violation of law (RCW) the parent is not notified of the licensed child care providers and facilities have current denial, suspension or revocation action pending.
Parents will not find the names of child day care providers or day care facilities who had their licenses denied, revoked or suspended in violation of a 2007 law enacted by your legislature in Washington State, RCW 43.215.370.
Parents could be using these day care providers not knowing and having no information source to go to... to know the license was revoked or denied.
In 2008 the Department of Early Learning (DEL) was scanning in the violations found at a complaint investigation and posting on the DEL website. Observed licensing violations were never scanned in.
DEL quit scanning in violations they found in licensed day care.
Sources told me the so-called union, SEIU, which is merely a taxpayer union (meaning your tax money goes directly from DSHS and DEL to SEIU) complained so transparent information was removed from the website by DEL.
The information that might potentially show the greatest risk to your child are the valid child protective services investigations. They have never been posted on the DEL website, neither on the daycares who continued to hold a license or on the daycares who lost their licenses.
We would like to see the media apply more critical thinking skills and logic to their reporting on these matters rather than parroting a press release statement from DEL director Betty Hyde, deputy director Bob Hamilton and/or communications manager Amy Blondin.
The Fourth Estate is welcome to contact me for research or documents they might find useful as background source material.
Here's my 2008 post:
Is the Governor's Child Care Licensing Agency Schmoozing the Media?
Is the media critically thinking through what the government feeds them for a story? What is the media's responsibility to carefully review information before going with the story?
King 5 reported this week that parents are now better informed, that transparency has been improved as the child care licensing agency DEL (The Department of Early Learning) now scans in the "Facility Licensing Compliance Agreements" into their website.
The most vital information the Governor's office (its Christine Gregoire's agency now) does not give are the child protective services (CPS) investigations.
Most important for parents to know is that the department has allowed providers and facilities with "founded" CPS charges to keep their licenses.
The parent will not find "CPS" information on the Governor's child care licensing website.
The website even tells you that.
Additionally, in direct violation of law (RCW) the parent is not notified of the licensed child care providers and facilities have current denial, suspension or revocation action pending.
Parents will not find the names of child day care providers or day care facilities who had their licenses denied, revoked or suspended in violation of a 2007 law enacted by your legislature in Washington State, RCW 43.215.370.
Parents could be using these day care providers not knowing and having no information source to go to... to know the license was revoked or denied.
Do You Want to Know a Secret? Do you Promise not to Tell?
Do I hear the Beatles singing?
Teaching a community class for the last four years and checking on my "stats" on my blog the overriding interest is in government secrets and the government hiding information.
In my classes I'm uplifted to see the hunger and thirst, the curiosity the public has to understand why our governments charged with protecting the health, safety and well-being of children continually fail.
I often find that "regular" citizens often have more accurate information than many so called experts with three letters behind their names.
My articles this summer will answer those questions from the public I have talked with...to reach a larger audience out there in cyberland.
Unlike the Beatles you not only don't have to promise not to tell, our wish is for the reader to pass along the secrets and in some cases expose more of the secrets. You know who you are.
Check back in if you want to know some of the secrets of the unelected bureaucratic managers.
Teaching a community class for the last four years and checking on my "stats" on my blog the overriding interest is in government secrets and the government hiding information.
In my classes I'm uplifted to see the hunger and thirst, the curiosity the public has to understand why our governments charged with protecting the health, safety and well-being of children continually fail.
I often find that "regular" citizens often have more accurate information than many so called experts with three letters behind their names.
My articles this summer will answer those questions from the public I have talked with...to reach a larger audience out there in cyberland.
Unlike the Beatles you not only don't have to promise not to tell, our wish is for the reader to pass along the secrets and in some cases expose more of the secrets. You know who you are.
Check back in if you want to know some of the secrets of the unelected bureaucratic managers.
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