Keller Ditches School, Gets Paid. Nobody Notices.
As a salaried teacher, Pam Keller is required to turn in a form to her boss whenever she is absent from work at the Fullerton School District. But unlike every other teacher, Pam has no boss and doesn’t answer to anybody, even the Superintendent.
Since we know that Pam was out for a dozen-or-so days over the last few years attending various civic events relating to her councilperson duties, we decided to ask the school district to produce those absence forms that Pam turned in.
The response from Assistant Superintendent Mark Douglas was nothing but a big pile of mush. He claims that the district looked for the forms, although he never acknowledges that he couldn’t find them. But he didn’t send them to us, so it’s reasonable to assume that Pam never turned them in.
Notice how Douglas tries to pass the buck along to the Fullerton Collaborative, as if a private organization is responsible for enforcing the school district’s rules on it’s own teachers. He never bothers to explain how Pam’s 60% employment is relevant or why Pam’s relationship with the Collaborative would give her a special exemption from the rules.
So now we know that Pam did not use her sick/personal days while she was out. She got paid even though she wasn’t at work and her sick time continues to accrue indefinitely. Teachers have been known to build up an entire year of sick time before they quit, leaving taxpayers on the hook for salary, pension and benefits for days never worked.
Some day, long after the Collaborative’s relationship with the school district is gone, Pam Keller will retire as a teacher. She will cash out all of those unused sick days at the expense of the taxpayer. We end up paying twice for all of her silly junkets, and the celebration of unaccountability continues.
Well, this is just about what you’d expect. Everyone looks the other way for Keller.
This whole mess could simply be avoided by the District PUTTING KELLER BACK IN A CLASSROOM.
And of course the simpletons on the Collaborative Board who seem to enjoy paying twice as much as necessary for an ED (who refuses to fill out her own on-line calendar), could solve the problem too by hiring their own Director and putting said Director in an office off FSD property.
Grants and donations come and go, so who cares if they are used efficiently? Nothing wrong with skimming a little of the top, if you know what I mean.
I think I’d like to get an explanation from Mr. Minard about all this incestuous stuff.
It looks to me like almost every principle of accountability is being ditched.
Minard has been told by his handlers to shut up about the Fullerton Collaborative. He’s only allowed to talk about pensions on FFFF.
Admin, I think it’s time for a robo call, don’t wait till election season, let the voters know about the scam before the cover up begins.
If Keller is out of the classroom 60% of the time then is she designated by the FSD as an out of the classroom teacher who directly supports the instruction at her school? Or is she just a part-time employee for FSD and thus probably not eligible for benefits and accruing sick time. If she only is working part-time for FSD and receiving full-time benefits then she and her fullerton collaborative are defrauding the FSD and the state’s department of education. maybe I’ll kick this question up to the state and see what they say about this peek-a-boo teacher.
Keller is double-dipping because one person can’t be two places at the same time.
This is fraud a grounds for termination. The superintendent of schools has to account for the time he takes off as does every employee of the district. If not, one would be taking time off on the taxpayers dime and outside the scope of her contract.
If the school board is going to allow this to go on they have abandoned their responsibility to the voters. I hope the fact the board may like this person does not cloud their judgment to the point Pam Keller is allowed to commit a theft of district funds.
Does the school board know about this?
I love the conspiracy ramblings from blog attorneys.
It reminds me of all lawyers when I was in the Navy.
We called them sea lawyers. They were all experts. Just ask them.
Those that know will understand.
Follow the FFFF Collaborative posts backwards, Elroy. Keller is paid and benefitted by FSD as a teacher. Only she doesn’t have to follow any of the rules that teachers have to follow. Now why is that?
It’s because she has carved out a sweet little niche for herself where she makes up the rules, is unaccountable to anyone, has no boss, sets her own wage, fundraises to pay herself (laundered through FSD), sets her own hours, has to adhere to no professional standards; in short, answers to nobody and does whatever she damn well pleases. That’s not the way public employees are supposed to operate (except maybe in your “quit bitching and get a government job” Valhalla).
On top of that Keller can’t even be bothered to update her lousy website calendar of events – a sure admission that there is no real interest in public “collaboration.”
Someday let’s share our Navy stories, 4th SD Observer.
@Joe. I love your terminology. “Laundered” was truly a coffee through the nose moment. It tells me you are prone to conspiracy theory. You then go on to state it’s not the way government employees are supposed to operate. According to who, you? When did your opinion become the sole arbiters of proper behavior for anyone. Do you follow her around? That’s what your claim of “doing whatever she damn well pleases” implies. Again I get back to my earlier claim of blog attorneys. Is she doing something illegal? Is there impropriety (as stated in your “laundered” claim)? If so, there might be grounds for concern. So far all that is present is grumblings on an obscure internet blog that is unhappy with her for any number of reasons. None of which have to do with her governance of the city. Which by all appearances seems to be operating just fine given the constraints affecting all of us.
Lastly, I have no idea what point you are making when you stated “quit bitching and get a government job” Valhalla, unless you were making a feeble attempt at displaying for high school age children the concept of free association.
This is the typical carpings of a group that claims to embrace not only conspiracies in the dark by a cabal of supposedly inept bureaucrats (but who are quite effecient at their keeping their conspiracy functioning). But who also make the claim they are for “limited” government. Which is code for wanting government to be limited to them.
@VP
Would rather not. Spent four years in very mundane positions in several land based assignments. Never set foot on a ship after basic.
Elroy, Keller raises money as ED of the Collaborative that is paid to FSD for her services. Why take it around the horn? Oh yeah, so Pammy can keep being a public employee and rack up teacher’s benefits without being a teacher. Sweet deal huh? Got it?
Suck that coffee back up later. You may use a straw.
She does whatever she damn well pleases. She has no boss to tell her what to do, so it obviously follows that she does what she damn well pleases. Even you can figure that one out. Sweet deal, huh?
She bugs out to three day conferences without notifying her employer. But she’s Pam and doesn’t have to follow no stinkin’ rules. Sweet deal, huh?
And finally as a taxpayer and citizen I do have the right to an opinion about the behavior of supposed public servants. You may think it’s okay for them to go gallivanting off without telling their boss; in fact you may think its okay for them not to have a boss at all. I don’t.
Well, obviously our opinions differ.
Joe,
The tone of your rhetoric only proves one thing. Pam could be doing all the things you claim she isn’t doing and you’d still be bitching about something else. You make all these claims about what she doesn’t do yet provide no proof other than your opinion. Her position as ED might just involve more than your claims. It might involve her working late at night or not at the office, or weekends. Do you know she doesn’t actually do that? You do realize in this era many folks do work outside of an office at odd hours? Don’t you? Do you know for a fact that isn’t the case here? So unless you are following her around 24 hours a day, seven days a week recording her every move, your claim is just so much blabber. It is obvious your dislike for her goes way beyond any issue doing with her employment.
I have no idea of the purpose of the Collaborative or how it’s funded. Nor do I care. I’m sure there is a reason for its existence that you are overlooking for any number of reasons. If she is paid via the FSD, then it isn’t taken around any horn. This is more of your conspiracy implications. Like any organization, not everyone is working in a position that is directly related to the actual product of the organization. How many pharmaceutical executives are actually making pills? How many auto execs are actually building cars? Are all police officers in the street enforcing the law? I could go on with examples but I’m sure you still wouldn’t understand.
As far as her trip to a League of Cities event. That has nothing to do with the topic of this thread. What it really shows is the original premise of my writing is correct. You just don’t like the fact she is in elected office and is popular with her constituents and seems to have many friends who don’t feel the need to criticize one’s actions from the safety of an obscure blog.
You are most certainly allowed your opinions about any organization or individual. That doesn’t make them valid. You provided accusations without substance other than hyperbole.
So how come she can’t update her website calendar?
Under normal circumstances I would assume that you were Sharon Kennedy. Except that your know how to spell.
BTW. Ms. Elroy, what do you think of your gal Keller blowing $1200 bucks on a three-night League of Cities hotel bill -26 miles from Fullerton?
I get it. Typical of wackos to boil things down things to a syllogism.
If one doesn’t agree with them in lock step, one must be part of the opposition.
Thank you for confirming what I already suspected regarding the mindset of those on this blog and it’s contributors.
Syllogism? Ooooh big word.
The “opposition” are boohoos who suck up any bullshit ladled out to them by con artists like Keller who coughs up empty slogans upfront then happily screws her constituents.
For instance: maybe you can explain her Jefferson Commons vote and her solicitation of money from the developer for the “Collaborative” that pays her “salary.” Go ahead, give it a try.
Back to this thread. Her “job”: a deal where you get paid like teacher and then dodge any actual work or responsibility required of a teacher. Bail out on the rules all the other teachers have to follow. Oh yeah, we all get it. Even her colleagues get it.
Keller’s shameless record of self-promotion and complete lack of responsibility has finally been documented and illuminated in public. And that drives you crazy.
Sorry, crazier.
You will never understand the mindset of this blog and it’s contributors because you are a brainless lackey. And worse, you like it.
Didn’t take long for your true colors to be revealed.
My vocabulary goes beyond two syllables. You respond with an insult. I was raised to believe intellectual ability was admired. Apparently you weren’t.
You only helped prove my point that your points have no merit.
I’ve yet to see proof of any illegality or impropriety beyond your parochial (another big word) perspective (two in one sentence).
Thank you.
True colors? I can’t understand why it took you so long to figure them out. It’s not like I’ve ever held back my contempt for Keller and all her cult of personality gaggle of Political Whatevers.
Now, I’m leaving this thread.
And instead I’m writing a Pam Keller Recap Post – all we know about your girl. Thanks for the inspiration.
And then you can hurl all your syllables at that one, too.
Yup, They’re pretty inept all right – when it comes to doing their jobs. When it comes to circling the wagons and CYA they’re a lot more ept.
Of course having nincompoops like Jones, Keller and Bankhead on the council sure makes it easy. So come to think of it maybe they’re not even all that good at covering up. Is the fig leaf even necessary if no one is looking?
#11, So long as the Navy stories involve haze grey and under way and not violations of the don’t ask don’t tell policy