Teachers' union takes aim at board member Dunn
By Kyle Jorrey kjorrey@theacorn.com

With just one more day of classes before summer break in Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), the teachers' union and school board member Mike Dunn are no closer to reaching a compromise over the union's allegation that Dunn is guilty of unfair labor practices. The charges relate to Dunn's activities last December, when he attempted to poll district teachers about when they would like winter break to start.

In a statement released Friday, the Unified Association of Conejo Teachers said it had rejected efforts to settle and would continue pursuing charges it filed with the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) in March against Dunn and the school district.

"The Association will continue the unfair labor practice charge against Mr. Dunn and the district, as we have a fiduciary responsibility to our members to ensure that the law is followed and that their rights under the Education Employment Relations Act are preserved," the statement said.

Union president Susan Falk said she was disappointed that talks between the two sides hadn't produced a viable solution, leaving the case in the hands of PERB.

"We tried to resolve it without spending money because we want the money to go into the classroom, but things just didn't work out," Falk said. "We put the offer on the table, the four other board members signed, and Mike Dunn has refused to sign."

The union said it offered to settle with Dunn if he put in writing that he was wrong for polling the teachers and wouldn't do it again, and if he would be willing to take training classes offered by the California School Board Association. The union also asked that the other board members sign a document "repudiating the illegal actions of Mr. Dunn," which they've already done, and that the entire settlement be read into the permanent record at a board meeting, which took place Tuesday.

Dunn, who's been at odds with the union virtually since his election in November 2004, was clear that he had no intention of agreeing to any compromise that included what he called "reeducation."

"First of all, I don't need to be reeducated, and I'll tell you why. The other board members are educated and they vote 'yes' 100 percent of the time," Dunn said. "That's not doing their job."

Dunn said he didn't believe the union's offer was a fair compromise, although he continues to admit that he made an unknowing mistake when he polled the teachers over the calendar issue.

"I think the whole intent of their offer was to embarrass and harass me," he said. "They're the ones wasting money because they filed this frivolous charge against me," said Dunn, who stated he's been advised by CVUSD attorney Bruce Barsook that PERB will not likely decide to file a complaint against the district after reviewing the details of the case.

"I believe and the attorney believes, that PERB will not issue a complaint against me," Dunn said.

If they don't, the trustee said, "This is the vindication I'm looking for.

"I want to be able to sit there and go to the voters and say the teachers' union harassed me with this frivolous accusation and the Public Employee Relations Board decided that it was," said Dunn, who's not up for reelection in November. "I want vindication after all the crap they put me through . . . walking around my house at 3 a.m. wondering if I was going to have to go to jail or not."

Falk said she's having a hard time understanding Dunn's actions.

"We thought what we offered would be a positive compromise for everybody," she said. "We all want this controversy to end so everyone can be allowed to move on to what's important-educating our kids."

The dispute between Dunn and the teachers' union remains a thorn in the side of departing Superintendent Robert Fraisse, who said he really hoped the issue would be resolved before new Superintendent Mario Contini reports for duty July 1-an outcome that seems unlikely now. "What this problem does is it

creates a negative energy, and I was hoping that wouldn't be around by the time Mario got here," said Fraisse, who added that he thought any mediator would suggest "exactly what's on the table" currently.

PERB can now accept the case and order mediation, or reject it. There's no timeline for when PERB will come back with its decision.