Councilman Said He is "Hurt" By Mediocre Teacher T-shirts

Manassas Park Councilman Bill Treuting said he was “hurt” by the shirts worn by several teachers during the May 3 public hearing on the city’s budget.

 Several teachers wore black shirts with the phrase, “Mediocre Teacher?” printed on the front and, “Education Matters” printed on the back along with a Cougar paw.

 The first phrase was apparently a reference to comments Treuting made during an Apr. 5 city council budget work session, where he said: “I am more concerned with people who can inject drugs into my body when I’m having a stroke or (those) who have the use of deadly force, than I am about having another mediocre teacher. ”

 Treuting said he did say those words, but they were taken out of context and he wasn’t calling any teachers mediocre.

 " (They think) I was calling all teachers mediocre; that is not what I said, nor was it my intent to call the teachers mediocre," Treuting said. “If any of the teachers misunderstood what was said, I apologize to them as I did not, nor was it my intent to call them mediocre.”

 "Really, to an extent I was hurt by the mediocre teacher shirts," Treuting said. "I've known some of these teachers from the time my children were in school, so to have these people think that I have marginalized them in some way, yeah it does hurt."

 In the days immediately following Tuesday’s meeting, many residents became upset because they said Treuting didn’t apologize to the teachers during the public hearing, but instead read a prepared statement.

 "Why am I apologizing for something I didn't say?" Treuting said during a Thursday interview. "Something was taken out of context ... they still feel I am calling them mediocre."

 Treuting said that his Apr. 5 statements were in reply to statements made by Manassas Park City Schools school board members and staff who were present.

 School board members said they were not able to hire the best or keep the best, he said.

" ... It was the school board that said they are not able to hire the most competent teachers and now they aren't able to keep the most competent teachers," Treuting said.

 It should also be noted that his comments were in response to proposals made by Councilmen Suhas Naddoni and Preston Banks, Treuting said.

 Instead of the 2-cent tax levy, Naddoni wants to raise taxes and Banks wants to furlough city employees, Treuting said.

 Treuting said he was saying that he wasn't going to risk losing good firefighters, police and EMT employees in favor of giving money to the schools for more teachers.

 During the Apr. 5 discussion, Treuting said Mayor Frank Jones asked about an apparent error in the school division's budget numbers.

 School division staff had recorded a number that understated the school division’s revenue by $150,000 to $175,000.  At Tuesday’s public hearing, school board Chairman Michael Wine said that division staff came back and said they had, in fact, made an error and there was more revenue than was stated.

 "The schools are fully funded, they have all the money they have asked for," Treuting said.  The proposed fiscal year 2012 budget gives an increase of $2,181,000 to the school operating budget ... There are two things that I demand: Fiscal responsibility and quality education."

 Quality education is comprised of more than just "pretty buildings," he added.

 Treuting said he feels that some people don't understand the roles and responsibilities of the city council, the school board and the school division's administrative employees.

 The tax rate is city council's responsibility and the schools control their own budget, he said.

 Treuting said the $126,000 that is at the center of the debate is actually a very small amount in the overall amount of the school budget. More money than that was found by school staff in correcting a line item, he said.

 After  the May 3  public hearing, Treuting said he had the chance to speak to many Manassas Park residents.

 "I think there is a lot of misinformation floating around," he said. "What is heard is only a snapshot."

 Many people asked him why did the city build the Manassas Park Community Center when it is supposedly hard up for cash, he said. 

 In actuality, the community center pays for itself and it’s good for Manassas Park, he added.

City council is set to approve the Fiscal Year 2012 budget on May 24.