Times recaps chaos at Westminster School District
The Times today published an excellent recap of the ongoing disaster at the Westminster School District. While the article skirts around the labor problems that may lie at the center of this storm, note that the Westminster Teachers Association (WTA) president, Janet Brubaker, readily admits her animosity towards Sergio Contreras, one of the board members who continues to support Kimoanh Nguyen-Lam for the open superintendent position.
At this point, I think that Nguyen-Lam may have sealed her fate with her public comments and actions. However, the board is dysfunctional and I suspect that there will be major turnover at the next election. It is apparent that this crisis has brought Asian and Latino voters together, and together they will take over the board if they can come up with enough quality candidates. I also suspect that the WTA will pay for their role in this disaster. Their slate of candidates id doomed.
The Times article is too long to summarize, so I am presenting it here in full:
Westminster School District Lives in a Furor
Westminster’s dispute over the hiring of a superintendent is only its latest problem.
From the Los Angeles Times
By Seema Mehta and Mai TranTimes Staff Writers
June 18, 2006
In Westminster, an Orange County melting pot that started as a Presbyterian temperance colony more than a century ago, school board meetings have grown so nasty that some members receive police escorts to their cars afterward.
Five high-level administrators in the Westminster School District have quit, contract negotiations with the teachers union are at a stalemate and, two years ago, the district nearly lost millions in funding when it balked at adopting an antidiscrimination policy that protects transgender students and staff.
The latest uproar came last month, when the board hired a respected Vietnamese American educator as the district’s new superintendent and then, a week later, rescinded the offer without explanation.
Leaders in Westminster’s prominent Vietnamese community were furious, and parents now worry that the constant dysfunction and chaos in the district will inevitably trickle down to the classroom.
“We have a very lovely little school district. It shouldn’t be like this at all. It wasn’t until recently, very recently,” said school board member Jo-Ann Purcell. “It will be a long time before this district gets back on its feet.
“The Westminster School District, which has an $80-million budget, serves 10,000 students in kindergarten through the eighth grade in Westminster and some portions of Huntington Beach, Garden Grove and Midway City.
Reflecting those communities, the student population is diverse: Asians make up a third of the enrollment, Latinos nearly 39%, and whites about 20%.
For a district in which nearly half of the students are English-learners, and many are from low-income families, the schools have tested relatively well in English and math proficiency, state education figures show.
Parents and teachers fear that may change if school administrators and teachers continue to leave because of the turmoil. The district’s last superintendent, Sheri Loewenstein, announced her resignation in November after 16 months on the job.
“It’s getting to the point that it’s really affecting the morale of the district,” said PTA president Mariela Bridgewaters, who has five children, ages 8 to 18, and whose husband, Karl, plans to run for the school board in November.
“Eventually, it’s going to affect the kids.”
A half-century ago, the Westminster area was a middle class, largely white suburb of Los Angeles surrounded by orange groves and bean fields.
In the decades since, those crops disappeared to make way for neighborhoods and a steady influx of residents
The article says that students are scoring well on math and English testing despite only half of the student population being English proficient.
That’s excellent!
It looks like whatever personnel and personality issues there are at the administrative levels, it is not disrupting the classrooms.
That’s a good thing.
I wish we could have a controversy like this in my school district here in Santa Ana so our horrible test scores would rise out of the toilet!
A little pajarito just told me that Nuguyen-Lam has hired Frank Barbaro. Frank will milk this mess for all its worth – and the Westminster school board has it coming – but how will the WTA fare in all this?
“A little pajarito just told me that Nuguyen-Lam has hired Frank Barbaro.”
Frank is Nativo Lopez with a law degree!
Hey Art, what are your thoughts on Sergio Contreras, an anti-union Democrat, are you going to praise him now? Your anti-union poison is spreading across party lines now. At least we got James Reed, a Republican who has seen the light.
2:05,
Sergio is not an anti-union Dem. He is in fact a member of the SEIU, if I have my facts right. What he is doing is standing up for the children and the families in his school district. The teacher’s union on the other hand has put greed ahead of good. They have erred and you will see this fall the fruit of their labor as they will lose any pull they had on that board – for years to come. That is too bad because the teachers themselves deserve a new contract – but if they were smart they would choose a new union president, replace the rest of their leadership, and start over.
Let’s look at the 3 anti-Nguyen Votes:
Two: Pucell & Reed tend to support the WTA. I do believe that the union has something to do with this, but I am not sure what. I do know they hate Sergio, which is amusing since he works for SEIU and has spent the bulk of his career working for Unions in support of working people.
What about Ahren’s change of heart? My sources say that she was allegedly pressured by the Reps because of her registration.
If the Reps wanted to kill Dr Nguyen-Lam’s political career, it just backfired.
I agree with Art (5:22 post)” but if they were smart they would choose a new union president, replace the rest of their leadership, and start over.”
The WTA president, Janet Brubaker, will lead the teachers off a cliff this November. Conservatives and Libertarians would be foolish to vote for WTA candidates this fall. In normal years, most wouldn’t have any idea they were voting for the WTA backed candidates. But this year will be different. Dems such as Demmother would also be unlikely to turn out for the WTA candidates. Where is their base going to be? Most of the WTA members don’t even live in the district. Janet has dug a very steep hill to climb and if I were a WTA member, I would be pissed as hell at her.
Art,
You are correct, I would hardly call Sergio an anti-union democrat. He used to work for SEIU but before the election (which he won) my understanding was he quit his job. Sergio is a good friend of mine, and I praise him for sticking up for whats right.
Great Job Sergio, keep it up!
I agree with the analysis of 7:43 pm anon. State CTA can’t be happy this unit has screwed the pooch.
Of note, GG Councilmembers Janet Nguyen and Mark Rosen(along with Supervisor Lou Correa) were in attendance at the rally supporting Nguyen-Lam. Assemblyman Van Tran was……..AWOL. Anyone know where he was?
Maybe Tran was out walking precincts for Daucher – as she has no name ID in the 34th, a head start on the general is a good idea. Perhaps Tran can also show her what a Taqueria is. Maybe that is why she was not at the meeting either – she was out getting acquainted with Santa Ana’s finest tacos!
Has Janet Nguyen come out in support of hiring Dr. Nguyen-Lam?
She was seen at the protest for Kim Oanh Nguyen-Lam, but when asked she said she was still undecided. So she essentially showed up to look good for the Vietnamese community, yet is claiming she is still undecided to please the GOP cohorts.
Anon at 6:18 wishes SAUSD could have a controversy that would raise test scores. Elect a school board that will fire the current superintendent.
You can start by NOT voting for Audrey Noji this Nov. She’s in favor of keeping Mijares; the supt. who decided NOT to tell parents about the gang shooting that took place adjacent to Spurgeon Intermediate. School was out for the day, but students were still on campus.
A supt. who’s tenure has been riddled with mismanagement problems regarding its voter-approved taxpayer bond and forced a 4% teacher pay reduction due to mismanagement.
The Mijares reign has been detrimental to the academic success of SAUSD and it’s time
to toss the board members who keep supporting his failed ways!
Van Tran was at a Fundraiser in Newport Beach for one John Woo. It seems that Van Tran., although being so close to the rally at the time it was happening showed his true colors when it comes to supporting the Vietnamese Community. Instead of demanding answers from the school board on the Termination of Dr Lam-Nguyen, Van decided to hang out with his Republican Handlers to demonstrate his loyalty to them and their money. Van has become more and more distant from this community over the last two years. The community should know that in July 2003 Van’s “Wife” was arrested along with several others on approximately 13 felony counts of Insurance Fraud for running medical mills and charging Insurance Companies for treatments that were never performed. This occurred after a twp year investigation. Are we to believe that Van did not know of his wife
paul lukas — learn how to spell. it’s jack wu, not john woo. that’s the woo the dems loved during the clinton years.
van tran, andy quach, janet nguyen = minor league gop pawns.
take a look in san jose. that’s where the real future lies with madison nguyen.
Madison Nguyen’s website shows that GOP Garden Grove School Board Members Lan Nguyen and Trung Nguyen endorsed this young up and coming Democrat in San Jose. Have these two GOPers come out in support of Dr. Nguyen-Lam?
WHERE WAS TAN NGUYEN?
STILL CELEBRATING HIS SURPRISING WIN?
Anon 10:18, yes they have come out in support of Dr. Kim Oanh Nguyen-Lam. They spoke at the meeting where the decision was recinded. The only two Vietnamese elected officials who have been completely silent on this issue is Van Tran and Andy Quach.
Van and Andy are so full of themselves! They will never come out for one of their own, even if she is a Democrat. She has ten times the intelligence they do and they can’t stand it. She is also doing much for the community here while Van is busy living in Sacramento.
I uderstand Van has also been telling members of the community that this has nothing to do with the state and he does not want to get involved. If that is true, then he is showing his true colors: Van is out for Van. No one else.
That
Anon 7:57
Looks like Van has jumped on the “I don’t deal with local issues, I only deal with State/Federal issues” bandwagon. He must have taken lessons from Loretta Sanchez. She is known for telling constituents this line when they want her to step in on issues such as eminent domain. That is what she told residents in Garden Grove when Broadwater threatened to bulldoze their homes. I am glad to see this mentality is bi-partisan. You go Van Tran, when you run against Loretta I know to choose none of the above.