Cecialia Aguinaga contacted me this week with the news that she has changed her schedule and will now be available to participate in the Santa Ana Education Foundation Forum for Santa Ana School Board candidates, coming up on October 26. She had previously indicated a conflict that was going to prevent her from attending the forum.
I hope that Aguinaga will be able to participate in the forum. There are only three candidates running, and two of them are incumbents, John Palacio and Audrey Noji. Santa Ana residents need to hear from all of them as there are only two seats up for contention.
Aguinaga has not yet heard back from Bernedette Medrano, the director of the Santa Ana Education Foundation, but I am sure she will. Medrano, I believe, will allow Aguinaga to participate.
I am looking forward to the forum, at which my co-blogger, Claudio Gallegos, and myself will be serving as co-moderators.
To set the record straight, the Santa Ana Education Foundation extended a verbal invitation to Ms. Aguinaga on Sep. 12 (at the school board meeting) requesting that she attend the Candidate’s Forum.
On September 30th at 7:54 am she advised via email that she would be attending. (She also copied Art Pedroza)
We are still awaiting her Candidate Information Form.
Respectfully, Bernedette Medrano
I have known Cecilia Aguinaga for years because of her dedicated work with Santa Ana young people and I am so happy that she is running! As a long time Santa Ana resident myself, I know we need change on the school board. Our district is falling apart and we don
Great idea!
Vote only for Cecilia and help get rid of Noji.
Noji kept Mijares too long as the Supt. for SAUSD, even though there was a near state takeover due to Mijares’ mismanagement. Moreover, there have been millions of dollars in legal fees due to his mismanagement.
Santa Ana needs less cronies like Noji and more people who really care about kids like Cecilia!
I, too, have know Cecilia for years and she’s the candidate we need to advocate for parents. Her dedication and longtime involvement with the PTA has prepared her for this task.
Dr. Noji refused to send her son to a SAUSD high school because she believed her child deserved the opportunity for a quality education.
Dr. Noji .. ALL SAUSD students deserve that same opportunity and you have not delievered.
Sixteen years is enough.
Cast your vote for Cecilia Aguinaga on Nov. 7
To be fair, Cecilia sent all her children to private school, none graduated from a Santa Ana public school. So her and Noji see eye to eye on that issue.
Noji was an elected SAUSD board member when she sent her son to Irvine Unified. Ms. Aguinanga sent her children to private school as a private citizen.
Furthermore, Noji’s latest campaign letter dances around the fact that she sent her son to Irvine Unified. The campaign letter she sent out earlier this week reads…”My husband, Gene, and I are the proud parents of our son, Randall, a former Santa Ana Unified student..”
Noji’s decision to send her son to IUSD clearly sends the message that SAUSD falls short of academic standing and her son deserves better.
Too bad she squandered 16 years failing to make the schools better for all students and serve her constituents to that goal.
#1 …”requesting that she attend.” That’s not an invitation. That’s a command.
I don’t care if Cecilia or Noji opted out not to send their kids to SAUSD schools; that’s they personal choice as parents.
The face of SASUD for the last 16 years has been Audrey Noji and she should be held accountable for those 16 years of service.
The watchword is ACCOUNTABILITY.
During her tenure the number of schools entering PI has skyrocketed to over 40 schools; the district failed to meet its graduation rate for 2005-06; fiscal mismanagement led to a 4% decrease in teacher pay and delay of COLA; overcrowded classrooms plague the lowest performing high school and; her allegiance to the lowest performing administrators is baffling since she describes herself as an experienced educator.
Noji’s 16 years on the school makes her a professional politician. A politican who has placed self-preservation and retention of power above the business of ensuring equal opportuntity for all students, for a quality public education.
Her leadership, as an elected school board members, is not necessary to SAUSD.
Vote Cecilia Aguinaga on Nov. 7.
Yes, accountability is the watchword. It’s sporting to see how Dr. Noji threads the needle regarding her 16 years on the board.
The return to a traditional calendar was fiscal driven due to declining enrollment.
Three new schools opened because voters approved Measure C.
Noji claims she’s responsible for raising the graduation requirements to the highest in the county. How many seniors failed to graduate in 2006 due to lack of meeting grad requirements and/or not passing CASHEE?
Let’s talk about accountability and her 16 years on the school board.