Looks like the cat is out of the bag, at SAUSD, as both the Times and the Register are reporting that the State Department of Education was contacted by email by someone who notified them that the district was not complying with a 9th grade class size reduction program.
According to Times reporter Seema Mehta, “When Santa Ana Unified Supt. Jane Russo called for the audit of the district’s embattled elementary school class size reduction program to also cover the ninth grade, she assured district trustees at their Tuesday meeting that no concerns had been raised about freshman classes.”
As it turned out, “the state Department of Education had notified the principal of Santa Ana High of someone’s complaint that the class size reduction policy for ninth grade was apparently being violated.”
Santa Ana High School principal Dan Salcedo told the state Department of Education that he would respond the next day. He didn’t. And apparently he didn’t tell the district about the issue.
SAUSD Trustee John Palacio had this response, in the Register, “If the district prepares these reports monthly, why don’t we address the issue as soon as we know the classes are over?” he said. “Why are we waiting until now?”
The Times quoted Palacio as well, “In the board meeting, we were told nothing was wrong with ninth grade, but we’re [expanding the audit] as the right thing to do,” he said. “Now we know otherwise.”
Isn’t it interesting that SAUSD School Board President Rob Richardson never comments on these stories? Like his ally, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, Richardson is never around, or on the record, when these disasters erupt.
The scope of this latest scandal appears quite wide, according to the Register, “From the start of the school year through the end of February, 55 of 401 freshman English and math classes at the district’s five high schools hovered above the state-mandated average of 20.4 students per class.”
The district stands to lose a lot of money as they receive “$204 yearly per student from the state if these high school classes are kept below an average of 20.4 students through the entire year.”
I would expect to see some heads roll at the district as the audits are completed over the next two weeks – at least that is what I would hope for. The district is teeming with overpaid, overstuffed administrators. Obviously more than one of them has been asleep at the wheel, and our kids are paying for it.
This scandal also calls into question SAUSD Superintendent Jane Russo’s ability. She has not been in place very long, but practically her entire tenure thus far has been marred by apparent corruption and district ineptitude.
The board spent a lot of time and money “searching” for a replacement for former Superintendent Al Mijares. You would think that they would have tried to hire a turnaround specialist. But instead they threw a ton of money at the inexperienced Russo – a first time superintendent with no doctorate in education. I thought at the time that the search was fixed and nothing has changed my mind about that in the interim.
At this point you have to believe that Russo’s job is in jeopardy. Quite frankly, I think the board ought to be restarting their search and this time they better be looking for someone who knows what he or she is doing. A turnaround specialist with AT LEAST a doctorate in education would be a good start.
On a related note, where is the local Latino press as these scandals continue to blow up? The last board meeting was covered only by my blog team, the Times and the Register. Where are the Latino TV reporters, La Opinion, and all the other Latino newspapers? Why are THEY asleep at the wheel? I am astounded by the lack of coverage. Latino families and children are paying the price as the district drops the ball, again and again. Why doesn’t this merit coverage from the Latino press?
Also, where are the local Latino leaders? Where are Oscar Garza, Carlos Bustamante, Miguel Pulido, David Benavides, Jose Solorio, and for that matter where are my friends from LULAC? Hardly anyone showed up at the last board meeting – and I would expect full on community outrage at this point. Is EVERYONE asleep at the wheel? I hope to see more faces at the next SAUSD board meeting. I know my blog team will be there.
UPDATE
Here is the list of candidates who submitted their name’s for Sal Tinajero’s seat on the SAUSD school board – why did NONE of them attended the last school board meeting? Will any of them be at the next meeting? If not, I hope they will NEVER again ask us to consider them for the school board:
- Roland Lujan
- Narinder Mahal
- Patricia Olvera
- Mark McLoughlin
- Oscar Garza
- Shane Barrows
- Frances Williams
- Yvette P. Aguilar
- Cecilia Aguinaga
- Ralph Arroyo
Russo continues to demonstrate that she is out of her league when it comes to being in charge of the largest school district in the county.
How much longer must we endure her incompetency and lack of transparency?
Supt. Russo was not forthright with her plea, to the board and the public, to expand the audit to include the ninth grade, at Tuesday’s board meeting.
I, for one, am tired of the endless Noji excuses. They must cease. This latest development only confirms clerical errors are not the problem. It’s [incompetent]human error.
It’s utterly astounding that Dan Salcedo shined off the state. His actions clearly send the message that he is above the law. Are all SAUSD admins incompetent? SAUSD principals pull in excess of $100K per year – they should know state procedures and they must be held accountable. At least, they should know to *communicate* with the Supt. when they receive an inquiry from the state. Has Salcedo been hibernating these past few weeks?
The community owes a debt of gratitude to the brave teachers who are coming forward and to the LATimes for continuing to keep this story front and center. And to this blog for offering a forum for teachers, parents and residents to add to the dialogue.
This doesn’t surprise me at all. There is almost nothing, in terms of special funding, that the district does correctly. As an employee of the district, I can tell you that we all know what’s going on and feel powerless to get the word out. This blog offers a glimmer of hope. No one is ever held accountable at the district. This is the most stagnant group of administrators that I have ever seen in education. The board fails to act and offers meekly worded statements in response to any crisis. I know there is concern that Russo does not have her doctorate, but that really doesn’t matter. Mijares had his doctorate and his leadership was non-existent. We’ve had principals with their doctorates, and that too had nothing to do with good leadership/management abilities.
The bigger issue is the complete cover up and lack of accountability in district operations. There needs to be a cleaning house and the following individuals need to go because they are part of the problem: Lopez-HR, Trigg-Budget, Bratcher-Secondary, Machado-Secondary, and Stainer-Elementary. All of these individuals have been directly involved with class size reduction.
And The LA Times says http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-classsize13apr13,0,1192390.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Hello… the only reason teachers don’t speak to the board, except Mr Palacio, is because they know the Board is bogus! I’m pretty sure they are tired of NOT being heard and well instead of going through the chain of command, they have to seek help somewhere else!
Thanks for the coverage, Art.
Is anyone else getting tired of Dr. Noji’s excuse making? She can’t be that stupid. Is she just devious or what?
Richardson is absent from the conversation. Typical SAUSD leadership.
Hernandez appears to be weak and gullible as he was quoted as saying the teachers won’t be intimidated. All he has to do is review the lawsuits past and pending to see how decent employees have been treated. For a lawyer, he doesn’t seem to have much intuition about criminal behavior.
The principals need to grow a spine and share what is really going on. If there are any honest ones at the high school level.
Is Lewis Bratcher going to comment or is he just going to send out Don Trigg out to lie again?
The principal of a school not returning email to the state is outlandish! Retire, already!
Special Education and ELD funds have been grossly mismanaged and the students have been shortchanged. This district is loaded up with scandals that have not even begun to emerge. As was posted on this blog before: this is only the tip of the iceberg.
The attorneys are part of the feeding on the system. The books need to be open now. SAUSD is headed down the path that other clueless districts have gone.
_________
http://specialedlaw.blogs.com/home/2007/04/fighting_propag.html
School Districts Often Litigate Special-Education Disputes to the
Bitter End Instead of Resolving Them.
The nearly bankrupt Ravenswood, CA school district paid $2.1 million
to an Atlanta law firm to defend a program a federal court found
grossly deficient. A Georgia school district spent $1.3 million in
fees to sue parents who had simply requested an Independent
Educational Evaluation for their child. After the district rebuffed
eight settlement offers, the parents finally received their evaluation.
A majority of states are out of compliance with IDEA’s most basic,
essential requirements. A recent GAO study of 31 states found that 30
had compliance failures. Over half were directly related to providing
critical services such as counseling, speech therapy, and assistive
technology.
The millions of American children with disabilities deserve the same
decent education that other children receive. Sadly, factually
incorrect articles encourage society to turn its back on these
children and reinstate the separate and unequal education the IDEA was
supposed to eliminate once and for all.
Selene A. Almazan, On Behalf of the COPAA Board of Directors
Anonymous #4, Principals are part of the problem!;( What’s really funny is, that Art has a good point, as to where are the Community Leaders in this scandal?! For example, Ch 34 Univision, was doing this call-in for, if you want to help your child in their education but for the LAUSD! Where are they covering this SAUSD scandal??? I saw a one minute briefing ,on this, last week on their tv station, that is simply not enough. City of Santa Ana has this new priority, it just launched, its launching free classes to learn English because its population is like 60% or 80% Spanish speakers. Get with it Mayor Pulido, if you want your city to be booming you need to start at your schools. How do you want to have everyone at your city to learn English but your school system sucks! Don’t expect great results from the $ your wasting at this new priority of yours, if you do not get with it in your schools! I hope you are in the next April 24th school meeting.
Please go to this website and contact each of your community leaders. FORTUNATELY, their emails are posted not like the SAUSD. Let your voice be heard.
http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/cao/default.asp
On the left hand side, under “Councilmembers,” click on each of your council member’s name and email away. Glad to be of service.
Look what the website says on Santa Ana Council Member, David Benavides,”David has been married for over nine years to Emily, a Santa Ana school teacher.” Where are David and Emily on this scandal?!?!?! I am very dissapointed;(
Great work Art! Don’t let up on Richardson and company. Where are Doy Henley and Dale Dickama and the other Lincoln Club fellas to condemn this scandal? The Chamber of commerce is also MIA! The City Council? I think it’s time for Michele to step up and speak out against the board! She is the only one with the guts to do it! This is WAY worse than anything Nativo ever did. Did you notice when Nativo blamed things on the the staff he was told the buck stops with him. Now that it’s Robbie Richardson as board President when all Hell breaks loose, he is allowed to look for little Oliver North’s to blame this one! Art…when are you going to pull the recall papers on these clowns! We need time to get the signatures..Let’s get the ball rolling….our kids can’t wait…it’s their future at stake!!
Russo is a joke except it’s not funny when she is telling lies to the public. She should be fired yesterday!
FYI – It was not a teacher that sent the email to the state but a regular ole Santa Ana resident with no family or friends employed by the SAUSD. I merely had a question about how the 9th grade CSR program worked. The state’s website says to contact John Merris-Coots if you have any questions. So I did. When he answered my question I informed him that I was aware of a 9th grade English class at SAHS that has 27 students enrolled in it and had added a substitute teacher in the room in order to “qualify the class” as CSR. The problem is…. the rules for the 9th grade classes are different than the rules for the K-3. It does not matter how many teachers you add in the classroom. The class can have NO MORE THAN 22 students enrolled in it. PERIOD. It is a very simple rule. Really not that hard to understand if you have at least a high school diploma.
Mr. Salcedo responded within an hour to the State. He advised Mr. Coots that he would get back to him the next day. Why didn’t he? I suspect the first thing he did was call the district to tell them that he had an inquiry from the state. You know damn well he is not going to respond to them without letting the district know and getting their approval on EXACTLY how to handle the inquiry. My bet is that he was told not to respond. They needed to figure out how to handle this and that was going to take time. The next thing that happens (6 days later)… Russo announces at the board meeting that the audit will be expanded to the 9th grade. Where did this FABULOUS idea come from? A light bulb went off in her head or an INQUIRY from the State Dept of Education? What do you think? Can the timing be any more suspicious?
I think Ms Russo is not being honest. The Board needs to do the right thing and hire an outside firm to do an investigation to determine the facts of this scandal. Does the audit accomplish this? I don
I have had it with Audrey’s excuses. She has consistently defended SAUSD and now she defends Dan Salcedo without knowing the facts. She blamed the Washington School teachers for NOT going to district officials before speaking to the State and the media before she knew that they, in addition to the teachers’ union, did bring this up to the District as far back as Feb. Yet, even with all the documents that have now been made public, she continues to defend district officials. Even Rob Richardson said on Tuesday night that if the audit’s final report find wrong doing, then those involved must be held accountable.
Board member Palacio has been the District’s most outspoken critic on this CRS mess. I was glad to see that Richardson and Hernandez come out and say something is wrong.
My question to Noji is this: Why does she continue todefend the District when the evidences so clearly suggests that blantand fraud has been committed? Something is wrong here. I think it’s time for a recall.
Face it. SAUSD administration and Board of Education are incompetent. They have not been able to balance a budget in years. They don’t know how to hire and train professional staff. They make up excuses at every turn. They hire their family members, their best friends and anyone who is willing to break the law, if it will solve a problem. Irvine taxpayers and parents demand accountability. SAUSD has never had to be accountable to anyone. That is why they dont even return phone calls. A principal not returning a phone call to an agent of state funding? How is that competent and professional. And sadly, that kind of non action is typical of what this district does daily. Hopefully the community is sick of it this time.
Irvine is competent – Apr. 13, 2007 10:45 AM Remove Comment
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The district has no qualms about ripping off the state funding system. And they don’t have any qualms about ripping off the community by shortchanging the kids on the promises of giving good educational services. Noji just makes excuses for criminal and incompetent decisions. Richardson is nowhere to be found.
u r being ripped off – Apr. 13, 2007 10:32 AM Remove Comment
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http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1651253.php
Art, that’s a good question. The
Spanish media needs to be covering this story. Our Spanish speaking parents need to be fully informed as to what is happening in their school district.
And how about the city council? Mayor Pulido? Where is everyone?
Concerned Santa Ana Resident,
Thank you for putting this issue to the state. You are a hero to this community.
Audrey is tone deaf to any critic whether it be teacher, parent, student or commununity member.
She is the poster for SAUSD school board term limits!
What is the “Audit” suppose to do?
Is it the first step in a pathway for? Mass firing of administrators, school staff, board members and oversight committee members?
Who has the capabilities to step in and replace an entire branch of local government?
This is better than day time soap opera
Great job Art!
I like you wonder where are the leaders. With the exception of Board Member John Palacio all the others have remained silent.
Palacio is showing the type of leadership that our community desperately needs. He is looking real good for that Ward 3 city council seat.
I am dumbfounded by the silence of all those that were so loudly heard during the days of Nativo. As Claudio’s recent piece pointed out, most if not all of the leaders of that junta are real quiet now.
This scandal is only going to get worse. I hear rumors of a boondoggle regarding huge money being spent in anticipation of grant money that is never coming.
These are all happening on the Richardson Cabal’s watch. They must be held accountable along with those like Mike Metzler that acted as their enablers.
Firing Russo and Trigg should just be the start of the housecleaning. Next the AG’s office should come in and investigate and perhaps prosecute those involved in this criminal operation.
When are people going to learn that it is NOT the job of the City Council to run the Schools? Their job is to run the City. Unless or until the City takes over the schools, it is the School Board’s job to run the schools.
The Mayor and/or City Council members, Chamber of Commerce, etc. have no authority to tell the School Board what to do unless they have children in SAUSD, and speak as parents. School Board members don’t tell the City Council what to do as School Board members. If they speak, they speak as residents of Santa Ana, just like everyone else.
And quit comparing this to the Nativo stuff. It was PARENTS that got that started and were out collecting signatures before they asked anyone else for help.
Fine. If the city council doesnt care to weigh in, then they are part of the problem. Hiking up taxes and school bonds affects every member of the community.
If the city council turns a blind eye to the problem then what is the average tax payer supposed to do?
I think the council and mayor should register their objections to how the school district is being run and if they dont have the courage to do so, then voters should take that into account.
Cowardice is not what is needed now. Stand up and be counted.
“The Mayor and/or City Council members, Chamber of Commerce, etc. have no authority to tell the School Board what to do unless they have children in SAUSD, and speak as parents”
Really?
Then why did Mayor Pulido say “Schools:We’re implementing creative solutions to improve education” if he has no authority?
http://ocvote.org/election/gen2006/5221-1.pdf
Why did Mike Metzler and Victoria Betancourt and other Chamber members form High Schools Inc?
When the fit hits the shan, they all play duck and cover.
I challenge them all to speak out at the April 24 school board meeting.
I know I will along with many, many others.
Our community deserves better.
On Monday, will Christine Anderson be visiting the High School campuses and apologizing to the teachers for the apparent screw up?
Until the community as a whole comes together for the sake of their children, there will be silence.
The lack of awareness of the problem by the Spanish language news is just a mystery.
Here is the contact information for the executives for the major outlets:
http://www.impremedia.com/contact/
Maybe the hispanic community has been conditioned to just accept what little scraps the district has allowed them to have. Maybe the community just doesn’t realize yet that they deserve better. Much better than lies, fraud and incompetence that causes the system to mistreat their children and those that want to teach them.
#19
You’re absolutely correct about the city council and/or Chamber having any jurisdication over the running of the school district.
However, ALL council candidates and the mayor consistently campaign about improving schools. Time and again they prop up the schools to their advantage.
The level of hypocrisy belongs at everyone’s front door.
Last time I checked the schools are filled with “our youth” and Council member Martinez has remained silent on this most pressing matter.
Why not a town meeting to discuss this concern???
Thomas: I overhead heard the Mayor say he wants the troops out of Iraq. That’s great given that he’ll have the authority to override the President’s veto. Think before you type…..the Mayor has no role/authority whatsoever over the school beyond the power of persuasion that all residents have.
THINK BEFORE YOU TYPE.
#24
Michele Martinez IS awesome.
However you chose only her name out of dozens of other possibilities.
Mayor Miguel was right out there with Mijares when Nativo was the controversy.
Where is his voice now?
Let’s see if any of the city “leaders” show up at the next board meeting – if only to listen and observe what is going on in the “Education First!” city school system.
A copy of the official press release announcing Russo’s appointment as Interim Supt. in July 2006.
Does the BOE still maintain its geatest confidence in Supt. Russo?
What’s the community’s level of confidence in the BOE and Supt. Russo?
———-PRESS RELEASE ———
Contact Person: Juan M. Lopez
Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources
714) 558-5555
July 20, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANE RUSSO NAMED INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT OF SAUSD
SANTA ANA, CA – At a special Board meeting of the Board of Education ofthe SAUSD last evening, July 19, 2006, the Board voted unanimously toappoint Jane Russo as the Interim Superintendent, effective August 1,2006.
The Board expressed great confidence in Ms. Russo’s ability to lead the District during this transition period upon the recent resignation of Dr. Al Mijares. Upon Dr. Mijares’ recommendation, Jane Russo was recommended Deputy Superintendent in 2005. Dr. Mijares leaves the SAUSD
after nearly 12 years as the Superintendent to take a position of Vice President of the College Board’s Western Region.
The Board of Education considered the options of appointing a top level administrator from within the District versus appointing a retired Superintendent from another District as the Interim Superintendent. The Board believes that during the period in which the search process is being conducted for the permanent Superintendent; it is important to
maintain consistent forward progress and therefore, the most appropriate solution was to appoint the Deputy Superintendent to serve in this
capacity.
At the Board of Education meeting of July 11, 2006, the Board approved the process to receive Requests for Proposal to appoint an executive search firm to conduct a comprehensive nationwide search for the Superintendent position. Those proposals will be reviewed and the Board of Education will meet at a special meeting on August 8, 2006, to
appoint the search firm.
Ms. Russo has an extensive successful career as a teacher and an administrator for 33 years, 21 of those years in SAUSD. In SAUSD, she served as an Area Administrator, Principal, Assistant Principals,
Curriculum Specialist, and Intermediate and High School teacher. During her tenure as a district office administrator, she was recognized as California Administrator of the Year by the Association of California
School Administrators. Before returning to SAUSD in 2005, she served four years as an Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services with the Mountain View School District.
#24
Mayor Pulido recruited Richardson to face off against Nativo Lopez in the recall election.
Pulido has plenty of *influence* over the school board.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1651253.php
There is no legitimate chain of command. Christine Anderson gets sent out to try and put out fires because the real culprit or culprits won’t admit to what they have done is wrong. Jane Russo knows about the fraud at both levels and like a deer in the headlights she is paralyzed. Then the predictable excuse making begins lead by that boob Dr. Noji. The same Noji that covered for the last internationally publicized fraud that the principal at Saddleback so boldly committed. Noji said she would look into the matter. Fat Chance. Now new charges of fraud are met with her same weak response. She does not care about the Santa Ana community. Resign. You are shameful. Axe Lopez for being such a big liar,too.
Incompetents – Apr. 14, 2007 12:14 PM Remove Comment
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Why does no one step up to the plate and accept responsibility for this? Whether it be the school board and or district administration, who is accountable? Who is minding the store? The district is absolutely paralyzed right now while waiting to see where the axe will fall. While we might like to blame individual site administrators, this is a problem throughout elementary and secondary schools. Have you noticed a common thread in all district and school board responses? It’s not my fault! With the elementary CSR discrepancies, the response has been that it’s just a misinterpretation of the state requirements. Yeah, right! With the 9th grade discrepancies now bubbling to the service, the focus seems to be on achieving the correct teacher student ratio for the balance of the school year in order to be in compliance. Yeah, right! The common thread is gross incompetence at the district level and an appalling lack of regard for the students’ best interests. It is truly shameful.
SAUSD Employee – Apr. 14, 2007 08:55 AM Remove Comment