Editor’s Note: I ran this article a couple of weeks ago and am bringing it back, with edits, as it refers to a meeting that is taking place today.
Assemblyman Jose Solorio is having a Town Hall Meeting about education today, Nov. 14, at the Santa Ana Council Chambers…and get this, the meeting will take place from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Just who does Solorio expect will show up to such a meeting, during the work day? Surely not working parents.
“Assemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Santa Ana, organized the meeting with an eye toward the upcoming legislative session, when education will almost certainly be a central focus. But he said he also hopes community members come away from the meeting inspired to get involved on a local level,” according to the O.C. Register.
What community members Jose? Most folks will be at work!
The town hall meeting is taking place in the wake of last night’s SAUSD school board meeting, where the main topic was budget cuts. “Santa Ana’s school district has proposed $17 million in budget cuts this week because of declining enrollment, another measure of the dwindling student population in Southern California coastal counties,” according to the L.A Times.
Those budget cuts are going to hurt. “Although no decision has been made, “ultimately, the kids will lose. You have larger classes and less materials,” said John Palacio, a school board member.”
“You are cutting these schools down to nothing, and it makes it hard for them to operate,” Therese Mims, one of the 10 parents on a 63-member committee that proposed the budget cuts, said.
According to Solorio’s press release, “The Town Hall will include a panel discussion with educators, administrators and community leaders regarding the recent studies on California’s educational system and ways to finance, reform and improve local schools. Results of the recent “Getting Down to Facts” studies can be viewed at this link.”
According to the “Getting Down to Facts” website, “The focus of the research will be on enduring and pressing questions in education policy, particularly those related to finance and governance; human resources such as the skills, recruitment and retention of effective teachers and administrators; the reduction of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic achievement disparities; and the needs of immigrant students and English Language learners. “
All that sounds well and good, but take a look at the panelists – they include Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, who asked Councilman David Benavides to pull a resolution in support of the Dream Act from a recent Council meeting. The same Mayor Pulido who has repeatedly endorsed SAUSD Trustee Rosie Avila, who recently slammed immigrants in a Register editorial letter. And Pulido has likewise appointed Minuteman Lupe Moreno to the Santa Ana Public Library Advisor Board. Now we are supposed to believe that Pulido cares about “the needs of immigrant students?” Yeah right!
The panelists also include SAUSD Superintendent Jane Russo. That should be good. The research in question found that school administrators in California are overburdened with regulations. They don’t spend enough time on curriculum and education matters. According to the research report, “California
It is obvious why this meeting is being held in the morning. That is so that parents AND teachers cannot attend. The district cannot have those two groups meet together. Movements might start and heads will roll if parents and teachers begin to mix.
Solorio just wants to hold this meeting for a bullet point on his next election flier. He is part of the Pulido cabal that refuses to hold the BOE accountable.
This morning meeting time is a lot worse than an afternoon meeting time to discuss the gang problem. A post 6:00pm time slot would pack the council chambers.
JEEEZ, why is Solorio such a bad assemblyperson!? Why does he only cater to HIS needs and not of the community he has sworn to serve?
Why call it a town hall meeting if the town can’t show up? We all know the only people showing up will be people on the taxpayers dime.
I agree — a terrible time to host a town hall meeting where you would hope parents would attend.
This Jose Solorio is another little man with a big ego.
Maybe his pal Miguel Pulido will suggest French lessons for everyone on the public’s dime?!
Assmblyman Solorio skipped the perfect opportunity to bridge the chasm between educators, parents and teachers. His choice to conduct this town hall meeting at 9am merely provides comfort to the lot of so-called educators who should be talking with parents, teachers and community, one-on-one, about the educational crisis facing the Golden State.
Shame on you Assemblyman Solorio.
Adriana –
They don’t want parents to attend this meeting. Haven’t you ever wondered why there is NO cohesive parent group in the county’s largest school district?
There’s a reason Miguel refused to send his eldest son to Willard, the worst intermediate school in the county, and settled on shipping him off to school in neighboring Orange.
Education is important and so is parental input and involvement.
If officials are serious about getting input from parents and teachers, I don’t care what their political persuasion, then they would schedule events like this when they can show up.
From what I gather lately the old slogan of Santa Ana pride, concerning education, has been taking a beating.
No cohesive parent group in the district?
Not even among the more afluent?
Disgraceful.
No wonder officials schedule events when its more convenient for THEM.
If you don’t like the slant, or anything else, of the education of your kids, shipping them to schools out of town may be easy and convenient, but is it best?
Show some interest in improving what’s close to home and not only your kids, but your neighbors kids will benefit.
Just a few thoughts, but what do I know?
I’m a bachelor. ;-D
Anon #4, of course, I know that they don’t want parents to attend, but one would hope that Jose Solorio would be astute enough to want to listen to genuine parental concerns. When he was a student activist at UCI, I’m sure that he would have been angry about meetings arranged during prime class times. He seems to have lost his edge or hope.
And what about his wife? Doesn’t she teach in SAUSD? Does she not advise him about these things or what’s going on there? Maybe she’s the kind of teacher who isn’t available to meet with parents.
This guy probably wants to be the next Fabian Nu
Why can’t parents or a parent go to this meeting during a work day?
If it is important you make the time.
I can
Cook –
Is your posting a joke? Most SAUSD parents do not hold cushy jobs where time off requests are granted. Did the asbestos fallout from Harrah’s building drift your way?
Seriously what is he thinking 9:00am to 11:30 parents work , stay at home moms have to take kids to school, pick them up etc etc..I think I am goign to attend to just ask the question what were you thinking/what is your staff thinking setting it up at this time ..it is not like the Legislature is in Sesssion. The press release if just laughable ..in order to reform and improve schools the input of parents and community residents is vital
Ngutierrez
#8 and #9
It’s clear as the nose on your face – Cook is a man. It shouldn’t surprise us moms that Cook more than likely has a wife to schlepp the kids about town.
A meeting of this importance should not be scheduled for 9:00 am. It should take place at a time that’s convenient for working parents and teachers.
Why is it that working Vietnamese parents figure out how to get time off work to make school meetings for their kids but Latino parents can
I am confused? On one hand this Assemblyman is attacked for hold a town hall meeting when real people are working. On the other hand one of your blog people shawn mill is trying to put a local business, Ware Disposal, out of business. If a Ware employee wanted to see the Assemblyman who’s side would you be on? Does Shawn work?
everyone always has an excuse; if you attended the majority of these meetings in the evenings where it would be convinient for parents, you will find that hardly anyone attends, all you have to do is go to all the SA football games;where are the parents! Art, you need to go to all the 99cent stores and then you will find where all the parents are. I know Im one of those parents, am I speaking about all of them, no, I beleive thier are many parents (white, black and hispanic) that would like to attend but your right, they have to work, and just because a person may have a cushy job as you state, should we hang them? But lets get something straight, you alway make this a race issue, this isnt just about immigrants,ok? there still are many other races out here. There have been many meetings evenings and days, the participation has always been low, everyone in this city – parents and city goverment are to blame. Do you blame the high rate of drop-outs on everyone as well?
#13, so why couldn’t the event be held in the evening where more parents and student could attend???
#14
Well, your asking the wrong person, I find it hard to believe that we can get to the lines topick up our welfare, food stamps, WICK and other freebies during daytime hours but cant attend a school function during the day. Why are you asking these questions, I dont see parents knocking down the school board for answers. Everyone has an excuse, if you really wanted to attend , then these parents need to be calling and protesting. Again, where are the parents? And to be fair, its not all the parents, there are many good ones out there, but many,many lazy ones.