Update 3/5/08: This post now has 2,003 comments! However, it has exceeded the capacities of our server and has been truncated recently at about 1,529 posts. But one of our readers has stepped up to the plate and painstakingly copied all of the comments into three NEW posts:
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2008 Comments
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2007 Comments
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2006 Comments
We have also started a NEW open SAUSD thread, which I hope our readers will post to regarding new SAUSD news and views.
You can also go to our home page and go to the right column. Click on “SAUSD Posts” and you can get links to ALL of our past SAUSD articles.
I must say, I am amazed at the stories that have been posted on this blog in the wake of Al Mijares’ exit from the Santa Ana Unified School District. I am posting this item merely to give SAUSD bloggers a place to post their comments. Post away my friends – we have an opportunity now to finally do away with the corruption left over from the Mijares regime. Change is at hand, but we must remain resolute.
I noted that someone affiliated with the SAUSD administration recently posted a threat on this site – alleging possible legal action against SAUSD employees who post anonymously on this site. That is despicable and a form of terrorism. Do not let fear restrain any of you from revealing the truth.
The final challenge we face in Santa Ana is to replace Mijares with someone competent. We won’t have another opportunity like this anytime soon. This process must be open and focused and whatever else happens we must keep Audrey Noji out of the Superintendent’s position. As a member of the Cerritos College faculty and a member of the teacher’s union at that campus I opposed her when she tried to get a job at our campus. If she goes after the SAUSD superintendent post I will do so again. I know we can do better!
All of my children are in the SAUSD system. For their sake and that of all schoolchildren in the district, I urge those who are rebelling against the last vestiges of Mijares’ broken empire to keep the information flowing and to do whatever it takes to ensure that our next superintendent will be up to the task. Mijares certainly was over his head throughout his doomed tenure.
Triggs said “we don’t have to pay back the 3.2 million, but will reduce future funding by 3.2 million”. What an interesting accounting system. Not receiving necessary future funds sounds like a pay back to me. Word play at work.
If you make a $3 million “mistake” when SAUSD in in the middle of a budget crisis and nobody questions where the “extra” money came from is it actually a “mistake”? Probably not. It just shows that SAUSD administration is in the habit of lying about what is going on.
The new SAUSD slogan’s third phrase almost made me laugh out loud when presented to teachers at the District’s “rah-rah” assembly at Santa Ana High. Another blogger said it best:
Anonymous Says:
9/12/2007 6:49 PM
“Failure is Unacceptable…” Blah Blah Blah… Zero credibility. ZERO. Has anyone ever heard of double checking something like a 3.2 million dollar mistake? Oh well let’s just cram more students into classrooms to cover this one.
Its time to clean up the school system. That is the biggest barrier to decent families chosing to move into the city.
Affordable homes are not affordable if the city’s schools are run with the criminal mentality of starving students of legitimate services, all the while blowing millions of dollars and then acting apathetic about it. And hiding and lying about public funds. What other school system does illegitimate practice after illegitimate practice?
It just does not make any sense to any thinking person. This mentality is purely the old style Santa Ana that needs to be eradicated.
Anyone who lives in Santa Ana needs to start believing they deserve much better than the shabby treatment offered by the school system leaders. It is simply unacceptable.
Jane Russo is getting her $250,000 salary. It is questionable if that kind of money is even deserved. So that’s why she has the ho-hum approach to losing over THREE MILLION DOLLARS that should be used on educating students. It really doesnt affect her. She’s got a king’s pay coming in month after month, so all must be well out there is education land.
What kind of leader has your Board of Education purchased? Is this the best that can be expected from her?
Apathy is costly.
http://www.theorangejuice.com/2007/09/when-is-anyone-in-this-district-held.html#comments
Want to Advertise with Orange Juice?
When is Anyone in this District Held Accountable?
The above title was a comment by someone in the previous post regarding the situation in the Santa Ana Unified School District. I would like to expand on this question. Had this been LAUSD, Antonio Villaraigosa would have been on it like white on rice. But not a peep from any of the City Councilmembers here in Santa Ana, except Michele Martinez. Now I know people will whine and complain that I praise her, well if the Mayor would step up like this, he would see a lot more praise on this blog.
Fact is, many will not speak out, because it will force them to admit what they do not want to admit, that all the SAUSD problems were not the fault of Nativo Lopez. They sold the voters of SAUSD that all of the districts problems would go away once Nativo Lopez was gone. Four and a half years later, things are worse. When problems continued, Claudia Alvarez shills Dave Hoen and Darren Shippen originally tried to blame Nativo and claim it was remanats from his years. Then they advocated for the continuation of Mijares’ failed tenure as Superintendent. Then in the comments regarding SAUSD issues, another Alvarez shill, Luis Navarro, is claiming there are no problems in the school district and we must bow down and praise Audrey Nojo and Rob Richardson. Makes you wonder if these recall activists are the real enemy of the children and parents of the SAUSD.
It is sad that prominent city leaders like MAYOR Miguel Pulido and MAYOR PRO-TEM Claudia Alvarez are not speaking out at the continued disaster and demanding change. Instead they endorse the status quo, on the basis that Richardson and Noji are their best friends. The thrid criminal in this trifecta, Rosemarie Avila is also supported by Pulido, where he has told people the reason is she “votes the way he wants her to.” This begs the question, are Pulido and Alvarez’ involved in destroying SAUSD schools? Are they cohorts, or they just in denial that their friends are utter failures on the board?
If Nativo had been their friend, would he have been protected from recall? I have asked a couple of connected people why this silence, and the answer I got, “Well what can they do about it?” They were able to do something about Nativo, they can do something about Rob, Audrey and Rosie. This circle of friends is harming our city, its time for Pulido and Alvarez, the city’s two most visible leaders, to step up and demand a new school board. Only then can these failures be held accountable. Pulido and Alvarez need to show their outrage that they have lost $6 Million dollars in two months. Enough is enough!
This entry was posted by Claudio, on Wednesday, September 12, 2007. You can leave your response.
14 responses to
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE?
According to Russo, failure IS acceptable since the only real response is to HIRE ANOTHER ADMINISTRATOR!
http://www.sausd.k12.ca.us/news/docs/2007-09-12_ps_systemwide_accountability.pdf
“We have an obligation to ensure that our District complies with all state and federal mandates.”
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
“Every educational dollar is precious and must be spent wisely and efficiently.”
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
“…computational errors were identified in our pupil
services/special education extended school year and supplemental hours reporting for the 2005-06 school year.”
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
“…we are recruiting and hiring a Quality Control Specialist to review all state and
federal reports to ensure accuracy.”
[oh yeah, when everyone in administration is exposed for being incompetent, be sure to hire yet another administrator!!]
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
“In this era of heightened accountability…”
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
“The District will continue
to audit, analyze and adjust the way we do business.”
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
“During the course of this year, we expect that we
may identify other issues and bring forward recommendations for improving our practices and
programs.”
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
“…is a reflection of our District
The best analogy for SAUSD administration and Board of Education is a cat box that has not been cleaned for a long time. It just gets covered up. Now it is at the point where it stinks so badly that it can’t be tolerated any longer. It is very sad because the kids are really trying to do their best as are the staff at the sites. A box cleaning is in order and until it happens bad things are going to continue to be uncovered.
Orange County Register Editorial: Santa Ana School officials need math tutoring
Today’s editorial: School officials need math tutoring
Santa Ana bureaucrats ask the state for too much money
http://www.sateach.org/September%2012,%202007%20president's%20message.html
SAEA President
Letter from Jane Russo, September 11, 2007, posted to district website:
http://www.sausd.k12.ca.us/news/docs/2007-09-12_ps_systemwide_accountability.pdf
Raising expectations for system-wide accountability
Our highest responsibility to the citizens of our community and the students in our schools is to be
good stewards of the District
Our lives begin to end
the day we become silent
about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr
An article about Valley’s Tyrone Borelli:
http://sateach.wordpress.com/2007/09/16/saea-board-members/
#1541
I’m a former student of Mr. Borelli’s. Why did you choose to showcase him? He’s a terrific teacher.
Mr. Borelli is a great guy. A strong teacher and role model.
If you clicked on the link, you’d see that SAEA has him on one of their web pages:
.C. Borelli began his teaching career teaching for the Department of
Education, Government of Guam in 1973. Later, TC went to work for the
NATO (SHAPE) Special Weapons School in Oberammergau, Germany. After
winning his MAT at Texas State University, TC returned to his home state
of California and was later hired by Santa Ana Unified School
District in 1985.
TC got involved with the Santa Ana Educators
Santa Ana teachers just learned today of a new scam played on them by SAUSD managers that will more than make up for their $3.2 million boondoggle this summer. Here, you do the math: if the district can make each of 2000 of its teachers take just 1 more student into class, that’s 2000 students for which you don’t need a teacher, and with a class average of 36 students, you can get rid of about 55 teachers, saving the district about $4 million annually (~$70,000 salary & benefits/teacher). This is a powerful inducement for school managers to crank up class sizes to the maximum they can get away with, constrained up to now only by the teacher’s contract, which stipulates an AVERAGE class size in high schools of 32.5, 31.8 in intermediates, 31 in elementary. This means a calculus class with just 22 can be balanced off with a 9th grade algebra class of 43, typically taught by the least experienced teachers in the department.
This has been the nightmare situation for years; but now with the districts new scam it will reach a new depth of desperation and despair. Teachers are alloted 1 period (1 hr) of a 6-period day as a preparation period to make copies, prepare equipment, and deal with other administrative chores. The Human Resources director has instructed that this period be considered a “class with zero students” to be considered in calculating average class size. This effectively increases our contract maximum by 20%, if he can get away with it, allowing district to cram 52 students into that algebra class with the new teacher, often a “temp” hire, and stay within contract.
The bastards. They never ever support you in teaching students, but they never ever let up on you.
Noji and Russo’s disdain for teachers is harmful to the mission of SAUSD serving its students, parents and community.
Noji is still smarting from SAEA’s decision to abandon her during the last election cycle and Russo continues to harbor deep animosity against the teachers who went public regarding CSR.
It’s no surprise that Noji has enlisted Russo in her vendetta against the teachers.
The district has been using prep periods as a class of 0 students beginning with the first day Juan Lopez stepped into his position. This is not a new issue. When the union crafted a contract that used the words “good faith effort” and class size together and expected the district to honor it, no one ever thought that the district could logically conclude that a prep period was actually a class to be included in averages. Since this is now common practice which is represented as acceptable this year by the union, we will have to fight for a much more specific contract without the current “wiggle room” allowed in the language “good faith effort”. There is no reason to expect the district to act in “good faith” on any issue, especially class size.
#1538
“District plans to focus on transfer and reassignment language as well as the evaluation and discipline sections of the contract. “
To me, this is a red flag of trying to continue the same old patterns of intimidation and retaliation towards teaching personnel. The evaluation process has basically been one of coercion to get employees to comply. There has not been anything healthy in place to actually give support and dirction to an employee who needs assistance to get better. It has been abused by HR and the Budget people who oversee good employees being moved and hassled as a way to balance the budget.
Ironically, there is a big poster in the main office that says it will give 15 years teaching credit for experienced teachers who transfer to SAUSD.
What it doesn’t say is that Don&Juan will use these unsuspecting teachers as part of their numbers game and then push them out of the system in a couple of years by using corrupt evaluation processes that not only attack the person’s livlihood, but also their reputation and future career opportunities as well.
No teacher should trust the SAUSD system as long as those two have the power to destroy careers.
The SAUSD practice of discipline is a sham that circumvents due process. Ask any brave VP that would not do illegal activities and you’ll find that they were sent packing. Anyone who stood up to the old ways of disservice and dishonesty should be reevaluated by the current board of ed and Jane Russo. It’s been a hard job to be a dedicated educator and ethical employee under past circumstances.
If there is any message that things are changing for the better, it is still not out there. Not as long as the same old problem administrators are still in place. To me, that message says “Well, we’ve done enough obvious changes so everyone will be placated. Now its back to business as usual.” New boss = old boss.
Do not stop the cleaning process. SAEA should resist any efforts to buttress past bad practices by SAUSD going forward.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1850408.php
You are missing the point about the Irvine Business Complex numbers. It’s not illegal immigrants moving here–these are pricey places. Upscale professionals with children ARE moving into these trendy, expensive apartments and condos. Many of them do not do their due diligence and don’t realize that most school-age children living in the business district are not in IUSD boundaries even though they’ve got an Irvine address. They are going to be bused to Santa Ana schools. Due to their own burgeoning student population, IUSD is increasingly declining the Interdistrict Transfer Requests even if Santa Ana approves them. Buyer beware in the Irvine Business District. Check your school boundaries before you sign on the dotted line, and don’t assume you can get a transfer into IUSD.
Rachel – Sep 22, 2007 10:25:59 AM
Willard admin has taken “failure is not an option” to a whole other level.
7th grade group too large? 8th grade group smaller? Let’s take students who who were retained last year and held back as 7th graders and “unretain” them.
Placing those 2 dozen or so students into the 8th grade helps balance out the classes. What does it matter anyway?
Do you know how poorly a student has to perform to even get held back??
Watch out Santa Ana High School. They’ll be yours next year.
#1549 – Yup, that’s how they do things at Willard.
Here’s another one – six 6th graders who were supposed to be retained ended up in 7th grade. No problem – change schedule and put in 6th grade. Students were told if grades were good at end of quarter they would be promoted back to 7th. Oops, no retention hearings were held. So a week later, with all Fs, they were moved back to 7th grade.
Does anyone know who’s minding the store?
Does Willard have enough strong staff to call a meeting with Jane Russo and tell her that the current situation is unacceptable?
Saddleback staff had a lot of career casualties before Jones was removed. The staff there kept coming to the district offices with their constant concerns until something was done. Same for Valley.
People are getting heard by Cathie Olsky, Deputy Superintendent, but tangible results of those meetings are still unclear. Olsky claims that the district WANTS TO KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE, so they can fix them. You might want to start with her. She claims that Russo and her cabinet have the board’s blessings to do what needs to be done to fix the problems.
Of course, there are still some glaring problems of key positions filled with unethical individuals. So who can one really trust at this point?
Willard’s staff is almost all new teachers. Bishop’s reign of terror has cleared the ranks of all but a handful of veterans. You walk the hallways and don’t even know if the adult you are nodding to is a teacher, substitute or parent.
So what do you do now Willard staff? It may or may not be legal. California educational code leaves a lot of room for interpretation by individual school districts and, apparently, individual site administrators.
Common sense would tell you it’s wrong but common sense went out of vogue with the current Bush administration and No Child Left Behind.
You guys are in a no win situation unless someone from the press picks this up and actually wants to do something about it. Don’t hold your breath.
Anonymous Says:
9/22/2007 7:13 AM
Thomas,
We all know that this district hires their friends. And that doesn’t mean that the friends are any good at what they do. What has the incentive ever been for lawyers representing the district to actually address and permanently solve problems? There has been no incentive. The attorneys have benefited greatly by all the chaos and corruption that is part of SAUSD. They just ring up the charges for all the hours that result from non resolution.
You should get your friend, President Rob Richardson and his fellow board member and attorney, J.Hernandez to take a look at some of the legal depositions and the overcharging by attorneys who have been with this district a long time. There is a ton of informatioin contained there. And you’ll see a common thread of HR covering up some of the most blatent problems that have bogged down SAUSD educational functions.
Golly, gee, Don&Juan, how could you have possibly seen how many suits and claims have been brought against the same old, same old crappy principals and their toadies? Who oversees budget overruns that a few bad apples generate?
Here’s a story going around:
One teacher who was harassed by a well-known principal bully and her nefarious VP bully -was sent to a doctor as directed by the school district HR/Risk Management. The doctor said that the teacher could come back to work. Only stipulation was – that it could NOT be back to SADDLEBACK HIGH SCHOOL where those two wack jobs were located.
HR and Risk Management don’t coordinate things, as anyone who has had experience with either department knows, so the teacher sits around for a few months while no one actually decides where he should go.
Time passes. New District Office hire, Chris Anderson is then put on the job and immediately gets the teacher back to work at a SAFE AND HARASSMENT FREE SITE.
HR starts to try and withhold this guy’s pay b/c he has not been on any job site for months. He asks, which site was he assigned to and what did the doctor’s release say?
Ahem. The guy has a valid point and they quit withholding his pay. Nice try, Don/Juan.
SAUSD Attorney Ken Peterson is reportedly trying to sue the doctor that released the teacher to come back to work. The doctor that THE DISTRICT SENT THE EMPLOYEE TO. Just who in the world is overseeing such a misuse of funds? If this is true, it should be looked into. Unless Peterson is completely brain dead, he’s had dozens of dealings involving the same old problematic employees who deliberately hurt other employees. Why is it his job to defend the indefensible? Why is he antagonistic towards injured employees who got their injuries b/c of the same old dopes that have hurt many other employees?
That SAUSD corruption email address for whistleblowing still in function? If so, there are dozens of stories involving the shenanigans of long time district lawyers.
And its about time that the legal gravy train that apparently has no oversight, comes to an end.
And if any of these attorneys were required to give ethical advice on workplace retaliation and harassment policies, then they should be sanctioned and punished. It’s been done by many districts before. SA needs to send a notice that it no longer will tolerate failures of top paid players in the system.
Willard’s staff is almost all new teachers. Bishop’s reign of terror has cleared the ranks of all but a handful of veterans. You walk the hallways and don’t even know if the adult you are nodding to is a teacher, substitute or parent.
That’s a shame that Willard has been so neglected. How you would ever get it on any priority “to do” list is a mystery.
Left for dead, it would seem.
How about the veterans going to Olsky and asking her to put the school on her radar? At least they could establish a relationship with the new administration and give her some history and details of what the problems are. He was part of the “old” system, so the new guys might be open to ridding the district of the petty tyrants who still are taking home a paycheck.
Here’s some additonal information about gross dysfunctional management, aka workplace bullying:
http://douglasslikourgiotis.bloglots.com/2007/09/22/workplace-bully/
Workplace bullying is also known as
Willard has to be the most dysfunctional school in Santa Ana (and that is saying a lot).
Apparently, a new AP at Willard has told teachers, another AP, and counsellors that the SST process for students who are failing stigmatizes students and recommended last week that a student not go through the SST process for that reason.
The SST process stigmatizes students?
Students who should have been retained last year are not because someone FORGOT to schedule meetings?
Failing 7th graders are “unretained” to even out class sizes?
Who IS minding the store over there?
#1557
How long has that vp been around? 10 minutes? You have to consider the source. Is that the VP in charge of special education?
That sentiment that the kids don’t need to be told the truth and then worked with to do their best effort, really works against the community. That’s just an excuse to let everyone know that they don’t need to have appropriate expectations and they don’t need to work hard with the kids.
That’s wrong and I believe it is reportable to whoever is in charge.
You guys have any union representation left out there? How is the department for ELD and Special Ed? any leadership there at all?
You just got to keep telling on them. That is the only way things will change. Wasn’t board member Hernandez out to visit your campus?
Call him. Make him help.
Principals and assistant principals are district appointees.
It seems hard to believe that the people responsible for making these appointments don’t know what is going on.
That leaves 3 alternatives: they know what is going on and they approve, they don’t know what is going on and are too incompetent themselves to see there are problems, or they don’t care what’s going on because they are much too busy covering up their own debacles.
And these are the people Willard staff members should seek assistance from?
I think not.
Department chairs??? No help there. You don’t get to be a department chair at Willard by arguing with the principal.
So who’s left?
I doubt if student unretentions would be a union issue.
I doubt if whacko APs who don’t understand the SST process or the state laws governing that process would be a union issue.
Maybe the County Board of Education or the California State Board of Education? But who to contact at the county or state level?
My condolences go out to the unfortunate teachers who have those newly made 7th and 8th graders in their classes. I can’t even imagine what that is going to be like.
My condolences also go out to teachers who will be seeking help for students in need of the SST process.
But let’s not be negative here.
I suppose it is better not to traumatize a student with the SST process.
Look on the bright side. It really doesn’t matter if a student is not succeeding and needs the help. They’ll be promoted anyway!
That Willard AP has been there for a whopping 4 1/2 weeks! And is only a temporary AP but seems to have her opinions in place. She was transferred from the district and was supposed to be a 6th grade teacher. I wonder what happened? Obviously she would have been better placed in the 6th grade self-contained classrooms there at Willard. Only 25 students to disrupt.
Jeff Bishop didn’t just promote those students from 6th to 7th or 7th to 8th he changed their grades from F’s to C’s. The teachers of those students need to come forward as the Washington teachers have done and once and for all get Bishop out of there. He’s not doing a service to those students by promoting them he’s only dooming them to failure. A State take over of that school would be the best for everybody.
There is no one in the district who is the contact person for big problems like this. Until everone knows who the point person is, shameful schools will be allowed to be run by shameful principals. I believe part of the new mantra is that all students will be given the best education. All of them except for Willard’s.
Williams’ Compliance Complaint forms can be filled out and submitted to the board.
Contact the union and make sure that they know that things are still rotten at Willard.
The troublesome part is that board of education members, Russo, the cabinet -they all know about Willard but they just stand around with cement boots on.
When will Russo show the community that all schools and all students count? Even the schools and students who have been hurt most by misassignment of leadership.
A temporary AP that was supposed to be a math teacher? Was she selected to be Bishop’s sock puppet and sacrifical lamb when troubles start to surface? Pathetic. Trick a newbie into trying to work with an unworkable boss like Bishop.
The teachers at Willard are going to have to get angry and demand that things change. Put pressure on both the union and the district. Approach the ACLU and the press.
That grade changing thing is what did Jones in, according to some. You’ve got a good shot at getting rid of him. You just have to keep persistent. Keep telling.
#156 asks …
“When will Russo show the community that all schools and all students count?”
Russo will show she cares when Audrey Noji gives her permission to do so. Lest you forget, Noji handpicked Russo to follow Mijares and Russo is beholden to Noji for her $250,000 annual salary.
Noji and her trifecta have no intention of holding the Supt accountable, however the voters can hold Richardson, Hernandez, and Avila accountable.
Noji allowed Tony Espinosza to take Vazlley HS to Year 5/program Improvement and she’s is accommodating Jeff Bishop’s runiation of Willard.
Neutralize Noji in ’08!
#1563 —
When will Russo deliver on her promise of better customer service?
Parent phones and pleas for access and educational equity continued to be ignored by Russo, Richardson, Noji, Hernandez and Avila.
The Miller model is in over her head.
Customer service
PERFECT EXAMPLE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE:
VIVIAN MARTINEZ COUNSELING DEPARTMENT AT SANTA ANA HIGH SCHOOL OR VERONICA OVIEDO AT S.R.O.(NEED RABBIES SHOT)
PLEASE! SOMEONE NEED TO REMIND THIS FEMALES THAT THEY ARE PAY BY THE TAXPAYERS MONIES AND NOT SOMEONES PRIVATE ACCOUNT.
DOES SALCEDO AND HUMMEL KNOW ABOUT THIS? JA JA JA JA JA JA JA JA JA JA
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! AND THEIR DSO’S PLEASE , CROSSWORDS PUZZELS OR RALPH HIDDING WERE THERE IS A COMPUTER,HAHAHAH, MARIA AS A CELL OPERATOR HO, DELIA COME ON SPYING ON HER BLACK LIST OF EMPLOYEES O , VINCENT MR, MAKE A DEAL FOR A FRIEND.
CHEERS, CHEERS, CHEERS.
#1566
District is reluctant to reign in Vivian Martnez cuz she was instrumental in bringing down Nativo Lopez. Yeah, Viv believes her s**t doesn’t stink.
There’s a whole lot of monkey business going on at Santa Ana High.
I don’t know if you’ve taken time to look over the new SAUSD website, but it is such a load of BS that you have to wonder if the “Peter PrinciPALS” in charge are completely ignorant or think fabrication isn’t just for clothing.
http://sausd.schoolwires.com/144310215124312643/site/default.asp
Welcome to the SAUSD Staff Portal!
Vision
SAUSD is recognized as one of the leading American urban school districts, notable for the achievement of its students, the quality of its teachers, support staff, and administrators, the engagement of its community, the clarity of its strategies, and the effectiveness and efficiency of its systems. The District is on the cutting edge of equipping all students to succeed in their life goals, in American society, and in the free-market economy.
I can agree with the “quality of its teachers” and even most of the “support staff” being commendable, but seriously, every other comment is BS. Who has recognized SAUSD as “one of the leading American urban school districts” ? The only “cutting edge” ability that I have seen in SAUSD is the ability to squander millions of dollars and never hold anyone accountable! What are they thinking by putting this on the website? Why can’t they make some honest comments? Apparently honesty and transparency are not their forte.
Well, I was just informed that the district wants my position cut. They also refused to fly an FTE English position because they are also planning to cut that position. The classes are already maxed out. Many English classes are around 47; some classes have already topped 50! And the district wants to cut an ELA and ELD class? Cutting an ELD class will take away 20-1.
I kind of feel as though I’m partly to blame. I was at the district early this month to sign paper work so I can sub for MY OWN class! SAUSD wanted me to wait while my numbers hold/increase before giving me the contract. I was frustrated (nevermind that I was already upset from the mistreatment I endured by Human Resources scum). I spoke with Rosa Rosales (who led me to believe that she was supporting my efforts) and asked about the student, teacher ratio because I was concerned about my numbers. That scumbag reported the meeting and now my position is on the chopping block as well as another position. I feel like I just blacklisted myself. I doubt the principal wants to make me permanent because I opened my mouth even though it was just a simple, innocent question.
I pray that the state DOES take over the district that way they can weed out all the corruption and bottom feeders that make up the district. That’s all they are. Leeches and scum who are only vested in their own interests. Not the teachers. Not the students.
Is there a security guard at Mendez?
My son and 3 friends walked off school last week and missed 4classes. One of my friends saw him and called me.I called the school and still waiting for the school to call me back. who else can I call to find out.
Is there a security guard at Mendez?
My son and 3 friends walked off school last week and missed 4classes. One of my friends saw him and called me.I called the school and still waiting for the school to call me back. who else can I call to find out.
“Failure” to return calls should be unacceptable.
Call Olsky’s office. She gets to the bottom of things.
Noji should be ashamed of the well-practiced habit of not getting back to parents, teachers, students and community members.
Hold her and her toadies accountable. Keep their feet to the fire if you want this district to finally grow up and deliver services that are expected in neighboring cities. Not calling back is BS. Fill out a Williams compaint form and see that this obnoxious practice is addressed at the board level.
#1571 – There is no more important call to return than a call from a parent. Since no one returned your phone call, e-mail the Principal at the following address:
Cindy.Landsiedel@sausd.us
It’s only fair that she be advised when her staff neglects to return parent phone calls.
#1573
Where on the district website did you get that email address? Where are the email addresses to all the other site principals? Oh, that’s right. Parents are not provided that essential information for clarifications and other important communications. It’s a deliberate omission.
You also need to understand that a parent or teacher who calls in a problem is subject to retaliation. It’s common practice for sites to neglect to call back. If the concerned caller makes a secondary call, there is usually hostility given and the follow up meeting or conversations can be very negative. This is standard operation procedure. Just WHERE on the district website would one find that the district personnel WILL return calls promptly? How about the written expectation that the return call will be helpful and courteous, instead of contentious? There is no reassurance there. Until there is, the phone caller should expect a good chance of some kind of angry reaction, uncooperation or other forms of retaliation for simply asking that a SAUSD employee give a courteous return call regarding an important issue. Especially dangerous are calls about health, safety or legal concerns by parents and teachers. You can bet someone’s going to pay, big time, if the call is made to particular problem sites.
You must be new to the district. You obviously don’t understand the ramifications of a call that is not returned. It is not an accident. It is a warning. Has been that way for years. Russo hasn’t changed that. When she does, she needs to put that assurance prominently on the website. It would signal a MAJOR change in services and expectations by adminstration at all levels.
Check the district website, the board section and look at the Board Policies and regulations, there should be something there that deals with parents and phone calls.
where is the security girl guard?
If there is a board policy about phone calls returned in a timely manner, it is still unclear. Here are some minute notes from the September 11, 2007 board meeting:
President Richardson asked those members of the community who wished to address the Board to step forward as he called their names:
The following individuals addressed the Board with concerns of overcrowded classrooms, transferring of students to neighboring schools, because of class sizes, safety, the need for additional restrooms, long lunch lines and/or concerns for students walking longer distances:
David Chee, SAUSD employee
Miguel Gama, SAUSD parent
Peter Boyd, SAUSD employee
Kathleen Peterson, SAUSD employee
Holly Kotler, SAUSD employee
Fernando Natividad, SAUSD parent
Ana Gonzalez, SAUSD parent
Matthew Cardella, SAUSD parent
Lisa Tran, SAUSD employee
Clemente Salgado, SAUSD parent
Norma Salinas, SAUSD parent
Susana Pola, SAUSD parent
Thomas Gordon, SAUSD resident, addressed the Board to acknowledge students
Whether you’re a new parent to the district or a concerned teacher, all telephone call should be returned. To do otherwise is rude and leaves the impression the caller does not matter. The district’s culture of not returning phone calls merely serves as a window into the contempt they have for the customers they serve – students, parents, teachers, community.
Russo has worked in this district nearly two decades; she knows the routine. As long as she continues to be Noji’s lap dog nothing will change.
Some would recommend you direct your concerns/complaints to Seema Mehta, LA Times writer. She can be contacted at 714-966-5835 or
e-mail her at: Seema.Mehta@latimes.com
Make a commitment to inundate Ms. Mehta. She did a fine job of exposing the CSR debacle and continues to keep a pulse on SAUSD.
Russo played her hand when she attacked the press for informing the taxpayers about the district’s scheme to siphon additional state funds by falsifying attendance records. If that wasn’t enough she turned her ire on the teachers by blaming them for the CSR scandal in a vitriolic letter to an SAEA official.
District e-mail addresses are:
Firstname.lastname@sausd.us
Example:
Robert Smith would be Robert.Smith@sausd.us
Having trouble contacting Audrey Noji? Found her work e-mail address on the Internet:
ayamagata-noji@mtsac.edu