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.
Maybe, your chief of school police can get a job in the high desert with his buddy?
I was talking about the gender issue or any other comments about any staff. My point was suggesting any comments about that should be supported before just being tossed out there. I don’t work in school police and I have no idea what you mean about the chief of police’s buddy in the desert.
It’s alarming how accurate the blogging on this topic is.
The Willard principal’s guard dogs prowl the campus and this blog with the purpose of thwarting the truth.
Those who work at Willard know the facts.
Meanwhile, the financial scandal stirring at Century High School has everyone in a tailspin. What really happened to the ASB money?
Is the office manager’s leave of absence related to this incident? Reports that an additional employee resigned and another was placed on leave have been confirmed.
Many wonder how much money is involved.
Is it true there’s a corruption investigation that has been launched involving several District Safety Officer’s who have “misappropriated” funds from their members they purport to represent? I wasn’t sure-just a “rumor” I heard around here. It should be fairly accurate, I heard it from a DSO!
“Meanwhile, the financial scandal stirring at Century High School has everyone in a tailspin. What really happened to the ASB money?
Is the office manager’s leave of absence related to this incident? Reports that an additional employee resigned and another was placed on leave have been confirmed.
Many wonder how much money is involved. “
Disabled students at Saddleback had a small ASB account for several years. It was used to help students who could not afford to go to dances and graduation activities. That money disappeared this year. ASB Activities director, Katrina Callawayat Saddleback would not cooperate to get the money back. She kept saying the principal had the money. Principal Esther Jones went to a meeting with Special Education director Richard Erhard and parents of those students. When they asked her to her face where the money was for the kids, she stormed out of the room. She would not even answer their questions! For the last 4 years, there is money missing from ASB accounts. Ask club and activities staff. It’s disgusting what is allowed to take place against students.
Katrina Callaway is at Segerstrom now. She needs to apologize for all the bad stuff she did against students at Saddleback. She even tried to disrupt a campus play which seriously upset students and their families!
This is all easily verifiable. Ask Mr. Erhard and Lewis Bratcher who set up the meeting with Mrs. Jones. Ask the parents and teachers.
Thank God for DSO’s and other generous staff at Saddleback. They donated a lot of money to the disabled kids this year so that they could go to prom and graduation after the ASB money was no longer available. Just who can this kind of fraud be repoorted to?
Is it true there’s a corruption investigation that has been launched involving several District Safety Officer’s who have “misappropriated” funds
I doubt it. The only ones who throw around the term “investigation” are sneaky administrators who pretend to know what’s going on.
Who can we call to get investigations of ASB accounts? That’s where the big fraud occurs. And if ASB money is missing, you can assume that large site funds are not well accounted for either.
The garbage sites need to be cleaned up.
Luis Says:
8/19/2006 10:01 AM
anon,
I will answer the question you pose a little more in detail. During the Mijares regime, we experienced many problems.
1) Teachers did not have the ability to file grievances, and if they did they were resolved with little or no solution.
2) Principals were hired based on their loyalty to the administration rather than by their competency, as a result many unprofessional tactics were taken against teachers and students.
3) With the current administration we struggled to have curriculum in regards to sex education which was modern and could prevent the already high teen pregnancy rate from continuing to rise.
4)Instilling Mathematical concepts which were not effective in teaching such as the infamouse CPM math book. These types of programs took out the ability to have the teacher teach the lesson.
5) SAUSD, due to NCLB, were required to hire only credentialed teachers, however, SAUSD cut the timeline, and got rid of qualified teachers in the process of gettign their credential. This resulted in having long term subs and short term subs be in the classroom for entire school terms.
6)Because of mismanagement, funds for programs who were already cut back previously continued to suffer. Facilities began to suffer because of it.
I have more to go, but I will leave it at that for now.
8/19/2006 12:51 PM
I would like to add a few more points.
Under Mijares the hiring of new teachers was always left until late in the summer when the pickings were very slim. Most districts begin hiring and putting teachers under contract in the late spring. SAUSD waits until August, September, and often October. This accounts for the massive overcrowding in September and this also accounts for the staffing of classrooms with subs instead of credentialed teachers.
Another example is presently ongoing. The state has offered school districts seed money to begin hiring counselors so that the ratio of students to counselors will become 300:1 (SAUSD in the high schools is at 750:1). Irvine District, for example, has been interviewing and hiring counselors all summer long. SAUSD is only now getting started.
In terms of hiring principals, Antonio “Tony” Espinosa, the principal of Valley (Godinez) high school came up through the ranks not on his abilities as an administrator. According to a now retired principal who told me, “In principal meetings Tony was never seen as the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he always volunteered for Mijares’ extra assignments and he always brought donuts to the meetings.”
Espinosa made a mess out of Ceasar Chavez, then he was promoted to Spurgeon where he made a mess out of that school. Finally, he was moved to Valley and Valley is now a PI 5 school.
The teaching and administrative team at Valley has been in total disarray since the arrival of Espinosa in 2001. Schools grow and advance on the basis of staff stability. Valley has lost more than 50% of it’s teaching staff since 2001. In addition the administrative staff has been devastated by Espinosa. Since school sites are never exactly alike, it takes a year or more for administrators to get acquainted with the particulars at each school site. Valley is entitled to 4 AP’s. Only two AP’s have spent more than a year at Valley since 2001. in other words Valley has gone through 6 AP’s in 6 years. No counseling AP has ever lasted more than a year which explains the mess Valley Counseling has been in since 2001.
Later Espinosa wanted Santa Ana High and when he did not get it he started to intrigue for Segerstrom. Noji scuttled that bid in favor of Lynn Maher but Espinosa was promised Godinez, which he now has. Why does Espinosa have such strong, although unproven, support among certain board members and Mijares? That same retired principal, who is Hispanic, said that Espinosa’s family is big and powerful in Santa Ana (they own a great deal of rental property in town and in the surrounding cities including property in Mexico), Espinosa was a product of SAUSD and Mijares wanted a poster boy for SAUSD (you know, local boy makes good), and Espinosa was totally loyal to Mijares willing to do whatever Mijares demanded of him.
It is clear to anyone with eyes that Espinosa was a political appointee. Principals appointed for their political credentials are almost always disastrous and Espinosa’s track record proves that.
Under Mijares politics was the highest consideration for promotion and job retention and not professional ability, managerial skill, and human relations. Schools should operate on the basis of the ability to teach kids and a highly refined managerial skill set to administer schools. Under Mijares SAUSD was debased by politics. That explains the districts growing failures. And until politics and political appointees are removed from the ideology and leadership of SAUSD the situation will continue to deteriorate.
blogger 8-20
some of the employees said they would come forward only if the public services [sapd, dISTRICT ATTORNEY ]were doing the investigation. they DO NOT TRUST ANYONE IN SAUSD!!!!!
remember that word in all the previous comments — RETALIATION!!!
Special Education Director, Richard Erhard has resigned. Anyone know why or where to?
To Blogger 8/27 at 9:53am.
Good idea. Since there have been some political questions about the District Attorney, the State Attorney Generals office wouldn’t be a bad place to go either. If the district is as screwed up as it sounds the state would be taking control of it if needed. This way those who know something should feel at ease about stepping forward with information.
Rest assure, relief is on its way!
Regardless of who is sitting on the school board in Nov, external force will deal with those rotten apples.
Stay tune and watch the mass exodus hit SAUSD, the police chief will lead the way.
We can only hope that these unethical individuals haven’t abandoned ship by then.
Reserve your front seats and watch the show!
411!
Word on the street is Erhard landed a plum position at the County Board of Ed. A big sigh of relief could be heard when he left the building.
Now that his protector has fled, Erhard felt it was time to move on. Stay tuned for the Mijares/Erhard wake of destruction.
On the good news front. SAEA, for the second time, denied Noji its endorsement for school board. SAEA voted to endorse Cecilia Aguinaga.
Kerl Critchlow is gone back to Canada. Another piece of dead wood in the Mijares pyre.
Sierra lost in hearings. Principal gave an involuntary transfer to a teacher that she didn’t like. That’s a no-no.
Robert Sanchez has been transferred to Sierra is the rumor.
Erhard is going to South County. Can anyone confirm if it is Capistrano?
Gila?
Cecilia Aquinaga is a candidate for SAUSD board of education. Endorsed by SAEA. Here is a link to the discussions:
http://o-juice.blogspot.com/2006/08/aguinaga-to-miss-sausd-candidates.html#comments
Sorry, I don’t know but I’ll see what I can find out.
In her speech to teachers last week, Esther Jones is already saying she doesn
Pat Machado and Frances Byfield. They were disasters on their school sites and take up space in the downtown offices. What exactly are they doing? The nurses hate the fact that Byfield has been added to the layer of inefficient bureaucracy in this new, made-up position someone created for her. Who is responsible for this kind of undeserved promotion? I thought the district was tight on funds. Get rid of the dead wood.
It
To the post on 9/2 at 5:15
Did you just figure this out? If you are on the “A” list and screw up you get promoted to district. If not you get fired!
Machado screwed up Lathrop and Century and her reward was to get promoted. Bratcher had to take over before Rankin could be sent there.
It’s good to know someone else realizes this.
Did anyone read the scores of the schools in the Register?
Excluding Mendez, only the fundamental and special schools hit the state mark of 800.
Two High Schools even dropped in improvement, Saddleback and Valley. That seems to coincide with this blog and the attacks on those schools administration. Very interesting. While Century and Santa Ana High Improved, they didn’t hit the state 800, but at least they improved!..Thank God my kids don’t go to schools in this district!
Lets keep blaming the low income people who live here when we actually have schools that are hitting the mark and improving. What is wrong with this picture?
Machado, a six-digit salaried employee, has no permanent assignment. She’s shuffled from assisgnment to assignment leaving a disasterous wake for others to tidy up.
This is the face of incompetency and it thrives under Noji!
Cronyism supercedes competency amongst adminisitrators and it must stop.
Turn the spotlight on Valley, Saddleback and Willard administrators.
Willard
Regarding the writer on 9/02/2006 @7:13 pm
Two High Schools even dropped in improvement, Saddleback and Valley. That seems to coincide with this blog and the attacks on those schools administration.
Valley and Saddleback faux principals deserve criticism for their unethical and unprofessional behavior. At Saddleback, Mrs. Jones is unable to keep the most qualified staff. The scores are falling because she feels more comfortable hiring and firing substitutes and newbie teachers. Years of her crummy decision making is tearing the school down. Also, this year, the district sent VP Stephanie out to take care that the testing results could not be tampered with. This year
Hey Mrs. Jones! Give the disabled kids back their money! Bandita!
To the post of 9/3 at 6:53am
I may have been unclear regarding the clients of the district. I was NOT blaming them at all. I was being sarcastic because the district constantly blames these kids as the reason the scores are low. These kids are equally bright all around the district.
My point was their is no reason for some schools to drop in scores and others to improve. They ALL should be improving if the management is doing it’s job properly. The truth is management isn’t getting it done as many have pointed out here. I apologize if you misunderstood my point.
Below are the web sites of the Williard Intermediate AYP percents. If Bishop continues at Willard, then you have reason to believe Mijares’ corrupt practices are still in force within SAUSD. And for that you can thank A. Noji SAUSD Board persident
http://ayp.cde.ca.gov/reports/APIBase2006/2006APR_Sch_AYP_Chart.aspx?ChartDirectorChartImage=chart_WebChartViewer1&cacheId=30823d
http://ayp.cde.ca.gov/reports/APIBase2006/2006APR_Sch_AYP_Chart.aspx?ChartDirectorChartImage=chart_WebChartViewer2&cacheId=0f4cfd2f5d4a4b18900e0f728857c63d&allcds=306667060617585e9d424220b0e25bf46aa56f60&allcds=30666706061758
Now it is time to look closely at Dr. Louis Bratcher’s performance as SAUSD Assistant Superintendent for Secondary education. Dr. Bratcher is responsible for managing the performance of all the intermediate schools and high schools within the SAUSD. If a school fails to meet the state guidelines for acceptable performance in the areas of English, Math, API scores, and graduation rate (where applicable) then the school fails and is placed on a Program Improvement course (PI). Program Improvement levels range from 1 to 6 with 6 meaning the school has still not improved after five years of trying and 1 being newly placed on program improvement.
At the end of the 2004-2005 school year 47% of Bratcher’s schools were on Program Improvement. At the end of the 2005-2006 school year 75% of Bratchers’s schools were on Program Improvement. (For reasons that are yet unclear, Valley High School was a PI 5 school last year, failed to meet it’s APR criteria for the 2005-2006 school year, but is still listed as PI 5 instead of PI 6. Segerstrom High School was listed as failing to meet it’s APR criteria but was not placed on PI because the criteria it failed to meet was graduation rate and Segerstrom will not graduate students until the 2007-2008 school year.)
It should be clear to anyone with any common sense that Louis Bratcher has remained in his position because he was part of the Mijares political network, the network that rewarded loyalty over performance. It should also be clear to anyone that so long as his boss Audrey Noji remains on the SAUSD school board, Santa Ana Schools will continue to fail at ever more alarming rates as the years pass.
http://ayp.cde.ca.gov/reports/APIBase2006/2006AYP_co.aspx?cYear=&cSelect=30,ORANGE&cChoice=AYP2006
Is it true that Bernedette Medrano, the lady who collects money for student scholarships but doesn’t give scholarships away and the former treasurer of the Santa Ana PTA, Teresa “sticky fingers” Mims, have taken over Audrey Noji’s campaign for school board?
A vote for Noji ensures Bratcher will hit 100% PI for the schools he’s responsible for by next year.
Bratcher, along with Machado, Byfield and the principals at Valley, Willard, Saddleback and Santa Ana High School should be shown the door. Their miserable administrative records are contributing to the erosion of our quality of life in Santa Ana.
We eagerly await the Noji/Russo spin on the latest API/AYP report and Richardson’s quick step trying to deflect the truth.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/01/11/sections/local/local/article_373176.php
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Santa Ana schools chief losing support
Teachers union wants Mijares out when his contract expires in June. Some board members, others back superintendent.
By FERMIN LEAL
The Orange County Register
SANTA ANA
If #244’s report is accurate it should be a rollicking kick ass campaign.
I am curious why Theresa Mims would take over Noji’s campaign for school board. After all, Noji has no money to run the campaign and therefore Theresa has nothing to “borrow” from!
Try following these instructions in order to navigate to the California Department of Education Accountability Progress Reporting (APR). This will allow you to see what is going on at your school and it will also arm you with the information you will need so that the Mijares-Noji-Bratcher cabal can no longer bamboozle you. First go to the site listed below as #1
#1) http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ar/index.asp
#2) Next under Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) click on County Reports
#3) Next under Select County hold down on the up-down arrows and scroll down to 30 Orange and release. Then submit.
#4) Next highlight (select) the 2006 AYP-List of Schools in the County. Then submit.
#5) Next scroll down to Santa Ana Unified, then Middle Schools, then Willard Intermediate. Click on Willard.
#6) Next at the top of the new page in the upper right hand corner click on the School Chart button. When you get to the new window you will see two bar graphs which will tell you how well Williard (or any school you want to check on) did in testing last spring. If you see a big red
Blogger #241 said …
“My point was their is no reason for some schools to drop in scores and others to improve. They ALL should be improving if the management is doing it’s job properly. The truth is management isn’t getting it done as many have pointed out here. I apologize if you misunderstood my point.”
After a brief glance at CDE I noticed that Willard’s growth was
-55, while some schools posted 30+ growth. You’re astute in your observation — why aren’t all schools showing growth and for those that are not, why are those principals still in place? Why aren’t they held accountable? Why, under the leadership of Noji does loyalty trump competency?
It’s disappointing that Villa and Santa Ana HS entered PI, year 1.
If I recall correctly, all comprehensive high schools, with the exception of Segerstrom, are PI schools.
Incompetency flows down starting with Dr. Noji.
Could this be the reason SAEA and the Democratic Party deserted her?
This posting is intended to be a warning. Recently I was able to walk around the new high school named Godinez (AKA Valley West or VW High). In building #1 on the second floor there are three or four 4 feet by 6 feet rectangular holes cut into the floor. Around each hole is a three feet fence. Looking over the fence you can see the first floor 10 or 12 feet below. Unless SAUSD elevates those three feet fences to a substantially greater height, the overcrowding at VW High will certainly result in some kid being pushed over the three feet fence and that kid will fall to his/her injury or death. This is a warning!!!!!
#251 — Godinez was built to accommodate 2,500 students, yet current student census is hovering at 3,000. Where are they housing the 20% increase in students?
Some parents are aware the special ed students have been mainstreamed into the classroom and they are displeased. It’s unfortunate the administration has such disregard for the students and special ed teachers. These professionals have been reduced to TA’s.
Why are taxpayers paying in excess of $60K+ a year, for each special ed teacher, only to have their duties relagated to that of a teacher’s assistant?
Isn’t the district in violation of the Williams Act?
Saddleback has a new ASB director who is enthusiastic and has his focus squarely on the students! What a great break for everyone. Also the new AP from Hawthorne is friendly and appears reasonable. He spoke to the staff about long term strategies on how to deal with discipline in a way that staff loudly applauded. Evelyn Carrigg followed up by talking about her plans on busting kids on the second day of school. Ugh! That was a great demonstration between long term and thoughtful strategies on how to deal with a problem, and the short term ADHD approach that has been typical at Saddleback under Jones and Carrigg.
Both of these men are popular and capable. How long until Frick and Frack drive them away?
Isn’t the district in violation of the Williams Act?
Abswolutely it is. Fill out a compliance complaint form or call the Office of Civil Rights for help.
Here is a good Williams resource link:
http://www.monterey.k12.ca.us/county_superintendent/williams_settlement.htm#uniiform
Once again I need to ask:
What does a Grown Man with no children and no background in education have any business on a school board?
Richardson and the other politicians are THE PROBLEM.
THE SOLUTION: Let Everyone vote for school board members (like NYC). That will put the power in the peoples hands. I’m certain that will scare the shit out of the status quo but, it would put the parents in charge.
JM
#255
Dr. Noji sent her child to high school in Irvine. Her refusal to send her child to school in the district she represents is hypocritical. As an educator, Dr. Noji did not want to subject her child to an inferior education. Unfortunatley, not all SAUSD parents have the luxury of that option.
The Noji/Richardson alliance needs to be busted up this Nov.
Vote Cecilia Aguinanga Nov.7
Cecilia’s child goes to Mater Dei – if you chastise one – chastise both.
Geez guys, half of the custodians have sense enough to send their kids to another district or private school. So do the teachers and other classified. Give it a rest. It’s telling but not much of an issue.
Anon #257 & #258 –
Are you reading impaired? Cecilia Aguinaga, teachers and custodians are NOT elected officials. Noji is.
It does not bode well when a school board member does not have confidence in the schools she represents.
Meanwhile read the Jane Russo interview in this month’s City Line. Her comment that “our personnel dept. continues to ensure that we have the best candidates in the best positions, and that we’re customer-service oriented” reflects how out of touch Russo is.
Ms. Russo – how do you explain that textbooks have not been issued to the 3,000 Valley West students? School started Aug 31st. How long before VHW administrators disperse textbooks to the students?
Is it asking too much for site administrators to order enough textbooks for the students? Or is this how Russo defines customer-service-oriented?
The proven carelessness of VHW administrators continues to plague students and teachers and VH’s failed graduation rate is your proof.
If Noji’s child was a student at VHW do you think she would tolerate her child not having textbooks?
Chew on that #257.
“Anonymous said…
Cecilia’s child goes to Mater Dei – if you chastise one – chastise both.
9/09/2006 6:07 PM “
“JM
9/08/2006 10:17 PM “
Does JM, stand for Jim Miyashiro?
When does he get fired?
To # 260..
What are you talking about? If you read the post by “JM” you would realize Miyashiro didn’t write it to begin with.
I think # 259 made some very telling points I was not aware of. Kids without books is a good start. If true what does that tell anyone about that school and it’s administration? What does it tell about the district administration?
Miyashiro will get his turn without crazy incongruent, disjointed posts like yours # 260. The facts are out there and if Russo or Noji don’t fix them then they will take the hit first. Noji on voting day in November and Russo before or after.
Russo can start with those kids at Valley and the books they should already have had to prove she intends to begin a new regime of active administrative control. She can deal with Miyashiro as a sign of her intent to clean up the district if she likes her job!
Is it true that Bob Nelson, the retired principal of 10 years at Valley High School, the principal who was replaced by Espinosa, has been appointed interim deputy superintendent replacing Russo in that position?
To # 262
I as one person don’t know if it’s true Bob Nelson was hired, do you? Why would you ask? Is this significant in your mind? If so make your point. I have better things to do than play riddle me this!
If it’s a bad thing in your mind say so and why. I don’t recall Valley High having the problems it has now when he was Principal, but then again I don’t work there so maybe you should enlighten us and make your point directly!