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.
Way to nail poster #307.
Clearly that person doesn’t care about the support and service aspect that Jane Russo purports. In fact there seems to be two camps in this district, currently: The CYA group that shouts down other posters, that makes up all sorts of “rules” for posting here, who need to get names to retaliate against, which make unsupported claims themselves. Then there is that other group…. the one that has the teachers and community members who weep when their supportive administrator is taken from them without explanation, the one sounding the bell against the old, selfish and inefficient power structure that is eroding, the supporters of a very poor, but very deserving community.
Thanks for sharing your story, Poster of #296 & #297. It needed to be told. Those of us, who care, don
There are many that weep for the overcrowded school conditions. Cramming 3,300 students in a facility build to house 2,500 is unacceptable.
Thanks to school board member Palacios; the clogged toilets at
Godinez have been fixed.
Unfortunately #314 did not get the jist of the post.
I know there is no written policy governing entrance admittance standards. Unfortunately Segerstrom administrators are engaged in the silent practice of establishing such standards. And downtown adminstrators just look the other away.
The reports of 3,300 students at VWH could be a little off, however reports that there are NO special ed students at Segerstrom confirms the comment about Segerstroms “unofficial” admittance standards.
I’d like to see a report detailing, school by school, the special ed student breakdown.
Now this is quite confusing. One thing about math is the relative constant. Either the enrollment at VHW is 2700,3,014,3,051, 3300, or somewhere in between, which is it and why can’t anyone come up with an actual number? If the school was built for 2,500, one thing is certain, it’s admittedly overcrowded to begin with. If the special Ed kids are not counted either, how does that work? I’m told the special Ed kids have been put on the second floor requiring the use of the schools single elevator for those who need it. Whose bright idea was that?
If the district is cooking the books, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out without throwing arbitrary numbers around.
to #319
A variety of enrollment numbers are deliberating swirling around. The object is to to keep everyone off balance. There are more than 3,000 students at Valley West. Godinez, Valley’s temporary quarters, was built to house 2,500 students. A near 20% increase creates overcrowded classrooms.
The graffitied Godinez is spiralling out of control while its administrators continue to accept students. Segerstrom remains untouchable at 1,720 students.
It’s no secret that SAUSD has been serving our students rotten food for years. John Muir registered complaints about the rotten and frozen food dished up at their school a few years ago.
Flash forward ..apparently the parents at Washington Elementary decided on a different tactic and are presently picketing the school for dishing out rotten food to their children. A parent parajito tells me that she has been on the picket line since 8:00 am and Channel 34 is on the scene.
Moms attempted several times to talk with school site administrators and were ignored.
Moms took photos of the rotten food with their cell phones and district administrators took swift action and called the police on these moms. The district considers these moms “disruptive.”
Gee, Jane is this the style of customer service you’re dishing out these days? Your brand of outreach stinks!
It’s a sad day when moms have no choice but to protest because administrators refuse to listen to their concerns.
Overcrowded classrooms and rotten food are unacceptable.
I would like to respond to poster #314. There are now five Traditional High Schools in SAUSD, Century, Saddleback, Santa Ana, Segerstrom, and Valley/Godinez. After looking at the 2005-06 Accountability Progress Reporting (APR) some interesting numbers jumped out (http://ayp.cde.ca.gov/reports/APIBase2006/2006AYP_co.aspx?cYear=&cSelect=30,ORANGE&cChoice=AYP2006). But before I get into those numbers I would like to remind poster #314 of a previous posting (#200) dating back to 8/19/2006, “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.”
Of all the Asia students enrolled in the traditional High Schools Century has 25%, Saddleback has 20%, Santa Ana has 3%, Valley has 11%, and Segerstrom has 46%. On the other hand, of all the student in Traditional High Schools who have disabilities, Century has 16%, Saddleback has 21%, Santa Ana has 33%, Valley has 28%, and Segerstrom has 2%. In addition Valley/Godinez has presently enrolled 364 Special Education Students while Segerstrom has only 8 students. No entrance admittance standards? Oh really?
Finally, you are correct poster #314, there are no seniors at Segerstrom. But none-the-less Segerstrom does have extra room and Segerstrom can temporarily take on for one year 300 extra freshmen and sophomores until old Valley reopens. At that point those kids can relocate back to old Valley. But so long as Noji remains as board president her pal Maher will continue running a private elite school with lots of empty space while Godinez/Valley strains under the pressure of more than 3000 kids squashed into 2500 spaces.
Maher’s private elite run school is no different than the academy program at Valley that caters to its Asian population.
One can’t help but notice that one of her campaign slogans .. Integrity, Experience and Leadership, when flipped, reads
LIE. Which prompts me to point out two significant omissions in her campaign literature.
1.) Dr. Noji neglects to mention 14 years as an elected school board member. Her literature only mentions her last two years as board president. Hmm.. is this elected official running from her lackluster record?
2.) Dr. Noji’s son is a former SAUSD student, but she glossed over the fact that he did not attend an SAUSD high school. Dr. Noji opted to send her son to public school in Irvine. I guess a SAUSD high education was just too good for her son.
It’s a hard swallow when she claims she’s the voice of reason.
16 years is enough.
To: Staff at Saddleback High School
From: David Barton, President, SAEA
Date: Oct 2, 2006
It appears that the staff at Saddleback was informed by the principal that SAEA objected to a change in schedule to take place after Back to School Night. Please note that no one, much less the principal, talked to anyone at the SAEA office. While it is true that our belief is that such changes in schedule need to occur after a vote of all members at the site, and early enough for everyone to adjust their time, no one contacted us in this case. If you wish to adjust your schedule, make sure that everyone has been given the opportunity to vote.
Post #324 is an example of Noji’s voice of reason trickle down theory and LIE campaign slogan.
I have known Cecilia Aguinaga for years because of her dedicated work with Santa Ana young people and I am so happy that she is running! As a long time Santa Ana resident myself, I know we need change on the school board. Our district is falling apart and we don
The Truth about Cecilia Anguinaga must come out. It appears that she is a new voice for the parents of Santa Ana’s children. People talk about Cecilia standing for the truth, but the good parents of Santa Ana’s youth must know that Cecilia is a puppet to Jim Miyashiro, the School Police Chief. He has propped her up and gave her the current position she holds and has encouraged her to run for SAUSD School Board. Cecilia is a kind person, but has unknowingly fallen to the Distortions told to her by Miyashiro. Miyashiro is openly promoting Cecilia so he can have a sway vote on future decisions made by the up and coming School Board, God knows he needs someone on his side.
Poster # 329 has it right. If Cecilia Anguinaga wins her loyalties will fall back to Mr. Miyashiro, the Police Chief. This blog has several entries about Mr. Miyashiro and the sexual harassment lawsuits made against him by two of his staff. Mr. Miyashiro and the district have already lost one of those cases at a large cost to the district. The second case has been suddenly postponed until after the November board elections. Coincidence? You decide.
If Cecilia Anguinaga is not aware of these issues in her own department she must be the only one. These lawsuits are well known district wide.
Cecilia’s reputation is based on the company she keeps. If she really doesn’t know about Mr. Miyashiro’s reputation how can she be expected to know anything about the rest of the problems at my school or any other part of the district?
#329 and 329 ..
If Miyrashiro is as bad as you claim, then why has Noji allowed him to remain on as school chief of police? If your statements are true, then Noji is the BIGGER problem for keeping him on the payroll. We know her devotation to the administrators at Valley and Willard are unexplainable. These two schools are the worst in the county and she continues to protect and keep incompetent principals at these schools.
The board needs a member that will advocate for parental involvement. We’re tired of Noji and Richardson’s lip service to parental involvment.
Dear Poster # 331
You answered your own question about why Noji has done nothing regarding Mr. Miyashiro. It never occurred to you that it might be the same reason why she hasn’t done anything regarding Valley, Willard, or Saddleback? I believe the word was “devotion”.
Just so I understand your logic. Noji needs to be replaced. I think you are right assuming she knew the goings on in the district and did nothing to change them. After 16 years she certainly should have her hand on the pulse of the district and no excuses if she doesn’t. If I understand you correctly replacing her with almost anyone should be an improvement.
So that brings us up Cecilia. Someone who works full time within the district. In fact she works in the only department that I know of where her boss is involved with sexual harassment lawsuits.
I make no claims as to her veracity. In fact I make no claims period. Some other nice poster within these 300 posts brought up Mr. Miyashiro’s legal problems. In fact names were named and invitations to verify at the court house were also posted. These are public records and can easily be confirmed or dispelled.
If I follow your thinking it would be better to have an employee that worked full time for a manager, who created legal problems and major expense to the district, on the board rather than Noji. So it’s anyone but Noji. In this instance, the lesser of two evils? That about it?
What about another candidate that has no internal ties within the district instead, and I have absolutely no one in mind. Among the candidates is their no one else that might not be a puppet for someone inside the district? Is their not one neutral citizen running?
Cecilia may be a good hearted person, I don’t know. But she is under the influence of a questionable manager who is throwing a “Hail Mary” pass to try and save his own bacon. Do you honestly believe that if elected Cecilia won’t have loyalty ties to her former boss?
At Washington school which Police were called? School or city? What did they do when they arrived? Did they order the parents off campus? Did they arrest anyone?
Pictures of rotten food.Do these pictures show mold or fungus on the food or in any way prove it was “rotten”? Did any children become ill after lunch?
More importantly how were the pictues taken? If parents just walked into the cafeteria and took the pictures they violated law unless checking into the office first. Even more important is if the parents did disrupt the school activities. That would be another violation of law.
Who called the police is not in question. If these parents walked in as was stated, every administrator at the school or the district has the obligation to call police to restore the normal operation of the school. By not calling the police those administrators would be negligent and in trouble themselves for not protecting the children under their care.
Unless more is involved no reporter is going to bother. Parents should rethink how they address the problem. Schools are sanctuaries for students and that includes disruptive parents with good intentions.
SAEA
Camera crews and a reporter from Channel 34 were on the scene at the mom’s protest at Washington Elem. There is more to this story than the rotten food being dished out to the students.
Moms have being trying to involve site administrators in the alleged mistreatment of students by the Food for Thought staff. Adminstrators claim they have no oversight over Food for Thought personnel. Admins are ducking the ever-growing strife bubbling at Washington. Moms also want to know why there’s a shortage of food and milk, every day.
Who called the police is not in question.
Who, at the district called the police? And who is poster 334 that is trying to protect that person and cloud the issues?
Did they run a story on Channel 34 or were they just collecting footage for a bigger story?
#330 Noji has been in charge the entire time that Miyashiro has been in place. I don
Poster # 336
Exactly what was I thinking. I didn’t use the word devotion first. Poster # 331 used it regarding Noji’s tollerance of the administrations for Willard and Valley. I simply provided that it must also apply to Mr. Miyashiro otherwise why is he still here? Obviously the same incompentent/corrupt standard has been applied in all cases by Noji. Don’t ya think?
Poster # 339
I don’t believe anyone blamed Cecilia for anything. I didn’t. What I said in plain language for the comprehensive impaired is that Cecilia would not be the most impartial candidate when it comes to Mr. Miyashiro. We all agree Noji has over stayed her welcome. The question is who would be best to replace her? Would it be Cecilia or someone without internal ties to anyone within the district? By the way, where does Ms. Russo fit into this puzzle? Isn’t she the hands on superintendent that would bring the Miyashiro situation to the board in the first place?
# Luis Navarro Says:
10/07/2006 6:07 PM
Bla, Bla, Bla; Bla!
Look at Cecilia’s profile; what do you see, nothing that would compel me to vote for her!!
“Ward also filled me in on Aguinaga, as follows:
She recently received the endorsements of the Democratic Party of OC and the Santa Ana Educators Association.
She has been involved in Santa Ana community issues for more than 20 years, with an emphasis on education issues.
She has received many awards and commendations, and served on numerous boards and committees, including: Public Relations Coordinator, Executive Board of Association of Mexican American Educators (AMAE);
Political Action Coordinator, Classified Employees Union, SAUSD;
Vice President, Parent Teachers and Students Association (PTSA) at Santa Ana High School;
Historian, Parent Teacher Association Council (PTA) of SAUSD;
Vice President, Lion’s Club;
Executive Committee Board Member, Regional Occupational Program;
and Chair, Santa Ana Human Relations Commission.”
Impressive; Not!
She has been involved in Santa Ana community issues for more than 20 years, with an emphasis on education issues.
In Cecilia
I like Luis Navarro. He lives and works in SA and his kids go to SA schools. He’s got an investment in the city. In your opinion, Luis, do you like Mrs Noji because you think she will do better than she has in the past, or are you concerned that Cecelia is too unpredictable in what she might do?
Also, you don’t ever mention Palacios. Do you have an opinion on what kind of job he does for the kids?
The question is who would be best to replace her? Would it be Cecilia or someone without internal ties to anyone within the district? By the way, where does Ms. Russo fit into this puzzle? Isn’t she the hands on superintendent that would bring the Miyashiro situation to the board in the first place?
There are only three candidates. Waiting for someone else to show up for this election is not realistic.
What about Palicio and Cecilia and bump out Noji? I think everyone understands that Noji’s continued support of some of the districts most damaging employees has not been good for the district.
Noji was an elected SAUSD board member when she sent her son to Irvine Unified. Ms. Aguinanga sent her children to private school as a private citizen.
Furthermore, Noji’s latest campaign letter dances around the fact that she sent her son to Irvine Unified. The campaign letter she sent out earlier this week reads…”My husband, Gene, and I are the proud parents of our son, Randall, a former Santa Ana Unified student..”
Noji’s decision to send her son to IUSD clearly sends the message that SAUSD falls short of academic standing and her son deserves better.
Too bad she squandered 16 years failing to make the schools better for all students and serve her constituents to that goal.
#1 …”requesting that she attend.” That’s not an invitation. That’s a command.
The past three school years, it has been a daily struggle for me to go to the job I love and the only job I have ever wanted. Instead of support from the principal, I have experienced many supervisory tactics that have left me feeling threatened, intimidated, isolated, fearful and trapped. My self-confidence has been undermined and my sense of professionalism dimished. I have taught in this school system since 1990, and taught in other systems before that. My past experience includes working for a total of 8 different administrators-both male and female. I have never had difficulties with administrators.
Two days before the holiday vacation, I received a letter of deficiency about some parent complaints this year. I was directed to not speak with parents about the complaints. I was directed to make changes based on the complaints, but written up for the changes because they “coraborated” the parent complaints. I have a list of seven “deficiencies” that need to be immediately corrected or I will be considered for termination. I can verify that her perceived deficiencies are untrue, but I have not been given the opportunity to tell the truth.
Our union has received so many complaints about this principal; the superintendent hired an outside person to do an internal investigation starting after vacation. I think the recent escalation in her behavior to me is because the “heat” is on her. I have attached a list of concerns I typed for the union as part of their investigation.
I don’t know what will happen with the investigation. I do know that is is dividing our school even more than it was previously divided! Her supporters are in shock and are very vocal about supporting her. The people who are targets are keeping quiet.
#346 – I hear you. It’s a daily struggle for me as well. The intermediate school I’m assigned to is one of the poorer performing schools. NCLB is no friend of education and the current principal is clueless.
Teachers voted not to endorse Dr. Audrey Noji because we’ve witnessed, first hand, the decline of this district, under her leadership.
Now we are seeing Cecilia’s campaign lawn signs disappear up in North Santa Ana. Noji supporters are gettting tacky.
It seems like the behaviors exhibited by the principals at the junior high and high school levels, are mirroring the behaviors of some of the elementary school principals. And like Bratcher and Lopez, Stainer does nothing. I’ve heard that the principal at Franklin has gone psycho.
And what about the office staff at Carver? The rudest, most unfriendly staff that I’ve come across, and the principal does nothing.
Is filing fase statements on a workman’s compensation case by an abusive boss/administrators grounds for dismissal?
Poster # 350
You probably should check with your union reps. I would think you would have to prove that your supervisor did make false statements. You might consider consultation with a lawyer too.
Events at Valley/Godinez have now taken a pathological turn. The atrocious Tony Espinosa, principal of Valley/Godinez, is so addicted to ADA that he is willing to go to any extreme to bring in state money. ADA pays the school about $25.00 per day per student attending Valley/Godinez. With that in mind, Espinosa has enrolled 3100 students in a school built for no more than 2500 students. Because of the joint use agreement with the City of Santa Ana, which owns the property Valley/ Godinez is built upon, SAUSD is not allowed to bring in bungalows to alleviate the overcrowding. So how does the atrocious Espinosa solve the problem his greed for state funds has created at Valley/Godinez?
Espinosa organized a “leadership team” consisting of himself, Sylvia Molina, the AP for Curriculum, and a teacher loyalist who was passed off as the department chairperson for Special Education. Espinosa then recruited Barbara Glaeser, the Department Chair of Special Education at California State University Fullerton. Espinosa and Molina were introduced to Glaeser by the head of Special Education for SAUSD, Richard Erhard. Espinosa and Molina went to Glaeser because they were told that Glaeser was deeply interested in fully including Special Education students in “regular” classroom settings. Glaeser won her Ph.D. at the University of Kansas where full inclusion research was pioneered.
Last spring Espinosa and his leadership team began meeting with Glaeser in order to plan for fully including special education students into regular classrooms. What Glaeser did not know was Espinosa and Molina and their teacher shill were ignoring all her recommendations because their actual purpose was to take advantage of Glaeser for the purpose of selling overcrowded conditions to the district and to the staff at Valley/Godinez. (The two actual Special Education Co Department chairs were cut out out of the process entirely unbeknownst to Barbera Glaeser.)
With more then 3000 student at Valley/Godinez, there was not enough classroom space to give each teacher a classroom so the special education teachers were forced to team up with regular education teachers in the same classroom space. The district then forced the special education teachers to rewrite their IEP’s to make the IEP’s legally compliant with the law. Meanwhile, the special education students are being marginalized because they are not getting the full spectrum of services required by state and federal law. The 351 special education students are not being provided with FAPE (free appropriate public education) because the atrocious Tony Espinosa would rather harvest huge sums of state ADA money then educate the students in his care.
There is another element to the raping of the special education program at Valley/Godinez. Espinosa has lead the school into a second year of PI 5 (the State is just too cowardly to slam the district and declare Valley is a PI 6 school). Espinosa’s special education plan was supposed to show the State that Valley/Godinez was attempting to mend it’s ways. The problem was Espinosa is devoid of imagination and could not initiate, expand, develop, shepherd, and follow through with the special education “reform” he forced upon all the teachers at Valley/Godinez. At some later date his fraud will come to the attention of the responsible authorities and Valley/Godinez will find itself exactly where it stood 5 years ago: The failing flagship of a failing district led by a failing downtown administration which itself is still being led by the consummate failure Audrey Nogi.
Art Lomeli Says:
10/18/2006 1:31 AM
I read in a prior post that SAUSD students don’t have books to take home to use for homework.I asked one of the school board members if this is true.The response was yes. In my view this issue alone should be the basis to put the screws to the decision makers that let this happen.It is incredible that this basic and most important tool for the success of the students is not available,not to mention lack of teachers ,lack of counselors and lack of class rooms-all basic for proper conditions for learning.Without homework how can you expect students to study in order to perform and compete in classroom tests,for SAT’s and for Federal and State exit exams?How can you then critisize the community and the students totally for beign underachievers?No other community would tolerate these conditions except others that are 95% mostly second generation Hispanic students and where parents are unable to cause change.Informed parents place their children in other cities or private schools.I am amazed scores are going up in spite of this tremendous conscious error.An error this large can not be an accident.If scores are going up in spite, consider the great potential these students posses.Some state a candidate for school board needs a degree,experience,children etc… how about common sense and accountability?
Anonymous Says:
10/18/2006 6:41 PM
Dr. Lomeli –
It’s important that you know not all schools are overcrowded, lack textbooks or have a shortage of counselors. SAUSD has a three-tiered public school system: 1.) neighorhood 2.) fundamental and 3) charter. The schools that experience the worst of academic conditions are the neighborhood schools.
Take a look at Segerstrom. The principal at Segerstrom strongly controls who is admitted to her school. Yes, the district paints a picture that it is an open enrollment school, but it is not. The district turns a blind eye because they are relying on Segerstrom to bring up the district’s test scores. On the other hand, Valley, the worst high school in the county, lacks textbooks, has 18 permanent subs, currently has over 3,000 students crammed in a brand new $98 million facility,m built for 2,500 students, and has mainstreamed its 300+ special ed students into the regular classroom. Comingling the classrooms is a gross disservice to the special ed students and the regular students. Not to mention, it is illegal.
The academic discrimination and inequities that exists in our SAUSD public schools is disgraceful!
Yet, district administrators get away with it, because they can.
They are not interested in empowering parents, they do their best to keep them at an arm’s length.
Noji and Richardson are only interested in keeping the mayor “content.” They both must be ousted! We need a superintendent that is not from the SAUSD pool. The stakeholders in our community – parents, students, businessmen, clergy and concerned residents should be involved in the process of selecting the next superintendent. At minimum, the district should communicate with the residents by posting all information germane to the selection process on the school district’s official website.
The stench of district administrator’s arrogance is stiffling and must end. A good housecleaning is in order and we need a superintendent that’s equipped to take action and crack the cronyism that thrives in the school district.
Noji’s been parked too long in the school board stall. She does not deserve the voter’s trust to extend her tenure to 20 years!
Since Santa Ana residents are so hot on mayoral term limits, what about SAUSD school board term limits? And while we’re at it,
why not divide SAUSD into five areas and elect one trustee from each area? Let’s bring accountability back to our neighborhoods.
Art Lomeli Says:
10/18/2006 11:36 PM
Post #24. Are the district administrators you refer to The School Board?Who is responsible for the academic discrimination and inadequicies? The Board or the Superintendent?The Neglect of Valley and attention to Segerstrom to compensate for Valley is like a academic ponzie scheme.It appears very sinister – conscious neglect of providing tools for academic success of a community and attempt to compensate resulting low test scores with the attention to fundemental and Charter Schools.Why the neglect?Why do this and produce challenged students?This is social suicide.Thank you for providing this information .I believed this neglect was generic.You provide A worse scenario.The cure is to shed light on the responsible desicion makers.The parents,present and past students need to know how irrelevant they are considered to be.The only thing public servants understand is political (votes) pressure.Like a corporation the boss should be illiminated for mismanagementThis imformation has to be taken to the affected community,anybody else won’t care much.I believe that is why you wrote administrators do it because they can.Teachers and Principals that see this first hand should be working with community leaders and parents on applying political pressure.I will do what I can.Contact me at my office if you like.
10/19/2006 4:06 PM,
Let me guess! You spoke with, Palacios!
Palacios, Nadia Davis and Nativo are the one’s who took this district where it is!
Thank god for Sal, who woke up and smelled the coffee.
The restructuring of the district started with Mijares departure, now let Noji finish what she started. Of course you are too distraught and focused on your own personal issues and use this blog to vent and express your anger and disappointments. Is this helping you feel any better; no!
If you want people to really know how upset and disappointed you are, put your name to your threads. What satisfaction do you get by merely posting a 2 page long thread with
For #357
Your rant and rave is meaningless since you, too, failed to affix your name to your valentine post.
Your post suggests you are ill-informed about blogging. Pull your head out of the sand and jump into the 21st Century.
xxoo
358# says …
“The restructuring of the district started with Mijares’ departure, now let Noji finish what she started.”
So, after serving 16 years on the SAUSD school board, you are asking voters to extend her stay to 20 years so she can finish what she started.
What has Noji been doing for the past 16 years?
More schools have sunk into PI status since your pal Nativo Lopez was booted off. The district suffered a $30 million fiscal mismanagement crisis post Nativo Lopez. The overcrowded conditions and merging of special ed students with regular students at Valley West/Godinez has the blessing of Noji. Rentention of incompetent administrators escapes the attention of Noji because of her loyalties to Valley and Willard administrators.
The school board’s primary function is to hire and fire a superintedent. Noji supported the reign of Mijares. She has supported and nurtured the cronyism that’s stiffling the district. Teachers abandoned Noji and refused to endorse her this election cycle. Noji’s political party abandoned her. One of her few supporters claims, the SAUSD school board, under her leadership, is the worst in the county.
Wake up and smell the java. Noji’s bush league in a major urban school district.
People do not post their names on this thread because they are fearful of the SAUSD retribution factor. CUSD is not the only school district that maintains an enemies list.
Poster # 359 about said it all. Retaliation is the name of the game. Glenda Rivas said nothing in her post except she admits she doesn’t fear retaliation, which anyone with a brain knows exists. I wonder why she has no fear?
Poster #357 seems to think Noji should continue, but with what? More of the same? Cecilia isn’t the answer either. She’s tied in with building services and that department has cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars which should have gone to education.
The fact is both unions, teachers, and classified stood back and watched all this happen in fear of speaking out. Now suddenly everyone is blaming everyone else for letting it happen. You have no one to blame but yourselves.
It’s great you found a voice. But it’s a little late unless you have the guts to follow through. Noji needs to go. Russo needs to show her intentions or go, and the rest of the board better grow some stones or the state can take over this district which isn’t a bad idea.
“Poster #357 seems to think Noji should continue, but with what? More of the same? Cecilia is not the answer either. She’s tied in with building services and that department has cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars which should have gone to education.”
What happened to Larry Schroeder, He was the top head in building services?
There is one obvious choice to make; leave Noji or bring in Cecilia.
Like:
poster 360 Anonymous Says:
10/22/2006 4:52 AM
Let us leave Noji and Cecilia aside for one moment!
What we need is to completely remapped the district office and rid ourselves of the Nativo/Mijares and Palacios regime. Palacios is slick; he plays both sides of the coin, he drops dimes on what he thinks the board should do, but never does anything. Has everyone forgotten that he was part of the consensus, and why nativo was allowed to do what he did and got away with it? Until the recall of course!
As long as Palacios is on the School Board, nothing will be proactive!
Now, let get back to Noji and Cecilia; Noji was part of the minority until recently, she has started to turn the district in the right direction. I believe this is what we all want! Now, the Palacios campaign is strategically placing
All you folks who are so busy muddying the waters pushing Audrey Noji for school board seem to be suffering from opthalrectalosios. I bet you all run around at your cocktail parties blaming Clinton for the Iraq War and the House Democrats for the Foley Affair.
First, Nativo Lopez has been off the school board since February 2003. To put it in words you pinky elevating martini sipping no-nothings can understand; Lopez has been off the school board for 3 years and 8 months or about 1335 days.
Second, Lopez was recalled with huge sums of money contributed by Ron Unz who lives not in Santa Ana but somewhere in the Silicon Valley.
Third, Nativo Lopez was charged with fraud but the charges were dropped after the recall for lack of evidence. Very interesting.
Fourth, Nativo Lopez was accused of throwing school construction business to a firm that never built a school and some voiced the fear that such a firm, if granted the contracts, would run monstrous cost over-runs. Let me remind you that the construction firm that was given the contracts after the recall of Nativo Lopez had never built a high school and Godinez came in $40 million dollars over bid.
So the only thing I can conclude was by recalling Nativo Lopez in February 2003, the new SAUSD school board, where Rob Richardson helped create the new and still present majority did exactly what they accused Nativo Lopez of trying to do. Coincidence or simply a thief crying thief? hmmmmmmmm!
You have to love it when a Nativo supporter tosses out a made up word to combine with made up arguements to blame someone else.
Knock knock! Anyone home. Nativo is gone but not forgotten. He still manages to get a lot of press. None of which has a doggone thing to do with SAUSD. This isn’t his playground anymore and he’s gone so as you say, quit muddying up the water!
Poster # 361 makes a few points I can’t argue with. Perhaps keeping Noji isn’t the worst idea. Just the lesser of two evils. Some of this baloney is starting to come out now and we certainly don’t need a green unschooled board member like Cecilia to walk in and be overwhelmed by the rest
What happened to Larry Seroder? Simple! He bailed out when the boat sprung a leak leaving the board to pay for the repairs.
Remember along with Seroder Miyashiro was named in those sexual lawsuits too. We still Have Miyashiro who has not figured out yet by pushing Cecilia onto the board isn’t going to save him either.
Noji at least has experience no matter who she is allied with and even a politician learns to cut the losses at some point. I’d like to see the district clean it’s own house first.
I agree with 363; I don’t like nor would I vote for either Cecilia or Noji, but things have started to turn around. I don’t believe we can afford to bring in a new, inexperienced Board Member right now. He or she would be overwhelmed with the issues facing us and would not make a smart untainted decision.
He or she would most definitely be influenced; this is not the right time to bring in new blood into the district.
I would be OK with Cecilia if she did not the ties with Miyashiro or the maintenance dept.
We need to make a smart choice come Nov, 7; who would be the most beneficial candidate for our school board based on experience and not on who we personally like or not!
#364 —
Elaborate on how things have started to turn around since Mijares departed on August 30? And then explain why it’s taken Dr. Noji 16 years to get off the dime and start to turn things around.
I think the residents of Santa Ana would like to learn how the district has started to turn around in less than 60 days!
Also expand on your opinions about Cecilia’s ties with School Police Chief Miyrashiro and the maintenance dept.
You are entitled to your opinion, but not the facts.
#363 –
The Noji political operatives are working overtime. After 16 years of service on the school board and Noji resorts to running a campaign based on fear. Why? Noji has no record to run on.
Let’s talk about her 16 year tenure on the board.
We still have overcrowded classrooms and schools.
For the third consecutive year, school started and not all students had textbooks.
The district is PI, Year 2. This year the district was cited for failing to meet its graduation rate.
Over 300 seniors failed CASHEE in 2006 and did not graduate with a certified diploma.
Over 250 seniors did not graduate because they failed to meet the requirements necessary to graduate.
Noji helped lead the way to invoke eminent domain for the Hereos school site property resulting in the mayor’s business partner netting a hefty profit. Is this Noji’s intrepretation of a closer working relationship with the City?
The fiscal mismanagment of $30 million resulted in the teachers taking a 4% paycut. How were they thanked? Overcrowded classrooms.
Why is Noji refusing to restore COLA for the teachers?
The special ed department is in a shambles. Numerous parents have been forced to seek legal action to gain equal educational opportunities for their children.
300+ Valley High special ed students have been forced into a regular classroom setting because there are no designated classrooms for special ed students.
For the second year in a row we’ve seen an intermediate fundamental school enter PI status.
All comprehensive high schools – Century, Saddleback, Valley and Santa Ana HS are PI schools.
More than 40 schools have entered PI status in the past few years.
Is SAUSD better off today than when Audrey Noji took office 16 years ago?
Let’s talk.
Park your fear and mushroom scare tactics at the door. Only hope moves us forward; fear paralyzes.
#362
You’re absolutely correct, Godinez was built by a firm that had zero experience in the construction of high schools, and it shows. Have you seen the theatre? It’s one big cracked structure.
It’s heartbreaking to see a brand new, $100 million school splattered with graffiti.
Meanwhile, the renovation at Valley has been severly scaled back due to money constraints.