UPDATE: Comments on this thread are now closed. The new 2009 thread is available at this link.
I wrote a post on July 16, 2006, entitled “SAUSD corruption coming out with Mijares gone,” and it blew up to over 2,000 posts. However, it 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 four NEW posts:
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2008 Comments
- SAUSD-Temporary Thread (Migration 5/16/2008) Comments
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2007 Comments
- SAUSD-Mijares corruption thread, 2006 Comments
Also, don’t forget you can go to the right sidebar of any page page and search for “SAUSD” to get links to ALL of our past SAUSD stories.
I have been honored that this blog has allowed so many people to vent their frustrations with the SAUSD administration and school board. We will continue to shed light on these issues and I hope that our readers will continue to use this blog to communicate about the corruption at SAUSD.
SAUSD does not belong to the administrators or to the school board. It belongs to us. We will have an opportunity this fall to take back the school board, with three seats opening up. I pray that good candidates will emerge so we will be able to do exactly that. Until then, please keep the comments coming! But post them here, to this new thread. Thank you.
#201 and #202
Perhaps I understand more than you would like to admit to.
I have two friends. Both were representatives of their respective unions and did an outstanding job of fighting for employee rights. Both were rewarded by being paper trailed to termination by the district. Neither union saved their jobs but fortunately neither had a difficult time finding other work because they were proficient at what they did.
The union system is destined to fail because representatives work for the district and are subject to district supervision control. My two friends had little if any support from either union as the district flushed them out the door.
The day both unions provide representatives not accountable to distict supervision; the day a union member does not have to hire a private attorney to fight for their job will be the day I respect the unions.
Don’t try and attack my grammer as a subterfuge. I have several initials after my name as well. I can write at any level you wish me to. I prefer to write in the language of the majority by choice.
# 198 I didn’t attack your grammer, only your statement. “As a union hack I understand your distaste for my comments.” That means that you are calling yourself a union hack. I just thought that it was strange for you to do that and that most likely you did not understand what you had done. Apparently I was correct. Because you have letters after your name you assume that most here require a low level of vocabulary. I don’t know what those letters could possibly be, but that is pretty amazing. At least have some clarity of thought. Stop standing by and letting your friends pay the price for representing you.
#204
I appreciate the clarification of your perception of what I wrote. You are correct. To that, in my case, I am obviously guilty.
However you managed to follow my intent, despite my misuse of language. Thus I would say your point was moot. The straw man theory of distraction is a good one especially when the topic is one which you do not wish to deal with.
I do not assume anyone has a low level of vocabulary that posts here, nor would I be presumptuous enough to make any assumptions about you as you have of me. Instead I would prefer to give most the benefit of the doubt as they are writing in the heat of passion over an issue that they truly feel empathy for.
While my writings may not come up to your standards on occasion, it really doesn’t matter does it? The fact is the unions (which by the way is the topic of discussion) have failed at every level to protect the paying constituents or even their own advocates. Just as the district posts these imbecilic public notices that one school made it to a mediocre level of nationwide competency, both unions follow by tooting their own horns on how much they have done for their members by way of raises, benefits or job security. I am certain 500 members would love to hear that as they read their pink slips.
Stand up? For what? The $500,000 you will lose in dues if these 500 are fired. I’ll stand up when you do. We are talking apples and oranges. If the union(s) had done their jobs over the past ten years they would not have to be trying to negotiate some kind of face saving effort for those that escape being fired. When you truly attack the mismanagement, corruption and bullying that this district calls business as usual and fix it then I will stand up with you. Until then don’t bother me with superficial notifications on how much you have done for us.
#204
If you are this worked up at 1 in the morning there is a huge problem that you need to solve. Since you pay $1000 a year and are antogonized to this extent I would suggest that you take the opportunity afforded to you and get involved in helping to make things better. In fact, you have a responsibility to make things better. I imagine that you tell your students this everyday. It is not difficult to get involved, as I mentioned before many people have done so for a long time and would welcome the help. Don’t just stand by and gripe, get to work. Don’t wait until everything is fixed by the people you attack before you are willing to help.
There have been quite a number of SAUSD corruption enablers in the unions representing certificated and classified personnel.
They do it because it is easy to cuddle up to lousy administrators and terrible practices, rather than stand up and fight for the right ways of doing things.
CUSD is trying to break the union by their latest ploy to oust teachers with greater seniority over the newly hired (and CHEAPER) employees. A judge has apparently approved of this union-busting move.
A lot of collusion has taken place between union and school district heads to have allowed all the bad practices to exist, as evidenced by posts written, year over year in this blog.
#206
See how easy it is to post a mistake? Obviously you were talking to me (#205)and not yourself (#204) but as I previously wrote, we all become passionate and make these little mistakes. What difference does it make if I wrote my comments at 1am or 1pm during lunch hour?
To continue this debate with you is pointless. Instead I will defer to #207. He or she was able to say in several short sentences what I couldn’t quite articulate effectively. He or she said it all and frankly I am humbled at how easily he or she was able to do it.
# 206
Your errors are of thoughts and concepts which are much more serious. In my many years in SAUSD I have seen only a few individuals such as yourself. Angry, illogical, unable to engage in any positive action. They never made a positive contribution. They accepted the work of others but gave none of their own. When they left, everyone was relieved. Get some rest. I won’t reply to you since I made the error of thinking you might get a clue. Clearly that will never happen.
#209
I realize it can be difficult to keep the post numbers straight with this convoluted thread, but I recognize you were addressing me. Art assures me he is going to do something so this thread keeps on since it has grown a life of its own.
My apologies for failing to recognize I was discussing this topic with a trained psychologist capable of determining my thought processes based on posts where I dared to disagree with you. Painting me as pathological or subtly insinuating that I fail to meet your test for logical thinking serves no purpose since we simply just disagree on the factors of unionism, its effectiveness, or lack thereof. As # 207 eloquently pointed out, the corruption goes far beyond the district itself. I for one will not march in lockstep with a group calling for me to stand up and fight when the leaders of the army appear to be sleeping with the enemy.
Since you are a self proclaimed warrior willing to stand up for the huddled masses and requiring others to do the same, it did not escape me that you remain as anonymous as I and probably for the same reasons. If you had the faith in your union as you wish me to believe, you would have no reason to post anonymously. You sir, or madam are the biggest hypocrite of all.
The LA Times is running a story today about other states recruiting California teachers for jobs. I can not fault those states for wanting to hire experienced teachers nor can I fault California teachers for seriously considering these options. With an ongoing uncertain budget in California coupled with tax hikes and a housing market dropping like a stone why not consider these prospects?
Santa Ana teachers that reside in the city are about to face a triple whammy in taxes. Their own employer is pushing its measure G; the city has just voiced its own approval of tax hikes and the state is making more and more noise about tax increases. Who needs it? The cost of living is generally cheaper in many of the other states and teachers seem to be at a premium with signing bonuses and pay scales worth looking at. Relocating is never an easy prospect but the time seems right, especially for Santa Ana teachers, to shop around. The story can easily be found at: http://www.latimes.com
In Sunday’s Register I found a short story by Fermin “Feelgood” Leal regarding SAUSD honoring it’s top 100 academic students with a trip to Bowers. Interesting enough the trip was last Wednesday so I went to the district site to see when they released the press notice. They actually released the notice on Tuesday, the day before the event.
I couldn’t help but notice the lack of usual fanfare SAUSD normally puts on these press releases or the fact the Register didn’t get around to it until the following Sunday.
As I recall last year some kid was given a car just for showing up at school either for just one year or his whole high school career. Either way it was about the dumbest promotion they had done to date at that time.
Where’s the car for the top scholors, or at least the very top scholor? If anyone deserves a reward it would be that child and it would be far and beyond a trip to Bowers all muddled up in its own criminal activities.
Is is possible that some business’s are starting to turn their back on the tightly intertwined cabal of the city council, SAUSD board, supporters such as Martinez, recently outed by Thomas Gordon? Has even “Feelgood” Leal realized promoting SAUSD is now a quick trip to the unemployment line? A number of Register reporters are getting pink slips, according to the LA Times.
Wait a minute. What was I thinking? This is Santa Ana. Home of crime, corruption and basic greed. This must be a glitch in the underground command center. I’m sure things will get back on track as we get closer to the election.
The unions are not interested in additional volunteers. Sure, they’ll call on you to be part of a phone tree or count the ballots to their insiders’ club, but the majority of the union reps that have been there for YEARS are cozy with whatever relationships they deem as special.
I agree with the sentiment that you needed an attorney to fight the biggest crazies that were allowed to smell up SAUSD. Most districts don’t have the corrupt culture of SAUSD, so it is actually cheaper to get involved with a fiscally responsible district rather than one that colludes with the unions for multiple year pay cuts.
On May 20th SAUSD district issued a press release about the new lunch shade structure, at Carr Intermediate, for students that has been completed at a cost of $230,000.00.
I hope they provide some pictures of this nearly quarter million dollar shade structure in future releases because I would be most curious as to what was built for that kind of money.
As I recall the former shade structure was refurbished about a decade ago, or possibly longer, next to what is laughingly called a kitchen/nutrition center. (called a snack bar back in the 60’s)
Not too many years ago the former ’shade structure’ was having a problem with pigeons which of course created a mess. The response was to put recorded sounds of predator birds to scare away the pigeons. This was also applied to Valley high suffering a similar problem. The results were hardly positive.
Since the district applauded donations from the general public for this new $230k structure I know I would certainly like to see pictures. I’ll reserve judgement for now, but for nearly a quarter million dollars I certainly hope it is not another slotted roof shelter over a bunch of lunch benches.
Audit: Most O.C. districts fail in sex education compliance
Only Irvine, from the 15 districts reviewed, met state education code requirements
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/education-comprehensive-planned-2043448-kearns-code
An audit of comprehensive sex education in 15 Orange County school districts released Wednesday found most failing to comply with California Education Code requirements, a Planned Parenthood official said.
The report was released at the Delhi Community Center in Santa Ana by officials of the Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties.
Although most district schools offer sexual health education programs, their efforts were inconsistent and largely inadequate, as well as out of compliance with state law and the Education Code, said Julissa Jose-Murray, vice president of public affairs for the Planned Parenthood chapter and author of the study.
Only the Irvine Unified School District was found to be in complete compliance with the Education Code’s requirement to discuss all of the Food and Drug Administration-approved methods for unintended pregnancy, she said.
“We are disheartened by what we discovered and we strongly believe that teens and their families deserve better,” Jose-Murray said. “We are urging parents, most of who believe wholeheartedly in comprehensive sexual education, to come forward and persuade school board members to adopt comprehensive curricula and utilize textbooks that provide complete information.”
Linda Kearns, prevention program coordinator for the Orange County Department of Education, said her area of expertise is providing workshops for teachers on HIV awareness which requires educating students on learning how condoms and other contraceptives can be used to prevent HIV transmission.
Kearns said her program is separate from those involving comprehensive sex education, which a district does not have to provide.
However, if it chooses to, she said, it has to meet Education Code requirements and talk about contraception and its effectiveness.
The decision on whether to offer comprehensive sex education is up to individual boards of trustees and superintendents, based on the cultural and religious values in the communities.
And if the classes are offered, parents can opt out their children if they want, she said
Officials from most districts do not chose to publicly talk about the subject to members of the media and others, Kearns said.
“I have heard some teachers say they are restricted about what they can and cannot talk about,” she said.
“I take my hat off to Planned Parenthood if it got that information,” she said.
Listening to teachers talk about the issue in her workshops, Kearns said that “whether (the districts) meet the Education Code is where you get a difference of opinion. Some meet the requirements and some do not,” she said.
“I would love to see the survey,” said Kearns, adding that she had a scheduling conflict and could not attend the briefing but asked for a copy of the survey.
The topic is “very sensitive,” she said. “Teachers sometime err on the side of being conservative. They are walking a very thin line.”
According to the Planned Parenthood group, California became the first state to require that when schools do teach sexual health education in grades 7-12, it must be comprehensive, medically accurate and objective.
A recent Centers for Disease Control study indicating that one in four teenage girls has an sexually transmitted disease should come as no surprise as almost 47 percent of the school districts surveyed do not provide complete instruction on how sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted and how to reduce the risk of transmission, Jose-Murray said.
SAUSD/Measure G campaign raises $224K, mostly out of town $
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/05/sausdmeasure-g-forces-raise-224k-mostly-out-of-town/#comments
Did SAUSD Vice President break the law by promoting the Measure G tax increase campaign at a high school?
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/05/sausd-vice-president-may-have-broken-the-law-by-promoting-the-measure-g-tax-increase-campaign-at-a-high-school/
Who has given money to the Measure G tax increase campaign?
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/05/who-has-given-money-to-the-measure-g-tax-increase-campaign/
http://www.ocregister.com/news/find-out-how-2047924-your-school
Find out how your school ranks.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Find out how your school ranks
19 percent of the county’s public schools receive highest mark on the Academic Performance Index; 26 get the lowest.
By FERMIN LEAL
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Comments 3| Recommend 11
About 19 percent of all Orange County public schools earned the highest possible ranking on the state’s Academic Performance Index, or API, when compared with all California schools.
The state Department of Education released the rankings Wednesday for the API so parents and educators can measure their campuses against others.
The figures are updated scores for the 2007 API, first released in August.
The API is a composite of standardized test scores and other measures used by the state to rate student achievement. Tests used to compile the API include the California Standards Tests, the California Achievement Test and the high school exit exam. Students in grades three through 11 take most of these tests each spring.
Schools were judged on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best score, based on their overall API results. In Orange County, 106 of 573 schools received a 10. Meanwhile, 26 schools scored a 1. (Click here to see our database of scores.)
Last year, 93 schools received a 10, and 35 schools received a 1.
The state also released a second set of scores, called similar-schools rankings, where schools are measured on a scale of 1 to 10 against 100 schools serving similar populations.
Eighty schools received a similar-schools top score of 10, while 20 schools earned a ranking of 1.
Twenty-four county schools earned 10s in both the statewide and similar-schools rankings. Four campuses scored a 1 in both categories.
“This makes my teachers and parents very proud of our school,” said Pam Coughlin, the principal at Mariners Elementary in Newport Beach, one of the 24 campuses with a 10 in both rankings.
“Everyone here knows there is more that defines good schools than just scores, but we all feel wonderful to receive this recognition.”
State Superintendent Jack O’Connell said the API rankings are an important accountability tool because they “let the public know how schools in their communities are doing in comparison to other schools in the state as well as in comparison to schools with similar socioeconomic characteristics.”
Low-performing schools often use the similar-schools ranking to demonstrate that they are achieving despite challenges.
For example, Carr Intermediate in Santa Ana Unified and Lambert Elementary in Tustin Unified both earned a 4 on the statewide ranking but scored a 10 among similar-schools.
Besides the rankings, the state also released target scores for schools to reach when the 2008 API figures are out this summer.
Schools with an API score lower than 800 are expected to make moderate gains each year until they reach the 800 benchmark. Schools with an 800 score or higher are not given targets for growth.
About 50 percent, or 288 Orange County campuses, already have a score of 800 or higher on the API.
Contact the writer: 714-445-6687 or fleal@ocregister.com
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/05/11/cityscapes/dpt-weekinreview051108.txt
A deaf and hard of hearing program at Costa Mesa High School got a sort of a reprieve this week when Newport-Mesa Unified School District Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard decided to keep the program for another year.
Originally, the program was to end at the end of this school year after a large group of students enrolled in the program were going to go back to their home school district in Santa Ana. Newport-Mesa officials, in turn, decided at that time to teach the kids from their on an individual basis, but would no longer serve students not living within district boundaries.
Hubbard’s decision allows those non-district children to stay within the program, with the exception of the Santa Ana students, for the next school year.
District spokeswoman Laura Boss said decisions about the program after next school year are ongoing.
Parents whose children were part of the program feared its end because of its unique education. It is an auditory oral program, meaning the children are taught to speak orally, not using sign language or lip reading, so they may better assimilate with classmates who are not deaf or hard of hearing.
SAHS Teacher Says:
May 19th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
It appears the new principal for Santa Ana High School will be Julie Infante, recently fired from her job as principal of Baldwin Park H.S., apparently for opposing the interferences of a self-serving superintendant and school board. Her brief tenure there was documented by a UCLA professor in the school of education, summarized at: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/news/LiberatingPressRelease043008.pdf
We’re certainly looking forward to something different at SAHS next year and have our fingers crossed
Anon Says:
May 20th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
SAHS Teacher
That is an unbelievable move by the district. Mz. Infante seemed to have made a major dent on the API improvement scores and took on the so common centralized district control she found in Baldwin Park. Her reward was being fired. This just doesn’t sound like the SAUSD mold. To date they have hired principals that only march in goosestep with the district office.
I hope you are right and Mz Infante hasn’t suffered from termination turnaround now just wanting to hold a job. If she shows the same determination as the Baldwin Park story reports she is in for a real ride. The principals at Valley and Willard should take note.
Anon Says:
May 21st, 2008 at 6:49 pm
On May 20th SAUSD district issued a press release about the new lunch shade structure for students that has been completed at a cost of $230,000.00.
I hope they provide some pictures of this nearly quarter million dollar shade structure in future releases because I would be most curious as to what was built for that kind of money.
As I recall the former shade structure was refurbished about a decade ago, or possibly longer, next to what is laughingly called a kitchen/nutrition center. (called a snack bar back in the 60’s)
Not too many years ago the former ’shade structure’ was having a problem with pigeons which of course created a mess. The response was to put recorded sounds of predator birds to scare away the pigeons. This was also applied to Valley high suffering a similar problem. The results were hardly positive.
Since the district applauded donations from the general public for this new $230k structure I know I would certainly like to see pictures. I’ll reserve judgement for now, but for nearly a quarter million dollars I certainly hope it is not another slotted roof shelter over a bunch of lunch benches.
Richardson is at least putting some skin in the game when it comes to Measure G.
Personally, I will always be grateful for whatever part he played in helping to get rid of that terrible Mrs. Jones from Saddleback. He was president when she was eliminated from that campus. Now if someone would only go after the remains of all the idiots Jones put into place, the new principal MIGHT have a chance at making that campus decent. In the meantime, morale and planning are DOA.
Tim Whitacre blasts Measure G, the SAUSD bond measure/tax increase
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/05/tim-whitacre-blasts-measure-g-the-sausd-bond-measuretax-increase/
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/05/tim-whitacre-blasts-measure-g-the-sausd-bond-measuretax-increase/
Tim Whitacre blasts Measure G, the SAUSD bond measure/tax increase
I would be very interested if anyone attended Carr’s open house and unveiling of the new lunch area structure. The district says they raised $230 thousand dollars for this new structure and I would like to know if anyone feels they got their monies worth on it. Oddly enough no pictures or further notice of it has been put on the SAUSD district site.
I find it difficult to believe that a cover structure protecting kids during lunch costs $230 thousand dollars unless they used something more than what existed before consisting of poles and a tin roof. All I can find is that it was made larger than the previous structure but I have not seen it so I do not know. Since this structure was built with funds raised by the general public, I certainly want to know what they got for their money. What bothers me is the district didn’t splash this all over the web or papers and knowing the districts integrity I would certainly be interested in others input.
With all of the problems in this district, why is there so much concern over a new lunch area structure that was built without district funds? Sounds as if someone has a personal vendetta against someone.
#217
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/news/LiberatingPressRelease043008.pdf
If Julie Infante is truly selected to be the principal of SAHS, then this would seem to signal a new direction for our district. I cannot belive that she would have been a selection by Juan Lopez. This choice would have to have been done by an educator who actually cares about the business of teaching children and improving the district.
One of the problems that seems to be festering is Lopez’s knee-jerk choices for the Assistant Sups who oversee the elementary and the High/middle school principals and administrators. They seem to thwart any “bad news” and problems from being made known at the upper cabinet levels. Herman Mendez and Alex Ayala have a duty to support the good principals and report the bad ones at Willard and Valley.
Ms. Russo is respected among educators. It is too bad she is still saddled with cancerous staff like Lopez and his weak choices of staff.
Carr’s got a great website.
222
Damn straight there is a personal vendetta against the disrict. Mismanagement of money tops the list. I want to know if the district fleased the community out of a quarter million dollars to build a tin and pole lunch structure that probably cost half that much or if they actually used the money to build a decent structure. If they didn’t build a decent structure costing $230k I want to know where the rest of the money actually went because money has a habit of vanishing in this district.
#217
Julie Enfante cannot be a choice of Lopez. He would have chosen her successor at the high school – a do-nothing administrative suck-up.
Is she the choice of Ms. Russo?
There appears to be a disconnect between what issues need to be addressed in the schools, and what Juan Lopez’s friends, Herman Mendez and Alex Ayala are willing to tell Jane Russo and Ms. Olsky. Willard and Valley continue to suffer under their administrators. Valley’s staff are resorting to legal action because the problems there are too overwhelming for even SAEA.
A couple of real money wasting areas are the consultants and attorneys hired. Their per hour charges have got to be astronomical. I didn’t see any cuts in those two areas when the budget was being discussed.
There is a lack of transparency, so who really knows exactly how much is spent on them every year?
#226
I may be wrong but somewhere I read that at least one of the legal firms was cut from the district budget proposal. Which in district terms means they hired another one the next day.
#225
You got that right. It is hard to believe they would hire anyone that has a record of fighting district and board interference. If they actually do hire Mz. Enfante things should get interesting at SAHS assuming she hasn’t decided to roll over and take her new paycheck.
#223
Carr does have a great website. As of yesterday no pictures of this grand new lunch structure. Do you know of any?
I called over to friends at Carr. Apparently the shade is a big deal. The kids didn’t have any shade from the sun or rain and now it’s taken care of. Its a big structure and its made out of canvas. They added some additional tables/seating, too. There is a sense of pride in that this kind of addition has been needed for a long time and the community, staff, kids, parents etc… came together to make it happen. In addition, Mr. Patrick has overseen nice changes in the landscaping at Carr. In the past, the bushes and lawns seemed to just barely survive. The site has an excellent, caring gardner that is there and on the go the entire day with the lawns and gardens. The campus is actually starting to look beautiful and lush and this is something that Mr. Patrick values as research supports that plants and a visually inviting campus help students achieve higher test scores.
If the district had a chance to tamper with the monies raised for the shade structure, I don’t think it would shock anyone. However, the monies raised somehow made it to actually purchase a much needed shade structure and Carr’s staff and students are delighted to have it.
Heartsafire,
Thank you for the information. I admit it has been several years since I have been given an assignment at Carr. My memory was that part of the lunch area had a shade/weather cover but I will concede that I had no reason to specifically remember it.
I can imagine the beautification of the school is something everyone is happy with. It was pretty sad looking the last time I saw it. I can also now understand why the district has not made a large issue of the lunch cover. A canvas tarp and additional lunch benches does not equate to $230k no matter how you do the math. The fact they even admit that money raised was supplemented by school funds brings me to a very questionable conclusion.
The district press release never mentioned landscaping or additional lunch seating, only the shade structure at a price of $230k. I can understand now why their are no pictures and the press release was low key. It would seem that an audit of the expenditures is in order.
Whatever happened to High School Incorporated? HSI at Valley?
No mention of it on the website there.
That is an interesting question. HSI was a big deal back in Jan-Feb when the Governator was going to dedicate as much as a $100 million statewide to aid the concept. The OC Register ran a feelgood story on Anaheim possibly copying Valley Highs program. Once the budget fell apart not a whole lot has been said about it publically since. As long as the school can keep sucking funds from the Chamber I’m sure the program will continue. After reviewing Carr’s latest little shelter program I wonder how long citizens and business groups will continue to blindly give money to SAUSD without some kind of fiscal oversite.
Anony says:
“As long as the school can keep sucking funds from the Chamber I’m sure the program will continue.”
For your information, SA Chamber membership is composed of savy business people. These are entrepreneurs who know value received.
Additionally, the Chamber is a contractual partner in the administration of High School Inc. – this is public record. Fiscal oversite at a high level is in place for HSI.
Business people connected with HSI are actively involved in the administration of the program. Your description of the school “sucking funds” from the Chamber is off the mark.
HSI is bringing much needed voc-ed, now known as Career Technical Education, back to the high school level.
Anony, you should go by Valley High School and ask the principal for a walk through of High School Inc. I think that would open your eyes to the value HSI is bringing to the community.
SA business owner
ART – You should consider dumping the Mijares pic and leading page references. He is old news.
SA business owner
Thank you for setting me straight. As I recall in the February paper account the HSI was only into it’s first semester which struck me odd that another chamber (Anaheim) would jump into a program that had not completed a full year of testing first. I would be interested, now that a complete school year has almost finished, at the results of the program. I’m sure accreditation, graduation, and scholastic statistics are available, or will be by the end of June. I’m sure the local newspapers will want to folluw up on the success of the program.
I sincerely hope you are receiving your monies worth as much as I hope the students are being provided with a vocational ed. future. Again thank you for your input. The original question was whatever happened to HSI and since I didn’t have an updated answer, I appreciate that you did.
I am bewildered though that a SA business owner would not wish to put his business name on his comment here. Being savvy (by the way that is the correct spelling) I’m sure you would not mind the publicity as a civic minded public supporter of HSI. By the way do you also support measure G?
SA business owner would not put his/her name here because there are vindictive people in the blogosphere who may twist her/his words or intent.
SA business owner does not support Measure G.
The SAUSD has not made good use of the last bond funds. And, they propose to use the new bond money for what seem to be maintainence type projects.
Maintenance should be covered by the per student collections from the state. Bond issues should be used to build new schools. Which, I do not see a need for since the SAUSD is losing student enrollment.
SA business owner,
The HSI website as well as the Valley High School website doesn’t list any concrete accomplishments. In fact, the only photo gallery shows some career faire type booths. Wow.
That principal that you refer to cannot even manage his school’s website information, much less is he able to articulate what HSI is all about.
Where are the meeting agendas that were supposed to be provided as proof of transparency? Or is all that unnecessary because funds have already been secured and raided?
HSI stinks. It smells dead.
SA Business owner seems conflicted. Hard to believe you are what you claim.
Anon,
Thanks for adding that perspective. I had not found the HSI website but I am not surprised. I have yet to know a business man, especially a chamber of commerce member, reluctant to name himself. I think what we have here is a district BS’r trying to promote a program. We all know about the Valley principal with his intimidation by hands on approach. Too bad just one employee won’t file charges.
The Valley principal has no idea what he is doing. Even his BFF Juan Lopez has distanced himself from the heat this guy has been creating. Lopez sent Chad Hammitt out to help harass and intimidate a counselor who had recently miscarried. Freddy claimed that the woman had tried to commit some crime against the district by not watching her days of absence and inadvertently getting “overpaid” during the time she was out ill. Determined to make an example of the poor woman, he made her clean out her things and put her on leave until her days absent were “made up”. He doesn’t give a care about students. His only focus is hurting others. He could have had those days deducted from her paycheck with a warning and let the woman get back to work. Instead, he makes a major production over what is a payroll issue. It’s a shame that Chadd even agreed to participate in this kind of hurtful meeting. Anyone who has worked in SAUSD has had *at least* one payroll issue. Gomeztrejo’s heavy-handed approach remains unnecessary, if this district is ever going to change the corrupt culture of leadership by fear and intimidation.
Freddy strikes early each morning by demanding that staff come in to speak with him about upcoming intimidating meetings. He likes to do this around weekends.
The problem with reporting this guy is that everyone knows what a loose cannon he is. He uses physical intimidation tactics to scare and supress his underlings.
He’s going to blow. It’s just a matter of time. And when he does, hopefully it will be against a fighter, because there will be plenty of documentation for a nice sized suit. He’ll be the undoing of Juan Lopez who made the decision to hire, protect and promote this nut in SAUSD.
A twofer- Juan Lopez and Fred Gomeztrejo shipped out for the inevitable misstep of a truly troubled man.
My suggestions if you are at Valley: Document. Sign up for long term health care/disability insurance in case you find yourself in the situation that the counselor did. Contact Saddleback High School and find out who he attacked there so that you can have a good list of witnesses and stories to back your own situation up. Contact an attorney. Contact David Barton, President of the SAEA and INSIST that the union back you up. SAEA has a duty to keep fighting this guy. Contact Russo’s office directly and tell on him.
AND NEVER MEET WITH FRED GOMEZTREJO ALONE. YOU MUST NEVER BE WITHOUT A WITNESS WHEN YOU MEET WITH HIM. HE IS NOT SAFE.
Wow. I assumed Freddy was still a problem but I didn’t realize he had esculated to this level. Now that more posters have found this thread again more stories can be reported here. Put the word out on how to get here and start voicing your comments. If people like SA business owner (if that is what he or she really is) can read these stories for themselves perhaps they will think twice about supporting this bully.
We know some district office people read this thread and sometimes that does help. I’ve asked Art for a direct link to this one thread but so far he hasn’t told me if it can be done or not. I hope so because these stories need to get out both from employees and from parents like they used to.
When I came to SAUSD, over 2 decades ago, the first intimidation tactic I discovered was the “Friday” threat. In other words being told or given notice on Friday that the following week you would be facing a negative meeting of some kind. Normally the threat comes late in the day so you have very little recourse to contact your union rep or even hire an attorney if it is serious. It is a cute tactic to piss on your cheerios over the weekend and designed to put additional stress on you. On some occasions, if the notice is in writing, you will find it predated a couple of days earlier. Don’t let it bother you. Refuse to meet without a rep and get one ASAP. And as anon said, document, document, document.
Julie Enfante, the new HS principal who was board approved, was out touring around the SAHS campus today.
Most teachers don’t expect to be abused by a serial bully who has risen to the level of principal. Juan Lopez just has a knack for hiring and protecting those kinds of weirdos.
Fred Gomeztrejo had Principal Jones as a mentor and he thinks that being a sneak and a jerk is what is necessary to get the job done in SAUSD. He’s wrong and it eventually will catch up with him. Unless the staff learns how to unite and fight and diligently notify the union, the board of ed and Jane Russo’s people, he’ll be able to get away with picking off school site staff.
He’s basically a one-trick pony. He has a limited bunch of tactics that he uses to frustrate, humiliate, abuse and intimidate employees. That is why documentation is so important. Once you see the patterns, they become predictable. The more devastating and abusive patterns can then be presented over and over again to Juan Lopez who will have to address them. Eventually something will have to give. The guy is a powder keg and Juan now knows it.
Oh, and he’s been sneaking around the contract by RIF’ing staff and replacing them with old cronies from previous sites with far less seniority. Poverty Pimping. Parasites raiding impoverished districts where there is no accountability -just cynical, protectionist oversight.
HSI? Off his list of things to do. In fact, nothing has been written since last August.
IF the union is doing their job, how does someone get riffed over seniority? It is a disrict wide seniority system.
Fast Freddy may be right as long as the current administration runs this district. He may be able to intimidate, violate rights, or worse and apparently has been. Willards Bishop has the same reputation on this blog, true or not. Jones only got away with it until she wrote a stupid memo picked up by the news. The intimidation factor seems to be alive and well and going unchecked.
It will continue until someone has the stuff to either make it all public, file a lawsuit and make that public too or wonder what they are paying union dues for.
There were over 200 teachers who were un-riffed, according to some papers sent out by the union. The RIF processes were contested by union lawyers until mid-May for those teachers. It seemed to be kind of hush-hush. If you were a teacher who was riff’d and went to the union, they’d look into it and possibly get a lawyer to contest it. If you didn’t think to contact the union, I guess you were kind of SOL. Union dues run nearly $1,000 a year.
Per the SAEA site on RIF’s: Once RIF notices are mailed, SAEA will have a meeting with CTA lawyers for all RIF’d teachers who are unit members in good standing. It is very important that teachers attend.
The RIF presentation on the SAEA website is informative: http://www.sateach.org/
You can see how teachers could be cut, yet the district office continues to remain top heavy. Less real teaching and about the same administration.
http://cta.org/media/publications/educator/current/0408_feat_06.htm
Article about Walker School and class size from the CTA publications:
Volume 12, Issue 7 – April 2008
Scott Miller
At Walker Elementary School in Santa Ana, Betsy Murray’s fourth-grade classroon has wall-to-wall students. Numbering 34, they sit in several long rows, and their desks leave scant room for walking around the classroom — or anything else that requires movement of any kind.
Murray gestures at a few empty desks. “Three students are absent today,” she points out, while students work industriously on their math problems.
You wouldn’t know it from visiting Murray’s classroom, but Santa Ana has declining student enrollment — although some schools like Walker are still overcrowded. The district has cut nearly $100 million from its budget over the last four years and needs to cut nearly $30 million more.
Walker Elementary School was built in 1993 to relieve overcrowding in the once high-growth district. Classrooms are on the small side, since the school was designed for class size reduction, which received state funding at the urging of CTA. Classrooms were supposed to have 20 to 24 students. But Murray, a member of the Santa Ana Educators Association (SAEA), has 35 students — nearly all English learners — along with two third-graders who come in each day for differentiated math instruction, bringing the total number of her math students to 37.
“I am lucky, because they are so well behaved,” she says. And because they are older, they are more mature and better able to cope with being packed like sardines than younger students.
“But it’s difficult,” admits Murray. “The biggest challenge is that I can’t differentiate my instruction to the extent that I would like to, even though I know how. When they work in groups I try to circulate around, but it’s hard to give attention to each child. And the paperwork is hard. I get here about 7:30 a.m. and never get out of here before 5.”
Students in Scott Miller’s crowded classroom at Walker Elementary use folders as barriers for privacy during testing.
In first, second and third grades at the school site — and throughout the Title I district — there are 20 students in each classroom. But these grades could soon be bursting at the seams much like Murray’s classroom, since the district has issued pink slips to about 600 teachers — nearly half of them working in first-, second- and third-grade classrooms.
Santa Ana Educators Association members who teach at Walker Elementary School are plenty worried that increasing the numbers in their classrooms will increase the challenge of being able to help all students.
“If they add 12 students to my second-grade classroom, it will make a big difference,” says Scott Miller. And he should know: When he began his career in 1989 he had 34 first-graders. When his class size was reduced to 20 students, it was like night and day.
“I said, ‘Wow, I can take a deep breath and get down to teaching,’ because discipline was not an issue. I had more quality time to spend with my students. Now I’m afraid that adding 12 students would mean some students might fall through the cracks.”
Class size reduction went by the wayside in Santa Ana kindergarten classrooms two years ago. And for those who once taught small kindergarten classes and now have large ones, it has been quite an adjustment.
A classroom of wall-to-wall kids at Walker Elementary — three students were absent.
Ilian Guzman knows both sides of the coin. At one time she had 20 kindergartners. She now has 32 students — all of them English learners — in her classroom for a good part of the day. That happens from 10:08 to 11:45 during the overlap of morning and afternoon sessions of kindergarten — the Early Birds and the Late Birds.
“For those who haven’t had a 32 to 1 ratio and suddenly have it, there will be complete chaos,” predicts Guzman. “There is a big difference between having 20 students and having 32 students. It’s especially difficult at the beginning of the year, when kids are crying because they don’t want to be in school. It’s madness.”
Guzman, who says that she is now very adept at “controlling the masses,” believes that students have an easier time succeeding in a smaller class.
“I recently asked the students to sound out words and I couldn’t finish with all 32 of them. The bell rang, and some of them were still waiting for a turn. I find that in a larger class, students often have to fend for themselves, because they have less one-on-one opportunity. And it’s harder for them to ask questions, participate, feel safe and feel that the class belongs to them.”
Alma Nunez, a first-grade teacher at Walker who received a RIF, works with Paola Rosas.
Numerous studies show that class size does indeed matter. The most recent findings were presented in March at the annual meeting of the Washington-based American Educational Research Association, which draws educators from around the world. In one study of British classrooms, researcher Peter Blatchford reported that elementary and secondary students benefit from smaller classes — especially lower-achieving students. Another study, conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin, found that small classes are “more engaging” places for students because they can have a more personal connection with teachers.
California has the largest student population in the nation, and currently ranks 50th nationally in teacher-per-pupil ratio according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Mary Anne Ford, a first-grade teacher at Walker Elementary School, has never taught a large class, and isn’t sure what to expect if her class size increases from 20 to 32 — or perhaps higher, since there is no cap on the number of students who can be placed in a classroom in her district. Some classes in the district — often at the high school level — may start the year out with as many as 45 students.
“I really don’t know how it will be, except worse,” Ford predicts, especially with pressure to increase test scores at the school, which is in year 3 of Program Improvement. “I guess you could say that I’m not looking forward to it at all.”
For more in-depth class size research, visit the following website: http://www.classsizeresearch.org.uk.