The Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) administrators didn’t wait very long after their fraudulent tax increase, Measure G, passed to fire the people who worked hard to pass the bond measure. “School board member John Palacio said many of the district employees who have been laid off live in Santa Ana and worked on behalf of that bond. “The way they say thank you is to cut their positions,” said Palacio, who voted against the job cuts and visited the protesters on Thursday,” according to the O.C. Register.
Now one of the fired employees is fighting back – by going on a hunger strike. Ramon Quintanilla used to be an instructional assistant who worked with special-education students at Walker Elementary School. Until the SAUSD fired him this week. He will be on a hunger strike until tomorrow.
Well, we warned you folks about the SAUSD’s poor record and bad intentions. But you didn’t listen. Now that you are finally waking up, don’t forget that most of the SAUSD school board candidates that will be on the ballot in November actively worked to pass Measure G. I doubt any of them have been speaking out now about the mass firings of instructional assistants.
One of the candidates, Valerie Amezcua, was recruited as a candidate by Santa Ana Clowncil Member Michele Martinez, who actually worked for the Measure G campaign after quitting her job with a local predatory lender. I won’t be voting for Amezcua and I certainly won’t be voting for Martinez, who is running against Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. I don’t reward politicians who work to raise our taxes when we are in the midst of a recession.
If you were fired by the SAUSD or you know someone who was fired, be sure to tell everyone you know about this blog. We have been opposing the SAUSD administrators since 2003. The only way we are going to stop their unending corruption and ineptitude is by striving to become better informed and by voting the bums off the SAUSD school board. Do your homework this November and DON’T vote for any of the hacks who advocated for Measure G.
Thank you Mr Pedroza, the people need a champion.
Art,
I agree with you about SAUSD, kind of sad when you get Rosie and John are the only ones against the bond. At least they both got this one right, too bad the rest didn’t.
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I have to wonder how much more harm Ramon Quintanilla will do to himself, and how little to the district. Is ten minutes of fame worth it?
Again with the hunger strikes. *sigh*
SMS
FYI – Informational picketing will take place again this afternoon (Friday) from 3:00 pm til 5:30 pm at the District Office. Pass the word to other employees. Press will be attending.
Here’s a challenge:
IF all SAUSD administration takes a 10% pay cut (overpaid Jane should take 25%)
AND SAEA agrees to match the amount saved (from all the dues they extort from teachers),
I (other teachers too?)would be willing to accept a 10% salary cut
IF it results in saving the aides’ jobs.
Oh Please!!! These employees should have been fired months ago during yet another budget cutting session. These part time employees receive a full benefit package…not just \a\ package, but a choice of three benefit packages, one being a PPO, at a cost of over $2 million to the tax payer! It is not the responsibility of the tax payer to provide a full benefit package to part time employees. Get a full time job — and what ever happened to volunteers? Oh, I forgot, this is SantAna where everyone demands to be taken care of.
One employee’s benefit package costs over 2 million a year?? Then the Insurance Companies are ripping off the District and the kids are the ones who suffer from it by having fewer adults in the classroom to help them learn and fewer programs they can take advantage of to increase their education. I think that the citizens need to stand up to these Insurance Companies and tell them what the taxpayers are willing to pay. We are not willing to pay the windfall profits that the big Pharmaceutical Companies are making off out school districts across the country and the Big CEO pay packages that the Stockholders in the Insurance Companies award to their precious CEO for denying care to needy families and raping our governmntal budgets for their profits.
#5. I don’t know of any teacher who would be willing to take any pay cut to save aides’ jobs. It’s unfortunate that classified was cut so drastically. But remember, California is having a budget crisis, and mos school districts had to make cuts. Teachers were RIFed all across the State. And by the way,what hasn’t been mentioned here is that SAUSD saved the 20 to 1 class size reduction program and in essence has brought back almost all of the RIFed teachers.
# 6 has a point. Most districts do not pay instructional aides benefits. Instructional aides at most districts are part time. SAUSD simply cannot afford to pay benefits to and continue to maintain the class size reduction program.
STARVE im sure you need to loose some weight..
I worked for 25 years in the SAUSD and I got laid
off. What does that tell you. The District is poorly run and I agree with the person who said the Supt and all high ups should take a pay cut.
The 215 RSP/SDC should be hired back now so we can all work with your childern like we have for years. Huge salaries for people who don’t work with you kids?