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.
Yes! A new Mediation Update has been sent out. Sounds bogus if you ask me. It says that “The new Tentative agreement requires the district to restore 436 laid off employee back to their old positions at least FOUR HOURS PER DAY with the same district paid health and welware benefit options that they were laid-off”
Sorry but this doesnt sound like a good deal. Why don’t they just bring them all back at their same 8 hr rate? To me if they say they are going to restore their positions.. restoring means at the full 8rs. Just my opinion.
I saw that CSEA Information meetings are going on all week at different sites.
A lackey or lacquey is a term for a uniformed manservant, in its original meaning (attested 1529, according to the OED).The modern connotation of “servile follower” appeared later, in 1588 (OED).[1]
Did any other teachers just get the chance to vote-one week time limit mind you-on the ZERO percent contract? O discussion and debate is a fine thing if it’s time you have… Are we bailing out the bozos at the district? This contract creates a 2-tiered pay system for new hires, o history is a cruel mistress mind you in this regard, the opening of a door to division and strife.
Inflation in the OC is at 8-10% easy. A ZERO percent raise surely honors the work of teachers.
Altho the ballot cited a reduction in the number of columns from 4 to 8, there was no new salary schedule attached to the contract, leaving myself to wonder, what is ZERO percent, exactly? What happened to basic proofreading of a BALLOT?
The COLA given to the district was 13.5 MILLION, they wasted it but garnered a 200 plus MILLION building bond with the help of the same lackey union. Phone banking, you know, free from the union, and a fine bit of gratitude the District shows.
[1] And Mickey is weeping!
Office Lady I am with you! I am hearing that people want to vote this down also. I’m with them. I don’t see how this will make everything good! Am I wrong to say that Jose Hernandez needs to go? I really feel that we need to get someone else on the board instead of him! I got my letter today. Gee, looks like I won’t make that first meeting that was today but I see they are having a bunch of others this week. Office lady I also feel that they should just give back the jobs to those who were laid off! We just got someone else at our site who got bumped and who doesn’t want to be at our site. Again “It’s a job” they say. It just gets me that we have people who were capable and great at what they did but are now gone and replaced with negative people who are already saying “I’m not doing that” and “That’s not the way it was done at my other school”
#703
If you had been involved, you would have noticed a long time ago, that there would be no raise factored into this past year’s contract. I suggest you get involved with this current year’s contract language to make sure that everyone receives their COLA, should the current contract pass by voting teachers.
Weak unions like SAEA stay weak because the membership is easily intimidated and/or will not get involved.
I have to both agree and disagree with commentor anon, just above. What anon says may be based from a certain perspective of history, if anon is an old guy-or-gal. (I’m one.) Back in the 80’s-early 90’s, SAEA was definitely a weak union, with barely 50% membership. Only 1 of 5 teachers at Santa Ana High, were SAEA members – no closed shop then. District laughed at SAEA then (discreetly of course, because it cherished their weakness. But when bargaining reached an impasse, and we faced salary proposals near bottom of OC school districts, Santa Ana High faculty got mad as a group, and conducted no-administrator-allowed-faculty meetings and led the district in wild-cat sick outs that caused unbelievable eductional chaos. These actions were absolutely illegal, and if SAEA leaders had been involved, they probably would have been prosecuted. But they were helpless – it was a weak union, with little respect from teachers. However these wildcat strikes did bring a quick resolution to bargaining with a half-decent salary schedule. Possibly anon is looking wistfully at those days when teachers got mad and kicked butt, albeit against labor law.
SAEA is a far stronger union today, with far more professional leadership. Following the law in labor negotiations is a long, drawn out affair, requiring patience and endurance (every member of our bargaining team is an active full-time teacher with classes to teach). SAUSD intentionally uses tactics designed to prolong bargaining as a strategy to wear down our teacher-negotiators, so they surrender and accept a less than desirable contract. Nevertheless, our teacher bargaining team (I’m not one, I just know them.) are far more professional than the District team, they each have years of experience, years of professional negotiation training, and know the contract better than anyone else. Which approach is stronger — the old, wild days of fury and action, or today’s of pesistance and endurance? Your call. I personally feel it’s important for teachers to be models of respect for law. Anon is also right on the money about lack of involvement. Over half of teachers I talk to have no idea even where the SAEA offices are.
SAHS Teacher,
CSEA and classified members could take a lesson from your comment above.
I agree that the union has pretty much caved on it’s board endorsements, I could go on, but that’s the bottom line. I also agree fully with SAHS teacher. Last year there were some protests which teachers held and didn’t violate any contract provision or law and they were very effective and I believe had a major effect on the opening of this school year. The district prolongs everything as long as legally possible and many of the offenses are in their last stages before a decision will be made. The union is strong, although not always right. As far as money goes, in this economy it is very difficult to argue for a raise in the face of the facts. As the classified staff knows, we actually need to be grateful that we have full-time jobs with benefits, I know that won’t be a popular argument, but just wait a few months, things are scary.
Remember the day the student was shot in front of the school a week or so ago? Well I heard that Chief Sven Hansen was seen (and photographed? hope, hope) joking and laughing with the SAPD officers called to the scene while the child lay dead nearby.
This is another administrator who makes strange decisions. He has a police dog caged outside the District Office in this heat, separated from its master and without the companionship and care it was raised on. Oh the Chief makes sure the animal is walked several times a day but thats not how a the dog-half of a Canine Unit is supposed to be cared for. Why? Because it will mess up the dog and could ruin it for police work.
Hey Chief, how much does the Canine Unit cost, I mean dog, training and all? Oh yeah, I forgot your getting a $40 million loan from the Santa Ana Community Bank so you dont need to worry about spending. Right …
Anonyms – I’m not a fan of Sven Hanson, but you are quite the ***hole to suggest that any officers would be laughing while the child was taken by Paramedics.
That was a stressful and painful day for all. No one thought it was funny. Stop using it to further your hatefulness. There are plenty of other things to pick at.
Anonyms,
I’m not a Hansen fan either but I didn’t see him in any of the TV or video of the SAHS shooting incident. I did see a photo of Sgt Mark Van Holt talking and appear to be laughing while talking to city police. These things drag on for hours. You can’t pretend to care forever.
The school police canine seems to be a sad story as my sources tell me. This dog was sold to SAUSD by SAPD because it couldn’t make the grade as a city police dog. Since it has been at SAUSD it has been passed off to two officers. Both had to go to training with the dog which costs somewhere around $5,000.00 each. The latest handler has decided she no longer wants the job and a new one has to be appointed and trained for an additional $5000.00.
The sad part is this dog, all for show, has been pawned off so many times that it probably is virtually useless. I’m told this dog is taken around to elementary schools for demonstrations and has never been involved in an arrest involving a school yet. The program was just a PR ploy by the former Chief now gone.
Someone should adopt the dog and the district cut the loss…sort of like the way the district treats it’s employees.
The initial cost of training was received thru donations from Santa Ana Businesses. I agree about the changes in handler, but you can thank Miyashiro for that one.
He’s far from useless, he’s very good, and weekly training is required. Why not use him as PR with kids?
justnobody, if I’m an ***hole for reporting what I heard – I’m outraged about it – then so be it. I think the readers here can look at multiple posts and make a fair decision. I explained that I didnt witness it and asked if there were photo/video’s that showed it. I also think its a shame when the district spends money on a PR dog that could restore several low paid classified employees to their former positions. However, I do want to thank you and anon for setting the record straight on several points. My intention is to alert not to mislead. If we don’t know you and your administration cronies won’t fix it. You can’t intimidate us commenters with name calling and threats. The employees are calling for change at the top and they won’t stop until it happens.
Anonyms,
I didn’t catch any threat from just a nobody in that comment, but it’s obviously a defensive posture probably because he or she is a member of the police department.
I do agree with your comment about a PR dog. I see no value in showing 8 year old kids a dog that has neither been the cause of an arrest on a campus for drugs, or is reportedly incapable of catching the bad guys. Obviously SAPD would have kept him if he was any good. The value of this PR dog is offset by his ability or apparent lack there of.
Justanobody. The key words in your comments were “Initial cost of training were provided by donations by Santa Ana business”. This leads me to the conclusion that aside from the purchase of the dog and subsequent training of the first officer, ongoing training weekly that you mention, and training of new replacement officers were born by the district. Specialized training I might mention is in Riverside taking an officer off the job for a few weeks.
Costs also include the replacement of the specially outfitted police car, (yes I’m aware the original car was junked and the district had to outfit another for the dog). Then we have costs to buy and provide kennels both at the district as well as the officers home and the man hours for someone to install or move those kennals from home to home as this dog gets passed off. The dog officer takes the car home no matter where he or she lives, close or far, so the gas and vehicle expense are part of the cost too.
The list is endless. Dog food, vet bills. You name it. Does PR justify the cost for a dog that is never called out to help officers and has never caused an arrest while on duty at a school? I don’t think so. Get the dog a good home and quit wasting district money.
Anonyms,
There was no intention to intimidate. Your blog smacked of gossip and was simply cruel, not only to those you were were making insinuations towards, but causing unnecessary pain to the family of the child who died. You know as well as I do that you weren’t “just asking” if anyone could verify, you were intentionally attempting to create hostility.
There are many other problem areas at SAUSD that need attention, including moral character flaws, but try to focus on things we can actually do something about and that aren’t based on supposition.
Anon, yes you are correct about costs, although there is no out of pocket costs for weekly training, that is done by the handler and meeting with other canine handlers. I agree there are costs that really need to be looked at in relation to the gains, particularly in this economy.
I agree SAUSD’s dog has not been used to it’s fullest potential. It can be a great tool when used properly and consistantly. Keep in mind that drug dogs are also used as a deterrent. When drug dogs are used for searches at schools, kids using drugs often think twice about bringing them to school because they never know when the dog may show up.
The PR Dog as a deterrent? Well, “Refer Madness” and “Blood on the Highway” were meant to be deterrents too but the people they were to deter saw them as funny, misguided propaganda attempts so what did they really accomplish besides stroking their creators egos? Nada. As for the dog’s effect at SAUSD?I’m sure kids get busted by school police everyday.
Oh I freely admit that I brought gossip here asking for it to be confirmed or proved wrong. I stand by that decision. If it makes me an ***hole thn so be it. These playground attempts at intimidation through namecalling – was there another goal to that? – and accusing me of causing that poor child’s family pain will not work and judging by these blog pages I’m not the only one who is willing to stand up to you bullies.
We have had a Police dog come by our campus. It is a good thing for our kids to see. So far it has worked at our school as we have had no drug calls.
GHS Teacher
I agree it is a good thing for the kids to see the dog but it would be better if those kids saw that dog sniffing book bags, lockers, if you have them, and walking through areas where drugs might be. Demonstrations are a great thing, but they are demonstrations. How about some results?
In all fairness this dog is a great dog. He has just been misused or not used other than for a PR program. The major question is do we keep a dog just to show we have one or do we put him to work? I’m told most principals don’t want him sniffing around for dope but they don’t mind if he comes out for a “show”. Meanwhile it costs 5k a shot to train this dog to a new handler which will now be number three, and what do we get for that money?
Frankly I don’t know why this was turned on the campus cops anyway. What they do and waste is well documented, but the topic was the loser unions and lack of representation. We can pick on the cops another time because there is plenty of waste there including this interim chief who shouldn’t even be entitled to carry a badge.
GHS Teacher, you statement is a false causality- just because the police dog came on your campus does not mean that it is the reason you have had no drug calls. We have had the police dog come by and still catch kids being ‘creative’ with apples behind the gym.
SAUSD Teacher;
I have followed the last few posts with interest. Setting aside the various apparent knowledge of whatever is going on with school police, the topic originally was the unions and lack of support by them.
In your comment I must agree. Just because the dog comes by or gives a show doesn’t mean drugs are not there especially after school and during the evening or night time. What I am getting from this is that the dog is not available to work with the night school police and seems not to be doing much during the day either. This is distressing considering attendance clerks are working as nurses during school. I would think it might be time to evaluate the dog program regarding benefits versus expense.
Just a nobody says these weekly training sessions with other police dogs are not out of pocket. Either the dog officer is nuts or is doing it for free. My estimate is the dog officer is getting OT, comptime or given a half day off to attend these training sessions. No matter which way it is, this is still a cost on the budget one way or another.
If Anon is correct and this dog has never made a contribution except for public relations then it is time to give this dog a home and get rid of the whole program including a free car, cost of training and other items mentioned related to maintaining the dog. At the moment it seems the dog is kept in a pen and is totally worthless to the district. I’d like to know which genious gave this dog to the last dog officer if that officer decided he or she no longer could be bothered.
None of this makes a lot of sense to me when the district is down and out and talking about borrowing money.
wonderrful posts a real contribution at the level i have come to expect 55000 students many with long term subs in their rooms woof woof
Rintrah, While I usually have to disagree with you, this time you are correct. Hundreds of classified people have lost their jobs, there is a school board election with big stakes and the district is close to being taken over by the state and yet there are endless posts about a dog. Crazy.
Please excuse the interruption 😉
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/students-high-percent-2169474-english-exam
State schools chief touts exit exam success of Santa Ana Unified
State Superintendent Jack O’Connell credited the school district for improvements on the test during a visit to the district.
By FERMIN LEAL
The Orange County Register
Comments 0| Recommend 2
SANTA ANA – Santa Ana Unified has made strong gains among English learners, Latino students, and other groups who traditionally struggle on the High School Exit Exam, and should serve as a model for urban districts across California, said State Superintendent Jack O’Connell during visit to Santa Ana Wednesday.
O’Connell spoke at Segerstrom High about improvements of the county’s largest district on the exit exam over the past few years.
“This district is helping turn around the achievement gap in this state,” O’Connell told to about 100 teachers, principals, students and others who gathered for the superintendent’s visit. “It’s clear there is a plan here, and it’s clear the plan is being implemented correctly.”
Results released earlier this month showed that 70 percent of students from the class of 2010 passed the English portion of the test on their first attempt this spring, while 72 percent passed in math. Both figures are below state and county averages for all students, but are high scores for districts with high concentrations of students from low-income families and English learners, officials said. In Santa Ana, 80 percent of all students are classified as low-income and 56 percent are designated as English learners.
Scores in the district have also improved for each of the last three years by an average of three to nine percentage points. Segerstrom High Had 93 percent of students from the class of 2010 pass both portions of the exit exam on their first attempt, and Middle College High had 100 percent of students from the same class pass. Both campuses ranked among the top five of all high schools in Orange County.
Also, 98 percent of students in the district who were once English learners and redesignated as English proficient students passed both portions of the test.
“This is a success story that needs to be told, and I am going to and tell this story across the state,” said O’Connell, who authored the exit exam in 1999 while a member of the state legislature.
District officials credited improvements on the test to a stronger focus on preparing students for the exam starting in elementary school by providing stronger support in English classes.
Also, teachers and counselors have begun identifying students who are at risk of not passing the exam as early as the eighth grade. Those students are funneled into summer school programs and other classes prior to entering high school
“We can no longer wait until students start high school if we want to ensure students pass the exit exam,” said Michelle LePatner, the district’s director of testing. “Our goal is to have 100 percent of students pass the test. We are not there yet, but we’re making progress.”
Contact the writer: 714-445-6687 or fleal@ocregister.com
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/budget-district-state-2168301-county-districts
Santa Ana Unified may need $40 million loan
Even after state budget signed, district considering county loan to make ends meet.
By FERMIN LEAL
The Orange County Register
Comments 10| Recommend 2
SANTA ANA – Santa Ana Unified School District may consider borrowing up to $40 million from the Orange County treasurer to help pay all the district’s bills after nearly three months of a state budget impasse.
The school board and district staff discussed the option late Tuesday even after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a new state budget earlier in the day.
District officials said that despite the new budget, state apportionments for schools are months late, and the district may have to resort to borrowing cash while the state catches up with funding for schools.
“It’s a good business practice to have money available as we need it,” said Ronald Murrey, the district’s associate superintendent of business services.
Santa Ana Unified, the county’s largest district, receives most of its $470 million budget from the state, like most districts across California. The school board already approved in June about $30 million in budget cuts.
Murrey said he’s unsure of an exact amount the district would actually borrow from the county treasurer, or if money would be borrowed at all. District staff still needs to assess financial obligations in coming weeks, and review final terms of the new state budget, he said.
“We need to be first in line to have this option available,” Murrey said.
School districts in Orange County can borrow up to 85 percent of their budget totals from the county treasurer during times of some financial hardships, similar to the recent state budget impasse. Districts would receive a low-interest loan they would have to pay back at the end of the fiscal year.
Wendy Benkart, assistant superintendent of business services for the Orange County Department of Education, said none of the county’s 27 school districts has yet applied for a loan from the county treasurer. Benkart said that if the state budget would have been delayed any further many districts might have pursued that option.
Contact the writer: 714-445-6687 or fleal@ocregister.com
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/cha-turkey-style-2166637-school-slices
Monday, September 22, 2008
Recipe earns Santa Ana Unified nutritionist national honor
Maria Galvan’s Cha Cha Cha Breakfast Torta is featured in Jennie-O Turkey calendar.
By FERMIN LEAL
The Orange County Register
Comments 0| Recommend 6
SANTA ANA Santa Ana Unified School District’s Maria Galvan, a registered dietitian and nutrition specialist, is currently featured in September’s Jennie-O Turkey Store 2008-09 School Nutrition Calendar.
Galvan’s winning recipe – Cha Cha Cha Breakfast Torta – earned her the National School Nutrition Award presented this past summer in Philadelphia. She was one of 11 selected nationwide for the calendar.
Her recipe is for a Mexican breakfast sandwich made with Canadian-style turkey ham.
“The recipe also preserves the traditional Mexican American way of eating with a modern twist,” Galvan said
Jennie-O-Turkey Store school calendar recipe contest is used by school food service professionals to invent creative recipes and innovative menu ideas, officials said. For more information on the contest, go to http://www.jennieofoodservice.com/schools.
Cha Cha Cha Breakfast Torta
Ingredients:
• 2 slices Sliced Canadian Style
Turkey Ham (2031)
• 2 slices American cheese
• 1 pre-formed, pre-cooked
egg patty
• 1 Telera/Mexican-style roll
Instructions:
Open Telera roll (flat sides up) and place 2 slices of Canadian Style
Turkey Ham on one open face. Place 2 slices of cheese on top of
Canadian Style Turkey Ham and 1 pre-formed, pre-cooked egg patty on
top of the cheese slices.
Toast Telera in oven at 350°F until golden brown (about 5-7 minutes).
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mclean-school-health-2113954-met-award
Santa Ana Unified nurse honored
Gayle McLean was recognized for her work with underserved populations.
By FERMIN LEAL
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Comments 0| Recommend 1
SANTA ANA Gayle McLean, Santa Ana Unified School District’s lead nurse, has been selected for the Cal Optima Circle of Care Award.
McLean is being honored for her contributions to helping to further services to Cal Optima members, many of whom represent underserved populations. McLean heads district’s cadre of school nurses, who ensure that basic health needs of students are met at each school site.
“It is both an honor and privilege to be considered worthy of such a distinguished award,” said McLean in a written statement. “It is the families and children and health professionals who enable me to assist them that I credit. Seeing the health needs of our families met directly or indirectly through my actions instills an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Contact the writer: 714-445-6687 or fleal@ocregister.com
Red Vixen
Thank you for all the Fermin “Feelgood” Leal SAUSD stories. I don’t know who is deeper in the tank. You for Obama or Leal for SAUSD. But in all fairness these stories should be highlighted somewhere. My birdcage comes to mind.
SAUSD had nowhere to go but upward and maybe that’s the point of this whole thread. It never should have ever got this bad to start with. With some management skills, proper direction and a district/BOE that actually cared about it’s students we may have still been low on the ladder but not at the bottom.
I know the Cha Cha torta has to fit somewhere on the SAUSD corruption thread..I’m just not sure which part is corrupt. Based on the ingredients I’d have to say the calorie count, fat ingredients and sodium content might just qualify. What ever happened to the “healthy food” concept.
Footnote. Which classified clerk is getting a nursing award too?
Anonplus,
I find it interesting what the school district distributes to old Fermin as “news”. I’d guess he gets to keep his job with what the school district pays to the paper for job advertising etc… In return he does all his feel good pieces and tries to do some damage control when things go rotten. Doug Irving seems to come in when things get serious, as a news reporter.
Not EVERYTHING the district does is corrupt. However, their choice of “news” is telling. Not a sniff of HSI, for example. Whatever happened to that pie-in-the-sky cooperative effort between school district and SA businesses? That would be real education news for SAUSD.
It’s hardly a transparent system, so I’ll post what I find, no matter how “puffy” the piece is. Actually, I have passed up puffy pieces that were just outright garbage. Today’s articles had some decent employees as the focus, and I think their efforts should be commended. You might think that these little rewards of recognition are all for show, and you’d most likely be right. But in the absence of real discussion, I’ll have to settle on what I can get.
Footnote. Which classified clerk is getting a nursing award too?
The lot of them, maybe? How about the safety officer and other staff who responded to the SAHS shooting? That would have shown that the district honors heroes who do their jobs, instead of just downplaying the dangers employees and students face every day.
Red Vixen,
Touche’. We may not agree on politics but I can’t argue with your thinking about SAUSD.
i heard SAUSD wants to have their Instructional Assistants do the job of translators at IEP’s. There was a training yesterday where the district admitted that they could not afford to pay translator anymore. So the translators making over $20 would be replaced with the Instructional Assistants making $15. Isn’t this illegal?
Touche’. We may not agree on politics but I can’t argue with your thinking about SAUSD.
Kind thanks 😉 I look forward to your input and I respect your views on this thread, in particular.
I do like Obama and I think he’s a principled man who is sharp and will be a good leader. Either guy is way better than Bush, imo. I really have had a difficult time with all the peek-a-boo, unaccountable, hide-out, blame and cover up crowd that has taken over the GOP and that dislike also drives my vote this year. I don’t like it in the local schools and I don’t like it in local, state or federal politics, either. The GOP is going to learn how to get back to principled decision making or they need to continue to get regular punishments. But that’s just the disciplinarian in me, speaking.
la ayudante,
I am not familiar with the system of using translators. Are you saying that there are translators from the district offices that go to school sites to translate and they might be losing their jobs? Have you contacted your union to find out?
And you know, that must suck. A LOT. To have to pay union dues without any kind of job protections, as your members get picked off, group by group because of budget slashings and silent union leaders.
Merry Christmas 🙁
I have been in the district for over 20 years and I am not familiar with using translators who only job is to translate. There have been a handful of times when the district has sent people out to help with parent events, but those people had other jobs in the district, their title was not “translator”. Our instructional assistants have always handled translation during conferences, SST’s and IEP’s. Maybe now the problem is more that none of these people works enough hours in the day to handle this any longer. I’ve also heard that at least one site is trying to hire a classified person who works 4 hours a day for additional hours to translate. It seems to me that the position of “translator” was unnecessary when we had full-time classified people who were happy to help out wherever they could.
On the translator question I can’t say exactly what they do in Santa Ana but I can tell you that there are in most larger Districts Translator positions in the classified service who both verbally translate and translate documents. This is a skill set that is above that of Instructional Assistants and bilingual staff.
Most school personnel may not ever see these translators as they work only on the ‘high profile’ (read litigious) cases where errors are costly or transcribing documents and the rest of the time we have classified staff who happen to be bilingual (not a job requirement) or are in bilingual positions (not required to do written translation) who being the team players that they are routinely assist the not speaking staff communicate with the non english proficient parents and students in many, many languages and dialects – even if it is not part of their job assignment they rush to help out. The Instructional Aides will not be able to do the higher level tasks of the Translators and the District will have to forgo these duties – not contract them out or shift them to other staff – as a result of eliminating the higher level positions.
These Translators, while relatively highly paid among classified, are paid much less in schools than they can make in private industry or government service but the number of positions there are limited. You will always have classified there to help out wherever they can – its their nature. All they ask is for some respect and appreciation for what they do and the current Administration doesn’t know how to do that. One thing for sure is with the cuts, the classified staff have the right to stop rushing in to help where they can and do the jobs that the Administration has decided they will do, period.
Until the rest of the staff have to pay the price of their inept Adminstrator’s failure to understand what the classified really do and allow Administration to choose to use classified as disposable personnel through the non-negotiable layoff process (protected by law so the union can’t stop it) the classified will not have the respect they deserve. Hey Teachers how about a walkout in protest? Oh thats right you’re in bed with the Administration and that would make that uncomfortable. Right, then quit ragging on classified.
Anonyms,
I may have made a left turn and missed it, but I don’t see where anyone is ragging on classified. Ragging on the classified union, yes. I can’t sanction any organization that charges $40 a month to the employees and then folds like a wet noodle when times get tough. Both unions are in bed with the district. The only difference is SAEA gets more blankets on a cold night. Classified employees, and I have been one 30 years, always gets a colder bed and lack of respect. There is nothing new there.
When you get right down to it teachers are the main cog in the wheel, but no one remembers who empties the trash, cleans up the puke, vacuums, mops and waxes the floors, fixes the cars, police and secure the schools, prepares the food, fixes the computers, and clerks everything from attendence to the principals papers. The list is a lot more than that, but the point is made.
These people are generally paid less and can’t afford to hire an attorney when the time comes so they count on the union. Even the dumbest bastard in the chain has seen how far that got them this year.
Administrations have looked down there nose at classified for the 3 decades I’ve been around. What really seems to put the sand in the oatmeal are the sellouts at the district in charge of classified jobs. Benefits, Risk, payroll, building services; you name it. Once they hit six figures suddenly the little guys don’t count anymore and God forbid the little guys raise up and complain.
It doesn’t matter if it is a translator, or a phone repairman. Let the district go a week without phones, computers, food, plumbing or simple cleanup and someone will figure out who really make the wheels go around. I just wonder how long the employees will continue to allow themselves to be beat on before they realize how much threat and power they actually have.
Rintrah and Anon Teacher
I can understand how you feel about the dog comments but I think the underlying point was the waste of money that could have been going to teaching and the kids. At least that was what I was trying to say. Perhaps I did a poor job of it.
As I see it, the greatest power of the Classified staff is their ability to vote and I hope they do in this election. They are the ones who live in Santa Ana, not the Administration or even the teachers.
Yes, the district hires translators then sends them to different school sites to translate as needed. These are great translators that also work at school board meetings.
From my understanding the district translators are used in IEP’s since they are much more difficult to translate than a regular parent-teacher conference (one on one versus translating for a group of people to a parent). As a former long-term substitute teacher for the district, I have been in an IEP where I was left in awe in how difficult it is for a translator to translate every single word.
Sure there are great classified staff that are willing to step up once in a while, but why take out an Instructional Assistant from during class time to translate an IEP? Some students even have IEP’s 3 times a year. Imagine how many times a year an Instructional Assistant would have to leave his/her classroom during the school day to go translate an IEP. Once again, the kids are screwed because of some idiots that messed up over on Chestnut street.
anonplus, I take swipes at the union as a swipe at its members all of whom are classified. The fact is that the power of the classified employees is based on them acting as a block, voting as a block, protesting as a block, and either working to rule or going the extra mile to get things done as a block.
This power is diluted when individuals go around the union and work for individual recognition and promotion with greater allegience to their school and principal or department and supervisor than to each other and their union. Say what you want but the union is whatever the employees make it.
There are examples around the state where the employees have REALLY bonded together and acted together in huge percentages and their situation is better than yours. Most Teacher groups have already come to this conclusion and you see how much better they fare when they do.
Its easy to take a swipe at the union, easy to blame them for whatever happens, but the down side of that exercise of freedom of speech is that it makes people not want to support collective action and that makes the employees as a whole weaker and less likely to be able to act collectively. A swipe at the union (othr than an internal complaint that can be used to correct something) is really only done for one of two reasons. Its either self gratification – it feels better to bitch and blame – or self promotion – anything that makes the employees union weaker is a big plus to the Administration.
Sorry, I’m not in there with you (so it could be different there) but thats how I see it.
Anonyms
I think we agree. When I refer to the union I am generally talking about the CSEA union bosses outside of the local at the county and state level. These are the people who “train” the local members to act as representatives of the collective local body. That system has been failing because as you say some of these local individuals forget where their allegiance belongs. The district administration works very hard to keep the union disjointed by providing perks to these local union leadership members just for that purpose.
It looks like the collective membership is beginning to realize that by starting with the recall of the president. I would hope that the collective body realizes that this is only the beginning. It took more than just the president to allow much of what happened to the classified employees. Time will tell.
I wish them all the best of luck. I hope they can find the strength to pull together and act in unity because that is where their strength lies. It sickens me to think of people having their earnings cut in half or having thier health insurance being taken away. My heart goes out to all of them.
More good news about the district! SAUSD consistently fails to meet testing targets.
Sorry folks, but teachers, parents, students, administration and Bof E are all responsible for this fine distinction. People are complaining about the $7 billion bailout, but hey poor performance has its financial rewards. The Superintendent can hire more people to do nothing. How much $$ must the taxpayers expend?????
The political pull between the administration and unions is getting tiresome and the kids are losing out. There’s some candidate who supports more fundamental schools. Hogwash! Why does SAUSD endorse a heirarchy of education using public funds? All SAUSD schools should be the same. The level of academic competition must be restored so all students have an equal opportunity to achieve.
Teachers need to be held more accountable. I know that stings, but money is not solving the district’s consistent pattern of not meeting academic standards.
Gee, perhaps a Superintendent that’s qualified to manage an large urban school district might be a good start. And tossing trustees Rob Richardson and Jose Alfredo Hernandez is a good idea too.
Santa Ana Unified gets $3.9 million for struggling schools
39 of the district’s 55 campuses have missed federal performance goals for two years.
By FERMIN LEAL
The Orange County Register
Comments 4| Recommend 2
SANTA ANA – The state Department of Education will award Santa Ana Unified a $3.9 million grant to help improve student achievement in schools that have consistently failed testing targets set by No Child Left Behind, officials announced today.
Santa Ana Unified is one of 92 school districts statewide that will receive a combined $80.5 million in federal grants distributed by the state and aimed at raising test scores of low performing schools.
Districts were supposed to receive the grants months ago, but funding was delayed because of the state budget impasse.
“Now that the long state budget stalemate has passed, we can focus our efforts on ensuring districts receive this funding for intervention services,” said state Superintendent Jack O’Connell.
Santa Ana Unified, Orange County’s largest school district, has 39 of its 55 campus labeled as “program improvement” schools, meaning they have failed to reach minimum federal testing goals for two or more consecutive years.
School districts were selected based on the concentration of Program Improvement campuses each had. No other district in the county was chosen for funding.
Each one of Santa Ana’s 39 campuses will receive a one-time $100,000 allocation to institute “corrective actions” that include bringing in county and state intervention teams to analyze data and make recommendations to principals and teachers.
Here we go again…
BIG BROTHER government $$$/program to “solve” a problem.
NCLB does not focus on the true roots of student failure:
1) Parents who may be illiterate (even in their home language), uncaring, and impoverished.
2) Economic/life conditions that may include: lack of prenatal care, birth problems, maternal drug use, diet deficiencies, lack of clean/safe living facilities.
3) Community support is often lacking in inner-city, impoverished areas.
Yet, in “their” wisdom, the primary focus is on the teachers. Since they don’t actually work in these classrooms, they don’t understand that teachers work harder in the “difficult” schools than in the suburban schools.
Teachers don’t need “corrective actions” or more training. Teachers are doing the best they can with the “kind” of students/parents/facilities/resources they are presented.
IF the grant money were applied to:
parenting classes
parent education
student interventions
THEN you would see gains in student achievement.
Many of my colleagues agree with this common challenge to prove the point:
Take all the “great” teachers of Irvine Unified and transfer them to SAUSD. Let all the “lowly” teachers of SAUSD transfer to Irvine Unified. Let them work for a year and then review the test results. I KNOW what would happen. Do you?
Hey SAUSD teach, take it easy on Irvine teachers. They’re OK; their challenges are just different than ours. Our kids may not come in with the same academic aspirations and drive, but they tend to be really polite, while Irvine kids tend to be a little more mouthy. And Irvine teachers lose many hours of discretionary time having to discuss with parents why little Tiffany or Heather is only getting a B. “She’s always been an A student and has had her heart set on Yale, and don’t you realize how intelligent she is and why are you trying to ruin her future?” I never have such conversations in Santa Ana.
So our school is going to get $100,000 to pay a couple experts to show us how to improve our test scores? I’m really excited about this, if they would do it right. Please, please … put one of those experts for 6 weeks in an algebra-1 class with 45 students, about ten of ’em bored and older trouble makers who’ve failed the class at least once and are repeating it yet again, and let us all watch on video cam. I really want to see how the experts produce excellent learning in these conditions, because I just don’t know how to do it. I promise I’ll watch the recording every night and take notes.
Hey Art, are you still reviewing these posts? I realize you’re up to your eyeballs in a campaign. You were criticizing Superintendant Russo for not having a doctoral degree, but I’d written earlier this was no real issue and that the Ed.D. degree involves little more rigor than an undergraduate class thesis. Here’s a recent Washington Post article:
VALUE OF DOCTORATE DEGREES FOR TOP SCHOOL OFFICIALS QUESTIONED.
The Washington Post (10/2, B3, Hernandez, Strauss) reports that “a growing number” of top school officials “across the country…hold doctorates.” But “some experts contend the advanced degrees are often too easy to obtain and of questionable value for education leadership.” Nationwide, “the percentage of superintendents who hold an education-related Ph.D. or the education doctorate known as an Ed.D. rose from 36 percent in 1992 to about 51 percent in 2006, according to” one school administrators organization. Although “many academics say the doctoral programs teach vital management and statistical skills while providing an intellectual challenge,” others argue that “the programs mostly provide financial rewards.” The Post notes that, according to experts, “efforts are underway to sharpen the distinction between” Ed.D. and Ph.D. degrees.
SAHS teacher,
I do read them every day! My criticism of Russo was based on the fact that she is paid MORE than just about every other Superintendent in OC but she doesn’t have the education that her lesser paid counterparts do. If we are going to pay her MORE than what we pay them, shouldn’t we get MORE for our money? She was NOT the best choice for the job – she was picked because Noji wanted someone she could control.
BTW, did you see Russo driving the car in the Fiestas Patrias parade with Rob Richardson and Rosie Avila in it? What’s up with that?!?
Also, I ran into Gregory Barraza last night at a neighborhood meeting. He said he was the ONLY qualified school board candidate due to his experience as a teacher and administrator. But he could not answer the questions posed by the audience in a clear manner. So you are right, degrees are not everything.
I am voting this year for Irene Ibarra, Valerie Amezcua and either Gloria Alvarado or Roman Reyna. Not sure yet as to the latter. I won’t be voting for Richardson or Hernandez. Nor do I intend to vote for Cecilia Aguinaga. And Barraza is allied with Mark McLaughlin, so I won’t be voting for him either.
The classified agreement goes to a vote today, any guess as to the turnout %?