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.
Bingo! Now we need the story about Valley High!
843, 44, 45
Those who attended the Special Board meeting witnessed the best of the Board President. They (Board and Administration) had already meet and knew it was going to be Classified Staff at mid-year and Certificated after March 15. To answer your next question where? I don’t think they care just cut the classified.
I had heard rumors that there might be furlows in May or even a possibility of cutting down the work week to 4 days/week. The furlows would be an early work stoppage, eliminating approximately one month of pay for teachers and other staff.
.From the Music Blog,”A Colorful Education”, there are a series of posts about SAUSD music programs.
http://acolorfuleducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/red-alert.html
A RED ALERT
Red Leader to Gold Leader… We have a serious problem here.
On October 30th, Santa Ana Unified School district called a ‘secret’ meeting to announce the impending budgetary problems with their music program. They invited a handful of prominent and respected Orange County individuals (and me, who is definitely not that…). We learned first hand the true numbers and burdens the district faces. They garnished the sad truth with heartfelt performances from talented Santa Ana young musicians. It was devastating to hear, that if Santa Ana doesn’t find additional funding, the already tattered music program will VANISH. By vanish, I mean, if something isn’t done MUSIC is OVER in the district of Santa Ana by 2010.
Houston.. We have a problem.
After consuming some delicious food, it was time to brainstorm. How can we fix this situation? What happens when all the resources are exhausted?
The administration admitted they have limited experience with fund raising. Most of the members of the community (parents included) are poverty stricken, and can’t offer additional financial assistance.
As you can see here, Herman Mendez, the Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools in Santa Ana led our ‘idea’ group. Some of the ideas we came up with included:Benefit Concerts
Corporate Sponsorship
VH1’s Save the Music
Channel 1 Advertising
Next, we combined ideas. We developed a rough plan of action… It was time to volunteer. The room was silent except for FOUR people (myself included, a punk 21 year old) who committed themselves to problem at hand. Only four… The heat is on.
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http://acolorfuleducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/those-musicians.html
Rockers for Life
I had the pleasure of meeting a few of the music students over at Santa Ana High School. I wanted to share a few photos of them performing… Here are two proud slayers of the guitar (I am a guitar player myself), note their rocker look and style.
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http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#stream/user%2F13006799491778441690%2Fstate%2Fcom.blogger%2Fblogger-following
The Bottom Line Facts
was able to obtain concrete diagrams and facts to directly enlighten you on the DRASTIC situation at hand. The district is facing a sharp decline in overall funding, yet the music budget seems to take an even further dig. While the entire budget is decreasing by 5-10 percent, the music budget is continually cut in half. Check it out.
I have also attached a link to download a PDF document that breaks down the Superintendent’s, Jane Russo, budget cut proposal for 2007-2008. Within the document she slices one million away from music teachers… quite a chunk when you consider the proportions of the other cuts.
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http://acolorfuleducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/vnbnbv.html
The Big Dog
Let me tell you about someone here that means quite a lot in the whole picture, actually she might even be painting that picture to begin with. I am talking about Jane Russo, the Superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District. The Superintendent is like a CEO, the master and commander of a school district. In this case, she is in charge of a 500 million dollar annual budget and over seven billion in land assets. Santa Ana is no mom’ pop shop. Unlucky for her, just like a CEO, if something is going wrong she is to blame.
Lets get to know her a little: She is the first female Superintendent in Santa Ana, a good milestone considering the district has been around for 130 years. She worked in the Santa Ana school district for twenty years prior to her current role. She has a broad level of experience and education and claims to devote herself to the prosperity of the district.
In the following video she partners up with ‘THINK Together’, an organization devoted to maintaining after school programs in Southern California. In the video she gives a basic, I mean basic, picture of the Santa Ana district, definitely NOT mentioning the serious issues that are dampening the area.
I have posted a link that gives an in depth biography of her noting her worthy accomplishments. Be sure to search her name in the Google machine, you might find a few haters…
Jane Russo’s full biography: http://www.sausd.us/14431028131613703/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=53992
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Video of Herman Mendez located in this post:
http://acolorfuleducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/detail.html
From the Source
I had the opportunity to meet one of the main proponents in the Santa Ana Unified community, Herman Mendez, the Assistant Superintendent of the entire district. We sat down and discussed the reasons for the financial burdens on the district and the need for a solution. Santa Ana’s music department is almost entirely funded from donations and third party assistance, due to the fact that music is not a part of the required curriculum. Mr. Mendez also mentioned the neighboring community of Irvine, and some of the solutions they’ve embarked upon to raise money for art education. Due to poverty, Santa Ana has quite a few less resources.
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The Beacon Down the Street
http://acolorfuleducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/another-post-coming-soon.html
Whenever Santa Ana and art are mentioned in the same sentence a certain school comes up. While the district swirls down the rabbit hole, a partner right down the street flourishes with art excellence. I’m talking about OCHSA (Orange County High School of the Arts). OCHSA represents the model and aspiration of a diverse education. Structurally, the school operates tuition free through federal funding and private donations. The school hosts 1,300 of the most promising art students in Orange County to participate in their conservatory program that covers many diverse majors including: film, dance, and art. OCHSA boasts an amazing high school to college rate of 99 percent. The school focuses on breading open-minded and out-of-the-box thinkers in a creative and nurturing environment. The school is perfect model of a colorful education. It’s too bad that this quality of education is limited to a tiny number of students. Meanwhile the district around the school can barely sustain a band. Here are some comparisons for you… to drive home the idea a little eh?
-OCHSA has more AP classes than Santa Ana has music teachers.
-While OCHSA has 1,350 students, Santa Ana has about 3,000 students per music teacher (what a ratio!).
-OSCHA’s total budget is five times the amount of the music budget for all of Santa Ana Unified. (55,000 students versus 1,350).
What I am noting is the division between the privileged students and the rest of the lot. We need to focus on closing this gap, offering a diverse and prosperous education to everyone who is willing to seize the opportunity. C’mon.
Check Out The OCHSA website!
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http://acolorfuleducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/another-post.html
Funny Things are Happening!
In some ways Santa Ana had it coming…
On numerous occasions the district has been caught lying about student enrollment, grades, and class size to get more funding from the government. A few years ago, teachers in a few district schools were asked to fudge the attendance sheet between absent and tardy. More daily enrollment means more money. The school was caught, and measures were taken to ensure that the facts were coming in stright.
Last year, the district fumbled once again. They were caught lying about class sizes, attempting to raise more money, even thought their numbers weren’t optimal.
The following video offers an interesting quandary. Santa Ana needs the funding due to their massive deficit and declining budget. Their needs to sustain the district are growing as funding is decreasing. The moral right comes into question. Sometimes little lies may benefit the greater cause. In the video they note that corporate fraud is corporate fraud no matter who the beneficiary. What do you think?
At this time I’d like to mention the powerful voice that helped me find this video. The Orange Juice Bloggers fight to uncover the issues in Orange County with a fresh and persuasive voice. Their blog is a must read in the community. Check them out here: Orange Juice
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http://acolorfuleducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/corruption.html
Scores of Awards
In every situation there is always some GOOD to point out. Although Santa Ana’s music budget and system is in the ditches, they are still a number of talented students who are being recognized from all over Orange County and California for their abilities. It is sad to know that students will probably not have the same opportunities in the future… For now here is a comprehensive list of music awards earned by some of the talented music students of Santa Ana.
Rotary Young Singer of the Year (Students from Valley and Saddleback have placed as winners for the last five years, outperforming OCHSA and winning the entire competition in 2008!)
Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony (Santa Ana Chamber Singers have been accepted into this competitive ensemble for six years now).
Macy Awards (Student ‘Tony’ awards, Santa Ana has one awards in 2003, 2004, 2007)
Santa Ana music students have also participated in the following respected ensembles: California All-Star Honor Choir, Southern California Vocal Association Honor Choir, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Concerts, American Choral Directors Association Honor Choir.
Let’s keep it going!
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http://acolorfuleducation.blogspot.com/2008/11/to-trenches.html
TO THE TRENCHES!
Now its time. There is a problem, whose key proponents and conflicts are clearly defined. Now comes the difficult part… finding and acting on a solution. With most issues, it is so easy to whine and cry and point fingers at the bad guy. But if no actions are taken to benefit the issue the victim and bystanders are equally as guilty. This lesson arises again and again. In hopes to raise a semblance of hope, I’d like to present some viable solutions and organizations that could at least assist in realigning the tracks.
1) VH1’s Save the Music: An incredible organization devoted to restoring music education in public school institutions. They primarily purchase and refurbish instruments and donate them to the school in need. They have rallied up 43 million dollars since 1997 dishing the funding to about 1,600 schools affecting the lives of 1.2 million students. Their next target is…
2) Arts of Orange County: We interviewed Pat Wayne a ways back, and she mentioned that their organization offers free consultation for the arts with Santa Ana still missing. With Arts OC, Santa Ana could develop an ‘Arts Plan’ to renew stability across the creative education board over the next five years.
3) Celebrity partnership and benefit concerts: There are a number of musical groups and celebrities from the Santa Ana area including Diane Keaton and The Righteous Brothers, getting them involved could easily motivate other activists around. Imagine holding a concert where all the proceeds go to the district… no way!
4) Bridge Community Borders: Santa Ana itself is a poverty stricken city, the citizens of which can’t offer a significant donation. Consider breaking the community lines and stretching the prosperous neighboring cities of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.
At this point the situation is drastic, if a solution isn’t initiated, the entire district will lose music education by 2010. I am doing what I can… on the side I am drafting commercials and a benefit web series. Using my creative film and video abilities, I am trying as hard as I can to help them out… Thinking outside of the box. I ask and beg you please to do the same, for now it is just as important as ever to rectify and build an intellectually and creatively inspired future.
From OC Historical Blog:
http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2008/11/santa-ana-canyon-trains-stolen-plaques.html
Bronze commemorative plaques at several Santa Ana schools (Santa Ana High School, Martin Elementary, Mitchell Child Development Center, and Carr Intermediate) have been stolen recently. Some of these were memorials to local soldiers who died for our country. $10,000 in reward money is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals responsible for the theft. Anyone with information to report is asked to call the anonymous WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME or log on to http://www.wetip.com to submit a tip. Callers can also report information to Santa Ana Unified School District at 714-558-5111 or contact school police at 714-558-5535.
From the Armenian Reporter:
http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectid=77480E0C-3FF3-052C-2AC8D42C190D6F80
New principal brings change to A.G. Minassian School in Santa Ana
Orange Country – In the past five years, student enrollment at Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian Elementary School in Santa Ana has decreased significantly; in 2003, the student population exceeded 120, but now the school only has 60 students.
With the economic crisis at its peak, the high cost of transportation and the availability of Saturday Armenian schools, parents have found it difficult to spend the extra time, money and effort to send their children to a private Armenian school.
Others deem it necessary to keep Armenian culture and tradition alive for generations to come. Dr. Niary Gorjian, the newly hired principal of the school, and Minassian faculty members have a vision for change to increase student enrollment.
Having served as a visiting assistant professor of management at the School of Business and Management of the American University of Armenia in Yerevan, Dr. Gorjian firmly believes in proper professional training for teachers to capitalize student learning.
To complement the annual training sessions for teachers provided by the Board of Regents, the Minassian School has hired gate-certified trainers to provide monthly in-house professional development training to teachers, extending the knowledge gained while pursuing their teaching credentials. Among the many topics of training are educating teachers of how a child’s brain functions, how to identify multiple types of intelligence and how to develop a child’s emotional and social intelligence.
“[My] primary [goal is] additional training for teachers, so they can better meet the needs of students. My main emphasis to make sure students are at a point where they can transition to the public school district and be able to handle that appropriately,” said Dr. Gorjian.
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a credentialing program in California that accredits public and private schools, colleges and universities in the United States, has accredited A. G. Minassian School until 2011.
The academic curriculum of the Pre-K through sixth grade school includes two hours of Armenian lessons daily, math, science, English, social studies, physical education and electives: computers, art, religion and music.
The tuition to attend the school is currently over $400 per month per student, which is high in a time of economic instability, but is relatively low compared to other Orange County private schools. Allise Panosyan, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Chair and parent of triplets who attend Minassian, believes the tuition and highly ranked public schools in Orange County have contributed to the enrollment decline. “Before public schools were not so great and now parents feel safe sending their kids to public schools. Now they are on top of the list of all the cities [of Orange county] and are competitive with private schools,” she said. “Because of great public schools in the neighborhood, parents don’t want to make the effort or feel the need to drive kids to Minassian,” she added.
To combat this, school officials will implement a bus system to pick up children from far cities in the near future to increase enrollment.
Panosyan has always valued raising her children with a strong cultural background and plans to send her children to Minassian until they graduate sixth grade. “I get a knot in my stomach thinking they will be in different school. They get every necessity academically and socially, especially our cultural education… they are learning reading and writing…you would be shocked how well [my children] write in Armenian,” she said.
Among the academic improvements the school plans to employ nutritional, environmental and safety changes. Every day, the pre-Kindergarten students eat an afternoon snack that the parents are responsible for providing in shifts, based on a list of appropriate snacks parents were allowed to bring. “I identified things that are low in sodium and cholesterol and contained no saturated fat. I was wary of food allergies that children have a tendency toward, which include gluten in wheat and peanuts, and am trying to make [the snacks] much more nutritional. [The idea is to make them] more health conscious because nutrition starts at an early age and what they are exposed to shapes what they eat in coming years,” Dr. Gorjian said.
Dr. Gorjian and the (PTO) are concerned about the safety of the elementary students and have sought out an electronic gate. Sponsored by the PTO, the gate will be monitored by the secretary in the office and monitor everyone who enters and leaves the school.
Parents and teachers recognize the importance of this addition, although the school was never unsafe. “When you don’t have that many children, you always know when someone is missing. The parents may feel much safer now…I never doubted safety in our school,” said Astrik Ashkarian, a preschool teacher at the Minassian School for 11 years.
Another safety change to grace A. G. Minassian is the replacement of black top to Astroturf where the students have physical education, which is set to happen by the end of December. Dr. Gorjian has a sample in her office of the artificial grass, which keeps students excited about the upcoming change. “The kids are excited to play soccer; looking at their faces and excitement makes me excited,” she said.
Dr. Gorjian has also been conducting needs assessment research to discover the demands of the Orange County Armenian community. “I’m trying to collect survey research from those who left and those still attending to get a snapshot of what the community needs, and understand the current situation better. I’m working on the surveys now; I haven’t implemented or distributed them yet,” she said.
Another major long-term addition Dr. Gorjian plans to bring to A. G. Minassian is a trip for her graduating class to Armenia at the end of each year. “I think its extremely critical to make that trip as graduating class from an Armenian elementary school to go see the country that they have learned so much about as they make their transition to the public school district. They can keep the values they learned during elementary schooling and what they observe in their country will be an extremely powerful intervention,” she said.
A maybe-overlooked story in the Register:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/free-elementary-students-2182822-meals-program
Monday, October 6, 2008
All students at 10 Santa Ana schools to get free meals
The USDA will provide meals to students for the entire school year regardless of whether they qualify for the federal free and reduced-priced meal program.
By FERMIN LEAL
The Orange County Register
Comments 194| Recommend 9
SANTA ANA Every student at 10 campuses in Santa Ana Unified School District will receive a free breakfast and lunch through the rest of the school year regardless of whether they qualify for the federal free and reduced-priced meal program.
Students at the campuses have been selected to participate in a United States Department of Agriculture pilot program to receive free meals for the 2008-09 school year. In the program, every student at the schools will be offered a free breakfast and lunch every day.
Officials said the goal is to improve nutrition among students in schools serving the neediest populations. The 10 schools – Jackson Elementary, Kennedy Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Lowell Elementary, Madison Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, Washington Elementary, Carr Intermediate, Community Day Intermediate and Community Day High School – each have at least 90 percent of students already qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.
Families who wish to apply for free meals, but who do not attend one of the 10 pilot schools will need to fill out an application to determine eligibility for free meals, district spokesperson Angela Burrell said. For those campuses, parents need to meet the household income guidelines set by the federal government. For example, a household of four needs to earn a maximum of about $39,000 annually to qualify for a reduced-priced meal, and $27,500 for free meals.
The USDA, which runs the free and reduced-price lunch program nationally, began the pilot program at other districts across the country recently. Besides improving nutrition for all students, another goal was to determine if offering free meals to all students in certain schools would cut school district administrative costs.
Results at other participating districts nationally so far have shown reduced administrative costs for running meal programs, time was saved as staff were reallocated to other tasks, and the number of lunches served increased 10 percent, said Robert A. Robinson, a researcher with the USDA.
Santa Ana Unified, where 80 percent of students at all 55 campuses qualify for free or reduced-priced meals, is the only district in the county taking part in the pilot program. Only the much-smaller Anaheim City Elementary District has a greater percentage of students qualifying for the program.
Applications for the meals are a district’s only way of measuring poverty among its student body.
In Santa Ana Unified, a full-priced elementary school breakfast costs 75 cents and lunch costs $1.25. Breakfast options include bean burritos, pancakes, waffle sticks, an English muffin with egg, ham and cheese. Lunch items include orange chicken with rice, pizza, chicken nuggets with fries and turkey sandwiches.
Some parents at Washington Elementary today said they welcomed the free meal plan for all students.
“Parents who qualify for free lunches don’t always apply because they don’t understand how the process works, or because they may be embarrassed to seek assistance,” said Gregoria Saldivar, a parent of two students who already qualify for free meals. “This way, every child will get a good meal no matter what.”
Julissa Ochoa, a mother of a third-grader, said her household income had been too high to qualify, so she made prepared lunches herself, or gave her daughter lunch money daily.
“Now my daughter will get a meal at schools and I don’t have to worry about giving her money each day or her losing it,” she said. “It just makes a lot of sense.”
Officials said data and trend information will be gathered from the participating schools in Santa Ana Unified to assess whether the program will be extended for three more years.
Contact the writer: 714-445-6687 or fleal@ocregister.com
In regards to possible furloughs, although it is possible, I don’t think it will happen. The effect on parents and businesses when suddenly childcare becomes a huge issue will stir a major outcry. I think even the suggestion of furloughs on the part of school districts will require the state to think of some solutions for school funding quickly.
Saddleback H.S. Teachers Aide Arrested By Sean H. Mill
Saddleback High School Covering Up Sex Crimes by Teacher’s Aides? Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Notes from the Banana Republic
November 21, 2008 11:47 PM
Permalink | Comments (13)
This past Monday, a teacher’s aide by the name of Alonso Manuel Gonzalez was arrested by SanTana police and released on bail. The Orange County Sheriff’s website no longer lists why folks get thrown in the pokey, but the Orange County Superior Court website shows Gonzalez was arrested for a”lewd act with dependant adult by caretaker.”
Sources tell the Weekly Gonzalez works at Saddleback High School in SanTana and that he works primarily with disabled students–and that school officials are trying to keep Gonzalez’s arrest under wraps from parents and the media. “We were told in a meeting that none of us should talk about [the incident and arrest], to not discuss it with anyone,” says a Saddleback teacher who requested anonymity.
The Weekly called Saddleback High’s main number (714-513-2900) and asked if a school employee had been arrested. “No,” whoever picked up the phone sternly responded. She quickly added that even if something like that had happened, she was not at liberty to discuss personnel matters. When the lady asked who had told me about the arrest, I responded that a student had alerted me to it. “You know how students blow up stories,” she snorted.
But when I asked if an incident involving a teacher’s assistant indecently exposing himself to a student had occurred, the woman acknowledged this, but quickly added “at this point, it’s only an allegation.” She confirmed that parents were not notified of the “allegation.”
To recap Saddleback’s story: no arrest has been made of a school employee, it’s none of our business, kids exaggerate, a sex crime DID happen, but since it’s just hearsay, parents don’t need to know. Is the SanTana Unified School District now under the direct governance of the Diocese of Orange? Sick, just sick. Much, much more on this story next week…
Does anyone know what happened at the special board meeting on thursday?
#861
See #852.
We can thank Art Pedroza, once more, for his dedication to ensure that schools are safer and more accountable than they were when he first put up this column. This is a survival column for parents and employees who want to know the truth.
What will SAUSD do about this lastest arrest? Any bets if Jane Russo will make sure that letters get sent out to notify parents?
At a recent “Superintendent’s Cabinet” meeting Ms. Russo said that child predators would not be tolerated on her watch. Okay, then, you’ve got an arrest of an alleged child predator by SAPD. What will you do, Jane, to assist the investigating officers? Will you check with Risk Management and HR to see if anyone has previously reported the guy? Will you be sending over someone to interview SHS administrators to see if there is a history of inappropriate behavior? Will you notify parents and school staff with a number for the detectives, should they have anything to help with the investigation?
In other words, will she be assisting the police in getting to the truth, even if it is going to be painful for the school district in the short term, or will she do what Mijares would do and hunker down and hope this all blows over?
This is a test of the current leadership. Let’s see if she is just sloganing when she put this banner up on the district website:
FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE! SUCCESS IS THE STANDARD…IT’S UP TO US ALL!
Juan Lopez says that for ever 20 predators that are caught and arrested, only 4 are actually publicized. You should know Juan. You’ve been there to keep things quiet for years.
Thanks again, Art. Our schools are a little safer this week because of your endless efforts.
Ineffective Teachers Difficult To Fire, Columnist Writes. In an opinion piece for the St. Petersburg (FL) Times (11/23), Ron Matus wrote ……..” Meanwhile “Education experts say poor schools are more likely to have incompetent teachers…who filter down through transfers from wealthier schools.” However, “principals can’t just fire ineffective teachers” due to “district rules…that require painstaking documentation for ineptitude.”
Here’s the problem a union guy (me) see’s year after year. Very, few principals take the pains to document teacher ineptitude in the manner agreed to by contract. We don’t defend inept teachers; we do defend the contract.
Actually, it was Gustavo Arellano who broke the story about Alonso–nothing against Art. That’s just the truth.
SAHS Teacher,
This whole premise does not address the very poor administrators who continue to hire teachers who they most feel comfortable hiring. Some principals have high standards and will hire the best, will help those who need to do better and avoid hiring people who don’t know what they are doing in the first place.
Bad principals will hire weak teachers so that they can find faults to exploit. They’ll hire those who will never shine too brightly. They’ll hire cronies who may not know how to get the job done right, and when challenged, they will circle the wagons and chase out the challengers.
Gustavo Arellano is wonderful. He is doing the work of a hero.
Did you see his latest column on Saddleback HS’s principal, Tracy Brennan?
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/notes-from-the-banana-republic/saddleback-high-principal-prev/
Saddleback High Principal Previously Involved in Sex-Crime Negligence, Accused of Harrassment Herself
#848 –
Is the same pervert that peeked in the girls bathrooms at Carr & Valley?
SAHS- Florida, huh? Why not advise your administrators on how to document and eliminate these teachers? I would expect nothing less from SAEA, the union that celebrated the triumph of a zero percent COLA this year, heckuva job, you cigar-smoking Teamster types. O, and isn’t it a triumph to endorse the anti-teacher incumbents on the school board? What a crew!~
Ahem- poor schools and bad teachers, SAHSY? What about poor districts and bad teachers? Is there a columnist, perhaps from Texas, who has commented on this correlation? Tennessee or West Virginia might also be worthy of your scrutiny. A wonderful thing this internet.
Some of us called Detective Perez and alerted him to the ongoing problem at Saddleback.
I would think that Esther Jones and Evelyn Carrigg should be losing sleep over the upcoming investigation.
Those two have hired and protected employees who have abused and disrespected the disabled clients who they were supposed to protect.
This is the end of their reign of abuse and terror.
Hey, Evelyn enjoy the actual investigation of the real SAPD that is just starting. You are headed for prison for your efforts to conceal a predatory employee. May your enjoy your manufactured hell. No one will defend you. You will be on your own. Sweet dreams from now to your hell.
Parents Have Been Complaining About Accused Pervert at Saddleback High for Years
I often wonder what is a citizen’s image of a public school classroom. TV shows show about 15 students (paid actors) bantering with their teacher. Newspapers describe problems of keeping “20 to 1” classes. In high schools before the mid-90’s there would be about 28 students, a textbook and notebook on each desk, other stuff in a hallway locker.
Here’s a snapshot of a typical Santa Ana intermediate or high school classroom today. Most classes have 40 students, some more, some less. That’s 6 desks deep, one touching another, and 7 rows across, a foot-and-a half space between rows (tough for big people), with this limited space filled with backpacks (no hall lockers anymore to save money). Class clowns who disrupt lessons must be kept in classrooms as funding for disciplinary programs has been reduced. This year SAUSD has about 20 teachers under investigation for inappropriate outbursts of temper. In past years there would be about 1.
The best proposal in Sacramento is for a $3 billion mid-year cut to schools. We were warned by SAEA’s president yesterday that we’ll undergo some serious cuts this year.
http://www.sateach.org/November%2024,%202008%20President's%20Letter.html
Nov. 24, 2008
November President’s Letter
First, the Bad News. It seems as though every month brings more bad news. The State continues to sink deeper into debt, and the Nation’s economy lurches from one blunder to another. Both the District and SAEA look forward to the Governor’s January statement with increasing anxiety. At SAEA we are doing everything we can to keep the cuts away from you and your classroom, but the size of the deficit and the declining revenues caused by the national recession have everyone alarmed. As the financial situation becomes clearer, we will keep you informed. I wish I could be more explicit than that. I get a steady stream of calls asking about the prospect of furlough days, whether summer school will be canceled, will there be a new round of RIF’s, will the Class Size Reduction program be cut, and on and on….The answer to all of these questions is no one knows. The next few months will determine whether the State of California can come up with a coherent plan to fund public education, and the Nation’s economic outlook is dismal at best.
Now, Something to be Thankful for. SAEA is only as strong as its members. For the past three years I have had the help, guidance, expertise and unfailing support from a dedicated group of teachers who volunteer countless hours of their own time to making this a stronger Association. Their willingness to intervene on behalf of other teachers, to crunch numbers and correct District mistakes, to learn and then explain arcane aspects of the budget, to provide me with an elbow to the ribs when necessary and a shoulder to cry on when needed is the one thing that keeps me going. Some of these people are known to you. Some are not. But as Thanksgiving approaches, I want to acknowledge once again their professionalism, hard work, good humor and fierce determination to do what is right. Thank you to Ron Shepherd, First Vice-President and the best spokesperson our Bargaining Team has ever hard. Thank you to Susan Mercer, who single-handedly has taken on the District’s budgetary problems and found solutions where no one thought it possible. Thank you to Jennifer Isensee, our Grievance chair and daily problem solver. Thank you to Jeff Goldberg, Second Vice President and webmaster who has given us a viable and continually updated presence online. Thank you to Scott Miller, the founder and editor of Chalk Talk and organizing co-chair. Thank you to Rhonda McKanna who as QEIA oversight chair keeps this vital program moving forward no matter what. Thanks to Alice Borelli, our board secretary and organizing co-chair. Thanks to Meg Robinson who has given countless hours and invaluable insight as our Political Action chair. Thanks to Billy West for going beyond the call of duty on the Bargaining Team to edit our contract, to Peter Boyd for his intelligence, wit and compassion, and Billy Castanha for stepping up to the plate as the newest member of our Board of Directors. I don’t want to forget our dedicated Reps and the many volunteers who see SAEA as both their cause and their home. To all of them, I also say thank you. Have a great holiday!
David Barton
President, SAEA
Saddleback H.S. Teachers Aide Arrested By Sean H. Mill
Saddleback Arrest (non-)Notification Watch: Day 8 by R.V
How Responsive is SAUSD to Parent Concerns? by R.V
Where can I find a copy of the new CSEA union contract with SAUSD?
Why is the payout on a Worker’s Comp Claim from the Board Meeting minutes not match the actual amount paid out? Who gets the extra $23,000?
When forced to resign to get the WC claim settled, why do I have to backdate my resignation to May 2007?
I hate SAUSD. You will eventually hate it too.
Anon #873
I’m a little confused. The latest board minutes available I can find show one compensation case paid out $125k. Are you saying that was short 23k?
Furthermore who forced you to resign for any reason, much less backdate it to May 2007? Why would you agree to back date anything or why would your lawyer let you be forced to do anything? I don’t understand.
anon, A few years back the CSEA president gave a talk to the SAEA reps, and I asked him why CSEA didn’t provide each member with a copy of its contract as does SAEA. He explained that the CSEA contract is enormous, because it has to deal with specifics of so many different job descriptions, from secretaries and security officers, to locksmiths and warehousmen. Nevertheless, it should be a public document you can view. Human Resources at SAUSD?
SAHS Teacher,
As of 2004 every member of CSEA was given a copy of the CSEA contract. Maybe things have changed but if so a copy should be available somewhere including the CSEA webpage. Another case of CSEA taking care of its own…not?
Survey Monkey
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We are now starting the 3rd week of silence by Saddleback administrators over the arrest of an employee who was in charge of disabled students. No notifications have yet been sent home. These kids are at the mercy of that cesspool and creepy administrators. The kids’ parents need to be notified asap.
And a big thank you to Dave Barton and the union for saddling homeowners, who live within the SAUSD boundaries, with more taxes!
Santa Ana HS, Century HS and Saddleback continue to be overcrowded despite the promises of Measure C and there are too many portables dotting the landscape of SAUSD. And, many are still smarting from the Otsuka bait and switch undertaken by Noji and Richardson.
Where was the union when the BoE decided to build a warehouse on a school site???? And why did Measure C money pay for the land to build a warehouse?
#874
Yes it is off by $23,000, plus that does not include lawyer fees which will be taken out of my share. I had a Worker’s Comp lawyer and an employment rights lawyer.
I will be getting $72,000 total compensation. If that sounds like alot, it isn’t. I never got my final pay, mileage, and no doctor treatments were authorized. My payroll was handled by Boden and it was all messed up. An audit was done but even that was not entirely accurate because of falsified records.
They don’t want me to have get my ten years as an employee with Santa Ana Unified. I started in July 1998 and told the judge on Oct 2008 I would agree to not try to get my job back. I was starving and had no money…..and still don’t.
They say it is their policy to resign on the last day worked. The old union contract is very vague in this regard.
I can not apply for disability for 30 months and do not qualify for unemployment.
Then I find out that my attorney and Rosie Avila are buddies after the hearing when he shakes hands with Camille Boden and tells her that.
I wonder who is getting the extra $23,000 and what can be done about it?
Anon # 380
Speaking only from experience when you settled your claim and signed the papers, they should have had the agreed amount including the amount your lawyers fees would be. I know compensation lawyers take a flat 15% of the settlement, but I don’t know what an employee rights lawyer charges. I assume you crunched the numbers on the agreement and somewhere 23k is missing. I’d start by going back to my comp lawyer for an explanation. Part of his job is to make sure all the T’s are crossed and i’s are dotted.
#380
BTW, your comp attorney can reopen the case if there is something wrong.
I would like to know if anyone knows where I can contact Marianne Bola the AP at Willard Intermediate School.
Elvia Campos,
Her name is listed on the district outlook email website, but it does not list her current work site or position. Not much help, but wasn’t sure if you already knew that.
Good luck.
Marianne Bola is now working at the district office on Chestnut St. She can be contacted there.
I can’t believe the lack of information about the sexual abuse at Saddleback. I’m also frustrated about rumors that something bad has happened at Valley. Does anyone have any info?
Anonplus,
I looked at the minutes of the SAUSD School Board meeting online and that is where my figure of $125,000 comes from.
The WC attorney said I’d be getting $100,000 total so not to be too upset about it. Then I told him it wasn’t that much and did not sign the part where they want me to resign as of May 2007.
My other attorney told me it was SAUSD’s policy to have me resign as of that date. I wasn’t even supposed to lose my job in the first place. I say it was the date I agreed to it.
You are right about there being mistakes. My attorney tells me we have an enforceable and binding agreement. I want to see the judge and my attorney says we could lose everything. He seems to be representing SAUSD and not me at all.
Where is the new Union contract? Is it online somewhere?
Valley Grad,
I agree with you. At first I believed a little time was needed by the city police to investigate for other possible victims at Saddleback and at Valley. But too much time has now passed to not believe SAUSD is intentionally trying to hide both incidents. I don’t know if it is the district or the police department that has kept this all under wraps, but the time has been long enough.
CAPO unified, which is not much better than SAUSD in a lot of ways, went public immediately with a recent assistant coach arrested for having sex with a female student. You can read that story at:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/school-student-amormino-2244782-teacher-westbrook
So whats up with all that transperantcy at SAUSD?
Anon #887
Obviously I’m not a lawyer but I have had some experience with SAUSD, Boden, and Workman’s comp cases and attorneys.
If your WC attorney said you would get $100k total, did he mean that was the total settlement or how much you would receive after attorney fees? Obviously if you settled for $100k then the $125k comp case in the board minutes was some other case and not yours.
All of your paperwork should say how much you get and how much the lawyers get.
In regards to “losing everything” that is possible depending on what mistakes were made. As it was explained to me, Arnold set up a commission in Sacramento regarding workman comp awards. If the district appeals (which they didn’t or you would not have the money you have now) then the case goes to this commission. If your WC attorney re-opens the case and the district wants to fight it rather than negotiate further, it could end up in front of that commission and you could lose. Your lawyer is the best judge if it is worth fighting, or you can get a second opinion from another WC lawyer. Most do not charge for a consultation.
As for your forced resignation. I don’t know what that is all about.
The only contract online is on the new re-vamped CSEA website but it still is the 2001-2004 edition. You can go to that webpage link here.
http://www.csea.com/content/OptionC/c_1.asp?ChapterID=41
You can read that agreement there. You will find phone numbers to call as well. I would suggest you call the CSEA Orange office and try to ask about how a forced resignation works. Keep in mind that once you hired your own lawyers CSEA isn’t going to get involved, but they might be able to explain this forced resignation issue.
http://www.ocweekly.com/2008-12-04/news/santa-ana-unified-school-district/2
Renovation Under the Radar
By DAFFODIL J. ALTAN
published: December 04, 2008
Santa Ana Unified School District offers a lesson in how to upgrade and downsize at the same time
In 2007, the Santa Ana Unified School District’s (SAUSD) lease on an office building on Alton Street was set to expire. The district decided to stop leasing this and two other facilities and instead move several departments to SAUSD-owned buildings, including the main office. SAUSD took out a $29 million loan, $22 million of which would be used for the move and construction of a new warehouse.
The district left itself some wiggle room when it came to spending the money: A report put out by the investment company that issued the loan states that money was to be used “primarily” for the relocation of those departments. And, much to the consternation of some SAUSD employees and at least one school-board trustee, the district has done some wiggling—without informing the public about it.
During the move, which was completed earlier this year, administrators of the 54,000-student district also decided to use the loan money to make additional renovations at its headquarters, which included moving and revamping several departments and individual offices.
Three departments—the Educational Technology and Media Center, Instructional Media Center, and the Information Technology Center—were relocated to the lower floor on the northwest corner of the district office earlier this year, as outlined in floor plans presented to the public in 2007. This spring, additional construction began in the far-west wing of the building, an area never identified for renovations in the floor plans.
“During a time of fiscal crisis, wouldn’t it be prudent for staff to announce that the remodeling of the district offices went beyond what was necessary?” asks board member John Palacio.
The district isn’t required by law to publicly announce such changes. But since the multimillion-dollar loan for all of this is being paid for out of the same general fund that pays for district jobs and school facilities, it seems like an unusual—and some district employees say, deliberate—oversight. Especially since talk of money shortages, layoffs and a crisis within the district’s $487 million operating budget has dominated board meetings for most of the year (see “Benefits In Doubt,” July 2).
When the Weekly inquired about the additional remodeling, Deputy Superintendent Cathie Olsky pointed out that the gutting of an old workshop and subsequent plans to re-floor, re-window and repaint it, plus the installation of a sprinkler system, light fixtures and carpeting is not a remodel, but a “conversion.”
“Paint and carpet is what you have to do. It’s not being remodeled. It’s being converted from a workroom to an office,” she says of the expansion of the School Police division. The last cost figures she saw for the conversion, she says, were for “$13,000 or $14,000.” But according to district invoices obtained by the Weekly, the conversion has cost upward of $70,000, and it isn’t finished. Plans for the expansion were not publicly disclosed this year, according to district meeting minutes.
Other projects at the district offices that were never disclosed publicly but are listed in a summary, which was provided to the Weekly in early September, as completed, ongoing or slated to begin include those for the Facilities, Business Services and Purchasing departments.
District spokeswoman Angela Burrell says the Relocation Project was “referenced” during SAUSD building updates on three separate occasions this year. A review of district minutes for the dates she provided indicates that building updates were indeed given and that two references to the project were made. There is no record of a presentation dealing with the expansion of Police Services or the moving and revamping of additional departments.
District employees who spoke to the Weekly on condition of anonymity say that additional renovations at the district office picked up speed after the arrival last February of Joe Dixon, the former head of facilities for the beleaguered Capistrano Unified School District. Dixon was appointed assistant superintendent for Governmental Relations and Facilities at a salary of $164,000 per year. Soon after, he initiated the repainting, re-carpeting, and knocking down and building of walls for the Facilities department’s new offices (including the blending of two former offices for his own). “He didn’t have to do much; he just shifted some desks around,” Burrell says. “There was no remodel.”
In order to accommodate Dixon’s staff in the new area, a police lieutenant and employees from the Building Services department were moved out. The renovations were paid for out of the Relocation Project fund and cost $7,500, according to the project summary.
“It’s a lot of money, and it’s not $7,000. It was probably done in a couple of different ways using different kinds of monies,” says one district employee who asked not to be named. “There’s a reason they did it that way.”
One of those reasons, says board member Palacio, may be that the district didn’t want to discuss new construction at the district office during a time when jobs were on the line (hundreds of classified staff positions were cut or reduced to part-time positions in August; the district now faces more cuts because of the state’s fiscal crisis).
In an interview conducted in one of the airy corner offices in question, Dixon says that, yes, more than a few desks were moved around in order to create the new space, but not much else. “There used to be a wall here; it was taken out,” he says. “It was two offices before.” Dixon says converting the former offices into new office space for his team “has created synergy,” and, he says, he’d be surprised if it cost more than $7,000.
But upgrades to the conference room used by the Facilities department team, which sits right next to the converted office area, cost nearly $6,000. Dixon and Olsky vigorously denied there had been any changes made to the room, known as “Conference Room 8.” Invoices later obtained by the Weekly specifically list $5,147 in audio-visual equipment for that room, as well as $690 for “painting, preparation and undercoating” for “Conference Room 8 and a room next door.” When asked for specific records pertaining to Dixon’s and his team’s offices, the district turned over an invoice for “various patching and wall repairs,” amounting to $7,120. If the conference-room upgrades are included as part of the Facilities department’s conversion, then the invoices total well more than $7,500.
Records later obtained include vague descriptors for renovations and construction bids at district headquarters made between May and October 2008 and paid for by the Relocation Project fund. The invoices are dated well after the originally planned relocations of other departments to the district office had been completed. It’s unclear if these invoices were for work done to the Facilities department or other internal office conversions, such as Business Services and Purchasing, which have also been added to the original Relocation Project. Among the invoices are: $8,481 for “heat and a/c for two new offices”; $1,588 for “window tinting” in “area of C135 in district office” (Area C135 refers to one of the old Building Services offices that was converted into part of the Facilities department offices); a total of $21,920 spent between June and July for “various patching and wall repairs”; two bids totaling $16,819 for two sets of double doors submitted in late October; $13,849 for a heating pump and cooling system for a “new Plan Room building at district offices.”
(Burrell says the “Plan Room building” is a newly converted room that now houses two building inspectors and is used to review bids, plans and architectural drawings. She had not responded to a request for comment about the other expenditures by press time.)
Ron Murrey, associate superintendent for Business Services, points to the report that states the Relocation Project loan would be used “primarily” to construct a new warehouse, refurbish district-owned facilities for a student-testing center and other non-administration-building renovation-related projects. “It says ‘primarily,’ not ‘exclusively,’” he says. Because the district is still (narrowly) within budget, there are plans to move and convert other departments, such as his own and Purchasing. He says the board has been updated of such changes along the way.
Board president Jose Hernandez says he has been kept abreast of all the changes made within the administration building and doesn’t object to them. “I was told the renovations were minor, between $5,500 and $7,500,” he says of the Facilities department changes. But he doesn’t recall, he says, if the information for those renovations, as well as others, were ever disclosed publicly.
Palacio believes the public is owed a presentation and cost breakdown of additional changes being made at the district office. “If these things are no big deal, then why wasn’t the public told?” he asks.
daltan@ocweekly.com
I hear letters will be going out to some teachers regarding cuts and removal of stipends! Are security being kept at 11 months? They should keep them at that.. any lower would be not a good thing for the campuses!
John Palacio is the only Board member who truly cares.
SAUSD administration is consistently deceitful.
Alonso Gonzalez’s arraignment is next Tuesday.
#893
So true! For anyone who wants to join up on John Palacio’s email distribution list, send him an email request at: jpalacio@pacbell.net
His recent email is an update on the budget issues facing our district as well as what issues are at the state level.
Has anyone had any success with any of the other board members, as far as accessibility and willingness to hear out problems?
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/12/why-is-the-sausd-not-publicizing-tomorrows-budget-crisis-meeting-on-their-website/
“The ongoing state budget crisis could eventually force Santa Ana Unified School District into another $46 million in school cuts, district officials said Tuesday,” according to the O.C. Register.
Why is there NO mention of this meeting anywhere on the SAUSD’s website? It is not on the district’s calendar and it is not mentioned on the “District News” section. Nor is ANY information available on this website in Spanish. What gives? Be sure to call the SAUSD Public Information Officer, Angela Burrell, and ask her these questions. Her number is 714-558-5555 or you may email her here.
Human Resources director Chad Hammitt just found a brilliant new way to skim a few bucks off a group of younger teacher’s salaries. Chapter 25 of the contract is titled “Beginning Teacher Incentive Funding”, and was designed to attract new teachers into “hard-to-fill” positions: special ed, speech/language therapist, secondary math and science. The article was written in 2000, written a little poorly, but carried out as intended for eight years, until new guy Hammitt discovered a devious way to twist its intent. The first section states that all teachers employed in these positions prior to 2001 would get a $800 stipend added to their salary, and sections 3 and 4 describe how new teachers acquire the stipend.
Aha! Hammitt points out, “but a new teacher who qualifies for the stipend one year, would NO LONGER be a new teacher the following year. so would no longer qualify for the stipend!” — a brilliant money-saving re-interpretation of the “Beginning Teacher Incentive.” Got it? Brand new the current year only, or spec ed/math/sci in 2000 – no one else gets it. However, he graciously informed these teachers that the District would not demand the return of the stipends paid the last 8 years under the original interpretation of this article. Only teachers employed in sci/math/sp ed in 2000 will continue to get receive the annual stipend. Therefore, under Hammitt the Beginning Teacher Incentive article of the contract becomes the “Old Teacher Appreciation” article.
Man-o-man! And I thought no one could top Juan Lopez in devious twists of the screw on Santa Ana’s teachers. This action was grieved by SAEA yesterdayon, but apparently District is intending to drag this one out the 2 years it may take to get to arbitration and be able to pocket the $300,000 or stolen from the teachers as per the original agreement.
SAHS Teacher,
I know of several positions that have gone a year or more with under/un-qualified teaching staff and were in one of the categories of need. I was one of the teachers who was enticed to work at Santa Ana Unified because they needed my particular teaching specialty and gave me years and the $800 stipend. It was given, at the time, because the district was unable to attract teachers for those hard to fill spots.
I could see if the district was going to take away the stipend now that they have their act together and they have made serious efforts to give us competent and experienced peers. However that is not the case. HR fills slots with people who are not even credentialed.
Is there a way to fight this? Filling out Williams complaint forms to show the deficit hiring of qualified categorical teachers? Any suggestions?
Also, is anyone aware of any other district that constantly pinches their employees for any little thing? I was suprised to hear that Juan Lopez got a fat raise during the current budget woes. Exactly how does that work? He’s already added another administrative layer with Christine Anderson- now Chad Hammitt to do his dirty work.
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2008/12/another-sausd-budget-crisis-meeting-set-for-tonight/
It turns out that this morning’s 7:30 a.m. SAUSD budget crisis meeting was supposed to be some sort of lame community meeting – as if anyone in the community could show up at that time! Most likely it was convenient for SAUSD Board President Jose Hernandez’ schedule – but not for anyone else.
So the SAUSD is having another budget crisis meeting tonight. Here is their official notice (which unlike their morning meeting is actually listed on their website): “A Special Board Meeting/Study Session of the Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education will convene in the Board Room of the District Administration Building at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2008.
Here is a good question to pose to the SAUSD School Board,”Why did Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Juan C. Lopez (pictured above) get promoted to “Associate Superintendent,” which comes with a big raise, when we are in a “budget crisis?”
SAHS Teacher,
That is a great example of an area that has been becoming more obvious over the last 5 or so years. Union contracts are poorly written and ambiguous in a lot of areas. Unions either don’t utilize the services of good lawyers, or they write these contracts based upon prior contracts that were written properly. The result seems to be gaping holes in the ‘intent’ of the new language that is written. The district previously ignoring the poor language now has seized on this ambiguity with results such as what you wrote about. No doubt Chad Hammitt got a slap on the back and a little something special in his Christmas stocking for finding that little technicality.
Unless the entire contract is not on the SAEA website, after reading the section you mention I don’t read anything providing for teachers hired or transfer into the program in subsequent years. There is a reference to part 5 but no part 5. Instead it jumps to Article 26. Based on what is there to read it would almost appear that teachers hired in subsequent years were not part of the stipend. Maybe that was not the intent, but that is how it seems to read.