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“Parents for Local Control, a newly formed coalition of parents and community leaders that opposes Capistrano’s “reform”-minded school board, presented trustees Ken Lopez-Maddox and Mike Winsten with recall notices during a board meeting Tuesday night,” according to the O.C. Register.
This would be the third such recall in CAPO history.
Lopez-Maddox and Winsten have acted like typical Republicans and now parents, or at least some parents, are mad.
The rest of the CAPO board of trustees faces reelection in November. The folks behind the latest recall are targeting them too.
Lopez-Maddox served in the Assembly, in the 68th District, a few years back when he lived in Garden Grove. He later was defeated by John Campbell when they ran for the same State Senate seat. Campbell eventually moved on to Congress and now he is facing oppostion from Irvine Councilwoman Beth Krom.
Lopez-Maddox was fairly conservative as a state legislator. He is pro guns, anti-choice and anti-immigration. Barbara Coe, of CCIR, was a big fan of his and supported him against Campbell. He also was very pro labor. He got in hot water with county conservatives when he backed the O.C. Project Labor Agreement, which locked non-union contractors out of bidding on Orange County public works projects, for several years.
Lopez-Maddox ended up getting a divorce and he moved to Dana Point. He has worked as a consultant and I believe he also still works for State Board of Equalization member Michelle Steel. Lopez-Maddox also married a Latina and he added her surname to his. Click here to email Lopez-Maddox.
I don’t know much about Winsten. He appears to be a lawyer with a practice in Laguna Niguel. Click here to see his firm’s website. Click here to email him.
Both of these guys are products of the Education Alliance, a conservative grassroots organization that tries to take over school boards in Orange County. They tend to be a bit nutters.
Let’s see if the folks who opposed the recall of Mission Viejo Councilman Lance MacLean oppose this one too.
This is a rather superficial treatment of the whole subject of CUSD.
What is at issue here is not whether to recall or oppose recall, but instead, whether a union can seek control of a school district as a strategy in labor negotiations. Winsten and Maddox have taken a firm line in the negotiations and the union supported the organization of ill-informed parents to oppose them.
CUSD is a battleground between educational insiders in California who preside over and tolerate systemic failure to perpetuate their place at the trough, and those who seek change. The Ed Alliance is one such group, but conservatives and educators understand that the revolving door between management and labor in public school districts has produced a juggernaut of pension excess and educational mediocracy. Starting with the State Board of (Do Nothing) Education and our worthless state educational bureaucracy, to the County Board of (Incompetent) Education led by Bill (know nothing) Habermehl, to CSBA, and right down into a school district near you! It’s not about the kids, but about the money.
The CUSD recall is a contest between this failed establishment and change. Yet it is multi-dimensional. Ken Maddox has been on the public payroll all his life (including his day job). He is considering to run for the useless Orange County Board of Education. It’s a career. Winsten is an evangelical with an ideology. You can take it or leave it. The CUSD Board has embraced “Race to the Top”, and Obama plan to make schools accountable that is very unpopular with the educational establishment (see above). But “Race to the Top” offers limited school choice, partial parental control, and a whole variety of conservative favorites that make the unions cringe. And of course, conservatives hate it too, because it’s a Federal plan and there’s that old bromide called Article One, Section 8 of the Constitution — which arguably makes Obama’s plan illegal.
But if you’re conservative and you wish the DC crowd would butt-out, then where is the California solution?
Answer: It’s firmly in the hands of our labor-dominated state educational establishment.
All this in our little corner of the world.
Olay!
Yes, set up a union straw man to avoid the REAL issues regarding Winsten and LopoMado’s entrenched cronyism and fleecing of our children’s money for the benefit of their fat cat lawyer friends. The argument is tired and has been proven untrue again and again.
Hey, Olay! says this JBrick seems to be JOff!
The Jack Brick who is a CUSD Board member is one of the contested seats in November. Those who would seek to post in his name have no credibility.
Those opposed against the recall of Lance MacLean are against the $270,000 cost and the fact that he is up for re-election a few short months after. This case is much different- these two are not up for re-election for 3 more years, and since it is not a special electtion but instead just a listing on the regular election ballot in November the costs will be very minimal- no more than any other candidate listed for election is my guess.
Hey Olay…you are mistaken. The 3 contested seats in November are Addonizio, Bryson and Christensen. Brick is not up for reelection until 2012.
I may not be a big fan of this Board as I haven’t seen any great accomplishments, but nothing they’ve done IMO justifies a recall, unlike the Fleming Board which many of us believed was corrupt. Former Superintendent Fleming and an assistant superintendent after all, were indicted on multiple felony charges for misappropriation of school funds, targeting children on an enemy’s list and perjury, among other charges.
Many parents in CUSD see this recall as the union’s attempt to take control of the Board. That’s a very dangerous and destructive thing to let happen. Compensation and benefits already account for about 85% of the entire district budget. That leaves precious little for the kids. There’s no place else to cut to try and make up for the $25 million deficit CUSD is facing (a deficit that started during the Fleming-controlled Board years).
Unions are known for protecting “their” pocketbooks (entirely funded by taxpayers). What bothers me most about the CUEA union is their entitlement mentality. While surrounded by parents who have lost their jobs, who have no prospects and some of whom have lost their homes to foreclosure, union members and leadership in particular have complained about taking even the smallest permanent cut. They always expect to be “apid back” – as if we are “borrowing” “their” money.
While union leaders in particular whine about cuts to “their” salary & benefits, those of us living in the real world say, “you’re lucky to have a job”. So many just don’t seem to get that concept.
As for why parents would support the union-takeover attempt, I remind everyone that there were parents who supported Jim Fleming even after hearing from parents whose children were retaliated against by him and his administration. OCDE Superintendent Bill Habermehl is one of them. There is no excuse for defending such despicable behavior, but hey, OJ has his defenders too.
This recall is not about the union. It is about two trustees who promised transparency, no nepotism, facilities improvement. They have fulfilled none of their promises and have managed to bring more dysfunction to an already dysfunctional school district.
I am a parent with 4 children who attend 3 CUSD schools. I am not a union member. I was not a fan of Fleming. It seems like the union and Fleming are always blamed for these trustees shortcomings. Why can’t anyone ever take responsibility for failure. Why do they have to blame it on others.
I think when two trustees vote to award thousands of dollars of tax payer money to their campaign supporters it is an extreme conflict of interest. Hiring countless attorneys and a PR firm when every dollar is needed for the classroom is irresponsible.
And when CUSD Parent states that 85% goes to salaries and benefits. This is for everyone in the district. Teachers only account for about 60% of the 85%. Also, 100% of a teacher’s salary goes to the classroom. What good would a classroom be without a teacher.
Olay: I am a graduate of CUSD and UCSB. Why is this recall movement a union movement? I don’t get the connection. Can you tell us how CUSD represents “systemic failure?” “Educational mediocrity?” CUSD is one of the highest performing districts in the state and nation? How are the teachers and administrators “perpetuat[ing] their place at the trough?” cusd parent: Everyone knows times are tough, including those in education. How is this the time to ask employees to bear salary cuts far greater than the cuts necessary to balance the budget? The cuts being asked of teachers, administrators, and staff are way beyond those necessary to meet the budget needs- they are penal. Why is the board demanding that cuts are permanent? The 10% demand was never based on specific needs, it is simply a line in the sand.
How can you say, “CUSD is a battleground between educational insiders” who tolerate “systemic failure?”
I don’t understand.
Ally
What? How can you claim this recall to be about the union? They want to blow hot air and say it is about the union because it sounds goo. These two school board members are corrupted and have given away thousands of dollars to their friends who put them into office. Power does corrupt. Anyone who wonders why we should recall these 2 board members should attend a CUSD board meeting. The new board has now limited the seating at the board meetings and won’t allow people to stand. Also, they won’t allow freedom of speech to those who want to hold signs. They limit the time on those speaking against them or just turn off their microphone. Mike Winsten and Ken Maddox need to be recalled for CUSD to start on the right path. Ken Maddox claims to want smaller government yet he continues to collect tax payer money by being a lifetime politician.
Let’s start over and get some people on the board who really care about educating the children!!!!!
Where is all the news about CUSD and the board hiring 11 law firms, PR firm, and awarding their friends and family contracts? There is plenty more going on with this board than is being told here. I pay over $50,000 a year in taxes and have to put up with this? This entire State of California is in a State of financial ruin do specifically to criminal mismanagement these past years. The answer isnt to cut teachers but rather cut other areas of the budget that is wasted spending. I live in a great area and am embarrassed that we as an affluent county who is flush with cash (check and see) are doing this.
I’m a little confused. Why did this Board approve a settlement of Fleming’s enemies list. Obviously, this was OUTSIDE THE SCOPE of his job description and the School district should have never paid for this. Flaming was personally responsible and was never given permission by the last board to develop an enemies list. I’m confused about the outcome of this lawsuit? The attorneys on the board should be well aware of that! Pardon my spelling on the last one this whole thing make me upset!!