25 Chicago middle school students jailed after food fight; lounge food fight by Chula Vista teachers

A comparison of two food fights, a recent brawl by students in Chicago and a 1999 outburst by teachers belonging to the "Castle Park family":

It took two janitors over a week to clean walls and shampoo rugs and upholstered furniture in the teachers lounge at Castle Park Elementary School after a small group teachers went wild after the students left on the last day of school in 1999. (The teachers never reimbursed the taxpayers.) The teachers brought the leftovers from class parties to the lounge, including lots of fruit punch and whipped cream.

These teachers ruled the roost at the school, getting rid of principal after principal that didn't do what the "family" wanted. One principal acceded to so many demands for spending that he plunged the school deep into debt and was fired. Another allowed teachers to engage in so many jailable actions that the district ended up in court for years defending those teachers. Principal Ollie Matos was hired to get the teachers under control, but the teachers union, Chula Vista Educators, prevented him from doing so.

25 Chicago Students Arrested for a Middle-School Food Fight
New York Times
By SUSAN SAULNY
Published: November 10, 2009

CHICAGO — The food fight here started the way such bouts do in school lunchrooms most anywhere: an apple was tossed, a cookie turned into a torpedo, and an orange plunked someone in the head. Within minutes, dozens of middle-school students had joined in the ruckus, and spattered adults were ducking for cover.

By the end of the day, 25 of the students, ages 11 to 15, had been rounded up, arrested, taken from school and put in jail. A spokesman for the Chicago police said the charges were reckless conduct, a misdemeanor.

That was last Thursday afternoon. Now parents are questioning what seem to them like the criminalization of age-old adolescent pranks, and the lasting legal and psychological impact of the arrests.

“My children have to appear in court,” Erica Russell, the mother of two eighth-grade girls who spent eight hours in jail, said Tuesday. “They were handcuffed, slammed in a wagon, had their mug shots taken and treated like real criminals.”...

Chula Vista Elementary School District Aid Asks To Withdraw Guilty Plea In Molestation Case

It's lucky this girl called the police. At Castle Park Elementary in 2001, two teachers reported a possible school shooting, and the district never investigated.

School Aid Asks To Change Plea In Molestation Case
Vincent Matthew Lopez Was Arrested In February
10 News
October 28, 2009

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- A judge Wednesday appointed a new attorney for an ex- Chula Vista Elementary School District instructional aide who indicated he wants to withdraw his guilty plea to a charge of molesting a teenage girl.

South Bay Judge Timothy Walsh granted the motion by Vincent Matthew Lopez to replace his lawyer and scheduled a status conference for Tuesday.

A different judge was supposed to sentence Lopez to a year in jail.

The defendant was arrested last February, after a 15-year-old relative called police to report that Lopez had sexually assaulted her. Lopez was subsequently also charged with molesting another girl of similar age.

Last month, Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of committing a lewd act on a child.

The defendant, a part-time employee for the school district, was placed on administrative leave following his arrest. There were no indications that any of the assaults occurred at Halecrest and Tiffany elementary schools, where Lopez worked, authorities said.

If the defendant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea is denied, he will be sentenced to 365 days in custody and ordered to have no contact with both victims for five years, according to prosecutors.

Sandra Villegas Zuniga has replaced Tom Cruz as CVESD human resources director

Matt Osborne analyzes the San Diego ACORN videos

The following article includes videos of Juan Carlos Vera, Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe

ACORN San Diego: Mucha Dificultad Sobre Nada
by Matt Osborne
September 24, 2009

Today, I finally got around to watching the San Diego videos, and once again there's a Faux Edit™ going on. Apparently, that's a habit with filmmaker James O'Keefe, the "pimp" in these videos. The first minute is going to make you squirm, but then the video will start at the beginning and you'll get a completely different sense of context...

What ACORN worker Juan Carlos Vera really said: full transcript

See all ACORN posts in this blog.
See all ACORN posts in San Diego Education Report blog.

In the dozen pages at the beginning of the transcript of the Giles-O'Keefe-Vera conversation at the National City ACORN office, the fake pimp-prostitute pair did all the talking about prostitution, and ACORN employee Juan Carlos Vera responded with "yeah" and "okay", as if he were taking it all in. But Juan Carlos' English isn't so great, and when he finally seemed to understand what was going on, he said he would consult with lawyers and contact the visitors by email. He even mentioned that he worked with prosecutors.

Throughout most of the conversation, Juan Carlos spoke at cross-purposes to the visitors, giving information about ACORN seminars.

On page 12 O'Keefe prompts Juan Carlos with suggestions about tax fraud. Juan Carlos continues to say "yeah", but his understanding of the questions is in doubt because he clarifies the issue by saying, "Because you need a house."

O'Keefe tries again to get Juan Carlos to agree that O'Keefe's tax fraud ideas are good, and Hannah also tries to get Juan Carlos to repeat what James has said. Juan Carlos responds, "I think it's good, too, because we have two lawyers working for our program--and if you're interested come to our seminar" (pages 12-13) Clearly, Juan Carlos is not on the same page as James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles.

On page 13 Juan Carlos goes on, "If you have your own business you need to prove your income."

On page 13 O'Keefe to Hannah, "...and the tax form is something so I'm explaining to him [Juan Carlos] is something you can classify not as prostitution but as performing arts. That way we can clear that first hurdle. We can declare all income."

Juan Carlos, as is his habit, responds with "yeah." But did he understand? Did he agree? Or was the "yeah" actually a reflex response to acknowledge that O'Keefe had said something and Juan Carlos was trying to keep up with the conversation? Fortunately, Juan Carlos explains his position clearly in the next exchange.

O'Keefe: Do you think that's something we can do?

Juan Carlos: The problem first time buyers is good because you never have a house before.

Clearly, we now know what Juan Carlos is trying to tell O'Keefe. He's trying to tell him how to buy a house.

Page 14

O'Keefe: Can this be a legitimate business? This prostitution?

Juan Carlos: You need to check...You need to check. You need to check. Because the program for first time buyers is for the people that never have a house.

O'Keefe says there will be 12 underage girls. [I doubt that a limited speaker is going to understand the word "underage." It's not usually found in your beginning English instruction. The word was probably Greek to Juan Carlos. Also, I don't remember seeing the word "prostitution" in beginning English instruction.]

Juan Carlos says: they gonna be probably 4 or 5 persons. [Juan Carlos is clearly not in sync with the idea of twelve girls.]

Hannah asks, "Could they be like my sisters or something like that?" [Of course your sisters can live with you, Hannah!]

O'Keefe: Could we get a child tax credit for them? Claim them as dependents?

Juan Carlos: Yeah. [My guess is that Juan Carlos thought they were talking about actual siblings.]

For the next few pages Hannah and O'Keefe do all the talking again, and Juan Carlos responds with his usual rote response of "okay."

Page 19

Juan Carlos understands that El Salvadoran girls are coming: "What day are they coming?" He is told they'll come on Saturday.

But Juan Carlos has a feeling that these people have wandered into the wrong office.

Juan Carlos: So you never heard for this organization? ACORN?...Okay, let's do this. Let me see, let me see anything about it. See and let me contact to you. Because this program is, this Saturday happen?

But O'Keefe doesn't want to be contacted later, he wants to talk about it now. Juan Carlos tries to get an email address, but doesn't succeed until page 23.

On page 21 the talk turns to where each of them comes from. O'Keefe is from back east, which, Juan Carlos notes, is too cold. Juan Carlos is from Mexico City, and he is a lawyer in Mexico.

On page 24 Juan Carlos says, "...I want to call you tomorrow." [I think that's what I'd say, too, in an effort to get rid of these bizarre people.]


Pages 25-26

Juan Carlos wants to explain that lawyers will be involved: "...dis is you say private...I ah because we work before with the lawyers."...

O'Keefe: You're working with the prosecutors?

Juan Carlos: Yeah.

O'Keefe: Well then that's not good.

Juan Carlos:...I think we want to send an email to you.

Hannah: Honestly I don't feel very comfortable right now. I just gave you a bunch of information and I don't know if we trust you like...

Juan Carlos: No, we help people. [Juan Carlos is trying to get information about Hannah and O'Keefe, not scare them away.]

Page 27

Juan Carlos tries to get a location for where the girls will be on Saturday. He recommends that the girls go to Tijuana where Juan Carlos has a lot of contacts. [My guess is that he wants to help the girls, to prevent them from falling under the control of unscrupulous people like Hannah and O'Keefe.]

Page 28

[Now we find out how much Juan Carlos understood of the earlier conversation.]

O'Keefe: There's twelve girls but they're like there's like thirteen to fifteen years old.

Juan Carlos: Oh, yeah?...I want to contact you now only for email.

Hannah and O'Keefe keep talking, but Juan Carlos no longer responds with his reflexive "yeah". Instead he repeats, "I going to contact you by email."

O'Keefe apples pressure: Just give me your cell phone number.

Juan Carlos complies, but says, "Well it's better I can send you an email."

Minister Doug Giles is a proud dad to pretend-prostitute Hannah Giles

Doug earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University and studied for his Master of Arts in Christianity and Culture from Knox Theological Seminary.


See all ACORN posts.

See all ACORN posts in San Diego Education Report blog.

Jim Groth and Peg Myers antics continue at Chula Vista Educators; bizarre election results announced more than 3 months late

Now I understand why Peg Myers and Jim Groth didn't want to release the Chula Vista Educators election results in June. What kind of election is it when you end up with two empty positions before you even announce the results?

See all posts about Peg Myers.

President 09-11
State Council 09-12
Peggie Myers
Full-Release


Vice President 09-11
Tim Kriss
Salt Creek Elementary


Treasurer 09-11
Kathleen Fernandez
Rosebank


Secretary 09-11
OPEN POSITION

[Barbara Dunwoodie ran unopposed for this position. What's up with the open position? Dunwoodie is still teaching at Hilltop Elementary with Robin Donlan.]

Area Director A 08-10
Maureen McNair
Veterans

Area Director B 08-10
Norma Pacheco Davis
Los Altos


Area Director C 08-10
OPEN POSITION

[The above position was held by Tim Kriss, who is now vice-president. When I heard a rumor that a close friend and Salt Creek Elementary colleague of Tim Kriss was going to replace him, I wrote to Peg Myers asking if this were true. Instead of answering me, Peg apparently got her pals up in Burlingame to demand that Google censor my blog. Why is this such a touchy subject?]


Area Director D 08-10
Jayme Rodgers
Liberty


Area Director E 08-10
Jenna Ritchey
Juarez-Lincoln


Bargaining Chair
Susan Skala
Vista Square
State Council 08-11


Jennefer Porch
Juarez-Lincoln
State Council 07-10


Jim Groth
CTA Board

ACORN says that Hannah Giles and pal O'Keefe committed a felony; videotaping pair seems confident of large defense fund from conservatives

A lawsuit filed by ACORN?

“Bring it on,” secret videotaper James O’Keefe said on Fox News. It sounds like he's already got a large war chest to help him get away with a crime.

See detailed analysis of transcript of Juan Carlos Vera/Giles/O'Keefe.


ACORN mulls suit against Fox News
By MICHAEL FALCONE
Politico
9/14/09

Facing intensifying scrutiny after the release of several disturbing hidden camera videos, the community organizing group, ACORN, is threatening to sue Fox News, the website Breitbart.com and the two conservative activists who produced the exposes.

ACORN is alleging that the filmmakers committed a felony by shooting the footage of ACORN employees in the act of providing advice on how to falsify tax forms and set-up a child prostitution business—to a man and a woman posing as a pimp and a prostitute.

A lawyer for ACORN said Monday that statutes in Maryland and the District of Columbia made the undercover filming illegal and that the same laws should prohibit the rebroadcast of the tapes by the Web site BigGovernment.com, where they were first posted last week, and on Fox News, which aired clips of the videos.

BigGovernment.com, which launched last Wednesday, is a project of Andrew Breitbart, the founder of Breitbart.com. The videos show James O’Keefe, a conservative activist, and Hannah Giles, who is listed as a contributor on the right-leaning website, TownHall.com, visiting ACORN offices in Baltimore and Brooklyn and an ACORN Housing Corporation branch in Washington, D.C.

“It is clear that the videos are doctored, edited, and in no way the result of the fabricated story being portrayed by conservative activist ‘filmmaker’ O’Keefe and his partner in crime,’ ACORN chief organizer Bertha Lewis said in a statement over the weekend. “And, in fact, a crime it was—our lawyers believe a felony—and we will be taking legal action against Fox and their co-conspirators.”

After the videos surfaced two ACORN employees in Baltimore and two others at the Washington office of the off-shoot housing corporation, a separate organization, were fired.

“I cannot and I will not defend the actions of the workers depicted in the video,” Lewis said in her statement. She added that the “scam,” was also attempted but failed at other ACORN offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Philadelphia.

Breitbart said Monday that the release of a new video from Brooklyn disproved ACORN’s claims that the activists made failed attempts in other cities.

“ACORN was wrong in their initial defense that it succeeded in only one place because obviously it worked in a second and third place,” he said. “Their defense is as hapless as the behavior witnessed on those videos. This is clearly an organization in internal turmoil over James and Hannah’s exposure. The longer that the mainstream media ignores this massive story, the more that ACORN has to accumulate data in order to form a line of attack to annihilate the messenger.”

Arthur Schwartz, a lawyer for ACORN, said he planned to file a lawsuit in federal court in Baltimore on Thursday against O’Keefe and Giles that would “probably” also include Breitbart.com and Fox News...

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27139.html#ixzz0Rs6AuekK

This couple didn't set up Newt Gingrich, but were criminally charged for secret recording

See all ACORN posts.

Florida Couple Are Charged In Taping of Gingrich Call
New York Times
By JERRY GRAY
April 24, 1997

The Justice Department today filed charges against a Florida couple who said they had intercepted and recorded a conference call last December among Speaker Newt Gingrich and other Republican leaders.

The Federal authorities in Jacksonville, Fla., announced this afternoon that the couple, John and Alice Martin, had been charged with an infraction, violating the Communications Privacy Act by using a radio scanner to intercept the radio portion of the conversation. It is the mildest criminal charge the couple could face in the case and carries a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine.

The Government said the Martins had agreed to plead guilty to the charges, and said the couple would cooperate with a continuing investigation into how a recording of the conversation wound up in the hands of a New York Times reporter.

The conversation the Martins taped took place on the same day Mr. Gingrich admitted he had violated House ethics rules by failing to get adequate legal advice on the use of tax-exempt money and then giving the House ethics committee inaccurate information in its investigation. During the call, the Speaker and several colleagues discussed how best to handle the political fallout of the ethics charges.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/24/us/florida-couple-are-charged-in-taping-of-gingrich-call.html

Hello to turnaround guru Harborside principal Matthew Tessier...Goodbye to Union Tribune reporter Chris Moran

Tessier has done exactly what I have long suggested: carefully evaluated teachers. This is a terrific reform, but it could be abused. I suggest that evaluations be supplemented with observations by out-of-district professionals.



Principal gets credit for turning schools around
Chula Vista's Tessier got one out of U.S. sanctions
By Chris Moran
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
September 19, 2009


Chula Vista's Harborside Elementary was in pieces when he arrived as its principal two years ago. The school next to a mobile-home park in an impoverished neighborhood had failed to reach federal benchmarks for so long that the menu of remedies included shutting it down.

But Tessier, 35, is a turnaround specialist.

Before he arrived at Harborside, Tessier had done what only a few dozen principals in the county had ever done: He led a school — Loma Verde Elementary — safely out of federal sanctions with two consecutive years of dramatically improved test scores...



Profile Matthew Tessier

Age: 35

Education: Bachelor's in communicative disorders and a master's in educational leadership from San Diego State University

Experience: Teacher, five years; assistant principal, two years; principal, four years

Family: Wife, Alma; daughters — Gabriela, 8, Alixandra, 5, and Tristan, 2




GOODBYE TO CHRIS MORAN, EDUCATION REPORTER AT SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE

What is it about Houston?
Voice of San Diego
by Emily Alpert

...Chris Moran, longtime education reporter at the Union-Tribune, is leaving the paper after 12 years to go to Houston. He's not following Superintendent Terry Grier -- he's following his wife, who got a new job.

Moran did some remarkable reporting in his time with the newspaper, where he was most recently assigned to cover schools and colleges in the South Bay. He has an amazing human touch with complex stories -- and I hear he is also a superstar mentor.

Good luck Chris.

Juan Carlos Vera Says Statements In Video Were 'Taken Out Of Context'

See details of actual transcript of Giles-O'Keefe-Vera conversation.

Hannah Giles, 20, (left) apparently does a very convincing imitation of a prostitute. And the most fun part of Hannah's illegally-videotaped deception was that she managed to drag several ACORN workers into her fantasy. She elicited the sympathy of Juan Carlos Vera by telling him she "needed to escape her controlling pimp, who wouldn't let her start a new life."

See all ACORN posts in this blog.
See all ACORN posts in San Diego Education Report blog.

One commenter notes:

Playing devil's advocate, I could see the man wanting to collect as much information as possible if he had the intention of turning James and Hannah in to law enforcement. He did get James' cell phone number, collected details about times and places, and could have easily set them up. So it should be a simple matter to determine if the man reported the trafficking James and Hannah were attempting to engage in to the responsible authorities (he does, after all, make a claim about working with the district attorneys)...

Maura Larkins' response:

It turned out that Mr. Vera did report the incident to the police.

Furthermore, I just watched the videos, and it looks to me that Mr. Vera is trying to get information about the location where the "underage Salvadoran girls" will be so that the police could get involved. If you look at Mr. Vera's body language as he talks to the couple, you can see that he is feeling very uncomfortable with them, and seems to be reluctant to talk to them. However, as they are leaving and they ask if he will tell the police about them, he tries to be more friendly, to get them to come back or at least stay in touch. He urges them to trust him. Afterward, he went to the police and reported the incident. He also clearly states that he is not interested in being Hannah's client. It seems clear that he is interested in helping her and the Salvadoran girls, not helping the pimp. He seems to be trying to get the pimp arrested.


ACORN Worker Fired After Appearance In Undercover Video
Juan Carlos Vera Says Statements In Video Were 'Taken Out Of Context'
September 17, 2009
10news.com

SAN DIEGO -- A San Diego ACORN employee who appeared to give human-smuggling advice to a pimp and prostitute in an undercover video made by conservative filmmakers has been fired, 10News' Juliette Vara reported.

ACORN's David Lagstein issued the following statement regarding Vera:

After release of the second San Diego video by the unscrupulous partisan videographers, we have reevaluated our assessment of the incident that occurred last month. No paperwork was filed, but the video reflects unacceptable conduct that contradicts the earlier statements of ACORN Organizer Juan Carlos Vera. He has been terminated. San Diego ACORN and ACORN offices around the country are continuing to halt our service programs pending the results of the evaluation of the independent Advisory Council and we are continuing to fight on our campaigns: stopping foreclosures, affordable, accessible health care, and a strong education for all children.

In a press conference Thursday at ACORN's National City headquarters, Vera said statements he made in the video were taken out of context.

The now-former ACORN worker said he was merely trying to help the pair because he thought they were in danger.

"I never done anything wrong in my life," Vera said. "They destroyed my family."

In the footage filmed in July, filmmaker James O'Keefe and his partner, Hannah Giles, posed as a pimp and prostitute, and asked Vera for housing help.

O'Keefe is heard in the video saying, "I want to buy a house and this is my girlfriend, and she's a prostitute."

Vera said he was told the woman needed to escape her controlling pimp, who wouldn't let her start a new life.

Immediately, Vera said he offered to call the police but the filmmaker quickly stopped him.

"Don't call the police because I'm gonna be a lawyer," O'Keefe said in the video...




James O'Keefe

James O'Keefe [James E. O’Keefe III, 25] is an activist filmmaker. He credits include the "Bailout Prize Patrol" produced for Right.Org in 2009. He also directed, scripted, produced and acted in a series of undercover videos showcasing racism and statutory rape at Planned Parenthood in 2007 and 2008.

Before that he served as Publications Coordinator at the Leadership Institute, where he helped initiate 22 independent newspapers and magazines on college campuses nationwide. He also gave lectures on campus strategy and fundraising, preaching the gospel of Saul Alinsky...

His work has been featured on CNN and Fox News...



[Maura Larkins comment: Apparently anti-ACORN forces are outraged that Mexican nationals were buying homes in the U.S. It's okay if Chinese, Russian and Saudi Arabian citizens buy homes and property here, but not Mexicans?]

New principal Lee Romero at Montgomery High School in Otay is under pressure to raise scores

The Battle for Montgomery High
By EMILY ALPERT
Aug. 30, 2009
Montgomery High School does not feel like a school in trouble. It is a seemingly ordinary school south of the Otay Valley Park, ringed by modest homes and big box stores...

And yet Montgomery has become a battleground for Sweetwater Union High School District. It had the lowest test scores among all the South County high schools last year, even lower than neighboring schools with far higher poverty levels than Montgomery, where roughly one-third of students are impoverished and one-third are learning English...

The pressure is on to turn Montgomery around. It has been under the microscope for the last three years to ramp up its state scores this year or face added penalties. Montgomery was one of six Sweetwater schools to accept state money in exchange for extra accountability for its test scores. It is the only school that faltered, its scores essentially flattening over the past four years.

That could have big consequences. If the scores do not rise, the state board of education could decide to take over the school, sending someone to work alongside or replace the principal. Teachers invoke the idea that Montgomery could transfer them away...

[Maura Larkins' comment: Why do do many teachers abhor the idea of a transfer? Because teaching staffs are often similar to high school cliques. There is the fear of not fitting in.]

So Sweetwater made some big changes. It yanked the principal and brought in a new one, Lee Romero, to turn the school around this year. He is pushing teachers to make common tests and to stay at the same pace. And it scrapped the old schedule of four quarters with four classes each and replaced it with a more traditional schedule, arguing that the old calendar sometimes hurt struggling students who only took English or math for half of the school year or ended up spending less time at school entirely.

That, in turn, angered the teachers union, which contends that the schedule needed to be negotiated. Romero said that Montgomery had no time to wait. The tests and penalties hang over his mind...

CTA's Jim Groth asks to slow down educational reform as Schwarzenegger visits Chula Vista Learning Center

Jim Groth, my former colleague at Chula Vista Elementary School District, should be suggesting effective methods for evaluating teachers instead of nixing Obama's efforts to allow schools to include student scores in teacher evaluations.

But apparently the California Teacher Association is taking a page from extreme right-leaning Sarah Palin and Mark Sanford in thumbing its nose at stimulus funds.

CTA doesn't want California to participate in the Race to the Top at this time because it wants to protect the current inadequate teacher evaluation system. Longtime loyal Democrats are getting sick of CTA's opposition to school reform.

Sarah Palin and Mark Sanford were overruled by their legislatures. But who will overrule CTA?


Chula Vista Teachers Protest Schwarzenegger Visit
Voice of San Diego
Emily Alpert
Aug. 27, 2009

The Chula Vista teachers union used a visit from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as a platform to protest his education plans, chiefly the push to link standardized test scores to teacher evaluation so that California is eligible for added stimulus dollars from the federal government.

Schwarzenegger was scheduled to visit Chula Vista Learning Community Charter School this morning. The union held a press conference at the school to explain their opposition to his plans. I couldn't make it to their meeting, but I phoned Jim Groth, a Chula Vista teacher and a board member of the statewide California Teachers Association, to talk about their announcements.

"What we are saying is, 'Let's slow down,'" Groth said as he left the Chula Vista school. "Changing the laws at the state would affect all districts. We're talking about local control. Local school boards would not have that control -- it would be dictated by Washington, D.C."...



JIM GROTH AND SARAH PALIN AREN'T THE ONLY PROPONENTS OF REFUSING STIMULUS FUNDS; SOUTH CAROLINA'S GOVERNOR SANFORD ALSO REFUSED $700 MILLION

Embattled South Carolina governor vows to finish term
Aug 26, 2009
Reuters

Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, a conservative once seen as a possible presidential candidate in 2012, rejected a call from his deputy to resign Wednesday in the wake of a sex scandal...

Sanford was a prominent opponent of Democratic President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill and rejected $700 million of South Carolina's portion of the funds on grounds it would undermine the state's fiscal stability...the state Supreme Court later overruled his opposition...





CHULA VISTA EDUCATORS' OFFICIALS SEEM TO BE CHANNELING SARAH PALIN


Sarah Palin won't stop complaining that the media has portrayed her unfairly. Apparently this is because the media talks about things that Palin herself would prefer not to discuss, such as Palin's using the fact that Russia is within sight of Alaska to prove that she is ready to handle international foreign policy.

Chula Vista Educators' Peg Myers won't stop complaining that this blog has portrayed her unfairly. Again, this seems to be because this blog talks about things that Peg herself would prefer not to discuss, such as her actions against teachers at Castle Park Elementary when Peg was working on behalf of administrator Richard Werlin and some of her other friends.

He might not be punctual, but Phoenix taxi-driver saves woman's life

Are some things more important than being on time? This woman thinks so.

Woman's Taxi Driver Is Kidney Match
By TERRY TANG, AP
August 24, 2009
Rita Van Loenen had no idea that a trip in Thomas Chappell's taxi cab could end up being the ride that saves her life.

...But even more shocking to her was that doctors found they had the same blood type, that they were compatible.

"...If we were a closer match, we would've been siblings. I was ready to fall off the floor," Van Loenen said...

Last year, Van Loenen, an instructor in special education methods, began feeling ill and experiencing water retention in her legs. She went to see a doctor and was diagnosed with kidney disease. With kidney failure setting in, friends and family were tested but there was no match.

In February, she received her cousin's kidney but that transplant failed. One day, Van Loenen, 63, found herself telling Chappell, 56, about how her son was now going to get tested. Chappell decided to add his name to the list.

"I said 'Rita, your son's a whole lot younger than me. He's got a lot more years. I'm gonna go down and go through the process and see if it will work.' I don't think she really believed I was going to."..

It wasn't an auspicious beginning.

Chappell was half an hour late picking Van Loenen up for a dialysis appointment.
"When I got there she was not happy," Chappell said...

Why do schools (and teacher unions) have so little regard for gifted teachers?

When a Gifted Teacher Has to Jump Through Hoops Just to Keep His Job, Change Is Needed
By Jay Mathews
Washington Post
August 24, 2009

I am not a big fan of merit pay for high-performing teachers unless the entire school staff is rewarded. But I have no doubt that our current teacher pay upgrade and certification system, based largely on education school credits, is dumb and should be changed.

You disagree? Then let me introduce you to Jonathan Keiler, a social studies teacher at Bowie High School in Prince George's County, where school starts Monday.

It is difficult to argue that Keiler, 49, is anything but one of his county's best teachers. He is the only member of the Bowie High faculty with National Board Certification, having passed a competitive series of tests of his classroom skills that has become a gold standard for American educators. He has a bachelor's degree in philosophy and history from Salisbury University and a law degree from Washington and Lee University. He served four years as an Army Judge Advocate General officer, then was a partner in a private law firm in Bethesda until, as he puts it, he "got sick of law and became a social studies teacher at my alma mater."

He teaches a survey course called Practical Law, as well as Advanced Placement World History and AP Art History. More students signed up for his classes this year than he had periods to teach them. He coaches Bowie's Mock Trial team, the most successful in the county. He has published articles on military history and law in several magazines.

He hates the education school courses teachers must take to be certified and qualify for pay increases. He says they "are generally no more useful or interesting than watching paint dry." But he dutifully accumulated three credit hours at Bowie State University, six through the county's continuing professional education program and three for going through the National Board process. That was more than enough, he was told, for his standard certification.
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Then earlier this month, the county's teacher staffing and certification office informed him that previous officials counted his credits wrong. If Keiler didn't somehow produce three extra credits by the end of September, he would be decertified and any pay increases he received associated with certification would be retroactively revoked...

CVESD teacher Ric Ramirez takes Park View Little League all the way to the championship of the World Series

* * * LATEST NEWS: CHULA VISTA WINS LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

August 30, 2009: Little League World Series Chula Vista wins, 6-3 By Jason Owens, SDNN Kiko Garcia finished the game off in relief as Chula Vista's Blue Bombers secured the Little League World Series championship over Chinese Tapei on Sunday -- without hitting a home run.

August 27, 2009: Park View wins 11-10 after being down 10-5 "against the undefeated team from Robbins, Georgia. It was the first elimination game, meaning the losing team is out of the tournament's championship bracket."
--NBC San Diego by GREG BLEDSOE

August 25, 2009: Park View lost 6-3 to San Antonio’s McAllister Park
San Antonio upends Chula Vista’s Park View Little League in Tuesday’s final game of pool play. While both teams had already secured a berth in the U.S. semifinal round of play, the win gives San Antonio (3-0) the top seed out of pool B.
--By Jason Owens, SDNN


Sunday Aug. 23, 2009: Pitching its second straight Little League World Series shutout, Park View tops New England's Peabody LL, 14-0 to advance to the semifinal round of the LLWS U.S. bracket.

On August 22, 2009 the Park View Little Leaguers won 15-0 against the Great Lakes champions from Kentucky.













Park View Little League coach Ric Ramirez talks with catcher Junior Porras during the Little League Western Region finals at Al Houghton Stadium.

March to Williamsport
Something to cheer about
San Diego Union Tribune
August 2009

Chula Vista's moment in the spotlight has been delivered by a dozen 11- to 13-year-olds who have parlayed years of practice on the rough diamonds of Oleander Avenue into a Little League World Series berth in South Williamsport, Pa. At 5 p.m.Saturday, the Park View All-Stars take the field in their first game of the tournament.


Link: Interview with coach Ric Ramirez


PARK VIEW ROSTER

Isaiah Armenta,
Oscar Castro Jr.,
Nick Conlin,
Kiko Garcia,
Bulla Graft,
Seth Godfrey,
Markus Melin,
Jensen Petersen,
Daniel Porras Jr.,
Luke Ramirez,
Andy Rios,
Bradley Roberto.
Manager: Oscar Castro.
Coach: Ric Ramirez.


This Teacher is also a Student of the Game
Finney’s Ric Ramirez Guides Park View LL On and Off-Field
by Scott Hopkins
8/21/2009

Myrtle S. Finney Elementary teacher Ric Ramirez has been lifted from his classroom, swirled around in a euphoric tornado of peak experiences and awe-inspiring good fortune, and dropped gently in the middle of Pennsylvania.

However, it’s the location in The Quaker State that has Ramirez gushing with excitement and anticipation—South Williamsport, the world headquarters of Little League baseball.

Ramirez is the coach of Park View Little League’s All-Star team, a talented and dedicated group of 12 and 13-year-olds that has won the hearts of Chula Vista and Southern California by earning a trip to The Big Time, Little League Baseball’s annual World Series tournament.

But he’s also taking time away from his “other team,” a group of 31 fifth-graders at Finney School. A 10-year veteran teacher in the Chula Vista Elementary School District, Ramirez has also taught at Castle Park School...


Former Triton Ric Ramirez Set To Coach Chula Vista Park View At The Little League World Series
Courtesy: UCSD
Release: 08/20/2009

Ric Ramirez and current UCSD head coach Dan O'Brien helped guide the Tritons to the Division III National Championships in 1994.
LA JOLLA, Calif. - Former UC San Diego third baseman Ric Ramirez, a key member of the 1994 Triton baseball team that advanced to the Division III College World Series, continues to make headlines in the sport 15 years later. Ramirez is a coach with Chula Vista Park View and helped the squad reach the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa. after claiming the West Region Championship with an 11-4 victory over Northern California on Sunday.

Ramirez was the starting third baseman on UCSD's 1994 squad that went 33-8 overall and lost 5-1 to Wesleyan University in the D-III Championship Semifinals. The Chula Vista High School product led the team with six home runs that season, while batting .303 with 11 doubles, 24 runs, and 27 RBI.

He was a teammate of current Triton head coach Dan O'Brien, who played first base in 1994.

"Ricky was an impact player much like his son," said O'Brien. "When Ricky transferred to UCSD, we knew we had a chance to win the World Series... He was that kind of player. Now he's making an impact coaching."

Ramirez and Park View will open the 2009 LLWS on Friday, August 21 when pool play begins. One of eight teams from the United States competing in South Williamsport, Park View is in Pool B along with Peabody, Mass., Russellville, Ky., and San Antonio, Texas...

Park View Little Leaguers to go to World Series

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Click HERE for updates.


Luke Ramirez is literally head and shoulders above his Park View teammates. (John R. McCutchen / Union-Tribune)

Big, friendly giant
Park View player Ramirez's legend, like him, just keeps growing
By Don Norcross
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
August 20, 2009


SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — In this sleepy little town tucked between the Bald Eagle and Allegheny mountains, the legend of Luke Ramirez grows...

When the 6-foot-2, 200-pound, 13-year-old Ramirez walked about the dorm cafeteria Tuesday, one rival player looked at him and asked in all seriousness, “Why is the coach wearing a uniform?”

Ramirez, a good-natured sort, shrugs off the attention.

“I don't let it bother me,” he said yesterday, swatting gnats off his face after a humid morning practice. “I'm kind of looking forward to some new lines from people here.”...

Said Ramirez's mother, Kasey, “It used to make me quite angry. I felt like people were calling us liars (about his age) and that used to frustrate me to no end. Since then, I've learned it comes with the territory. Deep down, I know he's my son. I know he's just a special boy.”

Every August some kids show up here looking like they shop in the men's department. Three years ago it was Aaron Durley from Saudi Arabia. At 6-9, 245, Durley is the biggest player in Little League World Series history.

Ramirez isn't even the biggest player at this year's tournament. That distinction goes to Durley's little brother, Cameron, who dresses out at 6-2, 233. The smallest player is Japan's Kenya Kawashima: 4-6 and 72 pounds.

After the Danny Almonte incident in 2001, Little League Baseball has tried to tighten its age-verification process. Almonte pitched the first LLWS perfect game in 44 years and helped eliminate Oceanside American 1-0. Though Almonte was not large in stature, he later was determined to be 14, two years over the limit. Players must be no older than 12 as of April 30. Ramirez turned 13 on May 15.

Since the Almonte flap, Little League has required leagues to submit players' original birth certificates rather than copies. At the first round of All-Star playoffs, the tournament director and each team's league president sign an affidavit, verifying the ages have been checked.

Ric Ramirez, Luke's father and a Park View coach, took extra precautions during the team's playoff run. Manager Oscar Castro kept Luke's original birth certificate. Ramirez carried one in his coaching bag and kept a third in his truck...

“For his size,” said Kelley, “he's got agility. He's not clumsy by any means.”

As big as he is, Ramirez is not Park View's most prolific home run hitter. At the West Region tournament in San Bernardino, pitcher/outfielder Kiko Garcia (5-6, 140) clubbed 12 home runs. Ramirez hit four.

But some of Ramirez's long, towering blasts have taken on mythical proportions. In a game at Park View's field, one sailed over eucalyptus trees estimated to be 75 feet tall.

“It was just manly,” said Kasey Ramirez.

At San Bernardino, one cleared a Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes concession stand at least 100 feet beyond the 200-foot outfield fence...





Local Little Leaguers headed to World Series
Chula Vista team wins West Region title, will go to S. Williamsport
By Don Norcross
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
August 17, 2009

SAN BERNARDINO — Three hours before Park View Little League's showdown with Northern California yesterday, fans of the Chula Vista team filled a parking lot, painting their faces green and white.

Two hours before the first pitch, the locals began filling Al Houghton Stadium.

“I'm getting a good seat for my brother,” Eduardo Garcia said.

Five pitches into the game, shortstop Andy Rios scalded a line-drive home run to right. Three batters later, Kiko Garcia, Eduardo's little brother, lofted a two-run homer over the scoreboard.

“It's over,” said one fan.

Soon enough, it was.

In a nationally televised game on ESPN2 and in front of an overflow crowd of 13,350, Park View erupted for eight runs in the final two innings and buried the team from Granite Bay-Loomis outside Sacramento, 11-4, to win the West Region title.

Park View's reward: a trip to South Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series.

“Oh my, this feels great,” Rios said. “It's every little 11-and 12-year-old boy's dream to go there.”

Back in June, more than 6,500 leagues worldwide fielded All-Star teams in the Majors division. Only 16 make it to South Williamsport. Only eight of those represent the United States...

Jesus Gandara contract renewed at Sweetwater Union High School District and teachers aren't happy

Sweetwater Teachers Protesting Today
EMILY ALPERT
August 17, 2009

Teachers are planning to protest at the Sweetwater Union High School District offices this afternoon as bargaining grinds on over their contract, more than a year after their last one expired. Their union is planning to start "work to the rule," which would limit their work outside of the school day, in early September unless the school district makes progress toward an agreement with them. Many teachers typically work beyond the school day to meet with students, talk to parents and prepare lessons.

It is only the latest stage in the ongoing saga in Sweetwater, where the teachers union has petitioned to get rid of Superintendent Jesus Gandara.


Sweetwater Superintendent Gets Contract Extended
July 28, 2009
Voice of San Diego
Emily Alpert

The Sweetwater Union High School District board narrowly approved extending the contract for Superintendent Jesus Gandara until 2012. Board member Greg Sandoval, who voted against the extension along with Pearl Quinones, said he felt the existing contract was "valid and good enough." If the board had not approved the extension, the contract would have gone until 2011.

The new contract also includes a provision that seems to arise from Gandara having been eyed for a superintendent's job in Texas earlier in his Sweetwater tenure: If Gandara is solicited for another job or if he looks for one, he must report that news to the entire school board, not just the board president.

The proposal brought out both fans and foes of Gandara -- a controversial figure in Sweetwater -- to the Monday night school board meeting. Jose Preciado, president of a political action committee called the South Bay Forum, said he was concerned by the animosity being directed at Gandara and argued that the debates over what Gandara had spent on meals and travel were silly...

Bejarano is new Chula Vista police chief, ends quest for San Diego Sheriff job

I wonder if David Bejarano will resign from the Chula Vista Elementary School District board. My guess is that he didn't much enjoy working with board members Pamela Smith, Larry Cunningham, Bertha Lopez or Patrick Judd. But his loyalty to them and Cheryl Cox (whom he replaced on the CVESD board) seems to have paid off. Now that Cheryl Cox is mayor of Chula Vista, her support probably was helpful when he applied for the police chief job.



Bejarano: Will reimburse campaign contributors
By Tanya Sierra
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
August 12, 2009

PROFILE

David Bejarano

Age: 52

Residence: Bonita

Previous jobs: San Diego police chief, from 1999 to 2003; U.S. marshal for San Diego and Imperial counties

Elective office: Won a four-year term on the Chula Vista school board in November.

CHULA VISTA – David Bejarano, Chula Vista's new chief of police, said Wednesday he would reimburse those who contributed to his campaign for sheriff 80 cents on the dollar.

Since he incurred about $22,000 in campaign debt that he must first pay off, donors won't get 100 percent of their contributions back, he said.

“We've run a very frugal campaign,” Bejarano said during a news conference outside Chula Vista City Hall. “I talked to a lot of donors and they are fine with that.”

His campaign raised $100,402, far more than any of the other candidates.

Bejarano said he could not endorse any of his former competitors in the sheriff's race because of his new position. Instead, he said, he will focus on making Chula Vista one of the safest cities in the state and country.

Major issues in the city continue to be traffic, auto theft and spillover drug crime and violence from Mexico. He also wants to enhance the Police Department's image in the city.

“I'll be out every day meeting with the community,” he said. “We truly want to engage the community.”

In the last 50 years, Chula Vista has had only three police chiefs. Bejarano, 52, is the first Latino, a status he also achieved during his time as San Diego police chief, a job he held from 1999 to 2003.

He is excited to be returning to a police department, he said.

“I feel like a rookie going out to academy again,” he said.

After leaving the San Diego Police Department, Bejarano was named U.S. Marshal for San Diego and Imperial counties. He currently runs a private security firm and sits on the Chula Vista Elementary School District board of trustees.

He collects one public pension from the city of San Diego for his 24 years with the city's Police Department...

"Hasta los Gatos" blog tells it like it is regarding universal healthcare

Photo: James Galloway

A terrific local blog is Hasta los gatos quieren zapatos. It's a family-friendly blog by two sisters with common sense thoughts. I can't link directly to the health care post, only to the front page of the blog, so I copied the entire post here.


Common Sense in Congress? When Pigs Fly. Common Sense in America? When Pigs Tap Dance.
Hasta los Gatos Quieren Zapatos
August 9, 2009

Joseph L. Galloway over at McClatchy Newspapers wrote a thoughtful column about the lies, fear-mongering and distortions being fed to the American public by the corporate forces that feel that reforming health care would be ruinous to the country. It turns out that only THEY would lose. The rest of this highly enlightening and straightforward commentary is here. Also, do yourself a favor and go read about Mr. Galloway, linked above. You'll discover that he's not some crackpot picking on the right wingnuts, he has more credibility and is thinking much clearer than some of the bought and paid for muddle-headed people that have been elected to Congress. More is the pity.

If ever there were a time for comprehensive health care reform, it's now, and yet the forces of darkness are lining up against this urgent need, buttressed by lies, mobs inflamed by those lies and millions of dollars changing hands and changing votes in Washington, D.C.

The idea that doing nothing and going on without changing the way this country's health care is delivered works to the benefit only of the insurance companies, the giant health care providers and the big pharmaceutical companies.

That industry is now pouring $1.4 million A DAY into lobbying — read that buying or renting members of Congress — to water down or delay or preferably kill health care reform and hope it goes away for another 20 years or so.

Part of that high-dollar industry budget is going to the low end of Washington's K Street lobbying corridor, the firms and the folks who specialize in dirty tricks, panicking the uninformed and most vulnerable citizens, financing the creation and spread of lies written, spoken and spread like viruses by robot dialing machines.
The Republican Party, on life support itself, somehow sees an opportunity in encouraging and participating in this flim-flam operation. It ought to, and should, seal the GOP's fate.

Each night for the past week, we've been treated to the sight of mobs screaming and ranting and shouting down town hall meetings where congressional representatives had come to answer their constituents' questions.

No questions got answered. No information got provided. No one left more informed than he or she was when he or she arrived.

That's because they and their organizers were following on-line playbooks that are telling them where to go, where to sit, how to make it appear as if there are more of them than there are and, above all, to stop the program and allow no discussion of this issue.

They scream that any government-run health care is socialism or Communism. But look at them; look at their gray hair and thickened waists. At least half of them probably depend entirely on Medicare, a government-run program and a damned good one, for their own health care.

They scream that the bills still being written and amended in Congress will deny vital treatments for older Americans and doom them to an early and unnecessary death. Some dare call it euthanasia.

What utter, unadulterated BS.

The only outfits in America that have the right to refuse you treatment for an illness or deny you an organ transplant are the health care corporations, if you're unlucky enough to have to depend on that wonderful private insurance the right wingnuts are so loudly praising and defending.

This is the same wonderful health coverage that's driven hundreds of thousands of American families into bankruptcy because their private insurers refused to pay for urgently needed surgery or cancer treatment, or simply canceled their coverage.

All of us need some people in Congress who haven't been bought or rented by the pirates, liars and thieves to speak out in favor of filling those real needs.

What we need right now is a huge outburst of common sense and enlightened self-interest.

Those gray-haired Medicare recipients who're playing angry mob need to stop screaming and start listening and reading, separating fact from fiction and learning who’s manipulating them and why.

Common sense is difficult to come by for some when idiots with microphones feel that their useless and uninformed blather is important enough to bring to the table, when in reality it's nothing more than ignorant lies and distortions.

Peg Myers, meet Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin won't stop complaining that the media has portrayed her unfairly. Apparently this is because the media talks about things that Palin herself would prefer not to discuss, such as Palin's using the fact that Russia is within sight of Alaska to prove that she is ready to handle international foreign policy.

Our own Peg Myers won't stop complaining that this blog has portrayed her unfairly. Again, this seems to be because this blog talks about things that Peg herself would prefer not to discuss, such as her actions against teachers at Castle Park Elementary when Peg was working on behalf of administrator Richard Werlin and some of her other friends.

Are CVE President Peg Myers and CTA trying to shut me down again?

NOTE TO GOOGLE: If the people who are demanding that you shut down my blog could get a court to shut down my blog, they would have done so. Some of them sued me for defamation on October 5, 2007. I hope you'll let the justice system take care of this matter.


UPDATE: Sitemeter says Google was looking at my site for 58 minutes starting at five minutes after noon today. I suspect California Teachers Association is demanding that they shut down my blog.

ORIGINAL POST:

Google has me under a microscope. CVESD Reporter blog had five visits from the Google company this morning, from at least six different IP addresses on two continents (North America and Europe)! Someone must have complained about my blog. My guess is that it was California Teachers Association. They seem to do this every time Chula Vista Educators President Peg Myers doesn't like something about my blog.

Peg is probably mad because I found out who was elected in the secret union elections in May.

Peg seems to be very determined to prevent the public from knowing who the union leaders are. (She's not into transparency. She apparently decided to abandon the recently-begun Chula Vista Educators website in its infancy rather than post election information on it.)

The biggest secret of all is apparently not at the top of the ballot, but a little further down. The fact that the Castle Park Five seem to be taking over Chula Vista Educators is apparently a sore spot with Peg. Peg, her pal Robin Donlan and three other teachers were transferred out of Castle Park Elementary after this blogger filed suit against Robin Donlan and others for criminal actions at the school. The Chula Vista Elementary School District defended the guilty teachers, but then grew frustrated with their continued trouble making.


Here's the email I sent her six days ago, with a request that she forward it to Stephenie Parker-Pettit:


Hi Stephenie:

...I've been wondering for months what the big secret is that Peg Myers doesn't want revealed about last May's CVE elections. Recently a reliable source told me something that might explain it. The source says that you are an area director. It's just as well that CVE has dropped the pretense of being an open organization. Ironically, in this case it's the more honest way to proceed. It's more dignified to drop the charade.

I will be writing about events as I learn about them, and that may include you, so I'm writing to let you know that I will be happy to publish anything you want regarding your role in CVE. You can send me an email, or you can comment on my blog.

Enjoy your summer.

Best,
Maura Larkins




I sent a copy of the above email to Peg and asked her to forward it to Stephenie Parker-Pettit. Stephenie told me on the phone this morning that Peg never forwarded it to her. Maybe they talked about it on the phone. I'm sure Peg wouldn't keep a secret like this from Stephenie. She might hide such secrets during a deposition, but not from her fellow "Castle Park Five" teacher. I also sent a copy of the email to an email address of Stephenie. Stephenie said she couldn't talk because she was teaching. She didn't show any curiosity about the email, so I'm guessing she's read it.



More evidence that it was CTA that complained to Google:
Google also visited this article about former SCTU director Mary Kay Rosinski, who directed the cover-up of criminal actions at Castle Park School. On the other hand, Google also visited this article about San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE).

Help Wanted: Leader to Promote a Culture of Learning

The issue that concerns me most, and that is my greatest motivation for writing my blogs, is teacher culture. In over two decades of teaching I saw that many teachers were more interested in being thought of as good teachers than in actually being good teachers. The most powerful teachers weren't in a learning mode. They were in a political mode, fighting for influence, trying to force other teachers to be like them, jumping on bandwagons to appear as if they were open to new ideas. And they refused to learn anything from anybody outside their cliques.



Help Wanted: Leader to Promote a Culture of Learning
By Kirsten Olson
Teacher Magazine
July 1, 2009

If you were asked about the learning culture of your school, how would you respond to the following questions:

• Is it a place that welcomes innovation and contributions about teaching and learning from everyone in the building?

• Do people talk about teaching, and can you rely on in-house discussions with colleagues to explore...

Are teachers wounding kids?

Are Schools Wounding Kids?
By Kathie Marshall
The Teacher Magazine
July 29, 2009

...Throughout the year, there was this constant tension between what I was supposed to be doing with students and what I was actually doing.

And what was I supposed to be doing? To me, hand-in-hand with the goal of improving reading was the equally important goal of providing my at-risk students with positive learning experiences. Many were already beaten down and convinced they were losers. Bringing some fun and win-win into the classroom equation would help them, however cautiously, to try once more. Was this not important, too?

Teacher-consultant Bill Page defines at-risk students as “Children who are expected to fail because teachers cannot motivate, control, teach, or interest them using traditional methods and prescribed curriculum.” ...

To shine a light on these issues, one day I had my kids sit in a large circle. One child at a time answered the question, “When did you turn off to school?” In my years as literacy coach, I met privately with intervention students who had the lowest grade point averages, and they always had an answer to this question. Most often they turned off in 3rd or 6th grade, when they realized they were struggling and others around them seemingly were not.

Interestingly, seven of my 7th graders this year had turned off to school in the 2nd grade, when they were part of a district experiment that retained the lowest performers. They still had not forgotten what it felt like to be left behind as their friends moved on...

‘Teachers’ Little Comments’

Recently, I came across Kirsten Olson’s new book, Wounded by School. I immediately devoured it and found more insights into the world of at-risk students.

Olson explains that her book began “with a desire to understand the experiences of highly capable learners, virtuoso explorers who showed unusual vitality in learning.” But she was “quickly diverted by the repeated and powerful descriptions among my research subjects of educational wounding and laceration in school.”

As I read this, I immediately saw an image of myself as a 6th grader. I was walking back to class after recess, and for perhaps the fifth day in a row I asked my teacher, “Can I go to the nurse? I have a headache.” “What’s wrong with you?” shouted Mr. Wright. “Why do you always have a headache?!” It was another 15 years before my migraines were diagnosed. I warily hid my headaches from others after my teacher taught me to believe something was wrong with me as a person.

Wounded by School delineates a dozen different types of school wounding and their effects, including:

• Feeling you aren’t smart and your ideas lack value.
• Feeling you don’t have what it takes to be successful in school.
• Feeling ashamed of your efforts.
• Suffering a loss of ambition, self-discipline, and persistence when faced with obstacles.

In a section called “wounds of rebellion,” I found my intervention kids and their defensive symptoms:

• The only way to protect yourself is to rebel.
• In response to being unsuccessful or told we are unworthy, we become hostile.
• We are unwilling to see another point of view.
• We act out, as an adaptive response and it becomes fixed, maladaptive, and self-destructive.

Olson quotes one student, who remembers a crushing moment in 7th grade that led him to declare, “I quit! I just really quit!”

The student saw himself as a screw-up: “Basically I became motivated to not do well—like what I could do well was not to do well. ... Kids that struggle are so much more sensitive to moments—especially bad ones. These moments shape their whole lives, their sense of themselves. Teachers’ little comments had a huge effect on me.”

...In an essay about three strengths of his, one of my students wrote: “I am good at three things. I can draw (graffiti), I like to be bad, and I get in trouble a lot.”

Olson’s book is not directed only at struggling students. Her research clearly shows that all students are vulnerable to school wounds...“Rather than making them more dutiful, more competent, and more disciplined, they grew weary of school and learning … risk averse, overly intimidated by authority, or likely to underestimate themselves … simply deadened—less enlivened by the world and its possibilities than they might be.”


See Also
Help Wanted: Leader to Promote a Culture of Learning
By Kirsten Olson

Stanford University turns out to be as clique-ish as any teachers lounge

The most amazing part of this story is that Stanford college graduate students actually told their professor that they didn't want to sit next to a certain person!

This story sounds like it might have taken place in a high school cafeteria or teachers lounge: places where conformity to group-think is frequently required. I'm sorry to disappoint anyone who thought universities were places where everyone was genuinely interested in divergent points of view. It turns out that even though academics might process information a bit faster than the average Joe, when it comes to personal politics, they're sometimes as bad as--or worse than-- the mean girls in high school.

I think it's quite likely that Michele Kerr might be wrong in many of her beliefs, but why do other students want to stop the discussion? They should articulate why she's wrong. Also, they could learn something if they seriously considered what she's saying. There are probably gems of truth in her diatribes. Don't throw the baby--free expression and open mindedness--out with the rant water. Kathy Marshall is someone who is expressing opposition to Michele's beliefs. Stanford students should step up to the plate and defend their beliefs, not relying on the power of their clique to do it for them.

BLOGS AND EMAILS CAUSE ALARM AT STANFORD


They Messed With the Wrong Blogger
By Jay Matthews
Washington Post
July 24, 2009

...[Stanford student Michele Kerr sent an email] to her classmates after the program’s director, Rachel Lotan, said some of her fellow teacher trainees found her “domineering and intimidating” and didn’t want to sit next to her in class.

“For those of you who wish to continue requesting that you not sit with me in practicum, make sure you mention the reason so that Rachel can build her case for the next time we do our little dance. ‘Rachel, I do not want to sit next to Michele in practicum. It has nothing to do with her views; she’s just a domineering, overbearing bitch.’ DOB. We could print up cards or something. Don’t Sit Me Next to the DOB!” she wrote. “I’ll continue being me, and those of you who feel uncomfortable can maybe learn how to speak up. Or not. Your call.”

Lotan and Eamonn K. Callan, the education school’s dean for student affairs... said the email “could have the effect of silencing those who are wary of confronting” Kerr and that she “had not considered that her actions could have a chilling effect on other students, according to an email they sent to Kerr...

She was almost 46, much older than most other STEP program admittees. Single, with a son in college, she had a long career as a business process management consultant, but began to tutor high school students struggling with difficult courses and standardized tests. She found she was good at it. Why not teach full time?

She was pleased that a program as prestigious as Stanford’s had room for her...At the open house, a STEP instructor asked if she planned to accept the offer of admission. Anyone else would have said yes. But Kerr, who calls herself “fatally truthful,” said the tuition would be difficult to afford and admitted she was philosophically out of sync with the program...According to Kerr, Lotan looked for legal grounds to keep Kerr out, something Kerr said she discovered when another official mistakenly sent her an email that was meant just for Lotan...

The senior university counsel answered, saying Kerr would start the program in June...


BLOG BECOMES AN ISSUE

But in September, Kerr’s blog, “Surviving Stanford,” which she had routinely referred to in her STEP classes, became an issue...

STEP’s displeasure was so great that Kerr finally took down the blog temporarily, renamed it, eliminated all references to Stanford, and gave it password protection so that only she and a few friends could read it.

That wasn’t enough for the STEP folk. Two months later, Lotan wrote that she was concerned that Kerr was “unsuited for the practice of teaching,” beginning a process that could have ended in Kerr being denied a teaching credential. Lotan complained that Kerr was late to some Stanford classes, and in turning in assignments.

Kerr learned to her dismay that a student could be denied a credential for any reason--even those that have nothing to do with teaching. Kerr’s supervisor told her in late November, without warning, that he was unhappy with her work and gave her low ratings in professionalism, she said. According to Kerr, he said she had lied to him, and made it clear her chances of getting through the program successfully were in jeopardy.

Kerr fought back, demanding proof of the charges. Kerr said the supervisor withdrew the accusation of lying. Lotan admitted that she had no idea if other STEP students were similarly tardy or why some didn’t want to sit next to Kerr...

Cheryl Cox's culture of childishness damaged CVESD and the City of Chula Vista

A surprised Mayor Cox was aghast to hear herself addressed by a member of the public as “Your Fatness” at one particularly heated meeting. “What does that tell you about how some people deal with what we’re facing here?” she says. “Somebody has to be the adult here.” from San Diego News Network July 14, 2009

It sounds like friends of yours, Cheryl.

Like your pals at San Diego County Office of Education. ("280 pounds"?!)

It sounds like the jaw-dropping childishness that you encouraged, or rather required, at Castle Park Elementary School.

It sounds like you, Cheryl. Firing your city manager for looking at racy pictures during his breaks? When the city is falling apart at the seams? Get your priorities straight, Cheryl.

And firing Mike Najera: In early May, Cox moved to force Chula Vista Port Commissioner Mike Najera’s resignation from the board that controls the bayfront acreage. Najera, she said, hadn’t done enough to get the project off the ground. Najera saw the move as payback for a fund-raiser he had hosted for Steve Castaneda, a political challenger of Cox. She denied the accusation.

Instead of blaming others for problems, Cheryl, why don't you act like a adult and take responsibility for making things better?


Note to writer Cathy Clark: Cheryl Cox was a teacher for two years. That doesn't seem to me to qualify her as a "longtime teacher".

Chula Vista Educators website appears to be abandoned

About a year and a half ago Chula Vista Educators started a website. I was impressed, and waited for a new era of openness from CVE, thinking such an attitude change was better late than never. However, very little information was ever posted. The recent election was never announced, nor were the candidates and issues discussed. It was not clear at all what the purpose of the website was.

CVE president Peg Myers just doesn't seem to know how to function in an open environment. She has been loath to post the results of the election that was finished on May 20, 2009. In fact, nothing at all has been posted since March.

But who knows? One of these days maybe Peg will update the outdated list of officers on the home page.

Juan Vargas in South Bay--I don't want to see him, hear him or smell him.

I've been completely disgusted with Juan Vargas since he left his seat on a California legislative insurance committee to take a cushy job at--what else?--an insurance company. The guy smells like corruption incarnate.

The only good thing about his running would be the pleasure of seeing Mary Salas clean his clock.

Juan Vargas Coming Back?
Posted by BlueSanDiego
South Bay
March 16th, 2009

The Legislator of the Year honoree for this year’s Roosevelt Dinner is Mary Salas, the only announced candidate for this seat. Mary Salas replaced Juan Vargas when he termed out and went on to become much more popular with local Democrats within the party than Vargas was.

Vargas has a tough road ahead of him if he has his eyes on this seat. He has been out of office for a while and has to contend with running against a candidate that is loved by the local establishment.

South Bay continues to get more and more interesting by the week. Four big races in South Bay are keeping local party leaders busy: (1) David Alvarez versus B.D. Howard in SD City Council D8, (2) Ben Hueso versus Pearl Quinones in State Assembly District 79, (3) Humberto Peraza versus Jill Galvez for Chula Vista City Council and now possibly Juan Vargas lining up to compete against Mary Salas for the State Senate District 40 seat.

State Senator Denise Ducheny in 2012 for San Diego County supervisor?


Ducheny Vs. Cox in 2012
Posted by BlueSanDiego
July 10, 2009

The 2010 elections for the Board of Supervisors are already taking shape but I believe that we won’t be able to win the D4 seat (Ron Roberts) since we can’t even come up with a consensus candidate to take on Roberts in 2010. The district is nearly the size of a congressional district.

Sheila (sic)* Jackson has low name ID and limited legislative experience. Lori Saldana seems more interested in running for State Senate in 2012. You know how it is with politicians, send them to Sacramento and you have to send them home kicking and screaming when term limits send them packing. Saldana clearly doesn’t have the desire to serve as a supervisor. Donna Frye doesn’t seem to know what she wants at all. Some days she will say she is seriously considering it then other days she will seem lost in a daze and unsure of her future.

June 2010 is less than 11 months away. Neither of the three have mounted a serious fundraising effort and it might just be too late if all three are going to stay in the race.

That shifts our attention to 2012 which might be realistically the first time we can get a Democrat elected to the Board of Supervisor in years. Word on the street is that labor is actively courting termed out State Senator Denise Ducheny to run against Greg Cox in 2012. Ducheny has good name ID and a thick rolodex from her years in Sacramento. It also helps that her 40th State Senate district is nearly identical to the Board of Supervisor District 5 boundaries.

It will become more clear if Ducheny intends to run for the Board of Supervisor if she begins going all out for staffer David Alvarez who is running for SD City Council D8. D8 makes up nearly 1/3rd of the Board of Supervisors 5th District. It would be a big boost for Ducheny to have one of her own supporting her in 2012 just in case she faces opposition from Juan Vargas or Mary Salas if either one of them loses the 2010 State Senate race to replace her and decides to take a shot for the Board of Supervisors seat in 2012.

However it might just be a Ducheny 2012 race. If Cheryl Cox loses her bid for re-election for Mayor of Chula Vista, I could imagine Greg Cox wanting to forgo a potentially touch re-election fight in 2012 and simply retire in peace with his wife and enjoy plenty of rounds of golf at the San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista. Only time will tell.

*Maura Larkins' comment: It took me years to realize that it's Shelia Jackson, not Sheila. I made the same spelling mistake more times than I wish to remember.

Dianna Carberry in the news again; this time she claims to be the victim of Sweetwater Superintendent Jesus Gandara

Photo: Dianna and Ed Carberry. Dianna fired a coach for reporting that her husband Ed told a student to use a substance. The student developed kidney failure.

It seems that the same people keep popping up in story after story about problems in schools. Dianna Carberry is one of the familiar names. She is the principal who fired coach James "Ted" Carter in Escondido because he had reported to his superiors that coach Ed Carberry, Dianna's husband, advised a student to take a substance. The student was later hospitalized with kidney failure. Carberry should have been fired by Escondido, instead, she left without being fired.

It is not surprising to me that she was hired in Sweetwater; the district has never shown much fondness for ethics, but it is amazing to me that employees would be protesting her demotion. What is surprising is that Carberry is now claiming to be a victim, and that employees of Sweetwater are rallying around her. It does seem, however, that employees are not terribly enthusiastic about Carberry; it's really Karen Janney that they like. Apparently they decided that it made their argument stronger to have two demotions to protest, but I think it's unwise to use Carberry as their poster child.

Another of the familiar names is Jaime Mercado. Perhaps this story should be called Jaime Mercado gets the last laugh.


Sweetwater's Miracle Worker Turned Lightning Rod
By EMILY ALPERT
Voice of San Diego
June 21, 2009

Jesus Gandara was described as a miracle worker when Sweetwater Union High School District, the largest high school district in the state, hired him as its leader nearly three years ago...

But now, as he nears the end of his third year overseeing a district that encompasses the middle and high schools from National City to San Ysidro, Gandara is in the crosshairs of a campaign to unseat him. Four labor unions from teachers to custodians have joined forces, gathering signatures for a petition that argues that he "neither welcomes nor respects input" and "relies on intimidation to gain consent."

...And unions are not the only ones angry: Many principals and middle managers were stunned by his decision to demote two of his highest ranking employees in March.

The school board has largely stayed out of the fray after a member highly critical of Gandara, Jaime Mercado, lost his re-election bid last fall.

[Maura Larkins' comment: It appears that things have not improved at Sweetwater since Bertha Lopez replaced Jaime Mercado.]

...School district leaders are hopeful that the recent election of a new teachers' union president, Alex Anguiano, will cool the furor: Spokeswoman Lillian Leopold said that Anguiano has a better relationship with Gandara, who said that when the old President Sam Lucero was voted out, "he got his vote of no confidence -- and his was louder than mine."

But several sources within the union said that the vote indicated a push for "a wartime president" who will continue their fight, not call it off. Employees charge that the uproar is not about proposed salary cuts or layoffs, which have been canceled as Sweetwater found other ways to cut $11.6 million from its $348 million budget, but about Gandara himself.

One union leader remembered Gandara visiting her after she complained to the school board about a computer system.

"He yelled at me. Just chewed me out. '...You have an issue, you bring it to me.' He was yelling and waving his finger in front of my nose," said Julie Hitchcock, president of the Sweetwater Counseling and Guidance Association...

[Maura Larkins' comment: I'll bet he didn't yell as loud or as long as CVESD Assistant Superintendent Richard Werlin used to yell. But a very close colleague of SEA President Alex Anguiano from Chula Vista Educators (Jim Groth) and current SUHSD trustee Bertha Lopez supported Rick Werlin's questionable tactics. Rick Werlin yelled so viciously at one principal that the man had a heart attack right then and there in his own office. Sometimes I wonder if the teachers union really cares about all employees, or only acts when union leaders get offended. My recommendation to SUHSD trustees: next time, promote someone from within the district.]

...But a chorus of complaints focuses on Gandara's attitude toward employees. They are not confined to unions: Numerous employees in management positions declined to be quoted for this story, saying they feared for their jobs. A retiree has become their spokeswoman.

The demotions "were the tipping point," said Mary Anne Stro, who retired as a principal eight years ago. "If they can do this to Karen and Dianna, they can do anything to anybody."

[Maura Larkins comment: Why are all these people acting as if this is something new? What about Superintendent Ed Brand firing Mary Anne Weegar? Making an issue out of the demotion of Dianna Carberry is an odd thing for pro-employee groups to do.]

Stro was referring to the demotions of Karen Janney and Dianna Carberry, two assistant superintendents who lost their jobs after declining lesser positions in the school district. Demoting Janney, in particular, has inspired outrage from longtime employees who praised her as a competent and caring leader, citing the lofty awards she received and local projects she helped to complete...

Reasons for the demotions are unclear. While Sweetwater schools learned they had much room to improve in a critical report from the County Office of Education, the report was not shared with Gandara and other staff until weeks after Janney and Carberry were demoted. Janney's department was ranked highly in an internal survey last year of how managers felt about Sweetwater departments and their timeliness, communication and quality; Carberry was in the middle of the pack.

Board President Jim Cartmill said that decisions about the top personnel must be left to Gandara.

"We can't keep a superintendent accountable for results unless he or she is allowed to hire who they want," he said...

Business became [Gandara's] focus in Sweetwater, where he names the dysfunctional computer system that Hitchcock complained about as one challenge, along with dropping enrollment, budget woes and its $644 million facilities bond. Though most of the bond projects are in their infancy, Gandara prides himself on roughly $10 million in savings from three large projects where bids came in below estimates...

Critics and supporters of Gandara alike say he has largely left the educational side of schools, curriculum and instruction, to his subordinates. He now says that was a mistake and he will get involved. A County Office of Education study of Sweetwater schools that recently found that strategies to help lagging students were inconsistent, though annual test scores show improvement in Sweetwater over time...

Amalia Cudeiro gets chance to follow her pal Libia Gil's prescriptions for keeping employees in line: Cudeiro is superintendent for Bellevue Schools

Now that Amalia Cudeiro (photo) is superintendent of schools in Bellevue, Washington, I suspect that she will follow the top-down decision making policies of her pal Libia Gil, who was superintendent of Chula Vista Elementary School District from 1993 to 2002. I suppose decisions will be based on what's best for the people in charge and their political friends.

Former Superintendent Libia Gil remade CVESD in her own image, and it has remained the same even though she herself was pushed out in March 2002. [I suspect she was pushed out not because she broke the law, but because she made such a mess while doing so.]

Gil beat the union (Chula Vista Educators) by co-opting and corrupting its leaders, specifically Jim Groth, Virginia (Gina) Boyd, Tim O'Neill and the board of directors.

See Site-based management for a peek at some of Libby Gil's cheerleaders.

It was obvious all along that neither Libby Gil nor her assistant superintendent Lowell Billings believed in the democratic principles they were spouting to sell site-based management. Chula Vista Elementary School District's Superintendent Lowell Billings apparently watched closely and learned from his predecessor Libia Gil, who managed to increase her power without ever saying much of anything.

Billings continues to promote the system as implemented at CVESD, which always involved top-down decision-making, never democracy at the school site.

It also involved laziness and neglect. So things would often get out of hand at various schools, and then the district office would swoop in and fire people, or, if they were political allies, bring them back to the district office for their own protection.

In 2008 CVESD superintendent Lowell Billings had a new problem. The school that was trying to make its own decisions was a charter school. The staff didn't think that principal Erik Latoni should make all the decisions.

Once again, Lowell wanted to swoop in and take control. He threatened to to terminate the charter of Feaster Elementary School because the people who run the school actually work at the school. Instead of "site-based decision-making," this is now being called "a conflict of interest" by Mr. Billings. The meaning of the words changes whenever the people in charge feel it's necessary.

It's probably worthwhile to note that CVESD rehired Daniel Shinoff of Stutz, Artiano Shinoff & Holtz in 2008. Apparently the board was impressed with Shinoff's work at MiraCosta College. I notice a striking similarity in the arguments used to attack Feaster Elementary and the arguments used to justify the actions of the majority-bloc of trustees at MiraCosta.

Why didn't Supervisor Greg Cox raise the same alerts Dianne Jacob did?

San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob seems to be the only ethical supervisor we have. Whose side is Greg Cox on?

Shut-off plan's vocal backers linked to SDG&E
Supervisor questions ties to area nonprofits
By Jeff McDonald
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
June 21, 2009

Organizations with representatives at an April committee meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission that did not disclose their connections to San Diego Gas & Electric Co.

Girl Scouts San Diego-Imperial Council Inc.: Board member Karen Hutchens formerly worked for SDG&E and has represented the utility as a client.

Hutchens Public Relations: Associates Scott Alevy and Manny Aguilar testified favorably about the shut-off plan. SDG&E has been a client.

TaxpayersAdvocate.org: Founder Scott Barnett has done consulting for SDG&E.

Vista Chamber of Commerce: SDG&E is a “Chairman's Circle” sponsor, which requires minimum donation of $3,000.

Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce: Board member Ahmad Solomon works for SDG&E.

San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce: Board member Ahmad Solomon works for SDG&E.

Santee Chamber of Commerce: Board member Donald Parent works for SDG&E.

DETAILS

What: Board of Supervisors meeting
Where: County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego

When East County residents gathered before state regulators in April to debate San Diego Gas and Electric Co.'s plan to shut off power during the worst conditions to keep from sparking wildfires, something gnawed at Supervisor Dianne Jacob.

Speakers from the South Bay to North County showed up at the three-hour meeting in Alpine to tout the plan as a safe, reasonable way to reduce the fire threat across the rugged, dry backcountry.

Jacob, who has long feuded with the utility, couldn't figure out why a chamber executive from Vista or a Girl Scouts board member would drive out on a Tuesday night to weigh in on the issue.

Then she realized that almost every speaker in support of the shut-off plan had a connection to SDG&E, which donates money to local charities and has employees involved with many nonprofits.

“They sit on the boards, they contribute to organizations and then when they're involved in a controversial issue, they call in the favors,” Jacob said.

SDG&E spokeswoman Stephanie Donovan said the company and its employees do not donate time or money to community groups for political gain.

“We're pretty proud of the deep roots we have in the community,” Donovan said.

In a follow-up e-mail, she wrote: “Our giving to non-profits and our volunteer board service come with no strings attached.”

Jacob is asking the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to oppose SDG&E's shut-off plan, which would impose blackouts on 60,000 customers during high-risk conditions to reduce the threat of power-line-related fires.

The proposal, now under consideration by the state's Public Utilities Commission, has drawn criticism from residents, telecommunications companies and school and water districts, among others.

“Opponents have demonstrated that the risks of cutting power to homes and businesses during extreme fire conditions outweigh the potential benefits,” Jacob wrote to her board colleagues.

Jacob has questioned SDG&E's business practices before. When deregulation sent power rates soaring for thousands of San Diego-area customers in 2000 and 2001, she campaigned against SDG&E billing policies and lobbied state officials for rollbacks.

But it is not certain Jacob's latest effort will be supported by the full board, which rarely fails to reach a consensus. Supervisor Pam Slater-Price co-signed the opposition letter, but Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts have a history of supporting SDG&E.

Roberts did not respond to questions about the issue last week. In a statement, Cox said he had not read the request, but he worries about a power shut-off impeding mass warnings to residents. An aide to Supervisor Bill Horn said Horn would not comment before the meeting.

Whether her recommendation wins approval, Jacob is troubled that people with ties to SDG&E routinely appear before regulators on behalf of the utility and don't disclose the connection.

The Alpine hearing attracted representatives from the Chula Vista, San Ysidro and Vista chambers of commerce, as well the local Girl Scouts council and taxpayer advocate Scott Barnett, all of whom have professional relationships with the utility.

“This is an effort to fool the PUC into thinking there are all these organizations and folks that support SDG&E's efforts on the merits of the case, on the facts,” Jacob said, “when in fact it's nothing more than buying influence.”

Consumer advocate Michael Shames said SDG&E has a history of contributing to community groups then asking for help in return.

“It's all about creating the appearance of community support, thus providing political cover to the decision-makers,” said Shames, director of the Utility Consumers' Action Network. “Some people don't take money from SDG&E because they don't want the strings.”

Nonprofit executives who accept donations from SDG&E or recruit utility executives to their boards disagree.

Paul O'Neal, who runs the Vista Chamber of Commerce, drove 65 miles each way to speak at the April hearing in Alpine. The SDG&E shut-off plan represents “a potential solution” to persistent fire threats, he testified.

In an interview last week, O'Neal said that the utility does spread its “wealth around the entire community” but that this isn't necessarily bad.

“They feel they have a civic duty,” he said. “Are they buying a vote? Certainly not in this case.”

Karen Hutchens is a public relations professional from Point Loma who used to be an SDG&E spokeswoman. Now the company is one of her clients.

When she addressed the PUC committee, she identified herself as a Girl Scouts board member and proxy for Executive Director Jo Dee Jacob, who is Supervisor Jacob's sister-in-law. The Girl Scouts “applaud SDG&E for their leadership in evaluating the situation,” Hutchens read from a letter Jo Dee Jacob signed.

Jo Dee Jacob last week defended the Girl Scouts' joining the debate. “Girls'safety and fire prevention is very, very important to us,” she said.

Two of Hutchens' associates – Scott Alevy and Manny Aguilar – also spoke in favor of the shut-off plan without disclosing their dealings with the utility.

SDG&E's Donovan said the company will strive to persuade the county supervisors not to oppose the shut-off plan.

“You can be sure we will be there to reiterate to the board that our plan is about public safety and emergency preparedness and protecting the region from catastrophic wildfires by eliminating a potential ignition source,” she wrote.

DeveloperAlert.org tells what's going on in San Diego

I found a superb blog about local developers called DEVELOPERALERT.ORG. Here are some quotes from the blog:

Development that works

Paul Solomon quit his job as a real estate attorney to pursue a dream of redeveloping obsolete factory buildings in downtown Los Angeles (an area that is now being called the Arts District)... As I spent the day with him in February touring his new development of the "National Biscuit Company" Building, every turn seemed to tender a brand new treasure. Copper doors and windows, maple floors, exposed wood formwork, concrete columns, staircases ascending effortlessly to mezzanines open to below characterized these engaging spaces. It was obvious that the architect Aleks Istanbullu had carefully considered every facet of the design... It was obvious that this building was more than just a source of revenue for him, it was a source of pride... and that is rare.


Here's more from DeveloperAlert.org:

Development that doesn't work

"Developers' money is like heroin to politicians." - Roy P. Disney, March 2, 2008, Los Angeles Times

“We need open, honest government that is working for people, not developers.” - Stephen Whitburn, March 15, 2008, San Diego Union Tribune

Top-down decision making masquerades as "site-based management"

I recently noted that Richard Hanks and Monica Sorenson have become principals at Chula Vista Elementary School Disrict. I suspect this is an omen that top-down decision making will continue, and will continue based on the same principles of doing what's best for the people in charge.

Former Superintendent Libia Gil remade the district in her own image, and it has remained the same even though she herself was pushed out in March 2002. [I suspect she was pushed out not because she broke the law, but because she made such a mess while doing so.]

Gil beat the union (Chula Vista Educators) by co-opting and corrupting its leaders, specifically Jim Groth, Virginia (Gina) Boyd, Tim O'Neill and the board of directors.

See Site-based management for a peek at some of Libby Gil's cheerleaders.

It was obvious all along that neither Libby Gil nor her assistant superintendent Lowell Billings believed in the democratic principles they were spouting to sell site-based management. Chula Vista Elementary School District's Superintendent Lowell Billings apparently watched closely and learned from his predecessor Libia Gil, who managed to increase her power without ever saying much of anything.

Billings continues to promote the system as implemented at CVESD, which always involved top-down decision-making, never democracy at the school site.

It also involved laziness and neglect. So things would often get out of hand at various schools, and then the district office would swoop in and fire people, or, if they were political allies, bring them back to the district office for their own protection.

In 2008 CVESD superintendent Lowell Billings had a new problem. The school that was trying to make its own decisions was a charter school. The staff didn't think that principal Erik Latoni should make all the decisions.

Once again, Lowell wanted to swoop in and take control. He threatened to to terminate the charter of Feaster Elementary School because the people who run the school actually work at the school. Instead of "site-based decision-making," this is now being called "a conflict of interest" by Mr. Billings. The meaning of the words changes whenever the people in charge feel it's necessary.

It's probably worthwhile to note that CVESD rehired Daniel Shinoff of Stutz, Artiano Shinoff & Holtz in 2008. Apparently the board was impressed with Shinoff's work at MiraCosta College. I notice a striking similarity in the arguments used to attack Feaster Elementary and the arguments used to justify the actions of the majority-bloc of trustees at MiraCosta.

Richard Hanks and Monica Sorenson hired as principals at CVESD

Two of the three new principals at Chula Vista Elementary School District are political players. They have both shown loyalty to the longtime board majority.

You might be surprised that one of them, Monica Sorenson, is described as a "union leader," but only if you think that CVESD school officials and CVE union leaders don't play footsie behind closed doors.

Richard Hanks is the former husband of former CVESD superintendent Libia Gil.


Chula Vista district has new principals
By Chris Moran,
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
June 18, 2009

Three new principals have recently been
appointed to run campuses in the Chula
Vista Elementary School District.

Richard Hanks, who had been
principal at Palmer Way Elementary
School in National City, will lead
Hedenkamp Elementary in eastern
Chula Vista.

Monica Sorenson, who had been a
teachers union leader in the district,
will serve as principal of Chula Vista Hills
Elementary.

Del Merlan, an educator from Central
California, has been appointed principal
of Casillas Elementary. Five associate
principals also were promoted to
principal.

The school year begins July 27.

Latest correspondence in Stutz v. Larkins defamation suit

Here's the message I just send to Stutz law firm regarding its demands for changes in my website, pursuant to its defamation suit against me.

June 9, 2009

Dear Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz:

A person can disagree with Stutz without saying or implying that Stutz' actions are illegal or unprofessional. Obviously, there was a parting of the ways between Stutz and Bob Gallagher. Bob clearly did not see eye to eye with Dan Shinoff, Ray Artiano, James Holtz, etc. There's nothing in the court order that prevents me from saying so. People are allowed to dislike Stutz law firm, and they're not legally required to keep their feelings secret.

And, conversely, Stutz is allowed to nurture whatever hostile feelings it wishes against me and others.

Some Stutz lawyers get so angry that one would hardly be surprised to see smoke rising from the top of their heads. Ray Artiano was so mad during his deposition that his face kept twitching. Kelly Angell pointed both her index fingers at me in court, with thumbs cocked as if she were shooting me with two guns at once. (And I'll bet Stutz doesn't even charge the taxpayers for the theatrics. Rage and fury are thrown in for no charge!)

Citizens are allowed to criticize the actions of public entities and other organizations, such as tax-free educational institutions like Californians Against Lawsuit Abuse. America is what it is because of freedom of speech. You have no authority to stop me from presenting my ideas about education and the justice system.

Stutz obtained a summary judgment that it didn't deserve in its defamation case against me. The judge didn't consider my evidence, and relied on the declaration of a man (Dan Shinoff) who refused to be deposed and refused to produce documents. I would think that Stutz wouldn't want to push this too far.

If I were Stutz, I'd quit while I was ahead. But I guess that sort of advice is lost on Stutz. Stutz has had so many chances to quit while it was ahead in my case, but didn't take advantage of any of them. You know when the perfect time would have been to settle with me? Feb. 11, 2003, the day my OAH decision came out. Or Dec. 18, 2004, when my Superior Court case got thrown out.

At that time I probably would have exchanged confidentiality for a song.

Why did Stutz wait until I was back up and running, with a successful website, and THEN ask me to keep my information under wraps? Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the guys in charge of your firm have common sense.

I've heard that Daniel Shinoff considers "The Art of War" to be his personal bible, but I don't think he's read it carefully. Charging ahead with as many weapons as you can muster is not always the best plan. Sometimes you can defang an opponent with a smile and a handshake.

Can you believe that our trial date is just a month away? Maybe that's what we should be focusing on, rather than whether it is defamatory to say that Bob Gallagher left the firm because he didn't like Stutz' tactics.

Respectfully,
Maura Larkins

[Maura Larkins' comment: A report I found on NPR today helped me understand what's going on here. "Through their research, Kahneman and Tversky identified dozens of these biases and errors in judgment, which together painted a certain picture of the human animal. Human beings, it turns out, don't always make good decisions, and frequently the choices they do make aren't in their best interest...In other words, if the human brain is hard-wired to make serious errors, that implies all kinds of things about the need for regulation and protection."

A message sent today to Peg Myers, President of Chula Vista Educators

Hi Peg:
Instead of trying so hard to eliminate my blog, how about you debate with me in public? If I'm truly crazy, as you like to say, then I'm sure the audience will quickly catch on. How about I present my information to the Representative Council of Chula Vista Educators? Or are you determined to perpetuate Gina Boyd/Jim Groth tactics?

Respectfully,
Maura Larkins

Elisa Betancourt should keep talking about teacher quality in CVESD

Get ready to make some noise again Chula Vista! Salt Creek & South Bay 'Y' are holding focus groups tomorrow, June 4, 2009 and June 17, 2009 re: DASH/STRETCH.

June 4
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Here, you will get to speak.
Salt Creek Elementary School Auditorium
1055 Hunte Parkway
Chula Vista, CA 91914

June 17
11 - 12 and 12 - 1
South Bay YMCA
50 North 4th Ave., 91910


Earlier DASH & STRETCH posts are here.

The Dash & Stretch Story as told by a veteran DASH leader
San Diego Reader
By CVPFEP
Posted June 3, 2009
...Why wasn't Dr. Lowell Billings transparent with the parents and employees of the City of Chula Vista's DASH and STRETCH? That is a question that will remain unanswered as Dr. Lowell Billings will not comment on that...Double-Boarding a conflict of interest? Follow me: www.twitter.com/cvpfep


Care2 make a difference
While legally Dr. Lowell Billings & Pamela B. Smith may serve on two boards, namely CVESD & the YMCA's Board of Management, they were supposed to have abstained their votes on the March 10th, 2009 district board meeting as it was a clear conflict of interests.


Maura Larkins' response:

Here's what Robert Fellmeth, University of San Diego law professor and director of the Center for Public Interest Law, says, "[P]ublic officials should know better than to steer so much money to groups with which they have close relationships."

Shame on Pamela Smith for voting to give control of a school district program to a private charity she's involved in. (On the other hand, it helps explain why the YMCA would give her a "woman of distinction" award. But the web of longtime cronies involved in the DASH & STRETCH power grab extends beyond Lowell Billings and Pam Smith to Cheryl Cox, mayor of Chula Vista. Cox served on the CVESD board until 2006.

The DASH & STRETCH backroom deal is a small part of a much bigger problem.

Lowell Billings (like many other school superintendents) is paid big bucks to do whatever it takes to keep things calm and quiet in the school district.

He's also supposed to educate as many kids as possible while keeping things quiet, but when a choice has to be made between educating kids and keeping the power structure in place, the kids come in second place.

Mr. Billings seems to be good at covering up problems. This is why CVESD pays Lowell Billings one of the highest salaries of any public employee in San Diego County, while at the same time laying off the people who actually educate kids. (How much is Billings paid to do this? In the 2007-2008 fiscal year he was the fourth-highest earning public employee in San Diego County, earning $238,205. I would guess his salary was about $20,000 higher this past year.)

Like other school officials, CVESD board members are so paranoid that they feel threatened by every little complaint. They don't want issues addressed in a public forum; they believe democracy is the road to ruin. Voters must be kept in the dark because voters can't be trusted with the truth. They are the only ones worthy of being on the board, and they must do whatever they have to do to stay there, including ignoring conflict of interest and other laws.

You might not guess that arrogance and fear would be so closely intertwined, but both the arrogance and the paranoia are real.

Chula Vista Elementary School District has a particularly bad case of paranoia. Board members and administrators fear that their system would fall apart if parents, teachers or kids were allowed to express dissatisfaction. It's CVESD's reflex response is to silence complaints and to deny its mistakes. CVESD flounders for years covering up its blunders rather than solving its problems.

The deterioration of DASH & STRETCH at CVESD is an unfortunate event, but it's just a tiny part of the big problem in education: teacher quality. Politics, not competence, determines who teaches children. People love to moan about the problem of not being able to get rid of incompetent teachers, but the truth is that education wouldn't really improve much if each school got rid of its worst teacher and replaced that teacher with a barely-competent teacher. The standards need to be much higher.

Unfortunately, our society doesn't want to pay much for schools. One of Lowell Billings' jobs is to find a cheap way to put a teacher in every classroom (after first taking out plenty for himself and his lawyers, of course).

Adding to the problem, or perhaps, the very core of the problem, is that there is no effective system to evaluate teaching performance. Principals do observations, but they don't really know what's going on in classrooms, as reported in recent research.

Links on ineffective teacher evaluations:
Gotham Schools
Education Week
Voice of San Diego

As long as everything is peaceful and quiet, most administrators believe that everything is fine. And if kids end up as failures years later, very few people in the schools feel guilty. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, but most school officials are apparently fine with that.

Schools teach that if we keep a low profile and don't make the people in power angry, we'll be among the "contributing" members of society. I disagree. I think that looking the other way when wrong is being done damages society. I hope that Elisa Betancourt will keep speaking out. There's plenty more to talk about, Elisa. Don't go away!

Peg Myers is keeping election results for Chula Vista Educators under wraps

There's something wrong with the Chula Vista Educators website.

I can't find any mention, anywhere on the site, of the May 2009 CVE officer elections. If you didn't know from some other source, you would have no idea that CVE is currently experiencing its own particular brand of democracy. That's the version in which election results don't get entered on the website until President Peg Myers and her supporters are good and ready.

Today I called CVE, and a nice woman whom I'll call "V" answered the phone. When I asked when the results of the elections would be announced, she said, "They have to run again for Treasurer."

I said, "They already did that."

(The voting in that runoff election between Kathleen Fernandez and Nancy Potts ended on May 20.)

"Then I don't know what's going on with that."

And that's all the information I got from V.

I left a message on Peg Myers' voice mail asking when the runoff outcome would be announced. I'll report any response I get.

UPDATE: Myers never called me back. I finally got the results, but not from Myers or the CVE office.

Intimidation by Jesus Gandara in Sweetwater School District? Perish the thought!

Looking for Park View Little League Story? Click HERE.



See all posts about Jesus Gandara.

Update: Gandara fires Dianna Carberry. (Carberry is the infamous principal who fired Coach James "Ted" Carter.)

SUHSD superintendent Jesus Gandara is being accused of using intimidation to control employees. It wouldn't surprise me if it were true, since I am familiar with the intimidation used by Chula Vista Elementary School's superintendents Lowell Billings (see the Ana Stover case) and Libia Gil (see the Maura Larkins case). But the SUHSD employees are asking for help from the wrong people. The school board is probably in full support of Mr. Gandara. In fact, it's newest member, Bertha Lopez, gave approval to CVESD's worst tactics. With all those signatures, surely these employees could have some sway at election time. What they need is new board members, and then they can solve a host of problems.

Displeased employees want superintendent fired
1,300 sign petition to oust Gandara
By Chris Moran Union-Tribune Staff Writer

May 23, 2009

CHULA VISTA — More than 1,300 employees in the Sweetwater Union High School District have signed a petition calling for the superintendent to be fired.

The signatures are the most concrete expression of discontent with Superintendent Jesus Gandara that has persisted throughout the spring as the district struggles with budget cuts and personnel reassignments.

There are about 6,000 employees in the district.

In March, the district put 109 educators on notice that they faced the loss of their jobs due to budget cuts. The district later rescinded all the notices. In negotiations with the teachers union, the district proposed a 2 percent pay cut for teachers. That, too, was retracted once the district was informed that it would soon receive $12.4 million in federal stimulus money.

Gandara also demoted several longtime and popular administrators as part of a larger plan to reorganize the leadership of the 42,000-student district. Karen Janney, the second-highest ranking academic administrator in the district and a former state principal of the year, refused to accept her new assignment and has left the district.

The petition calls for Sweetwater's five-member board of trustees “to immediately begin the process of seeking a new superintendent.”

The petition accuses Gandara of using intimidation to gain consent. Employees from all over the district signed even amid what some employees privately call a climate of fear. They say employees believe they'll suffer retaliation if they disagree with Gandara.

When the petition started circulating, board President Jim Cartmill issued a statement that called the petition “nothing more than a political tactic being used during difficult contract negotiations.”

Union leaders who organized the petition drive turned in the signatures at a board meeting this month.

Harsh disciplinarian=secret rule breaker?

Have you ever noticed that the teachers who are the most harsh disciplinarians of children, severely punishing minor infractions, are often also the most likely to break rules themselves?

In the teachers lounge at Castle Park Elementary a few years ago I saw the aftermath of a food fight by teachers on the last day of school. It took the custodians a week to clean the sticky soda, whipped cream and other food from the walls, carpets and upholstery. One of the participants in the fight explained to me that "we needed to let off steam." How could this teacher pass the age of forty without discovering some form of stress relief that didn't involve vandalism? And how could she show so much contempt for kids who failed on one occasion to finish their homework (she called them "losers"?

This teacher was a charter member of "The Castle Park Family," five of whose members were administratively transferred out of the school in August 2005. These teachers were not into good behavior, they were into power. They didn't lose their jobs; they were simply transferred to another school. But they themselves had caused a good many excellent teachers and principals to lose their jobs or be transferred out of the school.

The behavior of the Castle Park Family (a group that now has taken over Chula Vista Educators) is bullying, dishonest and disruptive, the sort of that would earn children a trip to the principals office for a lecture on playing well with others.

Not surprisingly, this same type of relationship, in which rule-breakers harshly enforce the rules over those below them, occurs in the relationship between CVESD district administrators and teachers.

The situation is somewhat analogous to the village in the new movie The White Ribbon which just won the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival. (Is this analogy allowable, Mr. Shinoff? I'll grant you that the children in the movie are the generation that grew up to perpetrate the actions you don't want me to discuss, but surely I'm allowed to discuss the Palme d'Or prize winner without getting sued by your law firm!) Reuters describes the setting for the story: An inhuman, never questioned moral code holds sway, especially over the children who are constantly punished, both physically and psychologically, for the slightest infraction. The women are similarly brutalized and under the thumb of the village's unabashed patriarchy. The male adults, on the other hand, engage in clandestine acts of evil and cruelty that are kept hushed up...One day the order of things begins to unravel.

That last part about hushing up wrongdoing makes the analogy with Castle Park Elementary and CVESD complete.

Dennis Doyle suddenly clears out as school superintendent at National School District

Dennis Doyle, former Assistant Superintendent at CVESD, has apparently not flourished as superintendent of National School District. Or perhaps he's had a better offer?

Doyle suddenly clears out as school superintendent
No explanation from him, trustees
By Chris Moran
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
May 21, 2009

The superintendent of the National School District in National City abruptly resigned his post, moving out of his office five days before the school board formally accepted his resignation Wednesday.

Neither Dennis Doyle nor trustees explained Doyle's sudden departure. He had 13 months left on his contract.

In a prepared statement, the board and Doyle jointly declared: “Dr. Doyle's decision, although sudden, was his personal decision and not the result of any dispute between the board and the superintendent or any suspected wrongdoing on his part.”

Chris Oram, assistant superintendent of educational services, will be the district's chief executive until the board appoints an interim superintendent. That could happen as early as next week, board President James Grier said.

Doyle, 59, of University City, was hired as National's superintendent in July 2007 after spending 10 years as assistant superintendent in the neighboring Chula Vista Elementary School District. He has been an educator for more than 30 years, and was paid $154,000 annually.

“National is a fabulous district with a dynamic staff, motivated students and supportive parents,” Doyle wrote in an e-mail.

The district educates 5,800 students from kindergarten through sixth grade at 11 schools. It has a higher percentage of non-English-speaking students – 65.5 percent – than any other district in the county.

Doyle cited several achievements for the district during his 22-month tenure, including improvements in the district's state academic rating based on test scores and and improved language proficiency scores for its non-English-speaking students. He also mentioned teachers' widespread use of technology in the classroom.

“Nonetheless, it has become apparent to me that it is time to move on,” he wrote.

Grier said he was surprised by Doyle's announcement and did not find out until the day of the board meeting Wednesday.

“It's sudden to everyone,” Grier said. When asked why Doyle resigned, Grier said, “I wish I knew.”

When asked if she was pleased with his job performance, trustee Rosie Alvarado said, “He was all right, no big deal, he was doing OK.”

Trustees Anne Campbell and Barbara Avalos did not return phone calls Thursday. Trustee Alma Graham deferred to the prepared statement.

Kathleen Fernandez offers the only choice to Chula Vista Elementary teachers in CVE election

The results of the 2009 Chula Vista Educators (CVE) elections have not been announced, but here they are anyway. There is very little mystery in the process. The results for three out of four positions were predetermined because there was no opposition.

There is one bit of suspense remaining, however.

Kathleen Fernandez turned out to be a strong write-in candidate for Treasurer, forcing a run-off. Here are the results.

President:
Peg Myers (incumbent)--no opposition
This is the first time Myers ran for this office, even though she's held the office for two years since Jim Groth resigned to become a CTA director. Myers had no opposition when she ran for vice-president at that time. This year, as before, Myers had no opposition. Obviously, CTA isn't the CFT. California Teachers Association leaders tend to be anointed rather than chosen democratically, while California Federation of Teachers leaders usually endure a feisty election process.

Vice-President:
Tim Kriss--no opposition

Treasurer:
Nancy Potts--strong opposition from write-in candidate Kathleen Fernandez.
Fernandez was a member of the CVE bargaining team. Run-off ended May 20, 2009.

Secretary:
Barbara Dunwoodie--no opposition

Who will take Michael Najera's place on San Diego Port Commission?

See all posts about Mike Najera.

Candidates for Najera's former Port District seat crop up
By Tanya Sierra
San Diego Union-Tribune
May 20, 2009

CHULA VISTA — Less than a week after Mike Najera resigned as Chula Vista's port commissioner, possible successors have emerged.

They include former Port Commissioner Bill Hall, who Councilmen John McCann and Rudy Ramirez want appointed as the interim commissioner while they look for a permanent replacement.

McCann asked Mayor Cheryl Cox to convene an emergency meeting at 6 p.m. tomorrow to make an appointment. She said she is consulting with the city attorney about the request...

Other candidates who have been mentioned or said they would apply are former Mayor Steve Padilla; former City Attorney Ann Moore; Sal Salas, a banker married to state Assemblywoman Mary Salas, D-Chula Vista; developer Kevin O'Neill, a close ally of Cox's, and former council candidates Scott Vinson and Dan Hom. Otay Water District board member Jaime Bonilla was named as a possible candidate, but he said he would not apply.

The San Diego Unified Port District administers state tidelands around San Diego Bay. Seven commissioners represent the five port cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado, National City and Imperial Beach. ...

Builders at May 12, 2009 Chula Vista City Council Meeting demand they not be required to collect signatures in order to put their initiative on ballot

Arthur Salm: Council kicks sand in bullies’ faces
The initiative process opens the door to all kinds of mischief, most of it backed by interests with very deep pockets.

By Arthur Salm, SDNN
San Diego News Network

When you actually get to see a bully in action, it’s breathtaking, in a can-you-believe-that-guy? kind of way.

Few people saw it - after all, it was the last agenda item, it came up after five and a half hours of talk, and it was late, late in the evening. But at the May 12 Chula Vista City Council meeting, George Hawkins, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors, put on quite a show.
San Diego: Arthur Salm is an SDNN columnist.

After a supportive lead-in from Mayor Cheryl Cox, Hawkins stood at the lectern and informed the council members that unless they placed an initiative on the ballot for the June 2010 election - an initiative that his organization has failed so far to place via the by-the-book signature-gathering process - they’d sue the city (over an earlier petition rejected for what the city clerk determined to be improper paperwork). That, Hawkins said, would cost the taxpayers a bundle. The initiative’s going get on the ballot one way or another, he declared, and if his group goes out and gets the required signatures, that will trigger a special election, costing the city even more.San Diego: sdnn-opinion1

Do it, Hawkins told the council members, or Chula Vista will also end up paying “not only your attorney fees, but ours.” He indicated that if the city council plays ball, the lawsuit will likely go away.

Translation: Even with our hired-gun signature-gatherers, we haven’t been able to meet the requirements to get our initiative on the ballot. But we’ve got the money and we’ve got the juice, so if you guys don’t put it on there for us, we’re going to turn the citizens of Chula Vista upside down and shake some serious coin out of their pockets. Figures ranging from $600,000 to $1.4 million got tossed around.
Click here

Hawkins didn’t shout. He didn’t shake his fist. Had he sported a Snidley Whiplash-style mustache, he probably wouldn’t have twirled it. He didn’t even glower. He spoke calmly and matter-of-factly, and it was downright chilling. The link is here if you want to watch; just click on the May 12 video. Mayor Cox’s warm and fuzzy introduction starts at hour 5:31.

And here’s what the Associated Builders and Contractors want: Their ballot initiative would prohibit project labor agreements, which are collectively bargained labor agreements for city-funded construction projects. They deal with wages, hours, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. Typically a PLA will set a living wage, include medical benefits, and ensure that a certain percentage of the workers hired for a project live in the community. (Backers of the Associated Builders and Contractors’ initiative refer to it as a “fair and open competition ordinance,” a textbook example of nomenclature obfuscation; the art reached its dizziest heights with George W. Bush and his Clear Skies and Healthy Forest Initiatives.)

The response to Hawkins’ threat was immediate and compelling; this, too, made for good TV. (See that link, above? If you skipped it, click it now.) The outrage of the speakers following Hawkins seemed evenly directed toward the Associated Builders and Contractors’ would-be initiative itself and the audacity of their tactics.

“I’ve never witnessed such a scene of extortion in my life,” painter Paul Vauchelet told the council. A project labor agreement, he said, “is about working people and benefits and paying good wages. … You politicians are our last line of defense.”

The Labor Council’s Lorena Gonzalez let the council know that as long as they were considering placing initiatives on the ballot just because it’s cheaper, she had lots of ideas. How about a living-wage ordinance? “That would really benefit the workers,” she said.

Even after five years on the city council, Steve Castaneda said that every once in a while he still gets completely amazed - and he seemed floored by Hawkins’ proposal. Stating flatly that the council should refuse to cave in to threats, he added - and this shouldn’t have been necessary - “Unfortunately, democracy is an expensive endeavor.”

‘Round midnight it went to a vote. Pamela Bensoussan and Rudy Ramirez joined Castaneda in voting No; Mayor Cox and John McCann stood with the builders and contractors. Defeated, 3-2. A nice “almost” for the bullies...

Kaiser gift allows swim lessons for fourth graders in Chula Vista

5/18/2009
Kaiser Donates $50K to Swim Program for Fourth-Graders
San Diego Business Journal
Joyce Glazer

Kaiser Permanente is donating $50,000 to a Chula Vista city swim program for elementary school kids. Kaiser’s grant will allow the Recreation Department’s swim program to reach 1,000 fourth-grade students and cover transportation costs. “This donation allows us to expand the reach of a valuable program that teaches children critical lifesaving skills,” said Mayor Cheryl Cox …

[Maura Larkins' note: I agree that this is a wonderful gift and a terrific program. It was very sweet of the San Diego Business Journal to give Cheryl Cox some publicity instead of contacting someone at Kaiser, the Recreation Department or CVESD for a quote. Perhaps the writer didn't know that the school district is involved; the fourth-graders will be transported to and from their schools during class time. My students enjoyed this program from 1974 until 1978, when the passage of Proposition 13 ended the program. It's a shame that it took thirty-one years to get back on track.]

Cheryl Cox wins against Port Commissioner Michael Najera

Cheryl Cox, without the tiniest bit of behind-the-scenes pressure having been applied by her husband Supervisor Greg Cox or anxious developers, has managed to kick Michael Najera off the Port Commission. Well, maybe she had a little help from her friends.


San Diego Port Commissioner Resigns Under Pressure
Michael Najera Wants To Avoid Legal Battle
Channel 10 News
May 15, 2009

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- A San Diego Port commissioner who was blamed for the failure of a project to develop the Chula Vista waterfront resigned Friday, a week after the city's mayor called for his voluntary departure.

Michael Najera is Chula Vista's representative on the Board of Port Commissioners, and had previously indicated he would fight to keep his position.

In a resignation letter, however, Najera said a legal battle wasn't in the best interest of Chula Vista.

"I feel strongly that my legal position was strong," Najera wrote. "However, I have determined that a protracted legal battle against my beloved hometown is not in my best interests, and more importantly it's not in the best interests of Chula Vista's taxpayers, since they are the ones that would have to foot the legal bill."

"Given all due consideration, for now I have decided that it is in my best interest to resign from the Port Commission and concentrate my efforts on several exciting new business ventures," he said...

The Board of Port Commissioners sets land-use policies and manages tenants along San Diego Bay's tidelands.



5/15/2009
San Diego Business Journal
Port Commissioner Bows Out


Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox apparently got her wish when Port Commissioner Mike Najera resigned from his position May 15.

Cox had asked Najera, who owns a construction company, to resign about a week ago, but he refused, and even contracted his attorney to send a letter to Cox, saying there was no reason for him to leave.

Cox never provided a reason for wanting Najera out...


See original post.

Cheryl Cox finds it's harder than it used to be to get rid of people she doesn't like

Mayor told to halt attempt to expel port commissioner
Najera's attorney calls actions illegal
By Tanya Sierra
San DiegoUnion-Tribune Staff Writer
May 7, 2009

An attorney for Chula Vista Port Commissioner Mike Najera warned Mayor Cheryl Cox to stop trying to oust the commissioner, saying her actions are illegal and politically motivated.

In a letter sent late Tuesday to Cox, the City Council and the city attorney, lawyer Joseph Casas states the council must have justification to remove a port commissioner.

“The involuntary removal of a port commissioner without good cause is not only unethical, but case law indicates that such an action is unlawful,” Casas wrote.

Najera said Cox on Monday asked him to resign, which he refused to do. He said Cox gave him until noon Tuesday to step down or she would “go to the media.”

Cox did not return repeated phone calls yesterday seeking comment. On Tuesday, she confirmed she met with Najera the day before to discuss concerns but wouldn't say what they were.

Some council members say they have not spoken with Cox and can't figure out why she would ask Najera to resign...

The city councils of the five port cities appoint Port District commissioners. Najera was first chosen in 2006 to fill the remainder of William Hall's term and was reappointed to a full four-year term in 2007.

The Port District's governing rules state only that “a commissioner may be removed from the board by a majority vote of the city council which appointed the commissioner.” In his letter, Casas cites a 1990 opinion written by then-San Diego City Attorney John Witt, who stated a council needs “good cause” to unseat a port commissioner.

“I haven't heard anything back from the city of Chula Vista,” Casas said. “I really think that the ball is in the mayor's court right now. She is the one who has the burden of proof.”

Chula Vista City Attorney Bart Miesfeld did not return calls yesterday.




UPDATE: Will Cox be able to unseat a port commissioner for supporting Cox's opponent?

Chula Vista council will address Najera's position
By Tanya Sierra Union-Tribune Staff Writer

6:47 p.m. May 8, 2009
Chula Vista City Council Meeting
When: Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Where: 276 Fourth Ave., in the City Council chambers.

CHULA VISTA — The City Council on Tuesday will discuss Chula Vista Port Commissioner Mike Najera, who said this week Mayor Cheryl Cox asked him to resign.

According to the City Council agenda, which was issued just after 3 p.m. Friday, officials will “consider and potentially act upon” Najera's position.

...Najera found out he was on Tuesday's council agenda when contacted by a newspaper reporter. He said city officials should have told him...

Councilman Steve Castaneda said he also was not informed the issue was on the agenda.

Najera said before his meeting with Cox, she asked him to give an update on the Chula Vista bayfront at Tuesday's meeting, but that isn't listed on the agenda.

Calls to Cox, City Manager Jim Sandoval and City Attorney Bart Miesfeld were not returned Friday.

Did Mayor Cox tell Najera to quit as Port Commissioner because he held a fundraiser for someone else?

Update to this story is HERE.

Najera Held Fundraiser for Cox Rival
Voice of San Diego
WILL CARLESS
May 6, 2009


Mike Najera, a port commissioner who was abruptly asked to step down from his position by Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox on Monday, just told me he recently held a fundraiser for Chula Vista City Councilman Steve Castaneda, who is widely expected to challenge Cox when her term expires in 2010...

Steve Cushman, chairman of the port commission, said he's waiting to hear an explanation from Cox as to why she asked Najera to resign. Najera has been a "terrific commissioner" who works hard, never misses meetings and has done a great job, he said. Cushman said he called Cox to ask for an explanation but has not yet spoken to her.

Castaneda said Cox's leadership of the city has been disappointing and said he supports a change in leadership in the county's second-largest city. But he stopped short of saying he would be running against Cox for mayor...




HERE'S MY ORIGINAL POST ON THIS SUBJECT:

Did Mayor Cox tell Najera to quit Port post?
By Tanya Sierra
San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
May 5, 2009

CHULA VISTA — Chula Vista Port Commissioner Mike Najera said Mayor Cheryl Cox asked him to resign Monday, and he refused.

Cox gave Najera until noon Tuesday to resign or she would go to the media, the port commissioner said.

“I'm not sure of her motivation,” Najera said.

Cox said Tuesday she met with Najera to discuss her concerns but she would not elaborate.

Najera said Cox made her request during an 11 a.m. meeting Monday, which he thought was a catch-up session.

He recalled her saying, “'I just want to cut to the chase and I want you to resign. I want you to step down. I lost confidence in your ability to get the bayfront done,'” Najera said. “She said 'It's been two and a half years and it's not done yet.' I said 'You've been mayor for all this time as well, should you take part in the blame?'”

Chula Vista City Attorney Bart Miesfeld said the City Council can remove a Port District commissioner with a majority vote. It was not an item on Tuesday's City Council agenda.

Najera was first appointed in 2006 to fill the remainder of William Hall's term. He was reappointed for a full four-year term in 2007 and at the time vowed to transform the city's bayfront through development saying, “I want that land to be deep in the first phase of construction by the end of my term in 2011.”

Plans for the bayfront halted in November when for the second and final time Gaylord Entertainment dropped its plan to build a hotel and convention center. The failed deal was the latest in 35 years of attempts to develop the city's waterfront.

Bayfront projects are not in the hands of a sole port commissioner. Seven commissioners represent the five port cities of San Diego, Coronado, National City, Chula Vista and Imperial Beach.

“I think that over the 40-plus years that the port has been in existence, there have been numerous port commissioners who have represented Chula Vista and none of them have been able to accomplish any sort of development either,” Councilman Steve Castaneda said. “So, I'm not sure that we can lay any significant blame on Mr. Najera.”

Councilman Rudy Ramirez said he did not want to criticize Najera, but said he is unhappy with the slow progress on the Chula Vista bayfront.

“I'm dissatisfied overall with the progress that Chula Vista has been able to make with our port,” Ramirez said. “Nothing seems to get done over there and I'm concerned with that.”

One reason Cox could be upset, Najera said, is the proposed land swap between the Port District and Pacifica Companies, a development company interested in building a hotel and condominium development on the bayfront adjacent to where the Gaylord project was slated.

The port's board discussed the deal in closed session Tuesday, Port Commissioner Steve Cushman said.

“We are trying like crazy,” he said...

Clear View School ends its charter status...not with a bang but a whimper

Charter ends, but another may begin
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/apr/16/1sz16charter174949-charter-ends-another-may-begin/?education&zIndex=82986
By Chris Moran
Sand Diego Union-Tribune
April 16, 2009

Background: In 1994, Clear View Elementary School converted itself into an autonomous charter school in the Chula Vista Elementary School District.

What's changing: A majority of teachers voted to let the charter – its permission to operate – expire in June.


...In June, Clear View will become the first charter school in Chula Vista to give up its exemption from much local bureaucracy and state regulation and revert to a traditional public school...

Seven of the 29 teachers who wanted to continue working for a charter have drawn up plans for another autonomous campus – Leonardo da Vinci Health Sciences Charter School – at a vacant church nearby.

Last month, they petitioned the Chula Vista school board for permission to open this summer. They are scheduled to get their answer Tuesday when the Chula Vista school board next meets.

...Few teachers were still using project-based learning. The school exercised its freedom primarily through how it spent money.

Nor was the school achieving its potential. From 1999 to 2008, Clear View was the least improved of the Chula Vista district's schools. It also posted the lowest reading and math scores for non-English-speaking students of all 44 district schools last year.

This year may not be much better. The vote on whether to stay a charter school caused internal strife that ended friendships and caused some employees to avoid the teachers lounge, Principal Sherroll Stogsdill-Posey said.

[Maura Larkins´note...This is typical of teacher CULTURE in CVESD and elsewhere. Politics supersedes professionalism with distressing frequency. And children suffer the consequences.]

“I do believe it will have had an effect on instruction this year,” she said. “This has become such a huge issue that it can't not seep in.”

...Then the economy tanked, Chula Vista became a foreclosure capital and the number of teaching jobs stagnated. Now the district has to release temporary teachers because of its tight budget.

...Reading specialist Meg Rabine voted to end the charter...For her, resigning from the district could have meant losing $10,000 to $15,000 a year in salary for the rest of her career. Although she supports charters, Rabine came to Clear View because she respected and liked its teachers. If the school stayed charter, most of those teachers would have left Clear View for the secure employment of the district's traditional schools...

Amber Goslee isn't ready to abandon charter schools...In Goslee's class, students record songs on laptop computers. They write scripts and make videos. They design learning stations from which their peers glean information on plate tectonics.

After eight years of teaching, Goslee also has much to lose if her new venture fails. But the way she figures it, she has more to lose if she abandons the charter's ideals.

“I don't want to stay in schooling, in education, if it continues to be so scripted,” Goslee said. “I'd rather have my freedom than my security.”

Goslee is among those who drew up the da Vinci plans for 160 kindergarten through sixth-grade students...

Chula Vista's ballot information on Prop A is misleading

The sample Ballot and Voter Information Pamphlet we received with the Official Ballot regarding Proposition A, is very misleading. The pamphlet states on p. 4, that Proposition A would among other points:

"MAINTAIN after-school programs like STRETCH and DASH that keep kids away from drugs, gangs and crime." In fact, There is a pamphlet in the mailbox today in favor of prop. A, in which, among others, Patricia Aguilar, President of Crossroads II, states: "Prop. A will ........ maintain after school programs that give kids alternatives to gangs and drugs."

I have contacted Patricia Aguilar to ask her to specify exactly what after school programs will be maintained with prop. A. I'm waiting to hear from her.

Several weeks ago, the city of Chula Vista officially handed over the running of the after school programs in the 33 elementary schools where DASH and STRETCH is operating today to the YMCA as of the new school year starting in July. Nancy Kerwin, the Executive Director of Student, Family, and Community Services and Support, called me before the March 10th district meeting and told me that even if Prop. A passed, it wouldn't be nearly enough to save DASH and STRETCH. In fact, the money first goes into the general fund and is then dispersed down the totem pole. DASH and STRETCH are towards the bottom of that pole, besides, the City no longer has a say. When they withdrew their funds, they lost their voice.

The district has already officially voted to 'seamlessly transfer' the said programs to the YMCA. They have already contacted parents in multiple ways just to inform us that all is saved even without the tax initiative.

To date, the transition thus far has been anything but seamless. Some principals are pulling in DASH and STRETCH staff to tell them that they won't be here next year. Teachers are congratulating the two time award winning staff, only it's not for a job well done for these past ten years, it's for being saved. Only thing is, they haven't been saved. Children are confused and crying to their coaches, giving of their own money in an attempt to save these programs, while trusting parents are being carefully misled. We are tired of being misled.

I feel it is very important that the thousands of families whose children attend DASH and STRETCH, and others who support them, know all the facts before deciding whether to vote Yes or No on Proposition A. After all, we are the one’s paying the price with more than just our wallets.

Elisa Betancourt
Website
2009

Castle Park High School loses girls sports case; when will Randy Ward hire lawyers who advise schools to follow the law?

A judge has ruled against Castle Park High School regarding the equality of girls' sports facilities (see story from SDUT below).

Shame on San Diego County Office of Education-Joint Powers Authority and its member school districts for helping schools to ignore the law and, even worse, to engage in retaliation against those who complain about violations of law.

Instead of wasting tax dollars in endless litigation, SDCOE lawyer Daniel Shinoff should have settled this case and many other cases. Even worse is Shinoff's systematic removal of good school employees by helping the school district retaliate against those who complained. The Castle Park High case in Sweetwater Union High School District (see story below) is all too familiar.

The firing of the Castle Park High coach is reminiscent of
1) the Coach James "Ted" Carter case;
2) the Mary Anne Weegar case (also in Sweetwater Union High School District);
3) the Rodger Harnett case.

In another example of unlawful retaliation, SDCOE recently sued this blogger for serving a deposition subpoena on Risk Management Executive Director Diane Crosier.

It's time for SDCOE Superintendent Randy Ward to hire lawyers who will guide schools toward compliance with the law, instead of lawyers who try to help schools get away with wrongdoing. But most importantly, the retaliation has to stop. A judge recently told Mr. Ward that he should conduct investigations of wrongdoing instead of firing whistle-blowers.



Judge rules school shows bias in sports
By Brent Schrotenboer
San Diego Union-Tribune
April 2, 2009

SOUTH BAY — A federal judge has ruled that Castle Park High School has allowed “significant gender-based disparity” in sports at the expense of female athletes.

In a summary judgment this week, U.S. District Court Judge M. James Lorenz ruled that Castle Park is not in compliance with Title IX, the 37-year-old federal law that forbids sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal funds...

The remaining claims will go forward in court, including one that the district retaliated against the plaintiffs by firing their coach after they complained of discrimination.

The plaintiffs showed that while female enrollment at Castle Park was 45 percent to 50 percent since 1998, female participation in athletics was 33 percent to 41 percent during those years...

Over the past 11 years in the county, the Ramona school district, Mesa College and the Grossmont Union High School District have faced similar legal complaints involving Title IX and subpar softball facilities.

Gail Mendes, who asked boss Richard Werlin to punish a fellow teacher, elected Secretary-Treasurer of CTA

A few days ago I wrote about Gail Mendes, the former president of United Teachers of Richmond, who has been elected as secretary-treasurer of California Teachers Association in an unusual challenge to a sitting executive officer.

The reaction among many CTA members has been negative.

Apparently, many votes for Mendes were cast to "send a message" to the CTA bigwigs; these voters didn't think that Mendes would actually be elected. They expected incumbent Daniel Vaughn to keep his seat.



Christy Marquez commented on Intercepts, a fine blog about education politics:

"...[I]t was a complete shock when the results were announced that she won by a very small margin. In fact, when her name was announced, not a single person in the room applauded. Instead, many were fighting back tears of sadness and anger that such a thing could happen to such a good man who has devoted many years to the union. Everyone agrees that nothing personal was intended and that the outcome was a complete fluke. Unfortunately, not a lot can be done about it now. Gail is completely unqualified for the position and does not have the experience nor support to succeed. She will most likely be challenged in two years for the position of vice president, and hopefully will lose to a more qualified and well-liked candidate..."





Diane Brown, a UTR teacher who contributes to the excellent blog "Progressive Teachers," wrote:

Gail Mendes' tenure as President of UTR was counter to principles of union democracy. Rank and file and UTR board members' rights were trampled on (a UTR board member described her leadership at rep council as "fascistic").

During a UTR election a first time candidate was running for a position on the executive board. This candidate's name was left off the ballot. Mendes went to the candidate's school site unannounced and strongly suggested that the candidate withdraw from the race. Unsuspecting any foul play the candidate agreed.

Some UTR members wrote letters to then-Vice President David Sanchez about Mendes' undemocratic hostile leadership. A UTR member at Mendes school described her as "dangerous."

I filed a complaint with the Public Employees Relations Board (PERB) charging Mendes with these abuses of office. November 30, 2006, Mendes reported me to Rick Werlin, WCCUSD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, demanding that he discipline me for an alleged contract violation. Mendes' action, asking a boss to punish a fellow teacher and an Association member would be universally reviled and condemned by any class conscious union member. I met with the UTR Executive Board and asked that she resign her position as President.

On another occasion Mendes interfered with members right to elect a site representative of their choice. She had the election overturned.

When CTA members learned Mendes had been elected Secretary-Treasurer, one member said, "It's time to get out." CTA members who decided to "send a message" and vote for Mendes, made a mistake that they will live to regret. The only way to correct this mistake is through a RECALL campaign. I would not wait two years.

Diane Brown, CTA Member






Another teacher backs up Diane Brown's statements:

"...[Gail Mendes] initiated a grievance against a UTR member with the District Superintendent, Rick Werlin. This is ratting out a fellow union member. A former WCCUSD school board member has described Mendes as “vindictive” and said that she cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars for second parcel tax vote..."

Margaret Browne


[Maura Larkins' note: Of course, not all teachers voted for Mendes by accident. CTA director Jim Groth from Chula Vista worked well with the very same Richard Werlin who palled around with Gail Mendes. I'll bet that Jim Groth was an enthusiastic supporter of Mendes. Am I right, Jim? Clearly, some teachers truly believe that it's appropriate to get ahead in teacher union politics by trampling on teachers and students.]


[Maura Larkins' post script: A coincidence that makes this story more fascinating for me is that I attended kindergarten in Richmond schools (now known as WCCUSD) before returning to Chula Vista, where I went to 1st and 2nd grades in Chula Vista Elementary School District.]

South county SDCOE board members oppose secrecy in suspect dealings

We're lucky to have Jerry Rindone on the San Diego County Office of Education board.
It may not be a coincidence that the only trustee at SDCOE who sees a problem with the recently-exposed shenanigans in the Risk Management department is one of the new board members. Jerry Rindone is concerned about administrator Dan Puplava's having a side business with the same financial institutions that he manages on behalf of SDCOE. The state attorney general says this is prohibited.

Longtime board members John Witt, Sharon Jones, and Susan Hartley have been studiously looking the other way for years, ignoring my public records requests and refusing to investigate complaints about Risk Management executive director Diane Crosier.

I had hoped that Superintendent Randolph Ward would clean things up when he arrived, but it appears that he (literally!) bought into the Risk Management schemes within weeks after he was hired in 2006.

I'd like to think the other new trustee, Mark Anderson, is still contemplating the situation. Perhaps he'll have the courage to speak out against the cronyism in the SDCOE Risk Management department.





Employee-broker issue divides school trustees
Superintendent also was client
By Jeff McDonald
San Diego Union-Tribune
March 23, 2009


Background: The manager of the San Diego County Office of Education deferred compensation program ran a side business that sold investments to teachers and administrators served by the program.

One trustee of the San Diego County Board of Education [Jerry Rindone of Chula Vista] is so concerned about a manager's side business selling financial securities to educators that he requested a review of the situation by the superintendent.

...According to the state Attorney General's Office, public school employees – including those in the county education office – are prohibited from acting as commissioned sales agents for vendors of the educator retirement accounts...

County Superintendent of Schools Randolph Ward, who bought an annuity from [Dan] Puplava weeks after being hired in 2006, did not respond to requests for an interview.

At issue is the deferred-compensation program run by the Fringe Benefits Consortium...Over the years, Puplava and a group of independent financial advisers hosted hundreds of workshops to tell school employees about the program...The newspaper obtained one statement that showed Puplava earned more than $355,000 in commissions in 2006...

Board President Sharon Jones said she and her colleagues are “always concerned” about conflict-of-interest allegations but noted that there is no law against running a personal business while working for a public agency...

[Maura Larkins' note: Sharon Jones seems to be concerned about allegations, but not about wrongdoing. She wants SDCOE to keep its secrets. Jones is my representative on the board, and has ignored all my requests for help obtaining public records. The only board member who has ever been responsive to my requests was Nick Aguilar, the previous south county representative. It's interesting that Aguilar's replacement, Jerry Rindone, is the only board member currently concerned about SDCOE's relationship with insurance companies.]

Trustee John Witt declined to discuss the issue;





Trustee Mark Anderson did not return two messages left at his home.





Trustee Susan Hartley said the county schools office looked into Puplava's dealings and found nothing amiss.

[Maura Larkins' note: Maybe you should have someone from the outside investigate, Ms. Hartley.]

Tom Curtis, a retired university administrator from La Mesa with no ties to the county Board of Education...was so angry after reading the newspaper report that he called the headquarters to complain...

[The SDUT first broke this story last week; Voice of San Diego recently wrote about SDCOE lawyer Daniel Shinoff and his relationship with SDCOE's Risk Management department.]

A plea to YMCA in Chula Vista

YMCA skate park in South Bay, San Diego

Dear YMCA,

DASH & STRETCH - though you may keep the name, you are not keeping the staff that's been trained to do the job.

Let's be honest, to really KEEP DASH and STRETCH, the programs we all know and love, you would need to preserve their award winning curriculum, not change it, and take the entire staff too. No newcomers! Newbies do not have the training they need and they DO NOT have the time to acquire it in just a few months time. It is OUR children that are going to be directly affected by all of this. If you truly committed to "Saving" DASH and STRETCH, then let's get together and raise some money!

How can you say it will be the same when you don't even have the staff required to run what DASH and STRETCH were designed to do? I LOVE THE YMCA, but our school NEEDS both programs as they each serve VERY different needs.

Planning and preparing is fine and great. Your wanting to expand to more sites, fantastic! Ask yourself this, are you able to provide a 'seamless transfer'...? No, it's just not possible with new staff, little time, and little training.

If the school board is so set on giving DASH and STRETCH to they 'Y', then here is my proposal. Help us raise $450,000 to pay what the city cannot afford.

This will keep DASH and STRETCH running exactly the same WITHOUT interrupting our children's progress. Then take that entire school year to staff yourselves and to properly train your staff. THAT is doing what is in the best interest of our children and it is very doable.

I have a strong group of parents who are willing to help!

Elisa Betancourt
Parents For Enrichment Programs

http://sites.google.com/site/parentsforenrichmentprograms

Salt Creek Elementary Camp Out by Parents

Dozens Line Up Early For Kindergarten Sign-Up
March 4, 2009
10 News

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- Dozens of people stood in line late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning not to get a deal on a TV or to buy concert tickets.

They lined up to enroll their children in kindergarten.

Moby Tores was one of several other people who camped out at Salt Creek Elementary School in Chula Vista.

"It's the most insane thing," said Tores.

Rob, another fellow camper, told 10News, "Oh, I'm just waiting for the morning to come."

On Wednesday morning, those lined up can register their five-year-old children for kindergarten. Space is limited and these die-hard parents want the best for their kids.

So they waited -- for hours.

Most people would think these parents are insane but when the sun comes up these guys say it will be worth the wait.

A Spanish Immersion kindergarten is the class many of the parents want for their kids. In the class, young students will learn all their lessons in Spanish.

Tores said, "I think living in this community, having both languages, English and Spanish, is very important."

It is important enough for these parents to wait in line for 10 hours to guarantee a spot for their little ones.

Also up for grabs are morning sessions and afternoon sessions.

Anthony Millican of the Chula Vista Elementary School District said, "That kind of commitment and engagement in their children's lives is to be encouraged."

Enrollment is first come-first served, and if all slots are filled a student might have to go to another school.

That won't be an issue for Tores, who was third in line.

"With this program, my daughter is getting a head start," said Tores.

It is a head start that began well before the sun came up.

District officials said they have not had to bump any kindergarteners from Salt Creek to another school due to high demand in a couple of years.

Will YMCA get rid of the Dash and Stretch staff?

Dear YMCA,

DASH & STRETCH - though you may keep the name, you are not keeping the staff that's been trained to do the job.

Let's be honest, to really KEEP DASH and STRETCH, the programs we all know and love, you would need to perserve their award winning curriculum, not change it, and take the entire staff too. No newcomers! Newbies do not have the training they need and they DO NOT have the time to acquire it in just a few months time. It is OUR children that are going to be directly affected by all of this. If you truly committed to "Saving" DASH and STRETCH, then let's get together and raise some money!

How can you say it will be the same when you don't even have the staff required to run what DASH and STRETCH were designed to do? I LOVE THE YMCA, but our school NEEDS both programs as they each serve VERY different needs.

Planning and preparing is fine and great. Your wanting to expand to more sites, fantastic! Ask yourself this, are you able to provide a 'seamless transfer'...? No, it's just not possible with new staff, little time, and little training.

If the school board is so set on giving DASH and STRETCH to they 'Y', then here is my proposal. Help us raise $450,000 to pay what the city cannot afford.

This will keep DASH and STRETCH running exactly the same WITHOUT interrupting our childrens progress. Then take that entire school year to staff yourselves and to properly train your staff. THAT is doing what is in the best interest of our children and it is very doable.

I have a strong group of parents who are willing to help!

Elisa Betancourt
Parents For Enrichment Programs

http://sites.google.com/site/parentsforenrichmentprograms

CVESD and DASH and STRETCH program

Subject: The superintendent letter
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:22:21

We, the parents of children presently enrolled at Dash and Stretch strongly agree with the CVESD motto: "Each child is an individual of great worth." With that in mind and the fact that indeed each child has his/her own needs, we have decided over the years to send our children to Dash and/or Stretch.

While there are many other worthwhile programs available in Chula Vista, Dash and Stretch fulfilled the specific needs of our children over and above expectations.
We are thankful to the South Bay Y to be willing to take over the Dash and Stretch programs and provide the necessary funds the city is unable to provide at this time in addition to the $1.65 million that the school district previously provided and will transfer to the Y.

However, while the Y runs excellent programs that fit the needs of many other families and their children, we the parents of children in DASH and STRETCH want to make sure that these programs are preserved in their present forms. The only way we can ensure that these excellent programs, which brought results beyond expectations in our children, can be carried on in the same manner is with the present staff and training which brought those results.

Since the roughly 2/3 of the cost of the program is borne by the CVSD, it would not be unheard of, or asking too much for the CVESD to demand that with the transferring of these funds the program be kept exactly as is, including all the present staff as well as the continuation of the present, (continuously improved and updated) training program which has been proven to be so effective over the years. Not only parents but faculty members and administrators can attest to this.

Thank you for your concern and willingness to do everything possible to ultimately resolve this situation so that our children will continue to be taken care of in a way that is best for them.

Dash and Stretch Parents:

Castle Park Elementary has been a big topic in the comments section of SD Education Report

Here is a recent post from San Diego Education Report. But the best part is the discussion in the comments section.


"Randolph "Randy" Ward and Diane Crosier are using public funds to advance Dan Shinoff's private lawsuit against this blogger"


A sampling of comments:

1. Anonymous said...

I know Maura. She went to San Diego High School in the 60s. She was the kind of girl who always got invited to the science fair, but never got invited to the prom. I don't remember talking to her. I just remember she was pretty quiet, the nut-genius type. Glasses. Long hair and sandals before the hippies, and very serious. I remember some girls followed her one day when she got off the bus, and it turned out she was stopping at a Catholic Church on the way home. Those were the days. Anyone could walk into a Catholic Church, 24/7. It was just like the Middle Ages, when all a hunted man had to do was get inside the railing in front of the altar, and suddenly he was safe from any bloodthirsty band that might be chasing him. No one would kill a man in the sanctuary of a church. Now it seems to be one of the favorite places to kill people.

But back to Maura. She must have been lonely, but what do you say to someone like that? She didn't know how to talk. Zero conversation skills. She talked to the few friends she had, but that's different. There's social skills, and then there's talking to your friends. Friends don't care if you say the right thing.

I remember she was a year younger than the rest of the class. Someone told me that when we were talking about her, as if that explained why she didn't fit in. Maybe it was part of it.

It seems pretty weird that SDCOE is suing her for harassment. That sure doesn't sound like Maura.

12:05 AM





2. Anonymous said...

Well she's not very quiet anymore. It's about time the authorities stepped in and shut down this cuckoo blog.

10:57 AM





3. Anonymous said...

I have experience with school attorneys, and I'm not saying they're all paragons of virtue, but I'm beginning to think that most of them are more decent than Daniel Shinoff and Diane Crosier.

11:28 AM




4. Anonymous said...

I will stongly support anyone who can put a stop to the accusations this woman tosses about. She needs psych meds and professional help. She will never stop, it will only get worse. Anyone who visits her sites can see that her thought processes are scattered, and borderline psychotic!

12:13 PM






5. Blogger Maura Larkins said...

If I were willing to keep my mouth shut about relatively mild wrongdoing, when the retaliation against me is probably going to be limited to the courtroom, what chance is there that I would have the courage to speak out if public officials began to engage in truly serious wrongdoing? To those who want me to be silent: should the citizens of Germany also have kept their mouths shut in the 1930s and '40s? It seems that you are afraid that the truth will come out. If I'm wrong, what do you have to fear? Come forward and address the issues. Prove me wrong. Let's have a public debate. Don't try to crush free speech; take part in the process!

12:20 PM





6. Blogger Maura Larkins said...

To Anonymous Commenter #4: Yes, I do need help. I need you to help me understand what you are talking about. Can you give me an example of a "borderline psychotic" statement I've made? Just one example? From the safety of your anonymity you should be able to do that.

12:43 PM





7. Anonymous said...

Those who disagree should prove her wrong with facts. If what she has written is slanderous than prove her wrong with facts.

To accuse someone of being psychotic is an old trick played out by school officials.

Here is the chance to prove her wrong. Lets find facts that prove her wrong and post them on her own website.

1:31 PM






9. Anonymous said...

One example and only one...you stated that Kelly Dupuis from the Star news stated a "parent" comented on the mexican parents. That comment was made by the then principal Ollie Matos. This comment was one of many the lead to his removal from Castle Park. You were wrong.

2:21 PM




10. Blogger Maura Larkins said...

Thank you for the example. Now we can look at the evidence. I just now looked up the September 10, 2004 issue of the Chula Vista Star-News, and found that reporter Kelly Dupuis quoted parent Felicia Starr as saying, "They [ELAC parents] really are involved with the school, and it would be nice to have them on there [the PTA], but not in an antagonistic way." For those who don't know what ELAC means, it's "English Language Acquisition Committee."

Here is the article.

It looks like I was right. Clearly, you were wrong. If we follow your logic, this would mean you are borderline psychotic, and should get medication and professional help. But this logic of yours is wrong; people can make a mistake without being crazy. Perhaps you have a better example of my scattered thought processes?

3:56 PM



11. Anonymous said...

So where does it say "Mexican parents"? And it was from an ELAC meeting in which the parents were very offended by what he said about them.

7:20 PM





12. Blogger Maura Larkins said...

Dear Anonymous:

The ELAC parents were Mexican, as you well know. Ollie Matos got along great with them. They were upset when "the Castle Park Family" got rid of Mr. Matos. The Mexican parents were also upset by the accusations of Felicia Starr in the Star-News article.

Felicia Starr accused the Mexican parents of printing illegal PTA ballots and hiding them. The parents thought they were allowed to nominate someone to the PTA board, and they weren't being sneaky about it. That's why Felicia Starr saw them at the copy machine--they were not hiding anything.

But perhaps Felicia Starr did the Mexican parents a favor by keeping them off the PTA board. Before the school year was out, $20,000 had been embezzled from the PTA. Kim Simmons, who was elected PTA president with Felicia Starr's help, was arrested for that crime. It certainly puts the accusations of Felicia Starr and Kimberlee Simmons into a fresh light, doesn't it?

Now there is no PTA at Castle Park Elementary. It seems that Kimberlee Simmons had a lot of enablers, including yourself, perhaps, but there is one group that can be completely ruled out as responsible: the Mexican parents.

9:06 PM





13. Blogger Maura Larkins said...

P.S. to Anonymous:

I am intrigued by your reference to an ELAC meeting. Can you tell me more about this meeting? I could do some research into the matter if you would give me more information. What was said that caused offense?

Are you claiming that I made a statement on my website about this ELAC meeting? What do you claim my statement was? Perhaps we could do a search of my website to see if its there.

9:17 PM



14. Anonymous said...

Just because a person is Latino or Hispanic does not make it ok to use the term "Mexican parent" for you to use it to describe the ELAC is disrespecful. Mr. Matos was the ONLY person who used that terminology. Till now, you keep referring to it. My point was no one used the WORD Mexican parent in those articles.

6:55 AM





15. Anonymous said...

There is nothing wrong with using the term “Mexican parent” and absolutely nothing disrespectful. Gee Wizz! What type of comment is this? This is crazy this comment takes me back 70 years. This is precisely what is wrong in San Diego most of the population is undereducated and misinformed. To suggest that a website should be taken down because someone used the word, “MEXICAN PARENT.” It is totally ludicrous and not surprising. It appears to be the same mentality of this judge, SDCOE and the Stutz law firm...






16. Blogger Maura Larkins said...

Dear commenter who thinks "Mexican parents" is a slur:

Clearly, the word "parent" is not a slur, right? So you think "Mexican" is a slur. Why would someone's ethnicity be a slur? But perhaps you don't think "English parents" or "Swedish parents" is a slur. So why would "Mexican parents" be a slur?


Perhaps you are not aware that Mexico was a cultured and wealthy capital of a great empire when the United States was a collection of log cabins. Fortunes come and go in this world, for countries as well as for individuals.

I suspect that you have spent your life in an environment in which "Mexican" was considered a slur. [Above portrait: Mexican Sor Juana de la Cruz]


You're not originally from California, are you? Of course, there are some native Californians who also think that way. Your type of thinking was well-represented among the staff at Castle Park Elementary in Chula Vista.

Do you know that you are making the same argument that Steve Carell (left), the clueless boss in "The Office" TV series, made?





In one episode, the doofus boss asked a Mexican employee (Oscar Nunez, left) what he wanted to be called instead of "Mexican." The employee said that it was fine to call him Mexican. Steve Carell continued to insist that "Mexican" was a slur. Isn't that exactly what you are doing?

10:47 AM








17. Anonymous said...

The parents Matos referred to were insulted by the comment, they expressed this to the district. If a person is offended by a particular comment, one should take care not to use it. And my point was...the WORDS "Mexican parents" were not in the article shown. And you had to turn it into a debate...figures

5:35 PM



18. Blogger Maura Larkins said...

I know several of the parents who were members of ELAC, and they all loved Mr. Matos. I suspect that the parents you are talking about were not regular members of ELAC, and were encouraged by Felicia Starr and Kim Simmons to go to an ELAC meeting and find something to complain about. Was Norma G. one of the parents who complained? The complaint is beyond bizarre. I can imagine what the district thought. Most Mexicans are proud to be Mexican, and don't consider "Mexican" to be a slur.

6:44 PM


Mexican Frida Kahlo






19. Maura Larkins said...

Dear Anonymous:

Now I'm curious. What term should I use to refer to Mexicans, if, as you claim, the word "Mexican" is offensive?

7:13 PM



20. Maura Larkins said...

In my bilingual class, 100% of my students were Mexican. In my twenty-plus years of teaching in Chula Vista I had one Puerto Rican student and one Spaniard, but I believe that all the ELAC parents at Castle Park Elementary were Mexican. Do you know of a non-Mexican Hispanic parent at Castle Park Elementary who made a complaint to the district? I suspect you don't, but if you do, the problem could have been solved by the parent simply raising his or her hand and saying, "I'm Guatemalan (or Cuban or some other nationality)." Who would go to the district to complain about something like that? Only someone who had a separate agenda.

11:30 AM

The teachers union doesn't want to hear from parents

Teachers Union Calls to Remove Budget Survey
VOICE OF SAN DIEGO
EMILY ALPERT
March 3, 2009

The teachers union is pushing to discontinue a budget survey posted on the San Diego Unified website, contending that "the true purpose of the District's survey is to pit parents against educators."

The survey, posted last week, asks parents, community members and employees who are not represented by unions to rate different proposed cuts as options to "strongly consider," "consider if necessary," or "never consider." The website states that it isn't directed to employees who are represented by "employee labor organizations," which excludes almost everyone except for the top managers in the school district.

An e-mail alert sent Monday by the teachers union argues that most of the issues in the survey are so intertwined with the bargaining process that it is inappropriate to consider them outside of the bargaining table. "The survey is laced with issues that are mandatory subjects of bargaining," it states.

It also contends that the survey is a way for San Diego Unified to dodge its own responsibility for financial problems, which it attributes to "top-heavy administration, lack of planning, and excessive spending on testing, consultants, and other non-instructional items." The union wants the survey to be removed from the website entirely.

Salon.com asks if it's time to make public schools better

Teach your children well
Families are struggling to afford private school tuition. Isn't it time to talk about making public schools better?
by Sarah Hepola
2009-03-02

Do education attorneys get paid for protecting bad employees for political reasons?

After teaching for over two decades, I finally began to learn, over the past eight years, about what goes on between school officials and their lawyers in San Diego. The lawyers, who are motivated to bring in business for insurance companies, have enormous power over school district decisions. Insurance companies don't get business if problems are prevented, or are solved without litigation. (Also, the companies will not be able to raise premiums if the schools don't get involved in litigation.) Until now, no newspaper in San Diego would touch the story. On March 2, 2009, however, the story began to come out in the nationally famous Internet newspaper Voice of San Diego. It's called "The Schoolhouse Lawyer Who Helped Hire His Overseer," and features Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz lawyers Daniel Shinoff and Jeffery Morris, and their former associate Diane Crosier, who runs the public entity insurance authority San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority (SDCOE-JPA).
-- Maura Larkins
March 3, 2009 02:16 PM PST

Voice of San Diego breaks story of relationship of Stutz lawyers Daniel Shinoff and Jeffery Morris to Diane Crosier of SDCOE-JPA

Photo by Sam Hodgson, Voice of San Diego

What's up with attorneys Dan Shinoff and Diane Crosier at the San Diego County Office of Education JPA? Some interesting shenanigans, it appears. Why has SDCOE Superintendent Randolph "Randy" Ward covered up these problems by refusing to release (to this blogger) public records of billings of Shinoff's firm, Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz?

The Schoolhouse Lawyer Who Helped Hire His Overseer
VOICE OF SAN DIEGO
by Emily Alpert
March 2, 2009

Lawyers from a firm that has received millions of dollars in business from a public agency that handles lawsuits for school districts have, at least twice in recent years, helped it screen potential employees who later oversaw outside attorneys' work.

The Risk Management Joint Powers Authority, a public agency composed of dozens of local school districts and run through the San Diego County Office of Education, has paid the law firm of Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz nearly $7 million between July 2002 and July 2008 to handle lawsuits brought against school districts.

Two shareholders in the firm, Daniel Shinoff and Jeffery Morris, have helped screen job applicants for the agency by sitting on the first of two interview panels that candidates undergo before being hired. Such interviewers don't make the final hiring decisions, but they narrow the hiring pool by asking predetermined questions provided by the human resources department and ranking candidates based on their responses.

Including the attorneys in the interview process means that in at least two instances, an employee has owed his or her job, in part, to one of the firms that he or she is hired to monitor.

The practice is among a bevy of complaints lodged in a lawsuit by a former authority employee, Rodger Hartnett, who alleges that the Stutz Artiano firm received a disproportionate share of work "based on personal relationships" in the office rather than merit. Harnett, who was interviewed for his job by a panel that included Shinoff, claims in his wrongful termination suit against the County Office of Education that he was fired because of his complaints about Stutz Artiano...


(Links in the text were added by Maura Larkins.)