Arnold wants Californians to focus on English, but I like to know what other people are saying and thinking--even if they aren't saying it in English. Sometimes I'll do a Google search and the only article that talks about the precise issue that interests me is in German or Japanese. In that case, I use Google's handy "Translate this page" button.
But the results aren't always that great. As an example, I offer an article that came out in San Diego's La Prensa newspaper in October of 2004. It concerns the teacher culture that developed at Castle Park Elementary School over a period of many years. In 2004, the Chula Vista Elementary School District, which had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend the criminal actions of Castle Park Elementary teachers, finally got fed up. Five teachers were transferred out of the school. La Prensa told the story of two of those transferred teachers, Peggie Myers and Stephenie Parker-Pettit.
Here is the Google translation of the article. I found the translation fascinating to read, but the Spanish version made a lot more sense.
October 8, 2004
The teachers of Castle Park count their history
By Luis Alonso Perez
The first day of classes in Castle Park Elementary did not begin like in previous years.
This year the children outside ran into with a group of parents and teachers pronouncing itself with posters of their school, against the unexpected change of establishment of a group of teachers that had been several years working for that primary one.
Some children carried in their clothes transfers with the word “Respect”. When he arrived Tom Cruz - Attending of the district inspector he bothered themselves and he asked the demonstrators who did not involve the children, who that problem did not have to do with the children.
But for Peggy Myers - One of the teachers reasignadas to another primary this has to do the children directly, its nine years of masterful effort as in Castle Park have been by the children and the community.
Now, Peggy Myers has to his position a hall fifth primary in Allen Elementary School, but she continues thinking that its change was totally injustificado and still it is furious by the form in which this situation was carried out, specially the form in which found out its transference.
In August last Myers was vacacionando in London, taking advantage of the opportunity to see his husband by five days - as she is assigned by the army to a base in Saudi Arabia when she received a call of his son Greg, informing to him that she had been notified by Tom Cruz who wished to speak with her as soon as she was of return.
In the following days Greg received calls of other teachers commenting to him that Cruz and Lowell had spoken with Billings - Inspector of the district and had been transferred to other primary ones. When finding out, Myers was disturbed totally since she never waited for it. The news obvious ruined its vacations.
Pero Peggy Myers was not the only teacher surprised by the news. Stephenie Petti, teacher of third bilingual degree received a call of Tom Cruz the 16 of August, in which it informed on a meeting the 18 to him into August to discuss on problems that arose the year last in CP and to analyze his subjet for the incoming scholastic year.
His first impression was that it was a hunting of witches to undo of the teachers who caused to problems in Castle Park. For the day of the appointment, Petti she was so estresada that it began to present/display symptoms of complications in his pregnancy. It could not sleep and it underwent panic attacks.
The day of the appointment received the surprise of which the following scholastic year was not going to give to classes in Castle the Parks, who had assigned it to Salt Creek Elementary and she was not going to have a bilingual group.
The news impressed it to the point in which it began to have childbirth contractions then, which caused that in one week it had to go to the hospital because of physical and emotional problems.
When the teachers asked the reason for the transference the answer was simple: The changes were made “By the benefit of the educative program and the students”.
When listening this Peggy Myers asked how was going to benefit to the program or the students, to transfer to a member of the only equipment in Castle Park who had developed a curriculum different from the traditional program?
Lowell Billings did not answer.
When he asked How to transfer a teacher who taught to other teachers in USD on how to give classes to bilingual groups was going to benefit?
Again Billings did not answer.
Stephenie Petti will not be able to begin to give classes in this scholastic year, since is disabled person by her pregnancy. It will return to his workings like teacher when January or February is born its baby in.
Myers and the rest of the teachers thinks that the true reason for its exit of Castle Park was because they were not scared to show his inconformidad with the way in which the director of the primary Ollie Matos directed the school.
“I am arranged to defend what I believe that he is the correct thing and to criticize what I believe that is bad, - Petti- comments concern the students and the educative programs to me of Castle Park. I have a deep interest in its well-being, the academic progress and its personal lives. The families (of the community) are my families, their children are my children”.
“I am not scared to him to the administrative ones, - Petti- added we have had many directors who arrive at Castle Park and try to change the programs that we have developed. Later they go away, and the teachers stay themselves as people in charge to badly repair the damages caused by a director. They come and they go away, but the teachers continue”.
“I widely am described to make my work, perhaps the director felt intimidated by me and my colleagues”, added Petti.
“For a pair of years - Peggy Myers- comments we had a very good leader like director, who looked for the strengths of each teacher and he fomented them, so the results of our tests were highest than it has had Castle Park. From the entrance of Ollie Matos, which has been a very weak leader, the behavior of the students is at its worse moment and the moral of the staff is in its lower point”.
“The problem is not the five teachers in Castle Park - the problem added Meyers- is that if Lowell Billing allows the transference of teachers simply because the directors cannot work with them, then all the teachers of this district run the irrigation of being transferred to express itself in favor of the well-being of the children and the community”.
“The parents of family of the community need to know that they have the right to show his inconformidad before the decisions of the directors if they think that they do not benefit his children, - Petti- commented need to know that their voices have value, that their opinions tell and that it has the power to change the things in the primary ones and the scholastic district. The teachers, and the employees of the district we worked for the families of the community. The parents must of knowing and believing this”.
Note: The correct spelling is Peggie Myers.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
We're better off with 2 or more languages
I like to know what other people are saying and thinking--even if they aren't saying it in English. Sometimes I'll do a Google search and the only article that talks about the precise issue that interests me is in German or Japanese. In that case, I use Google's handy "Translate this page" button.
But the results aren't always that great. As an example, I offer an article that came out in San Diego's La Prensa newspaper in October of 2004. It concerns the teacher culture that developed at Castle Park Elementary School over a period of many years. In 2004, the Chula Vista Elementary School District, which had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend the criminal actions of Castle Park Elementary teachers, finally got fed up. Five teachers were transferred out of the school. La Prensa told the story of two of those transferred teachers, Peggie Myers and Stephenie Parker-Pettit.
Here is the Google translation of the article. I found the translation fascinating to read, but the Spanish version made a lot more sense.
October 8, 2004
The teachers of Castle Park count their history
By Luis Alonso Perez
The first day of classes in Castle Park Elementary did not begin like in previous years.
This year the children outside ran into with a group of parents and teachers pronouncing itself with posters of their school, against the unexpected change of establishment of a group of teachers that had been several years working for that primary one.
Some children carried in their clothes transfers with the word “Respect”. When he arrived Tom Cruz - Attending of the district inspector he bothered themselves and he asked the demonstrators who did not involve the children, who that problem did not have to do with the children.
But for Peggy Myers - One of the teachers reasignadas to another primary this has to do the children directly, its nine years of masterful effort as in Castle Park have been by the children and the community.
Now, Peggy Myers has to his position a hall fifth primary in Allen Elementary School, but she continues thinking that its change was totally injustificado and still it is furious by the form in which this situation was carried out, specially the form in which found out its transference.
In August last Myers was vacacionando in London, taking advantage of the opportunity to see his husband by five days - as she is assigned by the army to a base in Saudi Arabia when she received a call of his son Greg, informing to him that she had been notified by Tom Cruz who wished to speak with her as soon as she was of return.
In the following days Greg received calls of other teachers commenting to him that Cruz and Lowell had spoken with Billings - Inspector of the district and had been transferred to other primary ones. When finding out, Myers was disturbed totally since she never waited for it. The news obvious ruined its vacations.
Pero Peggy Myers was not the only teacher surprised by the news. Stephenie Petti, teacher of third bilingual degree received a call of Tom Cruz the 16 of August, in which it informed on a meeting the 18 to him into August to discuss on problems that arose the year last in CP and to analyze his subjet for the incoming scholastic year.
His first impression was that it was a hunting of witches to undo of the teachers who caused to problems in Castle Park. For the day of the appointment, Petti she was so estresada that it began to present/display symptoms of complications in his pregnancy. It could not sleep and it underwent panic attacks.
The day of the appointment received the surprise of which the following scholastic year was not going to give to classes in Castle the Parks, who had assigned it to Salt Creek Elementary and she was not going to have a bilingual group.
The news impressed it to the point in which it began to have childbirth contractions then, which caused that in one week it had to go to the hospital because of physical and emotional problems.
When the teachers asked the reason for the transference the answer was simple: The changes were made “By the benefit of the educative program and the students”.
When listening this Peggy Myers asked how was going to benefit to the program or the students, to transfer to a member of the only equipment in Castle Park who had developed a curriculum different from the traditional program?
Lowell Billings did not answer.
When he asked How to transfer a teacher who taught to other teachers in USD on how to give classes to bilingual groups was going to benefit?
Again Billings did not answer.
Stephenie Petti will not be able to begin to give classes in this scholastic year, since is disabled person by her pregnancy. It will return to his workings like teacher when January or February is born its baby in.
Myers and the rest of the teachers thinks that the true reason for its exit of Castle Park was because they were not scared to show his inconformidad with the way in which the director of the primary Ollie Matos directed the school.
“I am arranged to defend what I believe that he is the correct thing and to criticize what I believe that is bad, - Petti- comments concern the students and the educative programs to me of Castle Park. I have a deep interest in its well-being, the academic progress and its personal lives. The families (of the community) are my families, their children are my children”.
“I am not scared to him to the administrative ones, - Petti- added we have had many directors who arrive at Castle Park and try to change the programs that we have developed. Later they go away, and the teachers stay themselves as people in charge to badly repair the damages caused by a director. They come and they go away, but the teachers continue”.
“I widely am described to make my work, perhaps the director felt intimidated by me and my colleagues”, added Petti.
“For a pair of years - Peggy Myers- comments we had a very good leader like director, who looked for the strengths of each teacher and he fomented them, so the results of our tests were highest than it has had Castle Park. From the entrance of Ollie Matos, which has been a very weak leader, the behavior of the students is at its worse moment and the moral of the staff is in its lower point”.
“The problem is not the five teachers in Castle Park - the problem added Meyers- is that if Lowell Billing allows the transference of teachers simply because the directors cannot work with them, then all the teachers of this district run the irrigation of being transferred to express itself in favor of the well-being of the children and the community”.
“The parents of family of the community need to know that they have the right to show his inconformidad before the decisions of the directors if they think that they do not benefit his children, - Petti- commented need to know that their voices have value, that their opinions tell and that it has the power to change the things in the primary ones and the scholastic district. The teachers, and the employees of the district we worked for the families of the community. The parents must of knowing and believing this”.
Note: The correct spelling is Peggie Myers.
But the results aren't always that great. As an example, I offer an article that came out in San Diego's La Prensa newspaper in October of 2004. It concerns the teacher culture that developed at Castle Park Elementary School over a period of many years. In 2004, the Chula Vista Elementary School District, which had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend the criminal actions of Castle Park Elementary teachers, finally got fed up. Five teachers were transferred out of the school. La Prensa told the story of two of those transferred teachers, Peggie Myers and Stephenie Parker-Pettit.
Here is the Google translation of the article. I found the translation fascinating to read, but the Spanish version made a lot more sense.
October 8, 2004
The teachers of Castle Park count their history
By Luis Alonso Perez
The first day of classes in Castle Park Elementary did not begin like in previous years.
This year the children outside ran into with a group of parents and teachers pronouncing itself with posters of their school, against the unexpected change of establishment of a group of teachers that had been several years working for that primary one.
Some children carried in their clothes transfers with the word “Respect”. When he arrived Tom Cruz - Attending of the district inspector he bothered themselves and he asked the demonstrators who did not involve the children, who that problem did not have to do with the children.
But for Peggy Myers - One of the teachers reasignadas to another primary this has to do the children directly, its nine years of masterful effort as in Castle Park have been by the children and the community.
Now, Peggy Myers has to his position a hall fifth primary in Allen Elementary School, but she continues thinking that its change was totally injustificado and still it is furious by the form in which this situation was carried out, specially the form in which found out its transference.
In August last Myers was vacacionando in London, taking advantage of the opportunity to see his husband by five days - as she is assigned by the army to a base in Saudi Arabia when she received a call of his son Greg, informing to him that she had been notified by Tom Cruz who wished to speak with her as soon as she was of return.
In the following days Greg received calls of other teachers commenting to him that Cruz and Lowell had spoken with Billings - Inspector of the district and had been transferred to other primary ones. When finding out, Myers was disturbed totally since she never waited for it. The news obvious ruined its vacations.
Pero Peggy Myers was not the only teacher surprised by the news. Stephenie Petti, teacher of third bilingual degree received a call of Tom Cruz the 16 of August, in which it informed on a meeting the 18 to him into August to discuss on problems that arose the year last in CP and to analyze his subjet for the incoming scholastic year.
His first impression was that it was a hunting of witches to undo of the teachers who caused to problems in Castle Park. For the day of the appointment, Petti she was so estresada that it began to present/display symptoms of complications in his pregnancy. It could not sleep and it underwent panic attacks.
The day of the appointment received the surprise of which the following scholastic year was not going to give to classes in Castle the Parks, who had assigned it to Salt Creek Elementary and she was not going to have a bilingual group.
The news impressed it to the point in which it began to have childbirth contractions then, which caused that in one week it had to go to the hospital because of physical and emotional problems.
When the teachers asked the reason for the transference the answer was simple: The changes were made “By the benefit of the educative program and the students”.
When listening this Peggy Myers asked how was going to benefit to the program or the students, to transfer to a member of the only equipment in Castle Park who had developed a curriculum different from the traditional program?
Lowell Billings did not answer.
When he asked How to transfer a teacher who taught to other teachers in USD on how to give classes to bilingual groups was going to benefit?
Again Billings did not answer.
Stephenie Petti will not be able to begin to give classes in this scholastic year, since is disabled person by her pregnancy. It will return to his workings like teacher when January or February is born its baby in.
Myers and the rest of the teachers thinks that the true reason for its exit of Castle Park was because they were not scared to show his inconformidad with the way in which the director of the primary Ollie Matos directed the school.
“I am arranged to defend what I believe that he is the correct thing and to criticize what I believe that is bad, - Petti- comments concern the students and the educative programs to me of Castle Park. I have a deep interest in its well-being, the academic progress and its personal lives. The families (of the community) are my families, their children are my children”.
“I am not scared to him to the administrative ones, - Petti- added we have had many directors who arrive at Castle Park and try to change the programs that we have developed. Later they go away, and the teachers stay themselves as people in charge to badly repair the damages caused by a director. They come and they go away, but the teachers continue”.
“I widely am described to make my work, perhaps the director felt intimidated by me and my colleagues”, added Petti.
“For a pair of years - Peggy Myers- comments we had a very good leader like director, who looked for the strengths of each teacher and he fomented them, so the results of our tests were highest than it has had Castle Park. From the entrance of Ollie Matos, which has been a very weak leader, the behavior of the students is at its worse moment and the moral of the staff is in its lower point”.
“The problem is not the five teachers in Castle Park - the problem added Meyers- is that if Lowell Billing allows the transference of teachers simply because the directors cannot work with them, then all the teachers of this district run the irrigation of being transferred to express itself in favor of the well-being of the children and the community”.
“The parents of family of the community need to know that they have the right to show his inconformidad before the decisions of the directors if they think that they do not benefit his children, - Petti- commented need to know that their voices have value, that their opinions tell and that it has the power to change the things in the primary ones and the scholastic district. The teachers, and the employees of the district we worked for the families of the community. The parents must of knowing and believing this”.
Note: The correct spelling is Peggie Myers.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
A budget that sticks in your throat
Lani Lutar writes in Voice of San Diego today about the three members of the San Diego Unified School District board who last week approved a $2.2 billion budget without knowing what they were approving:
"None of the board members disputed the fact that the $2.2 billion budget was nothing more than a compilation of undecipherable spreadsheets. Yet three out of five board members signed off on it, nevertheless. Their reasons differ, but as the voiceofsandiego.org's Vladimir Kogan reported last week, at least one board member believes that the governing board's role is limited to approving the budget, not formulating it. That same board member also believes that the community doesn't have a right to get involved in the budgetary process.
"Another board member said she felt comfortable approving the budget after being assured that the trustees could make amendments to some programs in July, and making clear that she wanted the process changed next year. And yet another proclaimed that approving the budget was the right thing to do "for the children." I almost gagged when I heard that one."
The last refuge of scoundrels in schools seems to be the claim that they're doing something "for the children." I gained new respect for Lani when she acknowledged that fact.
Why have a board at all if it's not going to oversee anything?
Now, if Lani would just apply these same standards to Chula Vista Elementary School District. The San Diego Taxpayers Association gave CVESD an award a few years ago WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BUDGETS! Why didn't you gag on that one, Lani?
"None of the board members disputed the fact that the $2.2 billion budget was nothing more than a compilation of undecipherable spreadsheets. Yet three out of five board members signed off on it, nevertheless. Their reasons differ, but as the voiceofsandiego.org's Vladimir Kogan reported last week, at least one board member believes that the governing board's role is limited to approving the budget, not formulating it. That same board member also believes that the community doesn't have a right to get involved in the budgetary process.
"Another board member said she felt comfortable approving the budget after being assured that the trustees could make amendments to some programs in July, and making clear that she wanted the process changed next year. And yet another proclaimed that approving the budget was the right thing to do "for the children." I almost gagged when I heard that one."
The last refuge of scoundrels in schools seems to be the claim that they're doing something "for the children." I gained new respect for Lani when she acknowledged that fact.
Why have a board at all if it's not going to oversee anything?
Now, if Lani would just apply these same standards to Chula Vista Elementary School District. The San Diego Taxpayers Association gave CVESD an award a few years ago WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BUDGETS! Why didn't you gag on that one, Lani?
Monday, July 02, 2007
What kind of teachers did Bush and Libby have in grade school?
We need teachers who understand the value of the truth. It's hard to solve the serious problems of the world when you're dealing with false facts.
Sadly, many teachers think it's okay if they lie, but they'll attack the character of children who lie.
I'm guessing this is the type of person George Bush has kept around him all his life. George Bush and his friends seem to have less respect for the truth than most Democratic or Republican politicians. Bush's friends impeached Bill Clinton for lying about an affair, but then they insisted that the White House should get away with lying about exposing a CIA agent in order to punish her husband for disagreeing about weapons of mass destruction.
Here's part of a July 2, 2007 Associated Press article:
Bush spares Libby from 2 1/2-year prison term
WASHINGTON - President Bush spared former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby from a 2½-year prison term in the CIA leak case Monday, delivering a political thunderbolt in a highly charged criminal case. Bush said the sentence was just too harsh.
Bush’s move came just five hours after a federal appeals panel ruled that Libby could not delay his prison term. That meant Libby was likely to have to report soon, and it put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby’s allies to pardon Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff.
“I respect the jury’s verdict,” Bush said in a statement. “But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.”
Sadly, many teachers think it's okay if they lie, but they'll attack the character of children who lie.
I'm guessing this is the type of person George Bush has kept around him all his life. George Bush and his friends seem to have less respect for the truth than most Democratic or Republican politicians. Bush's friends impeached Bill Clinton for lying about an affair, but then they insisted that the White House should get away with lying about exposing a CIA agent in order to punish her husband for disagreeing about weapons of mass destruction.
Here's part of a July 2, 2007 Associated Press article:
Bush spares Libby from 2 1/2-year prison term
WASHINGTON - President Bush spared former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby from a 2½-year prison term in the CIA leak case Monday, delivering a political thunderbolt in a highly charged criminal case. Bush said the sentence was just too harsh.
Bush’s move came just five hours after a federal appeals panel ruled that Libby could not delay his prison term. That meant Libby was likely to have to report soon, and it put new pressure on the president, who had been sidestepping calls by Libby’s allies to pardon Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff.
“I respect the jury’s verdict,” Bush said in a statement. “But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.”
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Lowell Billings explains why he's paid so much
"I think a big part of it has to do with accountability,” said Chula Vista Superintendent Lowell Billings, when asked by Channel 10 News why the taxpayers give him $205,000 per year to run Chula Vista Elementary School District.
This makes me wonder all the more about Mr. Billings' approval of this document.
I'd understand the big salary better if he'd said, "I'm good at keeping the school board's secrets" or "I know better than to show up for a deposition regarding crimes committed by CVESD."
Being accountable means NOT keeping secrets, Mr. Billings. Being accountable requires transparency.
When Billings was Assistant Superintendent for Business Services at Chula Vista Elementary School District, he ignored a teacher's report that she had been tricked by a man who had been chosen by the district to go into classrooms and talk to teachers about investing. The man was Anthony Pavia.
Fortunately, the teacher was able to get her money out of the account that had been sold to her as a different type of investment.
But it turned out to be a double swindle. It wasn't until much later that the teacher discovered that money was being taken out of her paycheck every month for an account which she had specifically disapproved. Pavia presented the teacher with a form that had two companies names written on it. The teacher had never expressed any interest in the first company. She did want to invest in the second company.
Pavia told the teacher that he didn't have any extra forms, so she would have to cross out and intital the name of the company she didn't want. Then he said the company she did want would also have to be crossed out and initialed and its name had to be rewritten on the first line, above the crossed-out words.
Then came the real fraud.
Without the teacher's knowledge, Pavia (or his assistant) wrote in the name of the company the teacher did not want. Lowell Billings approved this bizarre document, and money started flowing out of the teacher's paycheck every month. She didn't notice it for a long time, because she was not in the habit of carefully examining her pay stubs.
How many such documents, with both first and second lines scribbled out, did Lowell Billings approve? How many complaints did he get from teachers? Why did he refuse to talk to teachers who complained? Did Billings have an account with Anthony Pavia that gave Billings financial advantages in return for looking the other way as Pavia swindled teachers?
When she reported the second swindle, Lowell Billings again refused to talk to the teacher. Billings even refused, until after repeated requests, to give her a copy of the document that had allowed the monthly withdrawals from her paycheck.
This makes me wonder all the more about Mr. Billings' approval of this document.
I'd understand the big salary better if he'd said, "I'm good at keeping the school board's secrets" or "I know better than to show up for a deposition regarding crimes committed by CVESD."
Being accountable means NOT keeping secrets, Mr. Billings. Being accountable requires transparency.
When Billings was Assistant Superintendent for Business Services at Chula Vista Elementary School District, he ignored a teacher's report that she had been tricked by a man who had been chosen by the district to go into classrooms and talk to teachers about investing. The man was Anthony Pavia.
Fortunately, the teacher was able to get her money out of the account that had been sold to her as a different type of investment.
But it turned out to be a double swindle. It wasn't until much later that the teacher discovered that money was being taken out of her paycheck every month for an account which she had specifically disapproved. Pavia presented the teacher with a form that had two companies names written on it. The teacher had never expressed any interest in the first company. She did want to invest in the second company.
Pavia told the teacher that he didn't have any extra forms, so she would have to cross out and intital the name of the company she didn't want. Then he said the company she did want would also have to be crossed out and initialed and its name had to be rewritten on the first line, above the crossed-out words.
Then came the real fraud.
Without the teacher's knowledge, Pavia (or his assistant) wrote in the name of the company the teacher did not want. Lowell Billings approved this bizarre document, and money started flowing out of the teacher's paycheck every month. She didn't notice it for a long time, because she was not in the habit of carefully examining her pay stubs.
How many such documents, with both first and second lines scribbled out, did Lowell Billings approve? How many complaints did he get from teachers? Why did he refuse to talk to teachers who complained? Did Billings have an account with Anthony Pavia that gave Billings financial advantages in return for looking the other way as Pavia swindled teachers?
When she reported the second swindle, Lowell Billings again refused to talk to the teacher. Billings even refused, until after repeated requests, to give her a copy of the document that had allowed the monthly withdrawals from her paycheck.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Is Arnold right when he says that Californians should speak only one language?
I like to know what other people are saying and thinking--even if they aren't saying it in English. Sometimes I'll do a Google search and the only article that talks about the precise issue that interests me is in German or Japanese. In that case, I use Google's handy "Translate this page" button.
But the results aren't always that great. As an example, I offer an article that came out in San Diego's La Prensa newspaper in October of 2004. It concerns the teacher culture that developed at Castle Park Elementary School over a period of many years. In 2004, the Chula Vista Elementary School District, which had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend the criminal actions of Castle Park Elementary teachers, finally got fed up. Five teachers were transferred out of the school. La Prensa told the story of two of those transferred teachers, Peggie Myers and Stephenie Parker-Pettit.
Here is the Google translation of the article. I found the translation fascinating to read, but the Spanish version made a lot more sense.
October 8, 2004
The teachers of Castle Park count their history
By Luis Alonso Perez
The first day of classes in Castle Park Elementary did not begin like in previous years.
This year the children outside ran into with a group of parents and teachers pronouncing itself with posters of their school, against the unexpected change of establishment of a group of teachers that had been several years working for that primary one.
Some children carried in their clothes transfers with the word “Respect”. When he arrived Tom Cruz - Attending of the district inspector he bothered themselves and he asked the demonstrators who did not involve the children, who that problem did not have to do with the children.
But for Peggy Myers - One of the teachers reasignadas to another primary this has to do the children directly, its nine years of masterful effort as in Castle Park have been by the children and the community.
Now, Peggy Myers has to his position a hall fifth primary in Allen Elementary School, but she continues thinking that its change was totally injustificado and still it is furious by the form in which this situation was carried out, specially the form in which found out its transference.
In August last Myers was vacacionando in London, taking advantage of the opportunity to see his husband by five days - as she is assigned by the army to a base in Saudi Arabia when she received a call of his son Greg, informing to him that she had been notified by Tom Cruz who wished to speak with her as soon as she was of return.
In the following days Greg received calls of other teachers commenting to him that Cruz and Lowell had spoken with Billings - Inspector of the district and had been transferred to other primary ones. When finding out, Myers was disturbed totally since she never waited for it. The news obvious ruined its vacations.
Pero Peggy Myers was not the only teacher surprised by the news. Stephenie Petti, teacher of third bilingual degree received a call of Tom Cruz the 16 of August, in which it informed on a meeting the 18 to him into August to discuss on problems that arose the year last in CP and to analyze his subjet for the incoming scholastic year.
His first impression was that it was a hunting of witches to undo of the teachers who caused to problems in Castle Park. For the day of the appointment, Petti she was so estresada that it began to present/display symptoms of complications in his pregnancy. It could not sleep and it underwent panic attacks.
The day of the appointment received the surprise of which the following scholastic year was not going to give to classes in Castle the Parks, who had assigned it to Salt Creek Elementary and she was not going to have a bilingual group.
The news impressed it to the point in which it began to have childbirth contractions then, which caused that in one week it had to go to the hospital because of physical and emotional problems.
When the teachers asked the reason for the transference the answer was simple: The changes were made “By the benefit of the educative program and the students”.
When listening this Peggy Myers asked how was going to benefit to the program or the students, to transfer to a member of the only equipment in Castle Park who had developed a curriculum different from the traditional program?
Lowell Billings did not answer.
When he asked How to transfer a teacher who taught to other teachers in USD on how to give classes to bilingual groups was going to benefit?
Again Billings did not answer.
Stephenie Petti will not be able to begin to give classes in this scholastic year, since is disabled person by her pregnancy. It will return to his workings like teacher when January or February is born its baby in.
Myers and the rest of the teachers thinks that the true reason for its exit of Castle Park was because they were not scared to show his inconformidad with the way in which the director of the primary Ollie Matos directed the school.
“I am arranged to defend what I believe that he is the correct thing and to criticize what I believe that is bad, - Petti- comments concern the students and the educative programs to me of Castle Park. I have a deep interest in its well-being, the academic progress and its personal lives. The families (of the community) are my families, their children are my children”.
“I am not scared to him to the administrative ones, - Petti- added we have had many directors who arrive at Castle Park and try to change the programs that we have developed. Later they go away, and the teachers stay themselves as people in charge to badly repair the damages caused by a director. They come and they go away, but the teachers continue”.
“I widely am described to make my work, perhaps the director felt intimidated by me and my colleagues”, added Petti.
“For a pair of years - Peggy Myers- comments we had a very good leader like director, who looked for the strengths of each teacher and he fomented them, so the results of our tests were highest than it has had Castle Park. From the entrance of Ollie Matos, which has been a very weak leader, the behavior of the students is at its worse moment and the moral of the staff is in its lower point”.
“The problem is not the five teachers in Castle Park - the problem added Meyers- is that if Lowell Billing allows the transference of teachers simply because the directors cannot work with them, then all the teachers of this district run the irrigation of being transferred to express itself in favor of the well-being of the children and the community”.
“The parents of family of the community need to know that they have the right to show his inconformidad before the decisions of the directors if they think that they do not benefit his children, - Petti- commented need to know that their voices have value, that their opinions tell and that it has the power to change the things in the primary ones and the scholastic district. The teachers, and the employees of the district we worked for the families of the community. The parents must of knowing and believing this”.
Note: The correct spelling is Peggie Myers.
But the results aren't always that great. As an example, I offer an article that came out in San Diego's La Prensa newspaper in October of 2004. It concerns the teacher culture that developed at Castle Park Elementary School over a period of many years. In 2004, the Chula Vista Elementary School District, which had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend the criminal actions of Castle Park Elementary teachers, finally got fed up. Five teachers were transferred out of the school. La Prensa told the story of two of those transferred teachers, Peggie Myers and Stephenie Parker-Pettit.
Here is the Google translation of the article. I found the translation fascinating to read, but the Spanish version made a lot more sense.
October 8, 2004
The teachers of Castle Park count their history
By Luis Alonso Perez
The first day of classes in Castle Park Elementary did not begin like in previous years.
This year the children outside ran into with a group of parents and teachers pronouncing itself with posters of their school, against the unexpected change of establishment of a group of teachers that had been several years working for that primary one.
Some children carried in their clothes transfers with the word “Respect”. When he arrived Tom Cruz - Attending of the district inspector he bothered themselves and he asked the demonstrators who did not involve the children, who that problem did not have to do with the children.
But for Peggy Myers - One of the teachers reasignadas to another primary this has to do the children directly, its nine years of masterful effort as in Castle Park have been by the children and the community.
Now, Peggy Myers has to his position a hall fifth primary in Allen Elementary School, but she continues thinking that its change was totally injustificado and still it is furious by the form in which this situation was carried out, specially the form in which found out its transference.
In August last Myers was vacacionando in London, taking advantage of the opportunity to see his husband by five days - as she is assigned by the army to a base in Saudi Arabia when she received a call of his son Greg, informing to him that she had been notified by Tom Cruz who wished to speak with her as soon as she was of return.
In the following days Greg received calls of other teachers commenting to him that Cruz and Lowell had spoken with Billings - Inspector of the district and had been transferred to other primary ones. When finding out, Myers was disturbed totally since she never waited for it. The news obvious ruined its vacations.
Pero Peggy Myers was not the only teacher surprised by the news. Stephenie Petti, teacher of third bilingual degree received a call of Tom Cruz the 16 of August, in which it informed on a meeting the 18 to him into August to discuss on problems that arose the year last in CP and to analyze his subjet for the incoming scholastic year.
His first impression was that it was a hunting of witches to undo of the teachers who caused to problems in Castle Park. For the day of the appointment, Petti she was so estresada that it began to present/display symptoms of complications in his pregnancy. It could not sleep and it underwent panic attacks.
The day of the appointment received the surprise of which the following scholastic year was not going to give to classes in Castle the Parks, who had assigned it to Salt Creek Elementary and she was not going to have a bilingual group.
The news impressed it to the point in which it began to have childbirth contractions then, which caused that in one week it had to go to the hospital because of physical and emotional problems.
When the teachers asked the reason for the transference the answer was simple: The changes were made “By the benefit of the educative program and the students”.
When listening this Peggy Myers asked how was going to benefit to the program or the students, to transfer to a member of the only equipment in Castle Park who had developed a curriculum different from the traditional program?
Lowell Billings did not answer.
When he asked How to transfer a teacher who taught to other teachers in USD on how to give classes to bilingual groups was going to benefit?
Again Billings did not answer.
Stephenie Petti will not be able to begin to give classes in this scholastic year, since is disabled person by her pregnancy. It will return to his workings like teacher when January or February is born its baby in.
Myers and the rest of the teachers thinks that the true reason for its exit of Castle Park was because they were not scared to show his inconformidad with the way in which the director of the primary Ollie Matos directed the school.
“I am arranged to defend what I believe that he is the correct thing and to criticize what I believe that is bad, - Petti- comments concern the students and the educative programs to me of Castle Park. I have a deep interest in its well-being, the academic progress and its personal lives. The families (of the community) are my families, their children are my children”.
“I am not scared to him to the administrative ones, - Petti- added we have had many directors who arrive at Castle Park and try to change the programs that we have developed. Later they go away, and the teachers stay themselves as people in charge to badly repair the damages caused by a director. They come and they go away, but the teachers continue”.
“I widely am described to make my work, perhaps the director felt intimidated by me and my colleagues”, added Petti.
“For a pair of years - Peggy Myers- comments we had a very good leader like director, who looked for the strengths of each teacher and he fomented them, so the results of our tests were highest than it has had Castle Park. From the entrance of Ollie Matos, which has been a very weak leader, the behavior of the students is at its worse moment and the moral of the staff is in its lower point”.
“The problem is not the five teachers in Castle Park - the problem added Meyers- is that if Lowell Billing allows the transference of teachers simply because the directors cannot work with them, then all the teachers of this district run the irrigation of being transferred to express itself in favor of the well-being of the children and the community”.
“The parents of family of the community need to know that they have the right to show his inconformidad before the decisions of the directors if they think that they do not benefit his children, - Petti- commented need to know that their voices have value, that their opinions tell and that it has the power to change the things in the primary ones and the scholastic district. The teachers, and the employees of the district we worked for the families of the community. The parents must of knowing and believing this”.
Note: The correct spelling is Peggie Myers.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Why is Randy Ward covering up waste and wrongdoing?
Randall Ward, Superintendent
San Diego County Office of Education
Dear Mr. Ward:
Instead of keeping public documents hidden from me, why don’t you investigate wrongdoing by the SDCOE JPA, and take appropriate action?
It’s the taxpayers who pay your salary, and to whom you owe loyalty, not attorneys Diane Crosier, Daniel Shinoff, Bonnie Garcia, and their ilk.
San Diego County Office of Education
Dear Mr. Ward:
Instead of keeping public documents hidden from me, why don’t you investigate wrongdoing by the SDCOE JPA, and take appropriate action?
It’s the taxpayers who pay your salary, and to whom you owe loyalty, not attorneys Diane Crosier, Daniel Shinoff, Bonnie Garcia, and their ilk.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Duke University reaches settlement with falsely-accused lacrosse players
CNN reports:
(CNN) -- Duke University has reached an undisclosed settlement with three former lacrosse players who were falsely accused of rape, the school announced Monday.
"This past year has been hard for many people who care about Duke -- for students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and friends -- and for the three students and their families most of all," the Duke board of trustees said in a written statement.
The three students posted a statement on Duke's Web site saying, "We hope that today's resolution will begin to bring the Duke family back together again, and we look forward to working with the university to develop and implement initiatives that will prevent similar injustices and ensure that the lessons of last year are never forgotten."
David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann were accused of sexually assaulting an escort-service dancer at a party in March 2006.
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper reviewed the case and exonerated the three men in April 2007, saying the charges never should have been brought against them.
The prosecutor who brought those charges, Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, was disbarred Saturday by a disciplinary panel that said he violated the majority of at least 19 ethics offenses in prosecuting the case...
(CNN) -- Duke University has reached an undisclosed settlement with three former lacrosse players who were falsely accused of rape, the school announced Monday.
"This past year has been hard for many people who care about Duke -- for students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and friends -- and for the three students and their families most of all," the Duke board of trustees said in a written statement.
The three students posted a statement on Duke's Web site saying, "We hope that today's resolution will begin to bring the Duke family back together again, and we look forward to working with the university to develop and implement initiatives that will prevent similar injustices and ensure that the lessons of last year are never forgotten."
David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann were accused of sexually assaulting an escort-service dancer at a party in March 2006.
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper reviewed the case and exonerated the three men in April 2007, saying the charges never should have been brought against them.
The prosecutor who brought those charges, Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, was disbarred Saturday by a disciplinary panel that said he violated the majority of at least 19 ethics offenses in prosecuting the case...
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The connection between school violence and the special ed lawsuits won by Daniel Shinoff et al
As I sat listening to Superintendent Terry Ryan (Grossmont Union High School District) say that he wanted to hire lawyers who wouldn't cost much and would win cases, I shook my head. Mr. Ryan doesn't want to be advised as to the appropriate legal actions he should take. Ryan wants his main lawyer to be Daniel Shinoff, who offers districts the service of helping them get away with breaking the law. Shame on you, Mr. Ryan, for wanting that kind of lawyer.
Susan Ohanian recently published an article that talks about the efforts of school districts to save money on special education students by mainstreaming them instead of sending them to special schools.
The article brought back the memory of Mr. Ryan saying that special education lawsuits were a big part of the district's legal budget.
Gary Mayerson, a New York attorney whose firm has litigated cases on behalf of special-education students in 30 states, says:
"There is nobody more pro-inclusion than myself, but many school districts are using it as a pretext to avoid having to pay for appropriate special education."
Here's a quote from the article:
"On the morning of Sept. 29, 2006, Eric, then 15 years old, walked into Weston Public with two guns and shot dead the school's principal, John Klang, police reports indicate. He told investigators he was tired of taunting by other students and aimed to "confront" Mr. Klang, teachers and students. He has been charged with first-degree murder.
""Could anybody anticipate this?" asks Eric's attorney, Rhoda Ricciardi. "I think everybody could have." "
Susan Ohanian recently published an article that talks about the efforts of school districts to save money on special education students by mainstreaming them instead of sending them to special schools.
The article brought back the memory of Mr. Ryan saying that special education lawsuits were a big part of the district's legal budget.
Gary Mayerson, a New York attorney whose firm has litigated cases on behalf of special-education students in 30 states, says:
"There is nobody more pro-inclusion than myself, but many school districts are using it as a pretext to avoid having to pay for appropriate special education."
Here's a quote from the article:
"On the morning of Sept. 29, 2006, Eric, then 15 years old, walked into Weston Public with two guns and shot dead the school's principal, John Klang, police reports indicate. He told investigators he was tired of taunting by other students and aimed to "confront" Mr. Klang, teachers and students. He has been charged with first-degree murder.
""Could anybody anticipate this?" asks Eric's attorney, Rhoda Ricciardi. "I think everybody could have." "
Why can't San Diego schools do this?
Susan White, the San Diego Union Tribune staff writer who's been working on the series DESPERATELY SEEKING AMERICA, wrote on June 10, 2007 about a place where they've figured out how to teach high school:
"In a perfect world, the ceiling in the photo lab at Duke Ellington School of the Arts would not have collapsed between classes. And the pianos wouldn't constantly be out of tune because of the leaky roof.
"This isn't a perfect world, however, so Duke Ellington's faculty and students make do with what they've got. Talent. Passion. Resilience. Make that lots of resilience.
"In many ways, this public high school in Washington, D.C., represents everything that is good about America.
"Duke Ellington's graduation rate is 99 percent, a stellar achievement in a city where the average is 54 percent. Ninety-five percent of the students go on to college, many with full scholarships, even though more than half of them enter Duke Ellington with reading and math skills at a sixth-grade level or below.
"The school's faculty boasts seven Fulbright scholars, including talented singers and musicians who also maintain professional careers. Its alumni, including comedian Dave Chappelle and opera singer Denyce Graves, support the school personally and financially.
"But . .Duke Ellington is – quite literally – falling apart. While most of its arts programs are supported by the Ellington Fund, George Washington University and the Kennedy Center, it must rely on the District of Columbia Public Schools system for repairs and maintenance..."
Here are some statistics from the California Department of Education:
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES BY THE NUMBERS
99%: Duke Ellington School of the Arts
54%: District of Columbia Public Schools
82%: San Diego Unified School District
"In a perfect world, the ceiling in the photo lab at Duke Ellington School of the Arts would not have collapsed between classes. And the pianos wouldn't constantly be out of tune because of the leaky roof.
"This isn't a perfect world, however, so Duke Ellington's faculty and students make do with what they've got. Talent. Passion. Resilience. Make that lots of resilience.
"In many ways, this public high school in Washington, D.C., represents everything that is good about America.
"Duke Ellington's graduation rate is 99 percent, a stellar achievement in a city where the average is 54 percent. Ninety-five percent of the students go on to college, many with full scholarships, even though more than half of them enter Duke Ellington with reading and math skills at a sixth-grade level or below.
"The school's faculty boasts seven Fulbright scholars, including talented singers and musicians who also maintain professional careers. Its alumni, including comedian Dave Chappelle and opera singer Denyce Graves, support the school personally and financially.
"But . .Duke Ellington is – quite literally – falling apart. While most of its arts programs are supported by the Ellington Fund, George Washington University and the Kennedy Center, it must rely on the District of Columbia Public Schools system for repairs and maintenance..."
Here are some statistics from the California Department of Education:
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES BY THE NUMBERS
99%: Duke Ellington School of the Arts
54%: District of Columbia Public Schools
82%: San Diego Unified School District
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Why did Chula Vista mayor Cheryl Cox foment fear at Castle Park Elementary?
After she was falsely accused, Maura Larkins, teacher at Castle Park Elementary, voluntarily spent hundreds of dollars to get a fitness for duty examination by a psychiatrist. The doctor faxed his report to CVESD.
Why did Cheryl Cox and the CVESD board and their attorneys Daniel Shinoff and Kelly Angell continue to foment hysteria at Castle Park Elementary even after receiving this doctor's letter in August 2001?
Answer: They wanted to smear Maura Larkins in order to prevent her from revealing their violations of law. Was this smart? It would have been smarter to retract the false accusations and apologize. Instead, they stopped Maura Larkins pay (in violation of the contract) and refused to grant her the hearing to which she was entitled (also in violation of the contract).
Robin Donlan (who became famous in 2004 as one of the San Diego Union-Tribune's "Castle Park Five," then in 2007 for claiming that she had no idea how her school teacher husband suddenly came to possess 7 million dollars) also worked hard, along with her personal friend, Chula Vista Educators' President Gina Boyd, and Beverly Tucker of the California Teachers Association, to smear Larkins.
But it appears that there was another reason for Cheryl Cox's support of violations of law and the contract: she wanted to get rid of Superintendent Libia Gil.
In May 2002 Cox was willing to violate yet one more law against Maura Larkins, Labor Code 1102.5, in order to get rid of Libia Gil. Cox and Bertha Lopez went along with the BIG THREE, PATRICK JUDD, PAMELA SMITH, AND LARRY CUNNINGHAM, and voted to dismiss Maura Larkins less than two months after Larkins filed suit against the district.
Cox and Lopez got something in return: Libia Gil's resignation.
Clearly, these people felt so certain that they were above the law, that they were not afraid to flagrantly violate it.
Why did Cheryl Cox and the CVESD board and their attorneys Daniel Shinoff and Kelly Angell continue to foment hysteria at Castle Park Elementary even after receiving this doctor's letter in August 2001?
Answer: They wanted to smear Maura Larkins in order to prevent her from revealing their violations of law. Was this smart? It would have been smarter to retract the false accusations and apologize. Instead, they stopped Maura Larkins pay (in violation of the contract) and refused to grant her the hearing to which she was entitled (also in violation of the contract).
Robin Donlan (who became famous in 2004 as one of the San Diego Union-Tribune's "Castle Park Five," then in 2007 for claiming that she had no idea how her school teacher husband suddenly came to possess 7 million dollars) also worked hard, along with her personal friend, Chula Vista Educators' President Gina Boyd, and Beverly Tucker of the California Teachers Association, to smear Larkins.
But it appears that there was another reason for Cheryl Cox's support of violations of law and the contract: she wanted to get rid of Superintendent Libia Gil.
In May 2002 Cox was willing to violate yet one more law against Maura Larkins, Labor Code 1102.5, in order to get rid of Libia Gil. Cox and Bertha Lopez went along with the BIG THREE, PATRICK JUDD, PAMELA SMITH, AND LARRY CUNNINGHAM, and voted to dismiss Maura Larkins less than two months after Larkins filed suit against the district.
Cox and Lopez got something in return: Libia Gil's resignation.
Clearly, these people felt so certain that they were above the law, that they were not afraid to flagrantly violate it.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Steve Padilla and the California Teachers Association (CTA)
Dear Mr. Padilla:
Since you have a very young daughter, it seems to me that you might be interested in the California educational system. Republicans use school board positions to make sure that education is limited, in most classrooms, to rote skills and memorization. In other words, our kids are getting a nineteenth century education. In 2004, Chula Vista Elementary School District trustee Patrick Judd stated in the Chula Vista Star-News that education hasn't changed much in a hundred years. He said his interest was in building new schools. I think his real interest is in making friends with developers so they'll keep his campaign coffers filled.
The best and brightest teachers are systematically eliminated in many schools. Castle Park Elementary is a shameful example of this.
People who have achieved power in the educational system tend to focus on their personal goals, not the goal of teaching children. This includes those who control the California Teachers Association and Chula Vista Educators. Yes, Democrats work with Republicans in education to protect their own careers. The education of children is a secondary concern to most of these people.
Do you have the courage to challenge corrupt Democrats in the educational system? I believe you would have prevailed over Cheryl Cox in the last election for mayor of Chula Vista if you had dared to expose her wrongdoing as a school board member.
By the way, I must apologize, as a citizen of San Diego County, for the shocking actions of D.A. Bonnie Dumanis against your aide, Jason Moore. I am ashamed to say I voted for her. I thought that Judge Brannigan was an extreme right winger. It turns out that Bonnie Dumanis is an extreme right winger. I believe that Peter O'Toole is calling the shots in the District Attorney's office, because Bonnie Dumanis is afraid he'll run against her if she doesn't kowtow to him.
I believe that Dumanis was forced to beat up Jason Moore as part of her initiation into the inner circle of extreme right-wing politicians, much like teenagers are forced to beat up a complete stranger when they join one of the gangs that Bonnie is supposed to be fighting. Obviously, the target was chosen by the Cheryl Cox campaign. Dumanis has wasted enormous resources on prosecuting Jason Moore, a city employee who took two hours off work. Dumanis' actions have caused Chula Vista to spend over $400,000 on lawyers to represent city employees. This is tax money that has been shamefully misspent.
I also believe your administration was targeted by Dumanis so she could prove she's not soft on gays. She pleases right-wingers by being their token gay official, beating up on gays for them--while no one would think to accuse her of being anti-gay. I sure hope someone who respects the law will run against Dumanis in the next election.
You'll lose a lot of campaign money if you challenge the corrupt California Teachers Association, but you'll be doing the kids of California a big favor.
Since you have a very young daughter, it seems to me that you might be interested in the California educational system. Republicans use school board positions to make sure that education is limited, in most classrooms, to rote skills and memorization. In other words, our kids are getting a nineteenth century education. In 2004, Chula Vista Elementary School District trustee Patrick Judd stated in the Chula Vista Star-News that education hasn't changed much in a hundred years. He said his interest was in building new schools. I think his real interest is in making friends with developers so they'll keep his campaign coffers filled.
The best and brightest teachers are systematically eliminated in many schools. Castle Park Elementary is a shameful example of this.
People who have achieved power in the educational system tend to focus on their personal goals, not the goal of teaching children. This includes those who control the California Teachers Association and Chula Vista Educators. Yes, Democrats work with Republicans in education to protect their own careers. The education of children is a secondary concern to most of these people.
Do you have the courage to challenge corrupt Democrats in the educational system? I believe you would have prevailed over Cheryl Cox in the last election for mayor of Chula Vista if you had dared to expose her wrongdoing as a school board member.
By the way, I must apologize, as a citizen of San Diego County, for the shocking actions of D.A. Bonnie Dumanis against your aide, Jason Moore. I am ashamed to say I voted for her. I thought that Judge Brannigan was an extreme right winger. It turns out that Bonnie Dumanis is an extreme right winger. I believe that Peter O'Toole is calling the shots in the District Attorney's office, because Bonnie Dumanis is afraid he'll run against her if she doesn't kowtow to him.
I believe that Dumanis was forced to beat up Jason Moore as part of her initiation into the inner circle of extreme right-wing politicians, much like teenagers are forced to beat up a complete stranger when they join one of the gangs that Bonnie is supposed to be fighting. Obviously, the target was chosen by the Cheryl Cox campaign. Dumanis has wasted enormous resources on prosecuting Jason Moore, a city employee who took two hours off work. Dumanis' actions have caused Chula Vista to spend over $400,000 on lawyers to represent city employees. This is tax money that has been shamefully misspent.
I also believe your administration was targeted by Dumanis so she could prove she's not soft on gays. She pleases right-wingers by being their token gay official, beating up on gays for them--while no one would think to accuse her of being anti-gay. I sure hope someone who respects the law will run against Dumanis in the next election.
You'll lose a lot of campaign money if you challenge the corrupt California Teachers Association, but you'll be doing the kids of California a big favor.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
CTA opposes the ACLU
It's always sad when former friends go separate ways. That seems to be what happened with CTA and the ACLU.
From "California Teachers" blog:
"...Beverly Tucker [CTA chief counsel] was chosen multiple times to sit on the Board of Directors of the Northern California ACLU...this is the same Beverly Tucker who refused to defend a teacher who was dismissed for filing grievances and a lawsuit!
"I am in shock. Was it all an act, Beverly, pretending to be interested in constitutional rights? Was the ACLU a stepping stone for you? Was it all a publicity stunt for CTA?"
From "California Teachers" blog:
"...Beverly Tucker [CTA chief counsel] was chosen multiple times to sit on the Board of Directors of the Northern California ACLU...this is the same Beverly Tucker who refused to defend a teacher who was dismissed for filing grievances and a lawsuit!
"I am in shock. Was it all an act, Beverly, pretending to be interested in constitutional rights? Was the ACLU a stepping stone for you? Was it all a publicity stunt for CTA?"
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
After years of secrets and lies, Robin Donlan is finally talking
David Washburn of the San Diego Union Tribune wrote on May 18, 2007, regarding the recent lawsuit against Vencent Donlan and his wife Robin Donlan, "...Robin Donlan, who teaches fourth grade at Hilltop Drive Elementary in Chula Vista, is cooperating with federal investigators to an 'unprecedented degree.'"
Any cooperation at all from Robin Donlan in the investigation of crime is unprecedented, in my experience.
Robin's lawyer David Hiden said "she has waived attorney-client and spousal privileges and agreed to informal interviews."
In a civil lawsuit filed about four years ago against Robin Donlan for misdemeanors committed against Maura Larkins at Castle Park Elementary School District, Robin's entire defense was based on attorney-client privilege. Her argument was that any subject she had ever discussed with her attorney was something she should not have to answer questions about. Robin answered only ONE written interrogatory in San Diego Superior Court case no. 781970, and she answered it EIGHT MONTHS after it was served on her, when she knew that the plaintiff had already found out the answer to the question. Robin Donlan's brother and co-conspirator in the case, Michael Carlson, who is a sheriff's deputy in Santa Barbara, never answered a single interrogatory, nor showed up for a deposition. But perhaps he could be helpful in the current case. He could tell his sister that he puts people in jail all the time for being in possession of stolen property.
While Robin Colls Donlan's cooperation in answering questions is clearly a brand new behavior, some of her other behavior hasn't changed at all.
Robin ensnared a lot of her friends in her crimes, but they all stood loyally by her, claiming the same attorney-client privilege, and committing felonies to cover up her misdemeanors. Robin, on the other hand, seems to have turned against her husband. That's probably wise, since the FBI might be a bit tougher than Robin's victim in the previous case.
Donlan turned against Chula Vista Elementary School District after it had paid many $100,000's of taxpayer dollars to defend her. The San Diego Union Tribune wrote frequently about her attacks on the school district in 2004 when she was transferred to a new school. The district had to spend EVEN MORE MONEY TO DEFEND ITSELF FROM Robin Donlan, after it had spent so much TO DEFEND HER.
Here's what I'm wondering. If Robin really believed that she had HONESTLY AND GENUINELY come into millions of dollars in wealth, why didn't she pay back the taxpayers for all the money they spent on her? Robin's former lawyer Daniel Shinoff is still living high off taxpayer dollars, but the students of Chula Vista Elementary schools could sure use the money.
Any cooperation at all from Robin Donlan in the investigation of crime is unprecedented, in my experience.
Robin's lawyer David Hiden said "she has waived attorney-client and spousal privileges and agreed to informal interviews."
In a civil lawsuit filed about four years ago against Robin Donlan for misdemeanors committed against Maura Larkins at Castle Park Elementary School District, Robin's entire defense was based on attorney-client privilege. Her argument was that any subject she had ever discussed with her attorney was something she should not have to answer questions about. Robin answered only ONE written interrogatory in San Diego Superior Court case no. 781970, and she answered it EIGHT MONTHS after it was served on her, when she knew that the plaintiff had already found out the answer to the question. Robin Donlan's brother and co-conspirator in the case, Michael Carlson, who is a sheriff's deputy in Santa Barbara, never answered a single interrogatory, nor showed up for a deposition. But perhaps he could be helpful in the current case. He could tell his sister that he puts people in jail all the time for being in possession of stolen property.
While Robin Colls Donlan's cooperation in answering questions is clearly a brand new behavior, some of her other behavior hasn't changed at all.
Robin ensnared a lot of her friends in her crimes, but they all stood loyally by her, claiming the same attorney-client privilege, and committing felonies to cover up her misdemeanors. Robin, on the other hand, seems to have turned against her husband. That's probably wise, since the FBI might be a bit tougher than Robin's victim in the previous case.
Donlan turned against Chula Vista Elementary School District after it had paid many $100,000's of taxpayer dollars to defend her. The San Diego Union Tribune wrote frequently about her attacks on the school district in 2004 when she was transferred to a new school. The district had to spend EVEN MORE MONEY TO DEFEND ITSELF FROM Robin Donlan, after it had spent so much TO DEFEND HER.
Here's what I'm wondering. If Robin really believed that she had HONESTLY AND GENUINELY come into millions of dollars in wealth, why didn't she pay back the taxpayers for all the money they spent on her? Robin's former lawyer Daniel Shinoff is still living high off taxpayer dollars, but the students of Chula Vista Elementary schools could sure use the money.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Is Jason Moore the Dale Akiki of Bonnie Dumanis?
Tanya Mannes writes about Bonnie Dumanis' mysterious "Public Integrity Unit" in this morning's San Diego Union-Tribune:
"In existence about 14 months, it has filed charges against one person: Jason Moore, a former Chula Vista mayoral aide." Jason Moore worked for Steve Padilla, a Democrat who was in a run-off election against Republican Cheryl Cox.
The investigation of Moore, for taking two hours off work to take pictures of Cheryl Cox with David Malcolm at a Cox fundraiser, began in August 2005, well before the November election. Oddly, Bonnie Dumanis says, that in the future, in most cases, "we will not investigate a complaint until after an election."
Bonnie says her office is determined to be nonpolitical. When will that start, Bonnie? Specifically, when will you investigate complaints against Cheryl Cox and her associates?
Dumanis did not even announce the existence of her "Public Integrity Unit" until March 1, 2007. Jason Moore was indicted on March 27, 2007.
O'Toole and Dumanis have each claimed to be personally interested in prosecuting perjury. But Dumanis' office recently refused to investigate proven perjury regarding illegal actions committed at Chula Vista Elementary School District when Bertha Lopez and Cheryl Cox were trustees of CVESD.
UPDATE April 25, 2014:
Maura Larkins' note: I imagine that readers are more likely to believe me regarding illegal actions and perjury committed by school officials in the South Bay after the recent revelations of pay-for-play deals with contractors. See related posts. I think these revelations will hurt Bonnie Dumanis in her contest against Bob Brewer in the upcoming election for district attorney in San Diego. But I hope that Bob Brewer, if he wins, won't give all public officials a free pass. I worry about that since Bob Brewer has made most of his money defending powerful white collar players. And he even has Bonnie's henchman Patrick O'Toole, who savagely prosecuted Jason Moore and Steve Castaneda, in his camp. That's sort of scary...
I just discovered that Bertha Lopez pled guilty yesterday to an extremely small potatoes transgression: accepting a gift over the limit. Bonnie Dumanis has not gone after the serious, truly high-stakes corruption in schools. I blame Bertha Lopez for harming students by rubber-stamping corrupt actions by both Republicans and Democrats in schools, but I believe that her prosecution by Bonnie Dumanis was largely political. Obviously, Bonnie Dumanis didn't want a trial because Bertha might have revealed too much about the corruption she knows about.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports: "Two more Sweetwater school board members pleaded guilty Thursday to minor charges in the South County political corruption investigation, effectively ending a case once described as the worst corruption scandal in a decade on a muted note. Board President Jim Cartmill and trustee Bertha Lopez each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of accepting gifts over the state limit. They will be sentenced in June."
"In existence about 14 months, it has filed charges against one person: Jason Moore, a former Chula Vista mayoral aide." Jason Moore worked for Steve Padilla, a Democrat who was in a run-off election against Republican Cheryl Cox.
The investigation of Moore, for taking two hours off work to take pictures of Cheryl Cox with David Malcolm at a Cox fundraiser, began in August 2005, well before the November election. Oddly, Bonnie Dumanis says, that in the future, in most cases, "we will not investigate a complaint until after an election."
Bonnie says her office is determined to be nonpolitical. When will that start, Bonnie? Specifically, when will you investigate complaints against Cheryl Cox and her associates?
Dumanis did not even announce the existence of her "Public Integrity Unit" until March 1, 2007. Jason Moore was indicted on March 27, 2007.
O'Toole and Dumanis have each claimed to be personally interested in prosecuting perjury. But Dumanis' office recently refused to investigate proven perjury regarding illegal actions committed at Chula Vista Elementary School District when Bertha Lopez and Cheryl Cox were trustees of CVESD.
UPDATE April 25, 2014:
Maura Larkins' note: I imagine that readers are more likely to believe me regarding illegal actions and perjury committed by school officials in the South Bay after the recent revelations of pay-for-play deals with contractors. See related posts. I think these revelations will hurt Bonnie Dumanis in her contest against Bob Brewer in the upcoming election for district attorney in San Diego. But I hope that Bob Brewer, if he wins, won't give all public officials a free pass. I worry about that since Bob Brewer has made most of his money defending powerful white collar players. And he even has Bonnie's henchman Patrick O'Toole, who savagely prosecuted Jason Moore and Steve Castaneda, in his camp. That's sort of scary...
I just discovered that Bertha Lopez pled guilty yesterday to an extremely small potatoes transgression: accepting a gift over the limit. Bonnie Dumanis has not gone after the serious, truly high-stakes corruption in schools. I blame Bertha Lopez for harming students by rubber-stamping corrupt actions by both Republicans and Democrats in schools, but I believe that her prosecution by Bonnie Dumanis was largely political. Obviously, Bonnie Dumanis didn't want a trial because Bertha might have revealed too much about the corruption she knows about.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports: "Two more Sweetwater school board members pleaded guilty Thursday to minor charges in the South County political corruption investigation, effectively ending a case once described as the worst corruption scandal in a decade on a muted note. Board President Jim Cartmill and trustee Bertha Lopez each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of accepting gifts over the state limit. They will be sentenced in June."
Friday, May 18, 2007
Who asked Yahoo to hide a lawsuit against CTA head counsel Beverly Tucker?
On May 15, 2007, someone blanked a page on my website. It was the text of a lawsuit that had just been filed against Beverly Tucker, California Teacher Association's chief lawyer.
This lawsuit is a matter of public interest, concerning California teachers and students, and very powerful people who have violated the law. If you have any doubts, just read the text and click on the links.
If anything I have said is untrue, or if these matters are not of public interest, the defendants can sue me for defamation. But of course, they don't want to sue because they know everything I have said is true, and very much a matter of public interest.
I created a new page for the lawsuit. Here is the new link.
Here is the new link.
This lawsuit is a matter of public interest, concerning California teachers and students, and very powerful people who have violated the law. If you have any doubts, just read the text and click on the links.
If anything I have said is untrue, or if these matters are not of public interest, the defendants can sue me for defamation. But of course, they don't want to sue because they know everything I have said is true, and very much a matter of public interest.
I created a new page for the lawsuit. Here is the new link.
Here is the new link.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
What the movie "Freedom Writers" should teach us
I like movies about teachers who succeed with troubled students. They're inspiring.
Teacher Tom Moore wants people to note that heroes like Erin Gruwell often don't remain in the classroom. On January 19, 2007, he wrote in the New York Times, "It’s no surprise that half the teachers in poor urban schools, like Erin Gruwell herself, quit within five years. Ms. Gruwell now heads a foundation."
Excellent point, Tom.
We need to pay teachers enough so that the Erin Gruwell's will stay. And so the Tom Moore's will stay.
Teacher Tom Moore wants people to note that heroes like Erin Gruwell often don't remain in the classroom. On January 19, 2007, he wrote in the New York Times, "It’s no surprise that half the teachers in poor urban schools, like Erin Gruwell herself, quit within five years. Ms. Gruwell now heads a foundation."
Excellent point, Tom.
We need to pay teachers enough so that the Erin Gruwell's will stay. And so the Tom Moore's will stay.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Lawsuit against CTA head counsel Beverly Tucker got taken off Internet for an hour; then I put it back on
Dear Yahoo:
Today you blanked a page on my mauralarkins.com site. Why did you do it? Who asked you to do it?
The page was the text of a lawsuit I filed yesterday. This is a matter of public interest, concerning very powerful people who have violated the law. If you have any doubts, just read the text and click on the links to the exhibits.
If anything I have said is untrue, or if these matters are not of public interest, the defendants can sue me for defamation. But of course, they don't want to sue because they know everything I have said is true, and very much a matter of public interest.
Please put my page back up, and do not take away my right to free speech.
I created a new page for the lawsuit. Here is the new link.
Here is the new link.
Today you blanked a page on my mauralarkins.com site. Why did you do it? Who asked you to do it?
The page was the text of a lawsuit I filed yesterday. This is a matter of public interest, concerning very powerful people who have violated the law. If you have any doubts, just read the text and click on the links to the exhibits.
If anything I have said is untrue, or if these matters are not of public interest, the defendants can sue me for defamation. But of course, they don't want to sue because they know everything I have said is true, and very much a matter of public interest.
Please put my page back up, and do not take away my right to free speech.
I created a new page for the lawsuit. Here is the new link.
Here is the new link.
Former CVE president sued for covering up teacher Linda Watson's crimes
Beverly Tucker, California Teachers Association lawyer, has been sued for suborning perjury and destruction of documents to undermine a member of CTA.
The teachers union is big in California, and it didn't get that way by acting like a bunch of school teachers. The union acts more like prison guards. Maybe it will be more powerful than the prison guards union one of these days.
Tucker and Hersh represented Chula Vista Educators President Gina Boyd, who was a personal friend of Robin Donlan. Robin Colls Donlan is mentioned in the case, but is not named as a defendant. Virginia Boyd and Castle Park Elementary teacher Linda Watson are named, along with CVE and CTA.
Bonnie Dumanis won't prosecute Tom Story--but it's really, really not because she's wrapped around his finger
Scott Lewis at the Voice of San Diego says on May 9, 2007:
San Diego Education Report
"Last night I got a call from Paul Levikow, a public information officer for the district attorney, who said Bonnie Dumanis, the DA, had been reading my blog post and she thought it was "erroneous."
"I had written that she was passing a hot potato. But Dumanis was not trying to avoid or get out of prosecuting Tom Story, Levikow said. When she sent this pleading to the judge Monday she was just trying to make it clear that people shouldn't automatically assume that its her deal now that City Attorney Mike Aguirre has been thrown off the case.
"Her submission is full of reasons why she shouldn't be the one to prosecute Tom Story.
"But I was wrong, the DA says, to interpret this as meaning that she didn't want the case."
Right. Bonnie might seem to pick only on government employees, while letting the officials and their developer friends
off the hook, but it's only because...well, what exactly is Bonnie's reason?
Bonnie thinks we need special prosecutors to do this sort of job. After all, they don't need developer contributions at election time. Bonnie, how about we put you on half-time duty, and hire someone else to actually do your job the other half of the time?
Bonnie is famous for letting former San Diego mayor Richard Murphy off the hook, but she's even nicer to Chula Vista mayor Cheryl Cox. Bonnie and her mad lap-dog Peter O'Toole are prosecuting Cheryl's political opponents for taking two hours off work! My estimate is that the best they'll do is get mayble three people on a jury to agree to convict Jason Moore of a felony for taking two hours off work. How about doing something worthwhile, Bonnie and Peter?
It's too bad Bonnie Dumanis doesn't have a little bit of Michael Aguirre's zeal to prosecute the people who have sold out our local governments.
San Diego Education Report
"Last night I got a call from Paul Levikow, a public information officer for the district attorney, who said Bonnie Dumanis, the DA, had been reading my blog post and she thought it was "erroneous."
"I had written that she was passing a hot potato. But Dumanis was not trying to avoid or get out of prosecuting Tom Story, Levikow said. When she sent this pleading to the judge Monday she was just trying to make it clear that people shouldn't automatically assume that its her deal now that City Attorney Mike Aguirre has been thrown off the case.
"Her submission is full of reasons why she shouldn't be the one to prosecute Tom Story.
"But I was wrong, the DA says, to interpret this as meaning that she didn't want the case."
Right. Bonnie might seem to pick only on government employees, while letting the officials and their developer friends
off the hook, but it's only because...well, what exactly is Bonnie's reason?
Bonnie thinks we need special prosecutors to do this sort of job. After all, they don't need developer contributions at election time. Bonnie, how about we put you on half-time duty, and hire someone else to actually do your job the other half of the time?
Bonnie is famous for letting former San Diego mayor Richard Murphy off the hook, but she's even nicer to Chula Vista mayor Cheryl Cox. Bonnie and her mad lap-dog Peter O'Toole are prosecuting Cheryl's political opponents for taking two hours off work! My estimate is that the best they'll do is get mayble three people on a jury to agree to convict Jason Moore of a felony for taking two hours off work. How about doing something worthwhile, Bonnie and Peter?
It's too bad Bonnie Dumanis doesn't have a little bit of Michael Aguirre's zeal to prosecute the people who have sold out our local governments.
Friday, May 04, 2007
CVESD teacher Robin Donlan is under investigation by the FBI, SEC, US Justice Department
CVESD teacher Robin Donlan is under investigation by the FBI, SEC, US Justice Department and the IRS.
The San Diego Union Tribune can't confirm this, but the San Diego Education Report is able to confirm it. The access logs for this site show that all of these government entities have been doing internet searches for Robin Donlan. The SD Union Tribune wrote on May 4, 2007: "The Internal Revenue Service, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney General's Office and the San Diego District Attorney's Office all would neither confirm nor deny any criminal investigation."
Maybe the next time Robin Donlan commits crimes against a fellow teacher, the district will do an investigation, instead of catering to her every whim. CVESD fired two excellent teachers to please Robin Donlan and her "Castle Park Family." The fact that this "family" was committing crimes didn't seem to phase the board at all. Kim Simmons, a prominent member of the "Family," was arrested last year for embezzling up to $20,000 from the Castle Park Elementary PTA.
The CVESD board member (Cheryl Cox, Patrick Judd, Pam Smith, Larry Cunningham and Bertha Lopez) spent $100,000's of public money to cover up Donlan's crimes. The board also pressured teachers and administrators to commit perjury.
The board was aided in this endeavor by Donlan's close friend Gina Boyd, former Chula Vista Educator's president, and Jim Groth, current CVE president, as well as CTA president Barbara Kerr and CTA head counsel Beverly Tucker.
On May 4, 2007, Robin Donlan was served along with her husband Vencent Donlan (Vence) with a $7.7 million lawsuit for fraudulently issuing stock options for local San Diego company Wireless Facilities, where Vence Donlan once was employed. Vence Donlan was in charge of entering Wireless Facilities' stock options data into company software. Robin and Vence sold the options at an enormous profit, and went on a real estate spending spree.
"The accusation that an options administrator defrauded a company of stock is unusual and suggests another avenue of wrongdoing that has, as yet, gone undetected," wrote Kathryn Balint and Keith Darce of the San Diego Union Tribune.
The Union Tribune was a huge supporter of Robin Donlan when she was transferred out of Castle Park Elementary. Along with La Prensa and the Chula Vista Star-News, the Union Trib published glowing stories about Ms. Donlan, and ugly accusations against Lowell Billings and Ollie Matos, the administrators who transferred her. All these newspapers knew about Robin Donlan's crimes at Castle Park Elementary, but refused to print a single word about them.
The San Diego Union Tribune can't confirm this, but the San Diego Education Report is able to confirm it. The access logs for this site show that all of these government entities have been doing internet searches for Robin Donlan. The SD Union Tribune wrote on May 4, 2007: "The Internal Revenue Service, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney General's Office and the San Diego District Attorney's Office all would neither confirm nor deny any criminal investigation."
Maybe the next time Robin Donlan commits crimes against a fellow teacher, the district will do an investigation, instead of catering to her every whim. CVESD fired two excellent teachers to please Robin Donlan and her "Castle Park Family." The fact that this "family" was committing crimes didn't seem to phase the board at all. Kim Simmons, a prominent member of the "Family," was arrested last year for embezzling up to $20,000 from the Castle Park Elementary PTA.
The CVESD board member (Cheryl Cox, Patrick Judd, Pam Smith, Larry Cunningham and Bertha Lopez) spent $100,000's of public money to cover up Donlan's crimes. The board also pressured teachers and administrators to commit perjury.
The board was aided in this endeavor by Donlan's close friend Gina Boyd, former Chula Vista Educator's president, and Jim Groth, current CVE president, as well as CTA president Barbara Kerr and CTA head counsel Beverly Tucker.
On May 4, 2007, Robin Donlan was served along with her husband Vencent Donlan (Vence) with a $7.7 million lawsuit for fraudulently issuing stock options for local San Diego company Wireless Facilities, where Vence Donlan once was employed. Vence Donlan was in charge of entering Wireless Facilities' stock options data into company software. Robin and Vence sold the options at an enormous profit, and went on a real estate spending spree.
"The accusation that an options administrator defrauded a company of stock is unusual and suggests another avenue of wrongdoing that has, as yet, gone undetected," wrote Kathryn Balint and Keith Darce of the San Diego Union Tribune.
The Union Tribune was a huge supporter of Robin Donlan when she was transferred out of Castle Park Elementary. Along with La Prensa and the Chula Vista Star-News, the Union Trib published glowing stories about Ms. Donlan, and ugly accusations against Lowell Billings and Ollie Matos, the administrators who transferred her. All these newspapers knew about Robin Donlan's crimes at Castle Park Elementary, but refused to print a single word about them.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
The Serious Issues Behind Bathroom Bullying
Many teachers are unmoveable in their negative attitudes towards bathroom privileges for students, and toward just about any other privilege for students. In fact, these teachers are unmoveable in their opposition to the idea that education is the main goal of teaching.
The main goal, they believe, is to teach kids who's in charge.
If Student A does his homework, but gets failing grades on tests, while Student B fails to do his homework, but scores 100% on tests, what will these teachers do?
In many cases, they will give Student A a higher grade than Student B. Student B is likely to drop out. Student A will get a worthless diploma. Is it any wonder our schools are failing?
But these rigid teachers don't just cause problems within their classrooms. They also cause many problems in their schools. One reason is that the teachers union consists largely of just this type of teacher. In some districts, there are innovative teachers who challenge this control, but these districts are rare. My union president boasted to me that her students at Castle Park Elementary in Chula Vista were fond of the saying AVOID BOYD. She thought it was something to be proud of. Needless to say, Gina Boyd supported abusive teachers. During her presidency, four above-average teachers were forced out of Castle Park Elementary in a period of six years.
One thing you can count on the California Teachers Association to do is to back up an abusive teacher, no matter how cruel or incompetent that teacher might be, when a parent or child complains about the teacher.
I hope Michael Patterson's mom (see previous post) will be able to start a discussion and an investigation into bathroom rules at her son's middle school. It's something that should be done at every school. And then the discussion needs to be expanded. Schools shouldn't be havens for Little Ceasars. They should be places where children and education come first.
The main goal, they believe, is to teach kids who's in charge.
If Student A does his homework, but gets failing grades on tests, while Student B fails to do his homework, but scores 100% on tests, what will these teachers do?
In many cases, they will give Student A a higher grade than Student B. Student B is likely to drop out. Student A will get a worthless diploma. Is it any wonder our schools are failing?
But these rigid teachers don't just cause problems within their classrooms. They also cause many problems in their schools. One reason is that the teachers union consists largely of just this type of teacher. In some districts, there are innovative teachers who challenge this control, but these districts are rare. My union president boasted to me that her students at Castle Park Elementary in Chula Vista were fond of the saying AVOID BOYD. She thought it was something to be proud of. Needless to say, Gina Boyd supported abusive teachers. During her presidency, four above-average teachers were forced out of Castle Park Elementary in a period of six years.
One thing you can count on the California Teachers Association to do is to back up an abusive teacher, no matter how cruel or incompetent that teacher might be, when a parent or child complains about the teacher.
I hope Michael Patterson's mom (see previous post) will be able to start a discussion and an investigation into bathroom rules at her son's middle school. It's something that should be done at every school. And then the discussion needs to be expanded. Schools shouldn't be havens for Little Ceasars. They should be places where children and education come first.
Good Teacher or Bathroom Bully?
How a teacher handles bathroom privileges tells a lot about a teacher. But asking that a teacher be fired for denying bathroom privileges is like asking that a lawyer be disbarred for--well--refusing to allow a client to go to the bathroom.
This behavior raises a question about whether a professional has adequate respect for those he serves, but it doesn't ANSWER that question.
The science teacher at Charles M. Goethe Middle School in Sacramento, California who earned a spot in the news in April 2007 sounds suspiciously like someone who does not have a handle on classroom management. The mother of student Michael Patterson, with the backing of the local NAACP, is demanding that a teacher be fired for making her son urinate in a bottle in the back of his science classroom rather than allowing him to go to the bathroom.
But before I judge the teacher, I'd like to know what exactly was going on in class when he refused to allow 14-year-old Michael Patterson to go to the bathroom. Was it a once-in-a-lifetime science demonstration? Or was it independent work time?
Many teachers are bathroom bullies. Some of them should be fired, others shouldn't.
Some bathroom-bully teachers are of limited intelligence and even more limited teaching ability and are impossible to rehabilitate. They should be fired. Some teachers are out-and-out racists. They usually reveal themselves as such only in off-guard moments. We must be careful before pinning the racist label on a teacher for a single action, but when a racist teacher is exposed, he or she should be given a chance at rehabilitation, and should be fired only if he or she continues to disobey the laws regarding equal treatment of all.
But there is another group of teachers who are basically good at what they do, and who happen to have a few blind spots.
This second group of bathroom-bully teachers are good enough teachers that they should be allowed to keep their jobs; they simply need some attention from the school administration. Ideally, they would receive professional counseling to help them deal with their demons so they wouldn't bully kids. Most teachers of this type have a handful of students they don't like, and these children are the targets of their abusive tactics. If the teacher can't grow up and behave more maturely toward all the children in his or her care, then there is a another alternative for dealing with the situation. The principal should handle the problem by protecting targeted kids, transferring them to another class or giving the teacher specific instructions on how to show adequate respect to that child.
Bathroom privileges are not at the top of the list of important school issues. At the top of the list should be the teacher's basic respect and fairness toward his or her students, and the teacher's ability to expand the knowledge and understanding of his or her students. Bathroom bullying simply raises a warning flag.
This behavior raises a question about whether a professional has adequate respect for those he serves, but it doesn't ANSWER that question.
The science teacher at Charles M. Goethe Middle School in Sacramento, California who earned a spot in the news in April 2007 sounds suspiciously like someone who does not have a handle on classroom management. The mother of student Michael Patterson, with the backing of the local NAACP, is demanding that a teacher be fired for making her son urinate in a bottle in the back of his science classroom rather than allowing him to go to the bathroom.
But before I judge the teacher, I'd like to know what exactly was going on in class when he refused to allow 14-year-old Michael Patterson to go to the bathroom. Was it a once-in-a-lifetime science demonstration? Or was it independent work time?
Many teachers are bathroom bullies. Some of them should be fired, others shouldn't.
Some bathroom-bully teachers are of limited intelligence and even more limited teaching ability and are impossible to rehabilitate. They should be fired. Some teachers are out-and-out racists. They usually reveal themselves as such only in off-guard moments. We must be careful before pinning the racist label on a teacher for a single action, but when a racist teacher is exposed, he or she should be given a chance at rehabilitation, and should be fired only if he or she continues to disobey the laws regarding equal treatment of all.
But there is another group of teachers who are basically good at what they do, and who happen to have a few blind spots.
This second group of bathroom-bully teachers are good enough teachers that they should be allowed to keep their jobs; they simply need some attention from the school administration. Ideally, they would receive professional counseling to help them deal with their demons so they wouldn't bully kids. Most teachers of this type have a handful of students they don't like, and these children are the targets of their abusive tactics. If the teacher can't grow up and behave more maturely toward all the children in his or her care, then there is a another alternative for dealing with the situation. The principal should handle the problem by protecting targeted kids, transferring them to another class or giving the teacher specific instructions on how to show adequate respect to that child.
Bathroom privileges are not at the top of the list of important school issues. At the top of the list should be the teacher's basic respect and fairness toward his or her students, and the teacher's ability to expand the knowledge and understanding of his or her students. Bathroom bullying simply raises a warning flag.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Do we put ourselves at risk when mental health services are cut?
Suicides and homicides by mentally ill people are all too often accompanied by news stories that mention that the ill individual had shortly before come in contact with our mental health care system, but had been sent away because we have resources to treat only the most extreme cases.
I call this deadly penny-pinching. I saw on CNN this morning that more than 1.14 million American households have assets of over $5 million. We are a rich country. There is money to provide basic health services in this country. And the price we pay when we don't pay for basic services can't be measured in money.
Cho Byung Jae, the young man who killed himself and 32 others at Virginia Tech, was another in a long line of severely mentally ill individuals who was released from a mental hospital even though a special justice in Virginia had found him to be dangerous to himself.
I call this deadly penny-pinching. I saw on CNN this morning that more than 1.14 million American households have assets of over $5 million. We are a rich country. There is money to provide basic health services in this country. And the price we pay when we don't pay for basic services can't be measured in money.
Cho Byung Jae, the young man who killed himself and 32 others at Virginia Tech, was another in a long line of severely mentally ill individuals who was released from a mental hospital even though a special justice in Virginia had found him to be dangerous to himself.
How do you identify a dangerous individual?
In the aftermath of the tragic Virginia Tech killings, many people were sure they knew who the shooter was: a young Asian man who had resided in Ambler Hall, and who posted pictures of himself with pieces from his gun collection on his Facebook Webpage.
The people who assumed this young man was guilty were wrong. This was a normal, happy young man who was interested in guns. He was similar to hundreds of thousands of young men and women who go hunting or target shooting, or who join the police or the armed forces. Interest in guns is not itself pathological. Vice President Dick Cheney is clearly fascinated by guns. He uses them for recreation, in a sport somewhat resembling hunting. He buys birds, and has them released in front of him at which time he shoots them. We don't suspect that Cheney is about to commit a mass shooting, or shoot a human being intentionally.
The people who assumed this young man was guilty were wrong. This was a normal, happy young man who was interested in guns. He was similar to hundreds of thousands of young men and women who go hunting or target shooting, or who join the police or the armed forces. Interest in guns is not itself pathological. Vice President Dick Cheney is clearly fascinated by guns. He uses them for recreation, in a sport somewhat resembling hunting. He buys birds, and has them released in front of him at which time he shoots them. We don't suspect that Cheney is about to commit a mass shooting, or shoot a human being intentionally.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Castle Park Elementary and school shootings
Most school shootings in America are committed by young people, while adults commit most of such crimes in other countries--and there are fewer shootings in other countries.
My explanation is that very few human beings are capable of going to a school and shooting people. In the U.S., quite a few of these unusual individuals are able to get guns when they are young, and they proceed to commit their once-in-a-lifetime crimes. In other countries, these disturbed individuals can't get the guns until they are older, at which time some of them have calmed down and established peaceful lives.
This topic should be discussed openly at Castle Park Elementary in Chula Vista. A disturbed goup of teachers has been struggling for years with an urban legend started by Robin Donlan and her friends, and exacerbated by Cheryl Cox and her lawyers, that someone is going to come to Castle Park Elementary and shoot everybody.
These cynical educators and education lawyers have compromised the mental health of several teachers at Castle Park, resulting in deep paranoia imposed upon earlier mental problems.
Those responsible should try to undo the harm they have done. One principal and one district administrator tried to fix the school, but they went about it in the wrong way. They didn't shine a light on the truth to benefit the hysterical teachers, they just tried to transfer out those who had kept themselves in power by whipping up the staff into a years-long frenzy of anger and fear. (It's a common strategy: to make people afraid by ranting about evil "others" in order to exert control over and loyalty from frightened people, while at the same time carefully covering up the truth.)
In CVESD, the lawyers and teachers union, Chula Vista Educators, have stood in the way of any help for these troubled teachers. Who suffers most when a teacher is crazy? His/her students do--both academically and psychologically.
My explanation is that very few human beings are capable of going to a school and shooting people. In the U.S., quite a few of these unusual individuals are able to get guns when they are young, and they proceed to commit their once-in-a-lifetime crimes. In other countries, these disturbed individuals can't get the guns until they are older, at which time some of them have calmed down and established peaceful lives.
This topic should be discussed openly at Castle Park Elementary in Chula Vista. A disturbed goup of teachers has been struggling for years with an urban legend started by Robin Donlan and her friends, and exacerbated by Cheryl Cox and her lawyers, that someone is going to come to Castle Park Elementary and shoot everybody.
These cynical educators and education lawyers have compromised the mental health of several teachers at Castle Park, resulting in deep paranoia imposed upon earlier mental problems.
Those responsible should try to undo the harm they have done. One principal and one district administrator tried to fix the school, but they went about it in the wrong way. They didn't shine a light on the truth to benefit the hysterical teachers, they just tried to transfer out those who had kept themselves in power by whipping up the staff into a years-long frenzy of anger and fear. (It's a common strategy: to make people afraid by ranting about evil "others" in order to exert control over and loyalty from frightened people, while at the same time carefully covering up the truth.)
In CVESD, the lawyers and teachers union, Chula Vista Educators, have stood in the way of any help for these troubled teachers. Who suffers most when a teacher is crazy? His/her students do--both academically and psychologically.
Monday, April 16, 2007
An Open Letter to David Bejarano, Former Police Chief of San Diego and US Marshall
The following is from Marie Killelea's CVESD Report:
___________________________________
When Patrick Judd interviewed you for the open Chula Vista Elementary School District board position on January 23, 2007, he asked you, “If a board member feels strongly about a matter, BUT HIS/HER POSITION IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE BOARD, how should this trustee conduct him/herself?”
The correct answer was words to the effect of, “I will keep my mouth shut.”
You must have passed with flying colors. Pat Judd and the rest of the board expect you to keep silent when the board commits crimes and other violations of law. In recent years, every single board member has been willing to authorize, aid and abet
CVESD's illegal actions.
But is this an appropriate mode of behavior for a former Police Chief of San Diego and former US Marshall?
No, it’s not. It’s a crime for ANYBODY to authorize, aid and abet any crime. But for a former high-level law enforcement officer, it’s egregious.
Many people with higher political ambitions have joined the CVESD board, including your predecessor, Cheryl Cox. I’m guessing that you are similarly motivated.
May I suggest that you lead the corrupt CVESD board away from its current policy of maintaining a wall of silence and lies, where politics rules at every level, causing bad employees to be given positions of power and good employees to be pushed out, no matter how many laws are violated?
CVESD has behaved like our current US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose office tried to turn the US Federal Courts into a Bush political machine. It was a partisan, un-American campaign to bring the federal judiciary under political control. Karl Rove claims to have “lost” thousands of emails regarding this matter. Did he get lessons from CVESD? CVESD appears to have “lost” documents, too. In addition, CVESD forced teachers to commit perjury to cover-up the alteration of documents, and even pressured
law enforcement officers to commit perjury. I would like to see CVESD to come clean and root out the deep corruption created by Pat Judd’s current board majority (with the aid of the teachers union, Chula Vista Educators and CTA) and repair the damage done to children and schools by the current board majority.
For too long, CVESD has placed the rule of law and the wellbeing of children on the back burner. It’s time for a housecleaning and change in focus at CVESD.
By the way, Mr. Bejarano, Patrick Judd didn’t mention illegal actions in his question, so you wouldn’t be breaking your promise to keep silent. Anyone would assume that “a matter” meant “a matter of opinion,” not a violation of the law.
___________________________________
When Patrick Judd interviewed you for the open Chula Vista Elementary School District board position on January 23, 2007, he asked you, “If a board member feels strongly about a matter, BUT HIS/HER POSITION IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE BOARD, how should this trustee conduct him/herself?”
The correct answer was words to the effect of, “I will keep my mouth shut.”
You must have passed with flying colors. Pat Judd and the rest of the board expect you to keep silent when the board commits crimes and other violations of law. In recent years, every single board member has been willing to authorize, aid and abet
CVESD's illegal actions.
But is this an appropriate mode of behavior for a former Police Chief of San Diego and former US Marshall?
No, it’s not. It’s a crime for ANYBODY to authorize, aid and abet any crime. But for a former high-level law enforcement officer, it’s egregious.
Many people with higher political ambitions have joined the CVESD board, including your predecessor, Cheryl Cox. I’m guessing that you are similarly motivated.
May I suggest that you lead the corrupt CVESD board away from its current policy of maintaining a wall of silence and lies, where politics rules at every level, causing bad employees to be given positions of power and good employees to be pushed out, no matter how many laws are violated?
CVESD has behaved like our current US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, whose office tried to turn the US Federal Courts into a Bush political machine. It was a partisan, un-American campaign to bring the federal judiciary under political control. Karl Rove claims to have “lost” thousands of emails regarding this matter. Did he get lessons from CVESD? CVESD appears to have “lost” documents, too. In addition, CVESD forced teachers to commit perjury to cover-up the alteration of documents, and even pressured
law enforcement officers to commit perjury. I would like to see CVESD to come clean and root out the deep corruption created by Pat Judd’s current board majority (with the aid of the teachers union, Chula Vista Educators and CTA) and repair the damage done to children and schools by the current board majority.
For too long, CVESD has placed the rule of law and the wellbeing of children on the back burner. It’s time for a housecleaning and change in focus at CVESD.
By the way, Mr. Bejarano, Patrick Judd didn’t mention illegal actions in his question, so you wouldn’t be breaking your promise to keep silent. Anyone would assume that “a matter” meant “a matter of opinion,” not a violation of the law.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Cheryl Cox plays softball with her friends, and hardball with everyone else
Cheryl Cox has moved from school board to mayor in Chula Vista. She used to suborn perjury to protect her political career. The actual signed documents of one of the perjuries that she caused are at the bottom of this page. Then Cheryl moved up in the world, becoming even more powerful.
Now she can cause even more trouble. A young man who took a couple hours off work to photograph her with her disgraced friend David Malcolm could end up in jail for years. Bonnie Dumanis claims that the young man lied about whether he filled out his leave slip before or after his two-hour leave to go to the twilight yacht party where Cheryl was raising money. Dumanis claims that she wants to restore trust in government, and for that reason she has charged Jason Moore with multiple perjury felonies.
But Bonnie refused to prosecute obstruction of justice committed on behalf of Cheryl Cox's and Chula Vista Elementary School District. Bonnie, this looks like you are trying to curry favor with politicians, not restore trust in government. As long as you look the other way when Cheryl Cox and CVESD spend hundreds of thousands of public dollars covering-up crimes, you won't restore trust in government. You just make it appear that your services are available in exchange for political favors.
Bonnie Dumanis was also friendly with former SDCOE Superintendent Rudy Castruita, who provided the unethical lawyers to Cheryl Cox and CVESD. Rudy put a big photo of Bonnie on the San Diego Office of Education web site--which is funded by tax dollars. Cheryl's law firm, Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz was also involved in the recent gift of public money to Laurie Madigan, the wife of developer Mike Madigan.
Apparently, Cheryl and Bonnie both like to intimidate people. Cheryl once called me up, and started by saying, "Maura....This is Dr. Cox."
I knew I was supposed to feel intimidated because she gave herself a title and called me by my first name, but actually I had to struggle to stifle a laugh. Cheryl's doctorate is in education, and I know what it takes to get a doctorate in education. It isn't much. Have you ever heard of anybody flunking out of a graduate school education program? Only if he or she didn't show up. They seldom have to compete against geniuses. In fact, candidates for advanced degrees in education have the lowest GRE scores of all advanced degree candidates. Could that fact be related to the fact that we have a failing school system?
Cheryl approved multiple felonies, the perjury of a law officer among them, in order to hide a few misdemeanors committed by Chula Vista Elementary School District. When I called Cheryl up to talk about them, she refused to discuss it. I did fax documents to her, so she was well informed of what was going on, even if she tried to pretend she was "out of the loop." She just didn't think her crimes mattered. She thinks she is above the law. So does Bonnie Dumanis.
David Bejarano has taken Cheryl's place at CVESD. His wife is the secretary for Assistant Superintendent Susan Fahle, who ignored my public records requests for over a year. Finally, Dennis Doyle responded to my requests. I strongly suspect that Esperanza (Espie) Bejarano knows a lot about what happened at Castle Park Elementary and CVESD. But of course, her husband was handpicked to help the board keep their secrets, wasn't he?
Would voters be SHOCKED to find out that Cheryl Cox spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to cover up crimes and protect her political career? Perhaps, since she campaigned on a platform of CHARACTER and FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. She apparently fooled a lot of people into thinking she was better that Steve Padilla. Actually, Cheryl Cox is a lot worse. She finds it easy to talk the talk of clean government. She just finds it impossible to walk the walk. After all, what's a girl to do when she wants to be mayor? Tell the truth?
Now she can cause even more trouble. A young man who took a couple hours off work to photograph her with her disgraced friend David Malcolm could end up in jail for years. Bonnie Dumanis claims that the young man lied about whether he filled out his leave slip before or after his two-hour leave to go to the twilight yacht party where Cheryl was raising money. Dumanis claims that she wants to restore trust in government, and for that reason she has charged Jason Moore with multiple perjury felonies.
But Bonnie refused to prosecute obstruction of justice committed on behalf of Cheryl Cox's and Chula Vista Elementary School District. Bonnie, this looks like you are trying to curry favor with politicians, not restore trust in government. As long as you look the other way when Cheryl Cox and CVESD spend hundreds of thousands of public dollars covering-up crimes, you won't restore trust in government. You just make it appear that your services are available in exchange for political favors.
Bonnie Dumanis was also friendly with former SDCOE Superintendent Rudy Castruita, who provided the unethical lawyers to Cheryl Cox and CVESD. Rudy put a big photo of Bonnie on the San Diego Office of Education web site--which is funded by tax dollars. Cheryl's law firm, Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz was also involved in the recent gift of public money to Laurie Madigan, the wife of developer Mike Madigan.
Apparently, Cheryl and Bonnie both like to intimidate people. Cheryl once called me up, and started by saying, "Maura....This is Dr. Cox."
I knew I was supposed to feel intimidated because she gave herself a title and called me by my first name, but actually I had to struggle to stifle a laugh. Cheryl's doctorate is in education, and I know what it takes to get a doctorate in education. It isn't much. Have you ever heard of anybody flunking out of a graduate school education program? Only if he or she didn't show up. They seldom have to compete against geniuses. In fact, candidates for advanced degrees in education have the lowest GRE scores of all advanced degree candidates. Could that fact be related to the fact that we have a failing school system?
Cheryl approved multiple felonies, the perjury of a law officer among them, in order to hide a few misdemeanors committed by Chula Vista Elementary School District. When I called Cheryl up to talk about them, she refused to discuss it. I did fax documents to her, so she was well informed of what was going on, even if she tried to pretend she was "out of the loop." She just didn't think her crimes mattered. She thinks she is above the law. So does Bonnie Dumanis.
David Bejarano has taken Cheryl's place at CVESD. His wife is the secretary for Assistant Superintendent Susan Fahle, who ignored my public records requests for over a year. Finally, Dennis Doyle responded to my requests. I strongly suspect that Esperanza (Espie) Bejarano knows a lot about what happened at Castle Park Elementary and CVESD. But of course, her husband was handpicked to help the board keep their secrets, wasn't he?
Would voters be SHOCKED to find out that Cheryl Cox spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to cover up crimes and protect her political career? Perhaps, since she campaigned on a platform of CHARACTER and FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. She apparently fooled a lot of people into thinking she was better that Steve Padilla. Actually, Cheryl Cox is a lot worse. She finds it easy to talk the talk of clean government. She just finds it impossible to walk the walk. After all, what's a girl to do when she wants to be mayor? Tell the truth?
Cheryl Cox plays hardball with others, and softball with her friends
Cheryl Cox has moved from education to city government, and from suborning perjury to getting someone who took a couple hours off of work and might have lied about it charged with multiple perjury felonies. It seems that Jason Moore took some photos of a twilight yacht party held to raise money for her mayoral campaign. You wouldn't expect to wind up in jail for years for doing that, would you?
Cheryl likes to intimidate people. She once called me up, and started by saying, "Maura....This is Dr. Cox."
I knew I was supposed to feel intimidated because she gave herself a title and called me by my first name, but actually I had to struggle to stifle a laugh. Cheryl's doctorate is in education, and I know what it takes to get a doctorate in education. It isn't much. Have you ever heard of anybody flunking out of a graduate school education program? Only if he or she didn't show up. They seldom have to compete against geniuses. In fact, candidates for advanced degrees in education have the lowest GRE scores of all advanced degree candidates. Could that fact be related to the fact that we have a failing school system?
Cheryl approved multiple felonies, the perjury of a law officer among them,committed on behalf of Chula Vista Elementary School District. When I called her up to talk about them, she refused to discuss it. I did fax documents to her, so she was well informed of the crimes. She just didn't think they mattered, because they were committed by herself and her agents. She thinks she is above the law. So does Bonnie Dumanis.
David Bejarano has taken her place at CVESD. His wife is the secretary for Susan Fahle, who ignored my public records requests for over a year. I strongly suspect that Esperanza (Espie) Bejarano knows a lot about the crimes committed at Castle Park Elementary and CVESD. But of course, her husband was handpicked to help the board keep their secrets, wasn't he?
Would voters be SHOCKED to find out that Cheryl Cox spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to cover up crimes and protect her political career? Perhaps, since she campaigned on a platform of CHARACTER and FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. She apparently fooled a lot of people into thinking she was better that Steve Padilla. Actually, Cheryl Cox is a lot worse. She finds it easy to talk the talk of clean government. She's just not able to walk the walk.
Cheryl likes to intimidate people. She once called me up, and started by saying, "Maura....This is Dr. Cox."
I knew I was supposed to feel intimidated because she gave herself a title and called me by my first name, but actually I had to struggle to stifle a laugh. Cheryl's doctorate is in education, and I know what it takes to get a doctorate in education. It isn't much. Have you ever heard of anybody flunking out of a graduate school education program? Only if he or she didn't show up. They seldom have to compete against geniuses. In fact, candidates for advanced degrees in education have the lowest GRE scores of all advanced degree candidates. Could that fact be related to the fact that we have a failing school system?
Cheryl approved multiple felonies, the perjury of a law officer among them,committed on behalf of Chula Vista Elementary School District. When I called her up to talk about them, she refused to discuss it. I did fax documents to her, so she was well informed of the crimes. She just didn't think they mattered, because they were committed by herself and her agents. She thinks she is above the law. So does Bonnie Dumanis.
David Bejarano has taken her place at CVESD. His wife is the secretary for Susan Fahle, who ignored my public records requests for over a year. I strongly suspect that Esperanza (Espie) Bejarano knows a lot about the crimes committed at Castle Park Elementary and CVESD. But of course, her husband was handpicked to help the board keep their secrets, wasn't he?
Would voters be SHOCKED to find out that Cheryl Cox spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to cover up crimes and protect her political career? Perhaps, since she campaigned on a platform of CHARACTER and FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. She apparently fooled a lot of people into thinking she was better that Steve Padilla. Actually, Cheryl Cox is a lot worse. She finds it easy to talk the talk of clean government. She's just not able to walk the walk.
Monday, February 12, 2007
CVESD's Trojan Horse: Richard Werlin
How did Richard T. Werlin get from CVESD to WCCCUSD? Who will be the next Jenny Mo?
This morning I read this post from the Seattle Times, February 12, 2007, "Every day for more than five months, Jeff Schmieder walked hundreds of laps around the courtyard at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, where he was serving time for a first-degree rape he did not commit. "Walking was the only thing I had left. It just gave me a lot of time to think to myself and get my head straight," said Schmieder, who was convicted in 1998 and faced more than 11 years in prison. "Everyone in there says they're not guilty, of course. But when you're really not, it does things to your mind that you can't even imagine." Schmieder, 49, and another man, Mark Clark, were freed in 1999 after NEW EVIDENCE SHOWED THE ALLEGED VICTIM WAS IN JAIL HERSELF AT THE TIME SHE SAID SHE WAS ATTACKED."
It amazes me that intelligent people are so willing to believe an accusation.
In my case, a homeless person to whom I had given shelter was believed by police when she told them I was mentally ill, violent, and had a hand gun. They gave her MY KEYS and took me to jail FOR TRESPASSING!!!
But for some reason, no one wants to believe an employee's accusations against an employer.
People assume, for example, that an Assistant Superintendent of a school district is not emotionally troubled, dishonest and hostile. Someone in such a position can say ANYTHING about an employee, no matter how preposterous and false, and it will be believed.
Recently a teacher in Richmond was put on leave for "erratic" behavior. I happen to know the district administrator who put her on leave, and I know that he has a serious problem with dishonesty and false accusations. His behavior perfectly fits the description "erratic." When this man loses his temper, it's not a pretty sight. He goes off like a loose canon. Werlin caused the "erratic" teacher in Richmond to be handcuffed in front of her second-grade students and jailed for two days on suspicion of holding her students hostage--because she didn't leave the school in the middle of the day when she was placed on administrative leave for reporting school bullying to the media.
About two years ago I put the facts about this individual, Richard Werlin, former Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at Chula Vista Elementary School District, on my website.
So why did West Contra Costa County Union School District hire him as their Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in 2006? Did they flunk Google? No, they just doubted that what I was saying was the truth. After all, he was the district administrator, and I was just a teacher.
I wonder what Werlin told the folks at WCCCUSD was his reason for leaving Chula Vista Elementary School District? They must have wondered why he hadn't worked in so long. Apparently they didn't consider the possibility that he might have left CVESD because the district was unhappy about paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. (CVESD clearly didn't think that Werlin's crimes and other violations of law were reason to fire him.)
Or maybe their motives weren't so innocent. Be honest, folks in Richmond. Your district has done the same things that Werlin did, hasn't it? Didn't you back up administrators even though you knew they had done wrong? You need to keep teachers in line, right? The facts of any individual case don't matter to you. What matters is to keep everything under control, and present an appearance of having no problems, so those in power can stay in power, right? You'd rather protect the guilty than actually solve problems, wouldn't you? Or perhaps you just do what your lawyers tell you to do, committing perjury when they tell you to, fighting lawsuits you ought to settle. You don't stop to think that IT'S NOT IN THE LAWYERS' BEST INTEREST FOR PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED. THE MORE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE, THE MORE MONEY THEY GET.
I recommend that the entire staff of Sheldon Elementary School (that would include teacher Jenny Mo), participate in a class by Patrick Lencioni on the Five Dysfunctions of a Team. You've got serious problems at Sheldon Elementary. I somewhat regret that I left so quietly when Werlin put me on administrative leave in 2001. But I'm afraid that our newspapers are so protective of the corrupt school districts and teacher unions in San Diego that the exact same scenario could have happened at Castle Park Elementary, and it wouldn't have made it into the newspaper. The public in Chula Vista still isn't aware of how serious the problems are at my old school, Castle Park Elementary. Even when then three teachers who made false accusations against me were transferred out of Castle Park Elementary in 2004, the papers never mentioned my case, even though I had fully informed them.
I am afraid that Jenny Mo will never return to Sheldon Elementary. That's how the system works. But something should be done about the out-of-control principal and staff at Sheldon.
In addition to getting the staff of Sheldon Elementary functioning in a positive manner, Superintendent Bruce Harter should fire Assistant Superintendent Richard Werlin. Werlin triggered the fiasco at Sheldon Elementary, a scenario so bizarre that only Richard Werlin's involvement can explain it.
March 2007 Update: Rick Werlin has been replaced at WCCCUSD.
This morning I read this post from the Seattle Times, February 12, 2007, "Every day for more than five months, Jeff Schmieder walked hundreds of laps around the courtyard at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, where he was serving time for a first-degree rape he did not commit. "Walking was the only thing I had left. It just gave me a lot of time to think to myself and get my head straight," said Schmieder, who was convicted in 1998 and faced more than 11 years in prison. "Everyone in there says they're not guilty, of course. But when you're really not, it does things to your mind that you can't even imagine." Schmieder, 49, and another man, Mark Clark, were freed in 1999 after NEW EVIDENCE SHOWED THE ALLEGED VICTIM WAS IN JAIL HERSELF AT THE TIME SHE SAID SHE WAS ATTACKED."
It amazes me that intelligent people are so willing to believe an accusation.
In my case, a homeless person to whom I had given shelter was believed by police when she told them I was mentally ill, violent, and had a hand gun. They gave her MY KEYS and took me to jail FOR TRESPASSING!!!
But for some reason, no one wants to believe an employee's accusations against an employer.
People assume, for example, that an Assistant Superintendent of a school district is not emotionally troubled, dishonest and hostile. Someone in such a position can say ANYTHING about an employee, no matter how preposterous and false, and it will be believed.
Recently a teacher in Richmond was put on leave for "erratic" behavior. I happen to know the district administrator who put her on leave, and I know that he has a serious problem with dishonesty and false accusations. His behavior perfectly fits the description "erratic." When this man loses his temper, it's not a pretty sight. He goes off like a loose canon. Werlin caused the "erratic" teacher in Richmond to be handcuffed in front of her second-grade students and jailed for two days on suspicion of holding her students hostage--because she didn't leave the school in the middle of the day when she was placed on administrative leave for reporting school bullying to the media.
About two years ago I put the facts about this individual, Richard Werlin, former Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at Chula Vista Elementary School District, on my website.
So why did West Contra Costa County Union School District hire him as their Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in 2006? Did they flunk Google? No, they just doubted that what I was saying was the truth. After all, he was the district administrator, and I was just a teacher.
I wonder what Werlin told the folks at WCCCUSD was his reason for leaving Chula Vista Elementary School District? They must have wondered why he hadn't worked in so long. Apparently they didn't consider the possibility that he might have left CVESD because the district was unhappy about paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. (CVESD clearly didn't think that Werlin's crimes and other violations of law were reason to fire him.)
Or maybe their motives weren't so innocent. Be honest, folks in Richmond. Your district has done the same things that Werlin did, hasn't it? Didn't you back up administrators even though you knew they had done wrong? You need to keep teachers in line, right? The facts of any individual case don't matter to you. What matters is to keep everything under control, and present an appearance of having no problems, so those in power can stay in power, right? You'd rather protect the guilty than actually solve problems, wouldn't you? Or perhaps you just do what your lawyers tell you to do, committing perjury when they tell you to, fighting lawsuits you ought to settle. You don't stop to think that IT'S NOT IN THE LAWYERS' BEST INTEREST FOR PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED. THE MORE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE, THE MORE MONEY THEY GET.
I recommend that the entire staff of Sheldon Elementary School (that would include teacher Jenny Mo), participate in a class by Patrick Lencioni on the Five Dysfunctions of a Team. You've got serious problems at Sheldon Elementary. I somewhat regret that I left so quietly when Werlin put me on administrative leave in 2001. But I'm afraid that our newspapers are so protective of the corrupt school districts and teacher unions in San Diego that the exact same scenario could have happened at Castle Park Elementary, and it wouldn't have made it into the newspaper. The public in Chula Vista still isn't aware of how serious the problems are at my old school, Castle Park Elementary. Even when then three teachers who made false accusations against me were transferred out of Castle Park Elementary in 2004, the papers never mentioned my case, even though I had fully informed them.
I am afraid that Jenny Mo will never return to Sheldon Elementary. That's how the system works. But something should be done about the out-of-control principal and staff at Sheldon.
In addition to getting the staff of Sheldon Elementary functioning in a positive manner, Superintendent Bruce Harter should fire Assistant Superintendent Richard Werlin. Werlin triggered the fiasco at Sheldon Elementary, a scenario so bizarre that only Richard Werlin's involvement can explain it.
March 2007 Update: Rick Werlin has been replaced at WCCCUSD.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Now you've really done it, Pixie!
To: Pixie Hayward-Schnickele
If you hadn't helped Richard Werlin cover up his crimes in San Diego, it's very unlikely he would have been hired in Richmond in 2006. And if Richard Werlin hadn't been hired by your own West Contra Costa County Unified School District, the chances are miniscule that your fellow teacher Jenny Mo would have been arrested. It was shameful to arrest a teacher in front of her second-graders, haul her off to jail, and keep her there on $900,000 bond for taking her students hostage. The District Attorney did not agree with this action, and released Jenny Mo without charges. Shame on the teachers of Sheldon School who only worried about their own reputations, and were willing to damage a fellow teacher to this extent. Pixie wanted to please those teachers who wanted to silence Jenny Mo. Jenny Mo refused to be silent about her belief that not enough was being done about bullying at Sheldon Elementary School.
Principal Cynthia Swainbank is taking all the heat, but you can bet she talked to Richard Werlin about every move. You can also bet that Richard Werlin talked to your teachers union (UTR) about the case before he acted. UTR, in which you hold office as treasurer, causes problems for many teachers and students, Pixie. You personally contributed to a lot of problems in Chula Vista in your position on CTA's board of directors, and then those problems migrated to Richmond in the person of Richard Werlin.
Give teachers a break, Pixie. Quit being Beverly Tucker and Carolyn Doggett's rubber stamp as a member of the board of directors of California Teachers Association.
If you hadn't helped Richard Werlin cover up his crimes in San Diego, it's very unlikely he would have been hired in Richmond in 2006. And if Richard Werlin hadn't been hired by your own West Contra Costa County Unified School District, the chances are miniscule that your fellow teacher Jenny Mo would have been arrested. It was shameful to arrest a teacher in front of her second-graders, haul her off to jail, and keep her there on $900,000 bond for taking her students hostage. The District Attorney did not agree with this action, and released Jenny Mo without charges. Shame on the teachers of Sheldon School who only worried about their own reputations, and were willing to damage a fellow teacher to this extent. Pixie wanted to please those teachers who wanted to silence Jenny Mo. Jenny Mo refused to be silent about her belief that not enough was being done about bullying at Sheldon Elementary School.
Principal Cynthia Swainbank is taking all the heat, but you can bet she talked to Richard Werlin about every move. You can also bet that Richard Werlin talked to your teachers union (UTR) about the case before he acted. UTR, in which you hold office as treasurer, causes problems for many teachers and students, Pixie. You personally contributed to a lot of problems in Chula Vista in your position on CTA's board of directors, and then those problems migrated to Richmond in the person of Richard Werlin.
Give teachers a break, Pixie. Quit being Beverly Tucker and Carolyn Doggett's rubber stamp as a member of the board of directors of California Teachers Association.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Okay, Randy. I'll Try Again
I faxed this public records request today. I'll post the answer if it ever comes.
January 28, 2007
Randolph Ward
Superintendent, San Diego County Office of Education
Dear Mr. Ward:
Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I request a list of attorneys and/or law firms currently approved by the San Diego County Office of Education--Joint Powers Authority (“SDCOE-JPA”) to represent school districts that belong to the SDCOE-JPA.
If no such list exists, then I request the document or documents indicating the ten most recent payments provided to any attorney or law firm by the SDCOE-JPA for work done for any member school district(s).
Please feel free to redact monetary information and case information. I’m only interested in the names of the law firms.
Yours truly,
Maura Larkins
January 28, 2007
Randolph Ward
Superintendent, San Diego County Office of Education
Dear Mr. Ward:
Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I request a list of attorneys and/or law firms currently approved by the San Diego County Office of Education--Joint Powers Authority (“SDCOE-JPA”) to represent school districts that belong to the SDCOE-JPA.
If no such list exists, then I request the document or documents indicating the ten most recent payments provided to any attorney or law firm by the SDCOE-JPA for work done for any member school district(s).
Please feel free to redact monetary information and case information. I’m only interested in the names of the law firms.
Yours truly,
Maura Larkins
Why does the SDCOE JPA operate in secrecy with "gentlemen's agreements"?
Another Southern California Joint Powers Authority, So Cal Relief, publishes on the internet its list of approved attorneys.
So why does the the San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority keep secret its list of approved attorneys? Why is this list kept secret while the list of attorneys approved by the Legal Services Council is published?
And why does it have "gentlemen's agreements" instead of written contracts?
Why did Marsha Sutton write a long article about SDCOE for Voice of San Diego on May 23, 2005, without ever mentioning the JPA? Why does Voice of San Diego refuse to write about SDCOE JPA lawyers?
I won't even bother asking the above questions about the San Diego Union Tribune. It has a well-earned reputation for bias and cover-ups.
How did Voice of San Diego, which started out with such lofty goals of openness and honesty, become merely a slight improvement over the UT?
So why does the the San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority keep secret its list of approved attorneys? Why is this list kept secret while the list of attorneys approved by the Legal Services Council is published?
And why does it have "gentlemen's agreements" instead of written contracts?
Why did Marsha Sutton write a long article about SDCOE for Voice of San Diego on May 23, 2005, without ever mentioning the JPA? Why does Voice of San Diego refuse to write about SDCOE JPA lawyers?
I won't even bother asking the above questions about the San Diego Union Tribune. It has a well-earned reputation for bias and cover-ups.
How did Voice of San Diego, which started out with such lofty goals of openness and honesty, become merely a slight improvement over the UT?
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Does our justice system work?
It is right that our legal system treats those who stand accused of crimes as innocent until proven guilty, but we don't have a law that says no one must ever accuse anyone of anything. If that were the case, there would be no point in having laws. Before the legal system can come up with either a “guilty” or a “not guilty” verdict, a prosecutor has to make an allegation of guilt. It’s bad enough that our flawed justice system often allows those with money and/or power to get away with serious crimes. But it’s even worse that our decision-makers conduct business behind closed doors.
Perjury Lawsuit hearing in East County on Feb. 16, 2007
Can lawyers suborn perjury with impunity?
That is the current public policy. But Maura Larkins has filed a lawsuit to change this policy.
I've put my complaint online. I'll try to scan the exhibits as soon as possible and put them online, too.
Click here to see the lawsuit.
Quote from pleadings:
The crime committed by defendants is particularly harmful to the public good because it involved two law enforcement officers.
In his dissent in Briscoe v. LaHUE, Justice Marshall stated:
"A police officer comes to the witness stand clothed with the authority of the State. His official status gives him credibility and
creates a far greater potential for harm than exists when the average citizen testifies.
The situation is aggravated when the official draws on special expertise. A policeman testifying about a fingerprint identification or a medical examiner testifying as to the cause of a death can have a critical impact on a defendant's trial.
At the same time, the threat of a criminal perjury prosecution, which serves as an important constraint on the average witness' testimony, is virtually nonexistent in the police-witness context.
Despite the apparent prevalence of police perjury, prosecutors exhibit extreme [460 U.S. 325, 366] reluctance in charging
police officials with criminal conduct because of their need to maintain close working relationships with law enforcement
agencies. The majority thus forecloses a civil sanction in precisely those situations where the need is most pressing."
That is the current public policy. But Maura Larkins has filed a lawsuit to change this policy.
I've put my complaint online. I'll try to scan the exhibits as soon as possible and put them online, too.
Click here to see the lawsuit.
Quote from pleadings:
The crime committed by defendants is particularly harmful to the public good because it involved two law enforcement officers.
In his dissent in Briscoe v. LaHUE, Justice Marshall stated:
"A police officer comes to the witness stand clothed with the authority of the State. His official status gives him credibility and
creates a far greater potential for harm than exists when the average citizen testifies.
The situation is aggravated when the official draws on special expertise. A policeman testifying about a fingerprint identification or a medical examiner testifying as to the cause of a death can have a critical impact on a defendant's trial.
At the same time, the threat of a criminal perjury prosecution, which serves as an important constraint on the average witness' testimony, is virtually nonexistent in the police-witness context.
Despite the apparent prevalence of police perjury, prosecutors exhibit extreme [460 U.S. 325, 366] reluctance in charging
police officials with criminal conduct because of their need to maintain close working relationships with law enforcement
agencies. The majority thus forecloses a civil sanction in precisely those situations where the need is most pressing."
Sunday, January 14, 2007
New Publication: GUHSD REPORT
I've started a new publication, GUHSD REPORT (Grossmont Union High School District REPORT).
I've begun passing it out at the monthly GUHSD board meeting. The first newsletter came out December 21, 2006. The second one came out January 11, 2007. I've started putting it on line, beginning with (Link: issue number 2..
I've begun passing it out at the monthly GUHSD board meeting. The first newsletter came out December 21, 2006. The second one came out January 11, 2007. I've started putting it on line, beginning with (Link: issue number 2..
Friday, December 29, 2006
I've noticed that south county San Diego has more cover-ups
This morning I read in the Union Tribune that an ex-coach in San Marcos has admitted stealing $40,000.00 from a girls’ softball team.
Once again I am reminded that South San Diego County has the most deceptive news coverage in San Diego. If you steal money from a PTA or other fund for students in any other part of San Diego, your neighbors are probably going to read about it.
Why has the truth about Chula Vista Elementary School District crimes been covered-up? If the violations of law that were committed by the school board, teacher union, and PTA in Chula Vista had been committed in any part of the county other than Chula Vista and its surrounding communities, voters would have read about it in their newspapers.
San Diego south county voters, on the other hand, are kept in the dark by the Union Tribune’s Don Sevrens, the Star-News’ Linda Rosas Townson, and Daniel Muñoz’s La Prensa.
I doubt that Cheryl Cox would have been elected mayor, and the Chula Vista Elementary School District incumbents re-elected, if voters in south county knew the whole truth about them.
Don Sevrens wrote plenty of negative articles about these individuals in the Union Tribune’s south county edition, but at the same time, he covered up the facts that would have proved his points. Most people assume that anyone who gets fired probably deserved it. It is human nature to give the benefit of the doubt to authority figures. Don Sevrens wanted people to vote against the incumbents because they fired or transferred employees. Yet he covered up the fact that school board members had committed multiple serious violations of law. Why did he cover it up? Because the teachers’ union, Chula Vista Educators, had also been deeply involved in the crimes.
The former head of Castle Park Elementary’s discipline committee now sits on the site council, helping to cover up the theft of $20,000.00 by one of her supporters. This former chair of the school’s “Peace Committee” is known for dealing out punishments to kids that far exceed the seriousness of the child’s transgression—and for demanding that other teachers do the same. This teacher has often been verbally abusive and excessively punitive toward kids who commit small transgressions. But stealing $20,000.00 is something she doesn’t want to talk about or act on.
The staff as a whole has been unanimous in its desire to cover up serious wrongdoing at the school. Not one single teacher has come forward to tell the truth since a crime wave by teachers began in 2000.
After a year without investigating, the CV Police Department finally showed a tiny spark of interest in the missing $20,000 AFTER CVESD board member Cheryl Cox was elected as mayor of Chula Vista. Chula Vista police then called in Former PTA president Kim Simmons, talked to her, arrested her, and then let her go. District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis did not press charges. Why? Perhaps she's too busy prosecuting a young man who worked for Cheryl Cox's opponent, Steve Padilla, for allegedly lying about taking two hours off work. The San Diego Union Tribune finally allowed a short note about the arrest of Castle Park Elementary's former PTA president to be published in November of 2006, but told nothing about the other serious crimes at Castle Park.
Update May 6, 2007:
Now that teacher Robin Donlan, a close friend of former PTA presidents Kim Simmons and Felicia Starr and former teachers union President Gina Boyd, is being investigated along with her husband Vencent Donlan for the theft of $7.7 million from Vence's former employer, perhaps the crime wave at Castle Park Elementary that was started in 2000 by Donlan and her brother MIchael Carlson will get some attention.
Once again I am reminded that South San Diego County has the most deceptive news coverage in San Diego. If you steal money from a PTA or other fund for students in any other part of San Diego, your neighbors are probably going to read about it.
Why has the truth about Chula Vista Elementary School District crimes been covered-up? If the violations of law that were committed by the school board, teacher union, and PTA in Chula Vista had been committed in any part of the county other than Chula Vista and its surrounding communities, voters would have read about it in their newspapers.
San Diego south county voters, on the other hand, are kept in the dark by the Union Tribune’s Don Sevrens, the Star-News’ Linda Rosas Townson, and Daniel Muñoz’s La Prensa.
I doubt that Cheryl Cox would have been elected mayor, and the Chula Vista Elementary School District incumbents re-elected, if voters in south county knew the whole truth about them.
Don Sevrens wrote plenty of negative articles about these individuals in the Union Tribune’s south county edition, but at the same time, he covered up the facts that would have proved his points. Most people assume that anyone who gets fired probably deserved it. It is human nature to give the benefit of the doubt to authority figures. Don Sevrens wanted people to vote against the incumbents because they fired or transferred employees. Yet he covered up the fact that school board members had committed multiple serious violations of law. Why did he cover it up? Because the teachers’ union, Chula Vista Educators, had also been deeply involved in the crimes.
The former head of Castle Park Elementary’s discipline committee now sits on the site council, helping to cover up the theft of $20,000.00 by one of her supporters. This former chair of the school’s “Peace Committee” is known for dealing out punishments to kids that far exceed the seriousness of the child’s transgression—and for demanding that other teachers do the same. This teacher has often been verbally abusive and excessively punitive toward kids who commit small transgressions. But stealing $20,000.00 is something she doesn’t want to talk about or act on.
The staff as a whole has been unanimous in its desire to cover up serious wrongdoing at the school. Not one single teacher has come forward to tell the truth since a crime wave by teachers began in 2000.
After a year without investigating, the CV Police Department finally showed a tiny spark of interest in the missing $20,000 AFTER CVESD board member Cheryl Cox was elected as mayor of Chula Vista. Chula Vista police then called in Former PTA president Kim Simmons, talked to her, arrested her, and then let her go. District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis did not press charges. Why? Perhaps she's too busy prosecuting a young man who worked for Cheryl Cox's opponent, Steve Padilla, for allegedly lying about taking two hours off work. The San Diego Union Tribune finally allowed a short note about the arrest of Castle Park Elementary's former PTA president to be published in November of 2006, but told nothing about the other serious crimes at Castle Park.
Update May 6, 2007:
Now that teacher Robin Donlan, a close friend of former PTA presidents Kim Simmons and Felicia Starr and former teachers union President Gina Boyd, is being investigated along with her husband Vencent Donlan for the theft of $7.7 million from Vence's former employer, perhaps the crime wave at Castle Park Elementary that was started in 2000 by Donlan and her brother MIchael Carlson will get some attention.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Lora Duzyk and Dan Shinoff say Shinoff works for SDCOE
According to the San Diego County Office of Education's website, it offers the following slate of lawyers for school districts to hire:
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
Best, Best & Krieger
Lozano Smith
Parham & Rajcic
(Link: List of approved SDCOE attorneys.
But recently I sent a public records request to SDCOE asking for "a complete list of attorneys currently approved by the San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority." Lora Duzyk passed the request to Dan Shinoff. He wrote that the complete list consists of the following lawyers:
Dan Shinoff of Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz
Randy Winet of Winet, Winet, Patrick & Weaver
David Monks of Klinedinst P.C.
How can the lists be completely different? It apears that Shinoff is talking about lawyers who represent the JPA itself, not lawyers approved by the JPA to represent school districts.
Perhaps the JPA has a contract with Shinoff that hasn't run out yet.
Or perhaps the JPA has decided that it wants an unethical lawyers for it's own legal problems, but it will stop foisting those unethical lawyers on school districts.
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
Best, Best & Krieger
Lozano Smith
Parham & Rajcic
(Link: List of approved SDCOE attorneys.
But recently I sent a public records request to SDCOE asking for "a complete list of attorneys currently approved by the San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority." Lora Duzyk passed the request to Dan Shinoff. He wrote that the complete list consists of the following lawyers:
Dan Shinoff of Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz
Randy Winet of Winet, Winet, Patrick & Weaver
David Monks of Klinedinst P.C.
How can the lists be completely different? It apears that Shinoff is talking about lawyers who represent the JPA itself, not lawyers approved by the JPA to represent school districts.
Perhaps the JPA has a contract with Shinoff that hasn't run out yet.
Or perhaps the JPA has decided that it wants an unethical lawyers for it's own legal problems, but it will stop foisting those unethical lawyers on school districts.
What will Randy Ward do with this public records request sent today?
Randolph Ward
Administrator of the SDCOE-JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY
Dear Mr. Ward:
Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I request the following information:
1. The name(s) of all insurance companies currently doing business with or on behalf of the San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority.
2. How much money did the San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority pay to Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz or Stutz, Gallagher, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz between January 1, 2001 and January 1, 2006?
4. A complete list of attorneys currently approved by the San Diego County School Legal Council to do legal work for school districts.
HISTORY INDICATES THAT YOU WILL BE INEFFECTIVE IN FULFILLING YOUR OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW IF YOU PASS THIS REQUEST TO STUTZ, ARTIANO, SHINOFF & HOLTZ.
Yours truly,
Maura Larkins
Update:
January 16, 2007
Randolf Ward refuses to tell how much SDCOE JPA paid Daniel Shinoff from 2001 to 2006.
For some odd reason, he also refuses to tell what insurance companies SDCOE JPA does business with.
Why on earth does he think the public does not have a right to know this?
What's going on, Mr. Ward?
Administrator of the SDCOE-JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY
Dear Mr. Ward:
Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I request the following information:
1. The name(s) of all insurance companies currently doing business with or on behalf of the San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority.
2. How much money did the San Diego County Office of Education Joint Powers Authority pay to Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz or Stutz, Gallagher, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz between January 1, 2001 and January 1, 2006?
4. A complete list of attorneys currently approved by the San Diego County School Legal Council to do legal work for school districts.
HISTORY INDICATES THAT YOU WILL BE INEFFECTIVE IN FULFILLING YOUR OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW IF YOU PASS THIS REQUEST TO STUTZ, ARTIANO, SHINOFF & HOLTZ.
Yours truly,
Maura Larkins
Update:
January 16, 2007
Randolf Ward refuses to tell how much SDCOE JPA paid Daniel Shinoff from 2001 to 2006.
For some odd reason, he also refuses to tell what insurance companies SDCOE JPA does business with.
Why on earth does he think the public does not have a right to know this?
What's going on, Mr. Ward?
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Is corruption increasing in school districts in San Diego?
The Washington Post reports that: "Congress isn't the only place where public corruption is on the rise.
"More than 1,000 federal, state and local government employees across the country have been convicted in government corruption cases over the past two years, including hundreds of crooked police officers and others who have dipped into the taxpayers' till, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III said yesterday."
It's hard to know for sure if public sector corruption is increasing, since so little attention has been paid to it in the past. Is it possible that it was always this bad? One thing is for sure: the FBI is paying more attention to public sector corruption.
I had hoped that San Diego County Office of Education's new superintendent Randall Ward would try to clean up corruption in our schools. SDCOE lawyers have been charging millions of tax dollars each year to cover-up and defend illegal actions by local school board members and administrators and teachers.
"More than 1,000 federal, state and local government employees across the country have been convicted in government corruption cases over the past two years, including hundreds of crooked police officers and others who have dipped into the taxpayers' till, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III said yesterday."
It's hard to know for sure if public sector corruption is increasing, since so little attention has been paid to it in the past. Is it possible that it was always this bad? One thing is for sure: the FBI is paying more attention to public sector corruption.
I had hoped that San Diego County Office of Education's new superintendent Randall Ward would try to clean up corruption in our schools. SDCOE lawyers have been charging millions of tax dollars each year to cover-up and defend illegal actions by local school board members and administrators and teachers.
Marsha Sutton, Idealist
Why did Marsha Sutton write a long article about SDCOE for Voice of San Diego on May 23, 2005, without ever mentioning the JPA? Why does Voice of San Diego refuse to write about SDCOE JPA lawyers?
I won't even bother asking the above questions about the San Diego Union Tribune. It has a well-earned reputation for bias and cover-ups.
How did Voice of San Diego, which started out with such lofty goals of openness and honesty, become merely a slight improvement over the UT?
I won't even bother asking the above questions about the San Diego Union Tribune. It has a well-earned reputation for bias and cover-ups.
How did Voice of San Diego, which started out with such lofty goals of openness and honesty, become merely a slight improvement over the UT?
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Dan Shinoff appears to no longer be on the approved attorney list for SDCOE JPA
Update: I was mistaken when I first wrote this article.
While it is true that Daniel Shinoff is not on the Legal Services Council list of approved attorneys, it turns out that there is a secret list of lawyers, who have no written contracts with SDCOE-JPA, to whom SDCOE-JPA pays a secret amount of money each to represent school districts. SDCOE has ignored my public records requests for this information.
The following webpage lists SDCOE Legal Services Council-approved lawyers. The only thing I can't figure out is: Why is Ed Brand in charge of legal matters at SDCOE when he is no longer a superintendent?
List of approved SDCOE attorneys.
Previous SDCOE Superintendent Rudy Castruita knew about obstruction of justice and other wrongdoing by Daniel Shinoff, but was either unable and/or unwilling to challenge Shinoff. It turns out that Randy Ward, the new county Superintendent, is also covering his eyes and allowing wrongdoing to proceed unabated.
Cheryl Cox (the mayor-elect of Chula Vista), on the other hand, must pleased. Beginning in 2001, she did everything she could to support and protect Daniel Shinoff and his illegal activities. I suppose that's only fair, since he did everything he could to support and protect her illegal activities as board member of Chula Vista Elementary School District. Her most recent discussion of Shinoff's wrongdoing was in May of this year.
While it is true that Daniel Shinoff is not on the Legal Services Council list of approved attorneys, it turns out that there is a secret list of lawyers, who have no written contracts with SDCOE-JPA, to whom SDCOE-JPA pays a secret amount of money each to represent school districts. SDCOE has ignored my public records requests for this information.
The following webpage lists SDCOE Legal Services Council-approved lawyers. The only thing I can't figure out is: Why is Ed Brand in charge of legal matters at SDCOE when he is no longer a superintendent?
List of approved SDCOE attorneys.
Previous SDCOE Superintendent Rudy Castruita knew about obstruction of justice and other wrongdoing by Daniel Shinoff, but was either unable and/or unwilling to challenge Shinoff. It turns out that Randy Ward, the new county Superintendent, is also covering his eyes and allowing wrongdoing to proceed unabated.
Cheryl Cox (the mayor-elect of Chula Vista), on the other hand, must pleased. Beginning in 2001, she did everything she could to support and protect Daniel Shinoff and his illegal activities. I suppose that's only fair, since he did everything he could to support and protect her illegal activities as board member of Chula Vista Elementary School District. Her most recent discussion of Shinoff's wrongdoing was in May of this year.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Castle Park Elementary isn't the only place PTA funds went missing
Castle Park Elementary in Chula Vista Elementary School District isn't the only PTA with embezzlement problems.
(SOURCE--Ricci Graham/Daily Review)
Hayward, California PTA theft
Five people were arrested on suspicion of embezzling $56,000 in PTA funds at Lorin Eden Elementary School. Former principal Mable Haskins, 58, agreed to turn herself in after learning that Hayward police had issued a $30,000 warrant for her arrest on three counts of grand theft by embezzlement....Others arrested were former PTA president Janet Castillo, 58; former PTA president Denise Chew, 41; Chew's husband, Johnny Chew, 31, and son, Derick Thompson, 22; and Steven Airo, 31. All are Hayward residents, and Airo is a close friend of the Chew family.
(SOURCE--Ricci Graham/Daily Review)
Hayward, California PTA theft
Five people were arrested on suspicion of embezzling $56,000 in PTA funds at Lorin Eden Elementary School. Former principal Mable Haskins, 58, agreed to turn herself in after learning that Hayward police had issued a $30,000 warrant for her arrest on three counts of grand theft by embezzlement....Others arrested were former PTA president Janet Castillo, 58; former PTA president Denise Chew, 41; Chew's husband, Johnny Chew, 31, and son, Derick Thompson, 22; and Steven Airo, 31. All are Hayward residents, and Airo is a close friend of the Chew family.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Did dirty tricks get Dan Shinoff "re-elected" in Grossmont?
Many school boards in the San Diego area allow lawyers to make their decisions.
Of course, they don't usually admit that the schools are being run from behind the scenes by people who weren't elected.
But public-relations director Bonnie Hall of MiraCosta College recently came right out and said it as clear as day:
“[The president of the college] was informed this morning by college attorney, Daniel Shinoff, that the vice president of instructional services will be on leave until further notice."
It was clearly NOT the college that made the personnel decision, but the lawyer.
It seems Dan Shinoff makes decisions for many districts. Some of his decisions are illegal. If people who were elected to run schools are going to ignore the law, and give Dan Shinoff millions of tax dollars to help them get away with breaking the law, those people need to be thrown out of office.
One such person is Grossmont Union High School District's Jim Kelly (who was re-elected, but lost his controlling board majority two days ago). On the day before the election, Jim Kelly's lapdog, Superintendent Terry Ryan, sent a phone message to parents in Santee to boost Kelly's candidacy.
Or was it Dan Shinoff who told Ryan to send the phone messages? Perhaps Shinoff feared that if Kelly lost his job, Shinoff might also be thrown out.
Dan Shinoff defends the message. He says it was meant to be informational.
Right. It was positive information about one member of the school board sent out in the hours before voting began.
Cheryl Cox, CVESD school board member and mayor-to-be of Chula Vista, came close recently to admitting that Dan Shinoff is in charge of CVESD, not the other way around.
As long as Dan Shinoff is in charge of their legal affairs, school board members will continue to pay him large amounts of money (which was intended for the education of children) for unethical and illegal actions aimed at keeping them in office.
Of course, they don't usually admit that the schools are being run from behind the scenes by people who weren't elected.
But public-relations director Bonnie Hall of MiraCosta College recently came right out and said it as clear as day:
“[The president of the college] was informed this morning by college attorney, Daniel Shinoff, that the vice president of instructional services will be on leave until further notice."
It was clearly NOT the college that made the personnel decision, but the lawyer.
It seems Dan Shinoff makes decisions for many districts. Some of his decisions are illegal. If people who were elected to run schools are going to ignore the law, and give Dan Shinoff millions of tax dollars to help them get away with breaking the law, those people need to be thrown out of office.
One such person is Grossmont Union High School District's Jim Kelly (who was re-elected, but lost his controlling board majority two days ago). On the day before the election, Jim Kelly's lapdog, Superintendent Terry Ryan, sent a phone message to parents in Santee to boost Kelly's candidacy.
Or was it Dan Shinoff who told Ryan to send the phone messages? Perhaps Shinoff feared that if Kelly lost his job, Shinoff might also be thrown out.
Dan Shinoff defends the message. He says it was meant to be informational.
Right. It was positive information about one member of the school board sent out in the hours before voting began.
Cheryl Cox, CVESD school board member and mayor-to-be of Chula Vista, came close recently to admitting that Dan Shinoff is in charge of CVESD, not the other way around.
As long as Dan Shinoff is in charge of their legal affairs, school board members will continue to pay him large amounts of money (which was intended for the education of children) for unethical and illegal actions aimed at keeping them in office.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Superintendent Ed Brand is out!
Ed Brand suddenly resigned from San Marcos Unified School District on August 30, 2006. This is almost as surprising as the fact that they hired him in the first place. What were they thinking? He was connected to well-publicized wrongdoing during his tenure as superintendent of Sweetwater Union High School District, and well-hidden wrongdoing as part of a committee that advised SDCOE's lawyers.
Speaking of SDCOE, Ed Brand's friend Tom Hassey claims that SDCOE "board members" approached Ed Brand and asked him to apply for the SDCOE superintendent's job. My guess is that it was ONE board member who approached Mr. Brand--Bob Watkins.
But I could be wrong. The rest of the board keeps disappointing me. I think they know Ed Brand far too well to want to expand his power at SDCOE. Nothing says "good old boys' club" like "Ed Brand." The SDCOE board seems to want to rein in the wild boys only slightly.
It seems to me that the SDCOE board is continuing the illegal and ineffective policies practiced during the heyday of good old boys Ed Brand, Rudy Castruita and their cronies. Now Randy Ward is rapidly becoming a crony.
Speaking of SDCOE, Ed Brand's friend Tom Hassey claims that SDCOE "board members" approached Ed Brand and asked him to apply for the SDCOE superintendent's job. My guess is that it was ONE board member who approached Mr. Brand--Bob Watkins.
But I could be wrong. The rest of the board keeps disappointing me. I think they know Ed Brand far too well to want to expand his power at SDCOE. Nothing says "good old boys' club" like "Ed Brand." The SDCOE board seems to want to rein in the wild boys only slightly.
It seems to me that the SDCOE board is continuing the illegal and ineffective policies practiced during the heyday of good old boys Ed Brand, Rudy Castruita and their cronies. Now Randy Ward is rapidly becoming a crony.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
It took a year for Chula Vista ESD to acknowledge a public records request. THEN IT SAID, "WE WON'T RELEASE ANYTHING!"
Chula Vista Elementary School District wrote me a letter recently in response to a public records request I've been repeating for over a year. Here is my response to Pamela Dempsey.
Pamela A. Dempsey
Parham & Rajcic
Dear Ms. Dempsey:
I was pleased to get a letter regarding my public records request to Chula Vista Elementary School District. I’m wondering why CVESD decided to respond to my request at this time. I’ve been making similar requests for over a year.
But better late than never!
I look forward to receiving the information I have requested when CVESD personnel get back from vacation.
Thank you for your refreshing courtesy! I can’t help wondering if the reason that I’m finally getting a response to one my public records requests is that Mark Bresee has left the firm of Parham & Rajcic. I hope Mr. Bresee will behave more ethically when he is working directly for a public entity, rather than as a lawyer under contract with a public entity. But then, I’m an eternal optimist.
Again, thank you for your exceptional courtesy, Ms. Dempsey! It is as deeply appreciated as it is unexpected.
UPDATE:
Pamela Dempsey wrote another letter after the letter described above.
SHE DESCRIBED HER REASONS FOR NOT RELEASING A SINGLE DOCUMENT!
CVESD relies on secrecy to protect itself from exposure of its wrongdoing.
Pamela A. Dempsey
Parham & Rajcic
Dear Ms. Dempsey:
I was pleased to get a letter regarding my public records request to Chula Vista Elementary School District. I’m wondering why CVESD decided to respond to my request at this time. I’ve been making similar requests for over a year.
But better late than never!
I look forward to receiving the information I have requested when CVESD personnel get back from vacation.
Thank you for your refreshing courtesy! I can’t help wondering if the reason that I’m finally getting a response to one my public records requests is that Mark Bresee has left the firm of Parham & Rajcic. I hope Mr. Bresee will behave more ethically when he is working directly for a public entity, rather than as a lawyer under contract with a public entity. But then, I’m an eternal optimist.
Again, thank you for your exceptional courtesy, Ms. Dempsey! It is as deeply appreciated as it is unexpected.
UPDATE:
Pamela Dempsey wrote another letter after the letter described above.
SHE DESCRIBED HER REASONS FOR NOT RELEASING A SINGLE DOCUMENT!
CVESD relies on secrecy to protect itself from exposure of its wrongdoing.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
An Open Letter to CTA chief counsel Beverly Tucker
In the wake of the recent problems at Castle Park Elementary School, many union leaders and their lawyers have reverted to an us-versus-them thinking in which they see themselves as righteous victims and ignore or minimize the injustices they have done, and continue to do, to other people.
In fact, being transferred to another school is not the horrific fate that CTA and the “Castle Park Five” have insisted. However, both students and teachers have suffered great wrongs at the hands of the California Teachers Association. These students and teachers have legitimate grievances, legitimate fears, and legitimate distrust of CTA’s willingness to compromise for the sake of peace.
CTA has made no attempt to build trust. The only alternative to continued dysfunction at Castle Park Elementary is a comprehensive settlement based on simple principles:
--All teachers and students have equal rights to protection of the law; these benefits should not be limited to the leaders of CTA and their allies.
-- If CTA is unwilling or unable to negotiate a policy of respect for the law and the wellbeing of students and teachers, the community must take the lead in promoting one.
-- CTA bears a special responsibility for the current impasse,
by virtue of its massive effort to help union leaders and their allies escape responsibility for their violations of law.
In fact, being transferred to another school is not the horrific fate that CTA and the “Castle Park Five” have insisted. However, both students and teachers have suffered great wrongs at the hands of the California Teachers Association. These students and teachers have legitimate grievances, legitimate fears, and legitimate distrust of CTA’s willingness to compromise for the sake of peace.
CTA has made no attempt to build trust. The only alternative to continued dysfunction at Castle Park Elementary is a comprehensive settlement based on simple principles:
--All teachers and students have equal rights to protection of the law; these benefits should not be limited to the leaders of CTA and their allies.
-- If CTA is unwilling or unable to negotiate a policy of respect for the law and the wellbeing of students and teachers, the community must take the lead in promoting one.
-- CTA bears a special responsibility for the current impasse,
by virtue of its massive effort to help union leaders and their allies escape responsibility for their violations of law.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Is it really Jim Groth, not Lowell Billings, who is responsible for the firing of Tim Suanico?
The people who attacked Lowell Billings when he defended the principal of Castle Park Elementary are most likely the people who forced Mr. Billings to fire Principal Tim Suanico.
The teachers' union, Chula Vista Educators, is as powerful as, or perhaps more powerful than, the superintendent, when it comes to personnel actions regarding teachers and principals.
Jim Groth, President of Chula Vista Educators, and his predecessor, Gina Boyd, have worked hand-in-glove with the district in many personnel actions.
But when the district doesn't do what CVE wants, CVE demands arbitration.
In the Castle Park Five case, in which five teachers were transferred out of Castle Park Elementary, CVE presented a shamefully false story to the arbitrator when it demanded that the teachers be returned to Castle Park Elementary.
Why didn't the district counter with the truth? Because the district had worked with CVE to protect Castle Park teachers who violated the law. CVE dishonestly concealed at the arbitration hearing any mention of the large amount of money the district had spent on legal representation for some of those teachers in the Superior Court case which resulted from crimes committed at Castle Park Elementary.
If CVESD had told the truth at the hearing, it probably would have won.
It's time for the truth to come out about past backroom deals between CVE and CVESD regarding personnel actions, and for both CVE and CVESD to begin a new era of respect for the truth and the law.
The similarities between the Tim Suanico case and the Maura Larkins case are remarkable. Teachers, not administrators, initiated both personnel actions. Bullying and cronyism are rampant in Chula Vista Elementary School District, as they are in many other workplaces. Competent employees are frequently attacked by colleagues who fear exposure of their bullying, cronyism or incompetence.
Chula Vista Educators is so powerful that it even pushes around its US Representative, Bob Filner.
For more information, see California Teachers Association and Chula Vista Educators.
Update: The San Diego Union Tribune is widely known for its biased reporting and censorship of the news, but the South County edition appears to be the most deeply-censored edition of the SDUT. The reporting on events at Castle Park Elementary is a case in point. The SDUT knows about the Superior Court Case involving Robin Donlan and other teachers, but has kept that information out of its many stories about Robin Donlan and Castle Park Elementary.
The teachers' union, Chula Vista Educators, is as powerful as, or perhaps more powerful than, the superintendent, when it comes to personnel actions regarding teachers and principals.
Jim Groth, President of Chula Vista Educators, and his predecessor, Gina Boyd, have worked hand-in-glove with the district in many personnel actions.
But when the district doesn't do what CVE wants, CVE demands arbitration.
In the Castle Park Five case, in which five teachers were transferred out of Castle Park Elementary, CVE presented a shamefully false story to the arbitrator when it demanded that the teachers be returned to Castle Park Elementary.
Why didn't the district counter with the truth? Because the district had worked with CVE to protect Castle Park teachers who violated the law. CVE dishonestly concealed at the arbitration hearing any mention of the large amount of money the district had spent on legal representation for some of those teachers in the Superior Court case which resulted from crimes committed at Castle Park Elementary.
If CVESD had told the truth at the hearing, it probably would have won.
It's time for the truth to come out about past backroom deals between CVE and CVESD regarding personnel actions, and for both CVE and CVESD to begin a new era of respect for the truth and the law.
The similarities between the Tim Suanico case and the Maura Larkins case are remarkable. Teachers, not administrators, initiated both personnel actions. Bullying and cronyism are rampant in Chula Vista Elementary School District, as they are in many other workplaces. Competent employees are frequently attacked by colleagues who fear exposure of their bullying, cronyism or incompetence.
Chula Vista Educators is so powerful that it even pushes around its US Representative, Bob Filner.
For more information, see California Teachers Association and Chula Vista Educators.
Update: The San Diego Union Tribune is widely known for its biased reporting and censorship of the news, but the South County edition appears to be the most deeply-censored edition of the SDUT. The reporting on events at Castle Park Elementary is a case in point. The SDUT knows about the Superior Court Case involving Robin Donlan and other teachers, but has kept that information out of its many stories about Robin Donlan and Castle Park Elementary.
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