Schools
Open Letter To Trustee Gary Pritchard - Please Resign Immediately
Impugning the character of a member of the Public during public comments is unconscionable- you have breached your fiduciary duty.
| CUSDWatch- Open Letter to CUSD Board of Trustee Dr. Gary Pritchard - Please Resign Immediately | ||
|
Trustees are there to ensure that the rights of STUDENTS and the TAXPAYER are Protected.
At the June 28, 2017 Board of Trustee's meeting during a discussion of Agenda Item #43 2017-18 Board Meeting Calendars, I was publicly admonished by Dr. Pritchard for expressing my concerns about reducing the number of CUSD Board Meetings from two per month to one per month.
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Board Audio at 190:22 BLUE CARD Dawn Urbanek
From the Public's perspective, making fewer Board meetings is a bad idea. Tonights board meeting agenda is over 1,100 pages and has 52 Agenda Items. I know that Trustees do not read the entire agenda. It is not possible because many of you have full time jobs. As such, the Board relies on Staff and Superintendent Vital for recommendations. As a member of the public who regularly attends Board meetings; I know that staff lies to the Board, or provides "mis-information" to the Board. Superintendent Vital lies to the Board and knows Staff provides the Board with mis-information, but fails to correct the information.
Board Audio at 191:05 Dr. Gary Pritchard interrupted my 3 minute comment and ...
(The Audio volume for this comment has been lowered to the point it is no longer audible)
Trustee Pritchard objected to my comment, and admonished me for stating that Staff lies to the Board and that Superintendent Vital knows they are providing the Board with mis-information which she fails to correct.
Board Audio at 191:30 Trustee Jones
Trustees as elected officials can be criticized by the Public, but for the Public to come and criticize Staff is unacceptable. To make insulting remarks about the Staff is unacceptable.
Trustee Jones should also step down for admonishing a member of the Public for their FREE SPEECH.
Board Audio at 1:91:43 Dawn Urbanek trying to complete the 3 minute public comment.
As a member of the Public who has documented why I feel certain members of your staff should be fired for cause, I have every right to come and say that. I spoke tonight in closed session and asked you to consider that in your review of Superintendent Vital. It is my tax money that gets spent by Trustees who don't know what they are voting on a lot of the time. It is wrong for Trustees to allow Staff to do the District's business on the Consent Calendar. CUSD is the District that did a $33.86 million dollar land purchase for the Esencia School site on the consent calendar without a price.
Note: There is an active investigation by the Orange County District Attorney regarding Land Fraud and the Gifting of Public Assets. All disclosures on the purchase price of Esencia K-8 prior to the vote on the land purchase disclosed a price of $21 million ($1.5 million per acre). The District agreed to value the land as if it had 100 homes on it $33.86 million ($2.4 million per acre). This Item should never have been placed on the consent calendar, and CUSD was only caught because members of the Public asked that the item be amended to show the price, and then pulled this item from the Consent Calendar to force a discussion. The actions of Staff clearly showed an intent to conceal the purchase price from the Public. Clark Hampton and Kristen Vital should be fired for cause for this alone. I have stated this many times, on the record.
The Complaint can be read at: https://cusdwatch.com/index.php/2-uncategorised/201-march-22-2017-board-meeting-agenda-item-22
Board Audio at 192:26 Trustee Pritchard interrupted my comment again.
Trustee Pritchard made a motion to approve the Item before my 3 minute comment was completed. He stated "not everything needs a comment - somethings just need to be moved along. Speakers should not denigrate our staff in public. It is a low bar when we allow these types of comments to go unanswered."
Board Audio at 193:48 Trustee Jones
We have motion and a second. I agree that it is unnecessary to have two meetings a month. This is a recent change and we should go back to the one meeting. We will have Staff Reports and we won't require staff conversations of every item.
Vote to Approve this item 6-0-1 (Trustee Reardon had left the meeting early)
I was never allowed to finish my 3 minute comment.
Trustee Pritchard knowingly and intentionally, and with great malice impugned my character in a public forum in an effort to diminish my credibility. Trustee Pritchard Slandered me in Public.I have volumes of documentation that illustrates the mis-information that both Staff and Superintendent Vital provide this Board. The only protection that a taxpayer has from an abusive governmental agency is their individual right to come to a Public meeting and express their concerns to the Board of Trustees who were elected to represent them.
Unfortunately for taxpayers living within CUSD boundaries; and students who are mandated to attend CUSD schools, the majority of the CUSD Board of Trustees were not elected by the People. Their seats were bought by CUEA at a cost of $60,000 each. As such, and as demonstrated by both Trustee Pritchard and Trustee Jones, the Public has no true representation on this Board.
The Public is at the mercy of a majority Board of Trustees that has absolutely no interest in Public in-put. That is why Superintendent Vital is trying to get the Board to change the format of its meetings to limit public speech to the greatest extent possible. They have specifically discussed trying to limit the number of Blue Cards and time one speaker can speak during the entire meeting. At the June 28, 2017 Board meeting Superintendent Vital actually changed the format of the meeting and there was never a Trustee vote to approve the changes. Listen to the confusion of the Board members:
Board Audio at 80:27 Trustee Jones
All Blue Cards are Ms Urbanek she will read all the Items she has comments on and then Trustees will Pull the Items they choose to discuss.
Board Audio at 84:20 Trustee Reardon
I am confused by this process.
Board Audio at 84:23 Dawn Urbanek
I don't think the Board ever voted to change its process yet.
Board Audio at Kristen Vital 84:50
Explains the process.
This new process was NEVER APPROVED BY THE BOARD. It limits Public in-put.
If taxpayers allow this Board to conduct its meetings in secrete we will continue to see declining academic performance for our students as a result of having to attend class in overcrowded facilities that have not been fixed or maintained for 15 years with staff to student ratios that are not safe. CUSD does not provide students with a district funded minimum curriculum that aligns with minimum state content standards and curriculum frameworks, taught by an appropriately credentialed teacher.
This District not only does great harm to our children- they do great damage to taxpayers and our local economy.
This is a District that failed to mention an $889 million dollar school facilities bond to Cities during ad hoc meetings; and when City leaders came to the rescue for taxpayers, CUSD threatened to sue them.
This District gifted the Ranch $13 million in taxpayer dollars by agreeing to pay $33.86 million for 14 acres of land- valued as if it had 100 homes on it, on the consent calendar and without naming a price.
This District allowed a Toll Road to be graded within 100' of Tesoro High School without any concern for the Health and Safety of students.
This District data mines it's students and then sells the personally identifiable information it collects to anyone who offers payment.
This is the District that is moving San Clemente practice fields to an upper campus with abandoned school buildings so that the TCA can put an onramp through them.
This District needs to be broken into smaller pieces and given back to the local government so that taxpayers and students will be treated with the care and respect they deserve. As long as a union bought board governs CUSD you will see continued increases in employee compensation and declining academic performance from students.
Every tax payer should go back and listen to the Board audio from the June 27, 2012 Board of Trustees meeting where Trustee Pritchard as Board President denied minority Trustees the ability to make statements on the record regarding the Budget and employment contracts. This was documented by the Orange County Department of Education.
"The majority members of blocked comments by minority members using parliamentary maneuvers. It wasn't pretty"
June 27, 2012
Board Meeting Agenda Items #1- 5
- 17 minutes 50 seconds The District makes note of the fact that the three employee groups worked together since January to find a way to cut $51 million from the budget. The District brought all the parties together (except the public) to get this deal.
- 19 minutes 50 seconds CUSD has cut $150 million dollars from its budget
- 20 minutes 17 seconds The Orange County Department of Education commended CUSD for finding the full $51 million in cuts.
- 20 minutes 50 seconds The Board, Management and Employees worked together to solve the $51 million dollar reductions No more us vs them ... just a "WE" Where was the Public In-Put?
- 21 minutes 33 seconds The Contract increased class sizes by 1.5 students across all grades
- 21 minutes 43 seconds 1/2 Year Salary schedule freeze means that teachers still received a 1/2 year salary schedule increase
- 21 minutes 50 seconds 5 Instructional Furlough days
- 21 minutes 55 seconds If Prop 30 fails: 10 additional Instructional Furlough Days and a 1.5% Salary Schedule Rollback for a Total of 15 Instructional Furlough Days
- 22 minutes 20 seconds The State in collusion with the California Teachers Union changed many laws which helped the Unions preserve employee compensation during the great recession - rules that hurt students such as allowing the number of instructional days to drop below 165 and still allow Teacher pensions to vest.
- 22 minutes 37 seconds Total CUEA Concessions are $30.2 million
- 23 minutes 01 seconds Speaker Jennifer Beall- What happened to the 3 Pronged Approach - Fair for Everyone -This is not fair- Kids loose 1 month of school and no salary cuts? Are students first? People are out of work- people have no health care yet teachers have cadillac health care plans and are getting compensation increases. We want more teachers lower class sizes. Kindergarten 30+ kids per class so teachers can have a raise?
- 26 minutes 40 seconds Trustee Hatton moves to approve the agreement.
- 26 minutes 48 seconds Trustee Brick seconds the motion
Majority Trustees Prevented Minority Trustees from making Public Comments about the Budget and Employment Contracts.
- 26 minutes 50 seconds Trustees are asked to vote - but Trustee Addonizio asks to make a comment.
- 27 minutes 00 seconds Trustee Addonizzio has a comment - Trustee Alpay moves to close debate without allowing Trustee Addonizzio to speak.
- 27 minutes 25 seconds Trustee Hatton seconds Trustee Alpays motion
- 27 minutes 28 seconds Trustee Addonizzio requests a point of order
- 27 minutes 53 seconds Trustees vote to close debate
- 28 minutes 10 seconds Trustees vote 4 to 3 to accept the CUEA contract: Addonizzio, Bryson and Pallazo vote no, Alpay, Pritchard, Hatton, Brick vote Yes the contract is accepted.
- 29 minutes 11 seconds Trustee Bryson asks if that was the actual vote on the item? She is a no
- 34 minutes 18 seconds: Speaker Jim Reardon SJC Resident - No programatic reform just an all cuts budget. Substitute teachers 2 to 3 days per month. Why are you a Trustee? 2 year budget predicts deeper cuts next year - you need to address programatic reform.
- 36 minutes 45 seconds: Bill Perkins - people suffering pay cuts up to 30%. 3 paragraphs regarding fiscal insolvency. Directed to Trustee Alpay- 37 minutes 57 seconds Stop acting like children up here. Allow people to speak. President Pritchard should not have allowed this - It looks like a back door deal. What do single parents doe with their kids for 3 weeks. Fix the problem and respect each other
- 39 minutes 19 seconds: Linda Defonce Parents Advocate League - Put students first. Do not use furlough days to balance the budget.
- 40 minutes 20 seconds: Julie Collier Parents Advocate League - Class sizes increase every year- teachers on strike - reduced counselors and assistant principals - lack of facilities maintenance- negative effects of seniority based lay offs. Parents have done their part- through fundraising and volunteering and paying their taxes. Leaving 8% of the budget to educate students is not enough.
- 43 minutes and 09 seconds: Presentation by Clark Hampton:
- 43 minutes 35 seconds: Background on State Budget- The State will allow Districts to take up to 15 furlough days in each year to balance their budgets rather than 15 furlough days over two years. (30 days total instead of 15 days)
- 43 minutes 57 seconds: Prop 30 money for schools is to be deferred.
- 44 minutes 02 seconds: Deferrals- the State withholds money from Districts forcing Districts to borrow money and pay interests costs. This passes the cost of interest down to the District rather than have the State borrow money and pay interest on the debt- another cost for School Districts.
- 44 minutes 02 seconds: $1.4 billion in deferrals 2002-03 with deferrals at $ 9.3 billion in 2011-12. The State is pushing borrowing costs on to schools to cover budget short falls at the State level. What was once $13 - $18 million in CUSD borrowing is now $75 million in borrowing without having to show financial solvency for the current and subsequent two years.
- 44 minutes 27 seconds: Trigger cuts were $41 per pupil are now $457 per pupil.
- 53 Minutes 42 Seconds: The State and County Offices of Education waived the requirements of AB 1200 and allowed Districts to enter into one year contracts and approve one year budgets even though State law requires Districts to show fiscal solvency for the current and subsequent two years.
- 54 minutes 42 seconds Trustee Bryson expresses concerns about the impact of the budget on students. Furlough days bad for students. More instructional time key to achievement.
- 56 minutes 59 seconds Trustee Alpay - all employees are taking a pay cut under this budget.
- 57 minutes 47 seconds Trustee Alpay moves to reduce Trustee pay by the same percentage as teachers.
- 58 minutes 58 seconds Trustee Alpay moves to pass the budget with the reduce Trustee pay as an amendment
- 59 minutes 00 seconds Superintendent Farley clarifies the motion
- 59 minutes 39 seconds Trustee Pritchard seconds the motion
- 59 minutes 41 seconds Trustee Palazzo States that her light is on and that she has the right to speak. Questions re: Budget re: 2013-14 part of the budget (2013-14 and 2014-15 subsequent years) Does 1.2% salary reduction terminated. Health Cap ongoing. Some items ongoing some will end 2013. CSEA contract goes to 2015, CUEA contract expires June 2013. Salary rollbacks will not be included in 2013-14 budget. NOTE: The 1.2% salary schedule reduction is from the 210 teachers strike and is on-going unless re-negotaited.
- 1 Hour 4 minutes 07 seconds Trustee Pritchard asks if there is any indication from the Orange County Board of Education that they would reject the proposed budget.
- 1 Hour 4 minutes 07 seconds Trustee Addonizio's light was on and Trustee Pritchard called on her but was interrupted by Trustee Alpay who made a motion to close debate. Trustee Addonizzio was not permitted to speak.
- 1 Hour 5 minutes 40 seconds Trustees vote adopt the budget 4 to 3 Addonizzio, Bryson and Pallazo vote no, Alpay, Pritchard, Hatton, Brick vote Yes Budget is adopted.
At the July 9, 2012 BOT Meeting
Board Audio at 7:55
Trustee Palazzo comments about the appalling behavior of Trustees Pritchard and Alpay at the June 27, 2012 BOT Meeting would not allow debate on 2012-13 Employee contracts and 2012-13 Budget. Shame on such an abuse of power.
Board Audio at 9:47
Trustee Addonizio suppression of public discussion is unacceptable and un-American.
Well Trustee Pritchard we do not need people like you in Public Service. Please resign your position immediately.