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Sweetwater school board to address campaign spending limits
Hoo Rah, finally a chance to look into your own dirty laundry and making it an honorable cause to serve the public again. We will undoubtably hear something on Tuesday about this action.... I will reiterate that we need to develop the foundation and framework of what we as citizens, taxpayers and customers of SUHSD want in the District. When we know what people running for the board stand for with regards to what we want the cost of a campaign becomes reasonable for a regular citizen to run for the board. Hopefully that is step one, now how about that forensic audit of the District, also the review and hiring practices.— February 19, 2013 5:52 a.m.
New Sweetwater Union financial officer has controversial past
Sounds good to me, a couple of "INSIDERS" I can think of are Acting CFO Knott, and perhaps retired Principal John DeVore, two gentlemen in my regards as straight forward and Knowlegable, based on limited contact with both. When and Where also can we leave some of the anamosity and arrogance at the door? Are my only questions.— February 15, 2013 2:23 p.m.
Sweetwater school district’s weird, failed real estate deals
Imperial beach, If I were interested in food rather than conversation, I would have hung out with the SUHSD board of trustees and Gandara (Brand?) and gotten it for free. But we all know about a FREE LUNCH, don't we.— February 15, 2013 10:47 a.m.
Sweetwater school district’s weird, failed real estate deals
To bvagency, eastlake, anniej, WTFEd, as I have repeated there must have been a reason teachers teach, Boards of Trustees serve, adminstraters adminstrate, Staffers staff. I truely believe deep inside before absolute power corrupting they all had noble reasons to run, serve, teach, etc, it cannot have been all about MONEY and POWER, let's face none of the above groups is all that Powerful including Dr. Ed Brand. All of the above are Big Fish in a middle sized Pond. I am not sure but if the half-dozen or so of us communicating through these comment pages are the only people who care, WTF!!!! Susan Luzzaro, its time to shake up the lazy (I'd write appathetic but I'm not sure how to spell it) public. Where/who do we contact to get some traction under the whole mess? The County Board of Education, UT, Television .....— February 14, 2013 11:05 a.m.
New Sweetwater Union financial officer has controversial past
A not so quick thought, while it is easy to jump on the band wagon and do what is considered state of the art ie "Charter Schools" or other flavor of the day "I-pads", it is much harder to transform a large, lathargic (sp) organization. Again looking at the Auto Industry or Banking, there are indications that GM is falling back to some of their less desirable methods and sub-par loans are creeping back. Just talking numbers as in percentages, test scores, dollars spent, class size etc. is a realitively pointless activity. While the numbers can be used for analysis they are not especally good for comparison. Again until an overall examination of the state of the district is completed allong with a true evaluation of what is good and what is bad can any sweeping change or direction set. We need an open-minded group of individuals made up of adminstration, Board members, teachers, citizens, students, working staff to complete this review, and no more hiding information, everything out in the open. That's our challenge....— February 13, 2013 9:38 a.m.
New Sweetwater Union financial officer has controversial past
bvagency, The current situation is very simular to the US Auto Companies prior to the bailout, you cannot sell someone something they do not want. SUHSD has such a bad reputation that gimicks, like I-pads similar to auto rebates cannot drag people in if the preception is your offerings are substandard. The only way to improve sales (enrollment) is to improve the overall quality and image of your product. It is not by bringing out the latest trend or hot rod to get them in the door and giving them money to buy (I-pads to stay). SUHSD can easily be likened to General Motors the company to big to fail, arrogance and inbreeding in management led it down the merry path and lack of vision. In our system competition is suposed to drive us upward and improve our offering not start swing the bat at every idea that comes allong.— February 12, 2013 2:14 p.m.
Sweetwater school district’s weird, failed real estate deals
Ladies and gentlemen, I do not hold anyone fully responsible for the lack of interest in last night's meeting attempt, it was just a start. The main thing for me is to set a level of expectations for anyone interested in challenging the status quo or even maintaining the status quo of the district. There is plenty of opportunity to be had in any direction there is to go. I agree with the arrogance of our current adminstration and board, but they have everything in the bag right now, there is no agenda to enact change. No rallying call for better governance within SUHSD. Within reason tell me when we can have a productive meeting, please don't say at a School Board Meeting, I have found those to be agrivating and condescending, never productive. Acting CFO Kneel had some great discussion points in the DEC/JAN Budget review meeting agenda.— February 12, 2013 1:05 p.m.
Sweetwater school district’s weird, failed real estate deals
After attempting to start an outside conversation about our district, I was sorely disappointed that no-one showed up to give any ideas about long term changes to the district. I spent yesterday as a vacation day attending Parents day at Olympian High School when my Freshman son asked me to go with him! I will say that education has changed over the 35ish years since I graduated High School, but I did see some excellent Teachers keeping their students engaged. I also saw some poorly planned activities, wasted time and effort with kids just sitting through class with little or no structure or alternatives to sitting around talking, texting etc. Our district has so many possibilities but we keep getting wrapped up in Issue of the day, letting personalities get in the way of progress. I will keep harping on where do we get to hear about the Vision of the Board of Trustees, staff, voters, teachers for where the district needs to go and a reasonable timeline for such. There are no quick fixes to the institutionalized mis-management of education both the state and the district. The deeds of the past will take time to resolve but without meaningful discussion instead of multiple single-minded agendas, education will never change, note I did not say be forced to change. For the umpteenth time, both sides neither is completely right or wrong, Our elected officials at one time had the right reasons to be on the Board, they have lost their way. I will give our Superintendent the benefit of the doubt that he has some compassion for the job of Educating our youth, however I do not think he knows what **we** want with regards to the district future. Just for the record I am not a teacher, School staff, adminstration staff, just an Engineer working everyday to support my family. I hold no grudges, just opinion of what I've experienced with both sides of the issue, again neither is completely right or wrong, there is space to work if both sides consider it worth the effort. If not we are all part of the problem, not the solution.— February 12, 2013 6:11 a.m.
Sweetwater school district’s weird, failed real estate deals
Ladies and Gentlemen again I say cheers for going after the current structure and infection at the SUHSD. However with all of the attention on the current and past transgressions of the Board and the latest couple of Superintendents, where is the common sense requirements for the future. It is time we as concerned citizens develop a move forward plan that sets some realistic goals which include checks and balances. Proper oversight does not just lie (sic) on the backs of the chosen few on the Board, it’s all of our responsibility. I have been joking about Yogi Brand, the BooBoo Board and us as hapless Ranger Smith from Jellystone Park, but it has to end. I would like to propose a gathering to list what we as citizens want from our High School District, develop an agenda that we can have our elected officials respond to and use to screen future Candidates or Adminstration Officials. I will be at the Starbucks on Otay Lakes and H st at 7:00pm on Monday Feb 11, looking for conversation for the future of the district, IF NOT US, WHO?— February 10, 2013 7:06 a.m.
New Sweetwater Union financial officer has controversial past
Ladies and Gentlemen again I say cheers for going after the current structure and infection at the SUHSD. However with all of the attention on the current and past transgressions of the Board and the latest couple of Superintendents, where is the common sense requirements for the future. It is time we as concerned citizens develop a move forward plan that sets some realistic goals which include checks and balances. Proper oversight does not just lie on the backs of the chosen few on the Board its all of our responsibility. I have been joking about Yogi Brand, the BooBoo Board and us as hapless Ranger Smith from Jellystone Park, but it has to end. I would like to propose a gathering to list what we as citizens want from our High School District, develop an agenda that we can have our elected officials respond to and use to screen future Candidates or Adminstration Officials. I will be at the Starbucks on Otay Lakes and H st at 7:00pm on Monday Feb 11, 2013 looking for conversation for the future of the district, IF NOT US, WHO?— February 10, 2013 7:01 a.m.