Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
Alliant University leaves Sweetwater school district property in National City…sets up at Southwestern College?
oldchulares: Actually, I did mean deployment. (He seems to be unemployed except for his status as a member of the Reserves, and his so-called service as a member of the SUHSD BOT..) My guess that is why he is so eager to run for CV Mayor because it is a fairly high-paying job. He has taken leaves for deployment on two different occasions --- as a member of the supply corps, which of course, does not see front-line action. That first time he was a member of the CV City Council and tried to get the Council to appoint his wife to the seat he was vacating. (They didn't.) The second time was last spring, I think, when he went to South Korea (maybe stayed on a ship the whole time) when the North Koreans were sabre rattling. He missed maybe two board meetings. No visible or reported injuries. He uses his 'military service' to promote himself at every and any opportunity ad naseum, managing to bore every graduation crowd he gets an opportunity to address, making it all about himself and his 'sacrifice'. It is sad. . One would think he won a Purple Heart or two. Hence my tongue-in-cheeck comment about 'war wounds'. He seems to fabricate a lot, and anything is possible coming out of his mouth. The same is true for Brand, by the wayt. There has been no report as to why McCann was where he was when he was. It was not a board meeting day so it is unlikely he was driving to an official meeting.— August 12, 2013 5:09 p.m.
Alliant University leaves Sweetwater school district property in National City…sets up at Southwestern College?
radcatt222 .....Please do not be misleading and even disingenuous here. There is an essential difference between recruiting students who are STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL for direct entry as freshmen into Alliant's high-priced education, and recruiting community college students who WISH TO TRANFER TO UPPER DIVISION WORK. Presumably, by the time they are have completed transfer preparation (about 60 units of coursework) at the most affordably-priced community colleges, they are savvy enough about their transfer options for the upper division work (generally another 60 units) to select wisely. The Alliant 'pitch' so far has not specified it is for upper division/transfer work....the South Bay Community Services telephone calls have been exclusively to naïve and probably less-well informed 11th and 12 graders (by SBCS'r own admission) . Clearly, they are trolling for entry level freshmen, and that is precisely who the community colleges are equipped to serve. They have Transfer Centers that help lower-division students find good matches for their transfer goals and aspirations, and that help is FREE. IF ALLIANT is only seeking transfer students, why are they working with Ed to set up shop in SUHSD facilities? This Alliant proposal, along with the Grand Canyon University proposal (a school with religious ties)is just a front for Ed's "Sweetwater U" which he so badly wants --- perhaps as he feathers his own nest for his life after Sweetwater. Mark my words: he IS desperate to pull this off! I believe the City of Chula Vista has long-ago announced plans to host a four-year university, or a consortium of several, on property gifted for that purpose as part of the Otay Ranch development. The Sweetwater District has mega issues jut trying to educate secondary school students. They seem to have almost totally abandoned the Adult School students, those without resources to even consider the high-priced option of private colleges. There are so many SuHSD schools that are on 'improvement needed' watch it is sad. Not to mention all the issues that anniej iterated above. Brand needs to stay focused on improving education for those students he is charged with educating and leave the fancy university development work to others more suited to its challenges.. It is the Board's job to help him stay focused on the primary mission of educating our secondary school students when he goes astray on hair-brained schemes, real estate cons, and other shell games.— August 12, 2013 3:05 p.m.
Alliant University leaves Sweetwater school district property in National City…sets up at Southwestern College?
Have to hand it to McCann. For a two-bit politician who is on his way to becoming a train wreck, he seems to be able to set up photo opportunities galore! Being discharged from the hospital????? Hundreds are discharged daily. where are their 'good-bye lineups' and news photogs??? Wonder if he will claim his injuries are somehow related to his deployment? To Anniej and others about what the Board knew and when, if at all, with regard to Alliant: They do NOT deserve a pass here...it is on their watch, and they are responsible for Ed and Ed's cons. If they did not know, it because they have chosen to look the other direction, and to not demand accountability from their CEO. If they have been snookered, this is their opportunity to 'evaluate' their hire. They have the authority to fire Ed. Let's see what they do next.— August 12, 2013 12:09 p.m.
Alliant University leaves Sweetwater school district property in National City…sets up at Southwestern College?
A house of cards will come tumbling down with the first strong breeze. 'Les jeux sont fait.'— August 11, 2013 9:14 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
Susan: In the fully roust iteration, the Adult School programs covered the gamut of options --- career and technical entry-level training; GED preparation; basic skills for those in need of learning the true basics; parenting skills (often taught in conjunction with actual child care facilities run on=site) ESL; preparation for SAT testing; introduction to new technology and software, etc. All valuable and essential to keep a community on its toes an able to help the most vulnerable move up the ladder. Most of that has been decimated by Ed as he moved Adult Ed funding to underwrite existing SUHSD K-12 programs. The glass is less the half full, EVEN if he maintains the level of funding for Adult Ed that was expended in 2012-2013. Of course, any increase in funding is a good thing, but we should expect FULL restoration as the budget and economy improves.— August 10, 2013 6:28 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
It's time we stopped allowing abstentions become a de facto 'yes' vote'. Technically, a member of a governing body is only supposed to abstain when there is a conflict, and they must state the conflict as a reason for the abstention. The also should LEAVE THE DAIS during the discussion so their facial expression does not influence others' votes. Abstaining 'just because' is really not an option unless a true conflict exists and is stated! There are responsibilities with elected office: one is to have a clear understanding of Parliamentary Procedure , and understand that the Brown Act requires that they have uncomfortable conversations in public ---- not dodge the issue by abstaining without stating a valid conflict. Perhaps forums for Trustee candidates in upcoming elections might have a Q & A about Parliamentary Procedure, and even perhaps a 'mock' meeting to demonstrate their knowledge.— August 9, 2013 5:14 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
Annie j...that is an enlightening speculation! Of course, Brand is setting the stage for a future dance partner! Oh my...— August 9, 2013 1:43 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
Good info Eastlaker! If you take a look at the SBCS website, and click on 'partners' you will see a most impressive array of those whom one surmises are contributors...logos for everything from the County of San Diego (there you go...our taxpayer $$ again), Viejas, Allied Waste, etc.etc.etc., even Annie and David Malcolm! Go figure. If you look on the staff listings, the 'directors' (not to be confused with Board of Directors) include none other than Shirley Horton as Director of Community Relations and Development. Presumably she is being paid for this 'gig'. While the group seems to have a noble purpose and a track record of good works, I am not aware that 'scholarships' are in their mission statement or what their primary objectives include. I see that their Form 900 is out of date...last one posted was for 2010. Annual report for 2012-2013 is not yet posted. This organization gets substantial funding from taxpayer groups (that would be US as the actual contributors via the County of san Diego, City of Chula Vista, and so forth) and pays their executives hefty salaries. Bottom line, they are NOT exempt from the law, and FERPA protections of student record data is the law.— August 8, 2013 3:10 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
Great comments Anniej! One must wonder why South Bay Community Services was involved AT ALL! Could it be that they work with the most disadvantaged (hence, probably not the best informed about higher ed options) in our communities? Wonder what Ed paid, er....promised....in return for their 'solicitation' of SUHSD students for Alliant, using PRIVATE FERPA-protected student record data. Check out the South Bay Community Services Board of Directors and start contacting them to ask WHY? And WHY is staff being reclusive about this matter? Who allowed this to happen? If this plot thickens any more, it will become inert.— August 8, 2013 2:01 p.m.
Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s Alliant project hits snag
It also occurs to me that the San Ysidro Adult School was probably built with Certificates of Particpation...like bonds...that we taxpayers are likely still paying off! Don't know where the land came from, however.— August 8, 2013 12:42 p.m.