Views from a Concerned Parent

As a concerned parent and grandparent in this district I am speaking about the disappointment I have in many of our CUSD Board of Trustees. I have tried my utmost to watch, observe and keep an open mind regarding the fulfilling of their tenure. Yet, week after week, month after month, my disillusionment continues.

I have attended almost every CUSD board meeting for the past six years and feel that along with my other interests in the school district; I have a pretty good understanding of the goings on of the district. A few years ago a Recall Group decided to stir things up when the boundary change wasn’t to their liking. They used the district office as their platform, but that was just an excuse to get their agenda to the forefront. During that campaign I saw the petition gathers telling outright lies to get signatures. (The signature gathers got paid between $3 and $5 per signature). I saw ads placed showing the bad conditions on some campuses, even when the problems had long be corrected, I heard lies told about a supposed “enemies list” where the superintendent was taking out his ire on students, with no proof what-so-ever.

After the election of the new trustees, I sat in board meetings and actually saw the recall leaders giving hand signals to how the trustees should vote on issues, and later text messages sent and received by those on the dias. Board members came to these meetings with their packets sealed (or unread) and were given yellow notepads with questions they were to address. All prepared by the few discontented people on the Recall Committee.

During the last year, I have seen one insurance company fired with allegations of lawsuits pending, and then have the insurance given to another company that had the same types of lawsuits pending, but had given donations to this group during their election. I have been at award presentations at our high schools where the trustees were noticeably missing, but attending a Recall Committee sponsored meeting on “Our Orange County Failing Schools.” I have sat and listened to board members asking the worse case scenario of the pipeline at San Juan Hills High School, only being satisfied when they were told that if there was a major earthquake after a severe continual rainstorm that there may be a very slight possibility of a small leakage, using this reason as well as other misinformation as to why not to complete this high school.

Over the last couple of weeks I was amazed to find that our board of trustees have decided to settle a lawsuit in the amount of over $600,000 in favor of those people responsible for there election, when not one piece of evidence had been provided to show merit for such an award in addition to the fact that Dr. Fleming’s case has not yet been brought to trial. The only reason I can think that this decision to settle was made is the fear that Dr. Fleming will indeed be acquitted. If this is not conflict of interest, I’d like to know what is.

Parents need to get informed; they need to see what is going on in our school district before this group destroys it. Capistrano Unified has always had the reputation as one of the best school districts in the nation. During the last two years we have lost some of the best administrators we could have ever wished to have. Teachers have left and many more are seeking employment elsewhere. It is time for each and every one of us to step up, learn the facts and make education decisions for the future of our children. I am not telling anyone how they should vote, I am just trying to put truthful information out there and ask you each to do your own research. Don’t rely on lies sent by a group of angry citizens who didn’t get their way and have large money backing. Let’s get back to our grass roots and elect local representatives that put children first!