Since then, the instability has been a HUGE problem. HUGE.

Now, in the wake of the Governor’s announced desire to suspend Prop. 98 (1998′s guaranteed funding for education), it seems that the economic challenges for OUDS and other districts will foce many to continue putting dollars before students, and in a state that’s in the toilet for per capita student spending nation wide.

Maybe the board should consider a retired general with some martial law (declaration and administration) experience for superintendent!? Seriously Katy!

Before most people get on the high horse and start shooting in all directions, we ought to pay attention what worked and what didn’t work. Looking into the profiles we can learn a thing or two. I personally was a high school student in Fremont High School when Chaconas came on board. From my perspective, he did a lot more than most superintendents did prior to his hiring. Okay, he totally flawed in the money management and ‘tough love’(Bustamante once said with Gray Davis) would follow suit. But the event happened whether he managed it or the state; the cuts were inevitable and it happened one way or another. If Chaconas would have stayed in OUSD, at least we wouldn’t have lost local oversight. Then again I have my own opinions about the deficit that led to the overtake by the State, buts that’s a whole new story.

In short, I would take the sarcasm from John into consideration, why not hire Chaconas to have oversight in the stduents but have an independent ‘accounting guru’ that would present revenues to both the superintendent and Board. Let’s eat on that.

Here’s an idea: Hire two (2) superintendents: One to watch the cookie jar and One to watch the students. Chaconas, the guy who couldn’t account for all those cookies in 2004, necessitating a state OUSD take-over admitted he was watching the district’s students but NOT the district’s cookie jar.

Having completed the course work for a school administrative credential (required academic qualification for principal, superintendent), I can assure you there is NOTHING in a superintendent’s academic preparation (within the scope of his credential) that qualifies him to oversee a district’s financial operation).

Hire someone from the private sector, with proper financial oversight training and experience, to handle the cookie jar. Give him/her equal domain over his operation as the other superintendent has over his. When the two (OPS superintendents) clash have them plead their case before the school board – Oops! Oh well…I did promise NO MORE SARCASM didn’t I. How short sighted of me!

I won’t go through my list of problems our family has faced because of honest mistakes made by good-hearted people who were simply new in their positions and learning to do their jobs. Believe me, I could write a thousand-page tome that no one would ever read.

It’s incredibly frustrating for families to keep dealing with the same things we dealt with last year or the year before, because the district staff has turned over, and the staffers who faced the problem before, and fixed it before, and learned from it and could make sure it didn’t recur are gone, again. And when we get frustrated about something that’s happened for the forth, fifth or sixth time, we’re less than patient (understandably, I hope) with the new person who doesn’t have a clue – it’s got to be incredibly hard for a staffer to deal with parents who’ve lost all self-control and are reduced to shouting.

Let’s start building stability and experience from the top down.

My family has met with Mr. Matthews, the current state administrator, under very difficult circumstances, and he handled himself with admirable self-control, restraint and professionalism. If the board chose him for superintendant and he’s willing to make a long-term commitment to the district, our family would be comfortable (should the need to escalate that far ever arise again) that we could seek him out, get a fair hearing of our issue or concerns, and get appropriate resolution.