Meeting recap, and HUSD declares impasse with union
By Eric Kurhi
Friday, June 4th, 2010 at 2:09 pm in Hayward, Politics, Schools.
Last night’s community meeting was well attended, I estimated the crowd at a little less than 200. You can get the presentation material here. The Q and A was a mixed bag — some people were there to vent, one to campaign, some asking how they can help, and many with good questions.
One thing that came up a number of times dealt with the feeling that the district is unresponsive to the concerns of parents, or doesn’t adequately let them know what’s going on. Audie Bock was there with a bilingual ”Down with Duran” sign, and Jim Drake was there to talk about the lack of fingerprinting of volunteers, as he has done repeatedly at board meetings. According to district staff, his points are misleading — all volunteers are fingerprinted except for when it’s a parent who volunteers in their own child’s classroom, and only when the teacher is present.
District presentation outlined priorities of academic achievement, fiscal solvency and campus safety — it was an abbreviated version of Superintendent Janis Duran’s action plan brought before the board earlier this year. She also said they will be taking a close look at the district’s real estate and its money making potential. And down the line, a parcel tax will be inevitable.
Here’s the superintendent’s recap, with some very important information toward the end. The district has declared an impasse in contract negotiations with the teacher’s union. Union officials say they were given about 15 minutes to look over the proposed contract before the district said they’re at an impasse.
What that means is now the Public Employment Relations Board mediators get involved, first to determine whether they’re truly at an impasse or if they should go back to the table for more talks. If the impasse is valid, they go to the “fact finding” process where they look at what’s going on and make recommendations on a mutual agreement. After that report comes out, the district could impose a contract on the union, as was done in Oakland last April, which in turn led to a teacher strike.
Keep in mind that the district has said they are counting on working with the employee groups to reach a balanced budget and avoid a state takeover.
Duran’s recap:
June 4, 2010
To Hayward Community,
It was very gratifying and exciting to see the tremendous turnout at the First Community Outreach Meeting last night at Burbank Elementary School . If you were unable to attend, you will find the Power Point slides I presented here. We had over 175 persons in attendance. We had time to respond to 20 questions/comments. Those that submitted a card with a question will receive a response before the last day of school. Those persons who submitted a Volunteer card will be contacted as we move through our preparation for the 2010-2011 school year.
One of the topics discussed last night was the state budget crisis and Hayward USD’s particular situation with the fiscal realities of the state of California .
Districts across the state have been hit by the state budget crisis and reduced funding to schools. Budget cuts are common practice and concessions by unions are making headlines. HUSD needs to reduce it’s budget by $19 million for the 2010-2011 school year. The Board of Education has already taken action on my recommendations for budget reduction equaling $11 million. That still leaves $8 million to be identified for the Board of Education to take action. Additional reductions of $ 5 million will need to be identified for the 2011-12 school year. The 2010-2011 budget will be presented to the Board of Education for their approval on June 23, 2010. Without these reductions, the District will not have a balanced budget. District’s are required to submit their budgets to the County Office of Education. The County Office will not approve a budget that is not balanced.
We have been meeting with our employee groups including Hayward Education Association (HEA) our teachers union. Through the negotiations process, the District has proposed reductions to the current contract (concessions) in order to help bridge the $8 million shortfall for the 2010-2011 school year and the $5 million shortfall for the 2011-2012 school year. At this time we do not have any future dates scheduled for negotiations and have not reached any agreement to help balance the budget. The District has declared that we are at an “impasse” in negotiations. Impasse is the legal process to get support from a mediator to facilitate negotiations to reach agreement. We are hoping that with a mediators help we can reach an agreement that will keep the district fiscally solvent.
These are very difficult times for school districts in the state of California . We must all work together to resolve issues, think outside of the box, and tackle problems head on.
We will be holding more Community Outreach Meetings during the 2010-2011 school year. I hope you will be able to attend. Have a safe and pleasant summer
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June 5th, 2010 at 6:33 am
They still have to cut 6 million from next year? I guess that’s the end of kindergarten for HSUD. I mean what’s left? There is no summer school this year, so be on the watch for kids real soon. It looks like a long summer.
June 5th, 2010 at 8:50 am
That townhall meeting was awful that superintendent Duran made sure she took all the time so that people could not ask questions until almost 8pm and the handicap access was awful too and was hard to hear in that room. That Duran needs to go away she is no good for Hayward schools she is getting $1000 a day and for what? She is trying to get a contract when we have a budget crisis and like people are saying what will happen if the state takes over how much money does HUSD have to pay her if that happens what if the new board after election is very smart and wants to fire her and get a better superintendent how much money will she get? This is a nightmare this school board has very uneducated knownothings of Mr. Frumkin and vicepresident Ms. Heredia that is letting this happen. They act like cockroaches they are not telling everything to the people why did they stop the superintendent search when they knew that the people wanted to pick their superintendent. Just keep the superintendent month to month and what is wrong with her just she gave $40,000 a year raises to 2 people in this budget crises to 180k a year I think that is what I heard from listening to Mr. Ralph Farias after the meeting when he was talking to some of us old folk that had a hard time listening in that room. Bad things are happening and they just get worse in HUSD. The teachers are Eastavenue told me that Ms. Heredia and Mr. Armas are the negotiating team for HUSD to deal with the teachers union. Is this for reals? Now that is very funny.
June 5th, 2010 at 9:08 am
I almost forgot to thank those brave people that stand up for the community. Thank you Ms. Bock for being there with your sign and you are right that superintendent Duran needs to go away. Only a unethical superintendent will ask for a contract when there is a budget crisis when she is getting paid now a month to month please Superintendent Duran go away and let the people pick their superintendent from the search firm. Thank you Mr. Ralph Farias for telling us about those HUSD huge raises to Mark Salinas wife and you have my vote for the city council. Thank you Mr. Drake for fighting for the safety of children because you are right that all volunteers need to be fingerprinted even if they have children in the school classroom.
I can’t believe the school board wants this superintendent when she does not do a good job on putting a budget and firing good principals and firing Hellen Turner teachers when they don’t need to go and trying to get rid of 0 and 7 high period. All superintendent Duran does is give raises to her political friends. One of the people getting the $40,000 year raise is Mark Salinas wife and Mark Salinas is running for city council. When is this corruption going to end? I am now really suspicions and beginning to believe people how much family works for HUSD and city of Hayward. Is wrong to have Mr. Armas on the board and have his wife be the personnel director for HUSD is just wrong wrong wrong. I guess you all people will not be able to pick a superintendent and to think I wasted so much time to bring with me lots of parents together to go to the search firm meetings. What a cheating place Hayward is. You all need to wake up. Do something get these corrupt people out recall them. This lots of typing hurts I think I did a better job spelling sometimes I think is just these old eyes too.
June 5th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Obama bum age
Ms. %Roccio complains of the vileness occuring in this blog, especially since Audie Bock was refused a seat on the Board of Trustees.
Now we have two lenghty contributions by and old woman who admits to leaving a share croppers life in the south complaing yet still about subjects in Hayward whiloe living in Oakland. I begin to suspect that O’bama new age is guilty of prejudice against latino folk!
Here she was at the meeting while living in Oakland. In previopus contributions to this blog, that admitedly heavy set woman dumped on just about everyone in Hayward for beiong crooks etc etc.
Where previously she had refused to ‘come out’ from behind the non-de plume it will now be easier for me to identify that mean mouth, unirformed,dishonest, libelous old woman….. thank you for appearing…. if my suspicions are correct you will be confronted with your own deficiencies. As well as discloure of your given nmae and all that bad news associated with it!
Auduie Bock made a fool of herself! All those who supported her attempt at recall are included in those who I describe as being of lesser minds than that typical of public spirited folk.
June 5th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Is there a moderator on this blog? I would like to respectfully request that Mr. Kyle’s comment in number 4 above be removed. I believe it clearly crosses the line of civility and violates the blog guidelines to not personally attack submitters. While I admire Mr. Kyle’s passion and contributions to the community, he has repeatedly engaged in personal attacks on people who disagree with him on this blog. These attacks create a negative atmosphere and do not advance the discussions at all. Since he is incapable of judging what is appropriate, can his submissions be moderated so we don’t have to be subjected to these negative posts?
June 5th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Cheryl, you don’t like what Mr. Kyle said, and Mr. Kyle doesn’t like what obama.newage said.
I vote for no censurship. People have a right to say what they want out on the street or here in the blog. Just keep the curse words out.
Budget cuts are going to happen, just accept it and try to live with it.
June 5th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Jeff, Thasnk you!
Ms.O’bama old age has calumniated the folks who are honest in their actions. Motivation?
Jealousy ? Probaly so….. That one idea can ruin the life of the guilty party whose envy is out of control as she attempts ruination of those she attacks!
Frankly, the fault of this blog is vicious, uncontrolled attacks which suggest that Hayward has no chance of improving it’s schools when we suffer the presence of individuals writing in the mean evil tone of O’bama old age!
June 5th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
I think you misunderstand me Jeff. I am interested in Mr. Kyle’s opinions and I do indeed usually take the time to read them in total. I do not believe in censorship. What I object to is personal attacks on people, calling them names, etc., which has nothing at all to do with the arguments or points being made. Calling someone a name or insulting someone does not help advance an argument, it just creates a hostile environment which can quickly ruin an online community. Here’s an excerpt from the blog policy:
Blog policy: While The HayWord welcomes lively discussion and tough criticism, personal attacks on writers or other readers are not allowed. Spam, obscene language, personal attacks or abusive hate speech are not allowed.
Mr. Kyle, I would like to personally appeal to you to examine your writings for ad hominem attacks. While it may feel good in the moment, you actually diminish the strength of your argument and call your own credibility into question by calling people names. If you focus on the arguments instead of the person making the argument, I think you will be more successful.
June 6th, 2010 at 6:49 am
Cheryl Says:
Good advice… go back to the moment when the Recall movement began and re-read the exchanges, it might be enlightening if you saw the blatant attacks upon exemplary leadership exhibited by the appointee chosen in open forum, to fill the op-ening on the Board of Trustees.
Several of those ten who submitted applications for the interim appointment immediately supported the recall movement initiated by Audie Bock. There is (was ?) a link to the history of Ms. Bock’s political history on Wikepedia. See the computer path provided by Mr. Kurhi in the story announcing the recall attempt for yourself Note the footnote where the Wikepedia entry Was altered in February This year…. It has an annotation to the effect that Wikepedia would like to see the item returned to it’s original entry.
The recall attempt brought into play, scurrilous attacks upon a man whose leadership lead to creation of the new Burbank School. That prolonged effort involved incredible co-operation as between the City’s Redevelopment Agency, the Hayward Recreation Department and Eden Housing’s new low income housing project at corner of ‘C’ Street and Grand. which was part of that action as well as the new road encircling the HARD park, The man skillfully brought all those forces together while also having to deal with the existent leases of the old cannery warehouses on the land where housing now exists and is progressing.
Then tell me how anyone would have chosen someone like Ms. Bock whose single election victory came about with the uncovering of a violation of election law by a former Mayor of Oakland, who was her only opponent for the assembly seat. Ms. Bock, in my memory lasted less than two years in the Assembly job. She states ( in the revised portion of the Wikepedia entry that she wrote much Ca. Law. She does not mention the bills by number nor does she indicate which if any passed a vote~!
O’BAMA NEW AGE WAS THE WORST OFFENDER AND IF YOU FOLLOWED THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN THAT PERSON AND MYSELF YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND HOW I TRIED TO CONVINCE HER LOGICALLY, TO ABANDON USE OF SCURILOUS ATTACKS UPON LEADERSHIP IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT SHE ADMITTEDLY ANBANDONED IN FAVOR OF BEING ‘INVOLVED’ WITH HER SUCCESSES (?) IN OAKLAND WHERE SHE NOW RESIDES.
WE ARE NOT PERMITTED TO YELL ‘FIRE’ IN ENCLOSED public SPACES JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT. HOWEVER, THIS WOMAN YELLS FRAUD AND POINTS FINGERS AT DECENT PEOPLE WHO DESERVE OUR RESPECT FOR THEIR EFFORT.
IF YOU DISAGREE … THERE WILL BE NO FURTHGER EXCHANGE BETWEEN YOU AND MYSELF..
BE PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BLATANT LIES!
Which brings me to an allied point. Last Thursday I was not present for the famous meeting as between the School District and the public. The attendance was limited variously to reports of 150 folk to a high of 200. I could not personally attend due to health problems of both myself and spouse.. However I did make the trip for the purpose of dropping off copies of the “My Word” piece appearing upon the pages of the Review on Friday April 30, 2010. I authored that opinion and had hoped to find support for a ‘Town Hall Meeting”.
It is my concept that a Town Hall meeting, based upon needed Civic participation in a general, district wide, activity would be more successful than last Thursday’s limited activity.
Under My Concept, Audie Bock’s contribution to that recent most meeting would be banned. Who saw ant benefit to her sign work in several languages that Ms. Duran ought be fired. Not only is Ms. Bock illogical ,she demonstrates definite tendencies toward mental instability when she ignores the fact that no intelligent applicant for the job would accept employment under the conditions presently existent.
A properly conducted town hall meeting might need as much as thtree hours to conclude the initial effort to arouse Civic Participation necessary to salvation of our public schools here in Hayward. Only positive, pro-active conversations, which dis-allow finger pointing and blame assignment would be permitted. I would hope to see creation of groups of our folk brought together in ‘ad hoc’ focus upon the need to organize our selves in areas of specific interest as is seen done with the City’s Library Commission, Planning Commission and the other ten such groups currently active on behalf of the City.
In the case if HUSd would it not be useful to see creatuion of one group, willing and with talent directed to that aim which ‘promoted’ money raising activity in the form of ‘Hole in one tournament” on an annual; basis, Christmmas tree sales, rummage sales and other possible fund raisers to support not only the music program but the sports programs ?
Do we not need to expend effort in combating the huge money loss to HUSD seen experienced at CURRENTLY EXTIMATED $5,000,000 level due to ‘unexcused absences’
Parental skills in some families are below the minimum acceptable standards and a way must be found to correct the problems associated with plain old fashioned hooky! I fail top understand why my idea for a “performanxce bond of $100 per family would noyt be found useful ion meeting the loss of ADA money. The concept is simple, you havce a right to see your children receive public school education but your negligence is not either a right or acceptable. If your child is chronically AWOL then each occurrence of $30 loss to HUSD comes out of your $100 bond. After the third unexcused absence YOU ARE EXPOSED TO FINE OR Strong suggestion that you seek a Charter School in another District!
We will need volunteers dedicated to the ADA problem!
Site resident? More on that idea later…. But other nearby school districts found it successful in combating vandalism without investment in electronic monitoring and the difficulty in identification of culprits by a paid investigative employee. Site residents work in a Barter arrangement. Observe the Longwood School site resident which will be restored by the new year 2009- 2010 school opening. Historical costs for vandalism? At HUSD it hoverd around $150 K per year, What are they now?
So, with a properly conducted Town Hall meeting, purposefully conducted in a manner free of recrimination and finger pointing by current employees and other (?) seemingly interested parties, over past failures, we might bring ourselves away from the precipice of disaster FACING US BY A State ‘take over’ of our schools.
Frankly, our five trustees need help! The stipend we pay them for their effort is outrageously low… they need our freely given help just as is seen being done by the volunteer ‘commissions’ of the City!
I fail to see why this can not occur at HUSD with aid of pro-active folk! I honestly expect a pretty good response from the non-English speaking element amongst our students’ parents. Not too many years ago a Latino lady had found a group willing to paint Longwood School as a volunteer effort.….. turned away of course!
My only regret with involvement with the blog is the failure of others to contribute ‘proper’ thought to combating the crazies who, believe it or not create much doubt within the ranks of honest but busy citizens.
June 6th, 2010 at 7:49 am
I am not sure how many of our Hayward Families would be able to afford a $100 performance bond in the first place. One would only have to look at the number of free and reduce lunches served in the Hayward Schools to realize that a large portion of the Hayward Community is living at or below the poverty level. This would be a severe hardship and there may be legal issue as well.
June 6th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Justwasatching
Be aware that the $100 PERFORMANCE BOND WOULD BE REFUNDABLE IF ABSENCES WERE ‘EXUCSABLE’ TYPE. wE MUST RECOVER THE INCREDIBLE LOSS… ASSUME SOME OF THAT RECOBVERY WOULD BE USED FOR BREAKFAST JUST AS YOU
ASSUME THAT MANY ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD IT tHERE… HONEST QUESTIO9N FDOLLOWED BY hONEST ANSWER. rIGHT?!
June 6th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Thank you Cheryl it looks like we can never disagree in this Hayward blog with out being made fun of how I look or my age or my handicap or my education or by blackness or now being threatened to be stalked on when they find out who I am. Yes I am big and old and hurt alot but so what. I don’t make attack or ridicule anyone with vicious attacks here when they disagree with me. They need to grow up.
It looks like before jive latin did not work on me and going biblical did not work on me and now using mob mentality will not work me either by having someone support him to tell him is ok to be mean and nasty and vicious when anyone disagrees is just fine because is free speech.
Cheryl that person supporting that other vicious person thinks is all about budget cuts and it is not. There are many many many wrong things going on that have nothing to do with budget cuts and many others feel the same way too that it is just corruption and fraud. But people need to honestly look at all the vicious things that person says in this blog and he has one that now supports him to say I am lying.
You all see http://www.betterhayward.com and try to prove me wrong on any of those things that are wrong in Hayward school district.
Listen you all that is true I might not be as educated as you all here and still take classes at the adult school but me not being as educated as you cannot tell me how to reason what free speech is.
BECAUSE I think free speech is allowing and respecting opinions of others to speak freely without being ridiculed or threatened by anyone.
June 6th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
o’BAMA NEW AGE IS STILL PUSHING ON THE VERY WEAK MESSAGE FOUND POSTED IN SUPORT OF THE RECALL. tHE INANE SIGN HELD UP BU mS. BOCK DEMONSTRATES LACK OF RATIONAL THOUGHT.
ENUFF SAID EXCEPT THAT MY OPINION OF mR/. aqR,MAS DOES NOT WAVER…. HE IS ALREADY MILES AHEAD OF THE PACK ON FINDING SOLUTIONS TO THE REAL ESTAYTE MANAGEMENT PROBLEM AT husd.
June 6th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
It looks like that person behaving so vicious to others of different opinion never apologized to Concerned Hayward Citizen and now I would like him to apologize to Kelly Rocchio too because these are people that have been very professional and had a different opinion about HUSD and were ridiculed and attacked by him and now there might be another that supports that vicious behavior just because of a wrong idea of free speech. And you are right Cheryl on what free speech is.
Well this is America and we have to have our voices be heard. Like I said you all I might not be as educated as you all here and still take classes at the adult school but me not being as educated still mama didn’t raise no fool.
BECAUSE free speech is allowing and respecting opinions of others to speak freely without being ridiculed or threatened by anyone. Even if that opinion is not what others want to hear. Attacking people for their opinion is not cool that person needs to chill in his vicious comments.
June 6th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
No one is asking you to waiver your opinion on Armas. You have a right to that opinion. Many people like myself just have a different opinion I think he was not the best qualified for the job like some of the others like. Mr. McGee and Ms. ROccio and Ms. Bock. These 3 are very familiar with the problems in public schools. His appointment was corruption. None of the others don’t have a personnel Director as a wife in the school district and they were never deliberated.
June 6th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Good gollly folks. Right now, HUSD still needs to cut 6 million from NEXT Year before next year. I wouldn’t have selected mr. Armas, but he is there. You will get the chance to vote him out. But so far, he is passing legal challenges. You don’t like Ms. Duran. Good, let ‘em know. But the school board has the right to pick a superintendent. Maybe someone else or a different method should be used. But that will have to be later on. Yes, kids need to show up at school. That will certainly help the district out. But it won’t prevent the 6 million in cuts the district needs to do now. Yes, HUSD should fingerprint anyone entering into the classroom during school hours period. If it costs too much, let the volunteers pay the fee. It is a one time thing after all. We all know that child molesters are often the most normal people. But the current issue is, where is that 6 million going to come from? Cutting the preschool program has nothing to do with this. Should they drop before and after school programs and let parents take care of their kids? Should they cut school to four days a week? Six million in cuts is BIG, and HSUD needs to settle this now. I am sure all you who have been posting here have some great ideas about this. Let your leaders know before they make their decision.
This is what is happening now.
June 6th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
The cost of money being short on money is always because of bad managers every day for years and what is happening now is because of bad leaders at board and superintendent together with less money from the state. They everyone knew this was coming 2 years ago but even now the leadership makes bad budget decisions they just can put a budget together. I don’t think the district has been truthful on what is really short on money to everyone. Why do they give themselves raises and new positions at district or new contracts for contractors when they say there is no money. Why is does Duran going to have a contract as a permanent superintendent I don’t think she cares about HUSD she can just keep on geting her $1000 a day until the whole mess is clean up. Duran’s contract is not yet final to the community from what I saw in the last meeting. The community needs to stop more money going out. You all the people have not been told the whole truth on the money that is really there in HUSD.
June 6th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
o9gbama.new atge;
With your display of wisdom and knowledge one can only wonder why you were never elected President of the local NAACO. You would have solved all the prohblems!
June 9th, 2010 at 7:26 am
Did anyone here attend the meeting held last night at the District Office with Ms. Heredia? It was an open forum regarding budget cuts and obstacles.
June 9th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Hello blotg readers…. WAKE UP!
Alameda County’s election turn out was the poorest of all time. Only 12.6% of our registered voters bothered to cast a vote. 87.4 % do not give a tinker’s damn!
Our public school system is not failing; it has failed totally!
We are no longer enjoy discourse which has meaning. We carry insulting remarks into conversations and writings while purposely avoiding the value of protecting freedom, through inquiry into rationale offered by others.
When we gather, the rule seems to be…. No ‘politics’ or ‘expression of religious beliefs’ should be heard. That behavior is antithetical to our US Constitution ?
A French observer of early American political activity, greatly admired the custom in our new founded nation of holding ‘Town Hall Meetings’
Our last Presidential election saw that concept being abused. We are seemingly unable to converse,, one with another without arousing bitter enmity.
We are unable to assure, that parents perform lawful duty in the simple act of a child’s daily attendance at class. Unexcused absences are overlooked and needs enforcement under the existent laws.
The neglect of that single issue is only partially the failure of newspapers or blog opportunity to stimulate needed thought.
When will we recover?
June 9th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Kelly Rocchio: do you mean the meeting that was going to be held exclusively in Spanish? Do you mean the meeting that was by “invitation only”? Do you mean the meeting where the vice president of the HUSD school board said, “I’m not going to lie to you and say there’s no way your children are getting a good education in HUSD”. Any parent at any time should be able to walk into a classroom, unannounced, to evaluate teachers. No fingerprinting, carte blanche access to schools. ALL teachers should be bilingual (in Spanish). These are things that I heard. I didn’t attend, but I was wondering if you did. I heard some pretty disturbing things about that meeting. I am sincerely hoping that, at least, some of it was exaggerated or the “telephone game” made it out to be worse than it was. Have you heard anything yet?
June 9th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
I was not aware of the meeting. What happened? I am very concerned that the district is going to raise class sizes even more and eliminate elementary specialty classes (PE, music, etc.) next year. Plus, the shifting class sizes is creating grade level combo classes willy-nilly. I am a product of and have always been an advocate for public schools. I really like my child’s teachers and school community, but I am seriously starting to doubt that a child can get a decent education with HUSD. I am dying for the district to give me a reason to stay. Fingers crossed, but not holding my breath.
June 9th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Great. Just what we need. School board members inciting the community. You can get a good education in Hayward, HUSD has graduates that get into major universities. Spanish should not be a requiement because this is an English speaking country. Yes, I think all people in the classroom even though they be parents should be fingerprinted. Period. Just because you have children doesn’t mean you could not be dangerous to other people’s children. Plus, how can the teacher teach if they get interupted all day long? This has to be controlled somewhat.
June 9th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
What is so frustrating is that so many of the problems in HUSD are a direct result of board decisions. I’m not talking budget cuts, here. I’m talking about these unqualified, uninformed trustees making decisions about daily schedules, curriculum and instruction. Ms. Heredia should be pointing the finger at herself when speaking of the failures of HUSD. She has one interest only. That is the Spanish speaking community in Hayward. She has foresaken all the rest. The scary thing is, she virtually admits to it. I would like to know where all of these qualified bilingual teachers are. It’s not as if HUSD is actively turning away bilingual applicants. As I understand it, they aggressively recruit bilingual teachers an staff. Of course the Spanish speaking community is an extremely important and valuable part of our whole community. The same is true of our Afghan, African American, Pacific Islander…..and all the other communities. For the vice president of the school board to hold an invitation only meeting of this nature, is beyond appalling. I understand that there were several people that wanted to attend the meeting but were told that they were not on the list. Some were Spanish speaking, some were not. Disgrace
June 9th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
Concerned Hayward Citizen:
Have you tried direct personal conversation with Ms. Heredia?
Attempt to suggest that if it is worth a conversation with one grouop then why is it not possible to draw them together, examine separate positions, then draw the two together.
’tis better to be constructive than simply critical!
June 10th, 2010 at 12:16 am
Elections will nt solve anything. Hud is very corrupt, astetax payers money, do not go by the books, hire famil over more qualified peopel an friends, do tings the wrong wa eveyrday. Like I believe Kennedy said if nto part of the prolem you otta be part of the solution..usd is a mess.
Id rater work at Mcoalds where id have a cla rpiece of mind than ripping off a sate that already in financial limbo.
June 10th, 2010 at 6:00 am
Again, Mr. Kyle, you are blissfully unaware of anything that I have or have not done to be constructive. You are assuming, yet again, that I am being unfairly critical. I shouldn’t have to have private meetings with public officials. That’s the whole problem here. Too many private meetings behind closed doors. It’s time the public know what this woman is all about. Frankly, with Ms. Heredia’s reputation for vendetta, I would rather not meet with her alone. I have had several interactions with her, and it was obvious that she has one interest only. You are presuming rational behavior from our esteemed trustee. Don’t believe everything you hear at the board meetings (from which you leave after the first 30 minutes). People have spoken with her, met with her, invited her, emailed her, called her and so on. It’s time the Hayward community is made aware of the corruption at the school board level. I am not alone here. I am not one voice. There us some bizarre grip she and some other “community leaders” have on our schools that makes parents and staff fear them. Staff fears for their jobs. They should. Ms. Heredia is responsible for the release of several administrators and the reassignment of teachers. Your concern is truancy. I am 100% in agreement with you. Did you know that Ms. Heredia pushed a policy through that keeps teachers from taking roll for the first hour of the day? That’s right. At the elementary schools, all students must attend ELD (English Language Development) or ALD (Academic Language Development) for the first 45 minutesof the day. This is not taught in the child’s classroom by their teacher. They must go to another class. So, you have 5-12 year old students not being accounted for until an hour after they come to school. So, some kids take advantage of this and go to school late. The greater issue is one of safety. With the push to let any parent go to the classrooms unannounced withou checking in at the office (Which is another policy that she wants to get rid of), our children are left defenseless against and vulnerable to many potential dangers. Ms. Heredia’s only interest was that ELD was being taught. In her inexperience and bravado, she thought that mandating it be taught in the first 45 minutes district-wide was a great idea. By the way, the kids that don’t need ELD are given “ALD” which is a fancy way of saying “you just sit here until ELD is over”. There was no curriculm provided or any instruction to teachers on how to teach ALD. As a matter of fact, when staff asked for help with it, the district and board told them that ALD is basically a byproduct of ELD and it didn’t really matter what was being taught. The problems run much deeper than anything that can be fixed over a cup of coffee, Mr. Kyle. People want to blame budget problems for HUSD failures. With rogue boundary changes, school closures, nonsensical policy implementation and all of the other chicanery going on, it’s hard not to pin point the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the trustees and district administration.
June 10th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Wow. That’s some scary stuff. Aren’t there checks on one person on the board doing things that don’t make sense? Maybe we need some investigative reporting by the Daily Review.
June 10th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Dear Concerned Citizen….
At age very near 80, I am almost as much amused as saddened by some of your statements.
In your previous, you take a ‘cheaop shot’ at my ewarly departure. Does it occur to you that I run home to watch the proceedings on TV where because of my declining sense of hearing, I can turn the volume up, with ice tea or some such in hand and view the proceedings.
You have at outset a very valid observatiion and concern about the roll call procedure. To correct that it would be well to point out to all who are willing to listen, that a child might be ‘snatched’ and if it becomes public information that the roll call was delayed, so that you are unaware of whether or not that child was actually present…. then HUSD has one hell of a problem to face when the TV cameras show up.
So, go back and raise the issue logically at the public comment period and then follow that up with distribution of a letter saying the same thing…. but send it by certified mail to the Supt. “return Receipt requested” It costs an extra bucki…. but you sre on record! That causes some thought…. I’ve used that stunt effectively!
I agree that Heredia can be difficult. I explained here, on the blog, not too long ago how COR came to be established here in Southern Alameda County….. I turned the leadership task aside when the Jesuit Priest came a knocking, selling the Saul Alinsky ideas. Sol had some good thoughts which is why the Jesuits became involved in inner city concerns. My excuse for not takinng a leadership roll was due to my experience with Latino Parens at St. Joachim’s when my four attenddd there.
Latinos are to put it simoply…. vewry good people! They generally lack understanding of how the system works…. that is to say the problem is fairly broad but not so acute that they are unable to participate, if shown respect. Mr. Armas is an outstanduing example of untapped resources in that segment of our Community. I have complete confidence in the man.
You might address a letter to both Armas and Heredia to the effect that you are concerned about the delayed roll call for the good and solid reason I put forward above.
One of the problems I have with you is your use of the nom de plume. Your effectivemess might improve if…. a big if…. we had a Town Hall meeting at which all the B.S. about who is good or bad were put aside so that reasonable people can speak of ‘Cures’ to the systemic shortcomings and do that in an atmosphere of collegiality; or, commom courtesy without the asides about who mis-behaves according to your lights.
By revealing your identity, y6ou might then find common cause to correct those ‘problems’ which need correctiojn. I suspect that that is exactly what Heredia is doing. Rightly or wrongly she makes the effort to deal with the Latino folks….. they have confidence in her…. which vou should recognize while attempting reconciliation without any recrimination or unkind remarks.
I suspect that you are smart enough to recognize that your effort at criticism, may just be at least a ‘wee part’ of the problem. Right?
I envision and have written published articles on HUSD, especially about the ‘Town Hall Meeting Concept’.
So far, I detect no response except to state a belief that the recent gathering at the Burbank School, although well intended and probably necessary to firmly establish the monetary crisis, was ineffective since they actualoly yhanded out cards seeking not only comment but volunteers.
To be fair, a health problem flatred up and I all I was able to contribute was about 100 copies of the April 30, 2010 “My Word” piece seen published by the Dailyuy Re=view.
A town hall can be very effective in ‘rallying’ positive public interst in our public schools! At town Hall meeting as I envision it, there woukl be ‘break out groups of 10 to 20 people around a single table…….each attendee would be asked to suggest pro-active ideas to improve volunteerism in a collaborative manner rather than then see the continuation of the parade of comp[lainants at ‘PUBLIC Comments held at Board Meetings.
A proactive ‘ad hoc’ group with solid ideas, well elaborated berfore presentation to the Board of Trustees would almost certainly grab the attention of administration as well as the Trustees and the entire electorate!
What kind of ‘ad hoc groups’? Well City has 19 which they call ‘commissions’ which serve as effecti9ve advisory to City Council befor Council says yea or nay…… it is a successful tool in aid of administratiohn and the best part is provides an outlet to those citizens who are sitting on those commissions.
Be aware, that we are ‘social’ beings in our existence amnd that we thrive on seeing our ideas accepted by the group, as a whole!
Am I qwasting my timew and yours with these thoughts?
Come on admit it…. your efforts are un-recognized because you use a ‘nom de plume’ or do you enjoy the masochistic action of banging your head on a wall?
Which may be happening to me with my lengthy involvment in this blog!
June 11th, 2010 at 10:50 am
The meeting I refer to (#19) was a meeting for our Spanish Speaking Community. There was a small “audience” area for those not invited to attend. They did get a translator from the District because there were two people present that did not speak Spanish. We were seated away from the main tables. It was an open forum to discuss concerns regarding the budget cuts and the obstacles parents felt prevented their involvement in the schools. Issues were raised regarding fingerprinting, tb testing, class visits etc. Parents attending felt these policies were big obstacles to their participation. There was concern regarding teachers who are not bilingual and the delay this creates when parents speaking Spanish only want to discuss their student.
I wish this type of forum would be available on a scale that involved the entire community. This was an open exchange with no time limits. This was nothing like a Board Meeting where you feel you are not heard. The group was encouraged to share concerns that would be later shared with the Superintendent. I believe all community members deserve the opportunity to be heard! I also think that this meeting should have involved a cross-section of people so that some of these questions could have been answered on the spot. For example, the TB testing and fingerprinting could easily have been explained by someone from the District who was aware of the laws regarding this policy. A teacher rep could have discussed the class visits and the bilingual issues. I think it is important that we have open conversations, not just let the concerns turn into a bigger issue because there are no answers being provided.
Mr. Kyle, I believe this may be the beginning of a town-hall type of meeting with small groups getting the ear of the Board and Administration. My biggest concern is that it was not open to the community and seemed to be a rather isolated group that was selected for participation. I wonder when this will open up to the community, perhaps breaking into small groups, each with a Board Member.
June 11th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Here’s another positive idea along the lines of Mr. Kyle’s performance bond idea. Have the kids be responsible for cleaning their classrooms and campus. This is standard practice in Japanese schools. I think a kid would think twice about throwing something on the ground if they knew that they would be the ones to pick it up later. What’s that thing about being the pig and the chicken? One’s involved, the other is committed. I can say from personal experience that the more you put into an experience, the more you get out of it.
June 11th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Concerned citizen..—— and all the ships at sea!
Sorry, I erred…..City does not have 19 groups but just 10 ‘commissions’ or ad hoc groups. When all seats are filled there are over 100 hundred folk involved in 10 areas of different concern.
Keep in mind also that it is not just the parents who are concerned with HUSD problems. Folks who initiate a new business or struggle to maintain an existing effort, are concerned about the ‘demographics’ of a community and that includes thorough examination of residential real estate values. Turning then, even more so, to attention involving current commercial value analysis of an existing business.
I like to recite the comparison of the San Jose School District with the Cupertino school District. As a supervising real property appraiser in a large bank, I was responsible for quality of the work employed in the office at which I supervised appraisals for Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey counties as well as the area involving Hollister.
The interesting thing about Cupertino schools versus those of San Jose derived in the fact that there was once a large prune orchard involving considerable land area within which the separate school boundaries adjoined each other along the longer length of a rectangle. Generally the yellow line along the ‘collector’ street marked the boundary.
The land parcel was generally rectangular with the school boundary line almost down the middle. The developer built a large tract of what I call ‘Cookie cutter Houses’ From the front view you observe a left and right appearance. The same plans with variations in bedroom count only. By taking the plans and ‘flopping’ the construction you build identical housing allowing only variations in roof line and trim such as shutters etc.
In Cupertino, which has a highly rated school district, I found houses, without swim pools, which sold for $25,000 more than the same ‘flopped’ cookie cutter home in the San Jose portion of the same tract built by the one builder. The ‘off the wall’ glaring error in the appraisal I was auditing was that in the case then at hand, was that the San Jose home, being used as a comparable sale, had a nice swim pool while the Cupertino home did not! Yet the Cupertino Home, located in a superior school district sold for $25,000 higher price which the involved appraiser thought was excessive.
Another hour’s field work, demonstrated to my satisfaction that the young appraiser had erred. Additional ‘comparables’ supported the higher priced sale of the home in Cupertino which lacked the pool. (Loan transaction rescued!)
The case reflected desirability of a school district which is ranked among the highest in California! Which do you think was the smarter buyer? Assuming of course that you are aware that Cupertino has a school district ranked as being more successful than that of San Jose.
The point of all above is that it is not just the parents which need to see a successful improvement to HUSD. Why?
Well in Cupertino folks generally have better paying jobs…. thus more discretionary income available for expenditure at Cupertino stores. Hayward businesses are deeply concerned about the condition of the schools because there is a correlation between the success of the two!
So here again, I come to the need for a Town Hall Meeting. If you want police protection improvements….. you need to generate sales tax income….. but if people buying homes or selling them here in Hayward lack discretionary income it is because they lacked opportunity for education and thus live in less expensive housing with a visible ( empty store) effect upon retail sales in Hayward.
In a town hall meeting we will need to address considerable numbers of questions which address problems indirectly related to classroom attendance but which affect that attendance. The attitude that only those neighborhoods with poor performing schools need the attention of the public is erroneous or even worse, that bi-lingual skills or the lack of them, is central to the problem with that being the heart of our troubles.
Frankly, my own opinion is that Parenting skills need attention!
It can be complicated and all must come to the realization that much effort will be needed by all who really give a ‘tinkers damn’.
Think positively and act collectively rather than charging around to neighborhood meetings which are uncoordinated with other neighborhoods. Stop spinning wheels and think large!
Above all else, bring attention to the fact that Arnold S. is under a court order to ‘release from prison’ a large number, early release, parolees who in many cases have what is in effect unsupervised permanent release! ( Until the next offense of Course.)
They will come to Hayward and Oakland simply because the older housing is less expensive rent wise. I have some recent data provided me by the Department of Corrections….. we here in the Oakland / Hayward Corridor have a large number of paroled felons living in the older housing. We must do everything we can, for fear of God, ( if nothing else,) so that their children are the beneficiaries of improvement to parenting skills….involving all the parents whose neglect of the ‘unexcused absence problem’ has had a very serious affect upon HUSD’s ABILITY TO REDUCE CLASS SIZES.
Rant against real or imagined failing of HUSD’s Administration and Trustees accomplishes nothing WE MUST PUT OUR COLLECTIVE SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL!
Curiously, The RC Diocese of Oakland has in the last issue of it’s twice monthly edition of ‘The Catholic Voice‘, published the names of not all but most of the names of the graduates ot it’s elementary schools. It publishes the name of most of It’s High Schools… which is not germane to our problem except that an astounding number reflect class sizes which are well above 30. I believe their success is due not so much to parental willingness to pay tuition ( over and above parcel taxes) but to intensiveness of parental skills! Or, getting value for their dollars?
Frankly I DO NOT SEE A SOLUTION UNLESS WE EXPLORE THE USEFULNESS OF A Town Hall meeting!
A success with a Town Hall meeting will lead to placing pressure upon Sacramento, thus to stop outrageous inattention to anything but reallocation our local school .funding concepts to ‘other uses‘ !
Consider that we have laws requiring parents to educate their Children. We have additional laws which enforce that law through imposition of penalty upon inattentive parents. Those laws do not seem to be enforced! Why? Are the politicians in Sacramento so blind that they fail to see the point or have they become victims of their own despairing ambition?
When do we reach the end of patience?
Oscar Grant was once a near neighbor of mine! Neglect within that household was monstrous!
June 11th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Kelly: How can we make this happen? Should we email Ms. Heredia and/or the other board members requesting more open fora?
June 11th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Teachermama
We can make this yhappen by use of public demonstration, silent, without rancor or finger pointing by open, peaceful demonstration
Turn to Saul Alinsky technique if we must>
June 12th, 2010 at 3:50 am
My sympathies to Paul Frumkin and family whose father died on June 5, 2010. What a time for him to lose his father and namesake.
June 13th, 2010 at 9:20 am
The district has scheduled a meeting on the 16 of June with a mediator about modifying the teacher’s contract. Is this the district’s answer to cutting their needed now 7 million? After HSUD lays off a bunch of people, now they want to change the contract? I would only agree to a change if jobs were saved.
June 13th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Blog faithful or fanciful
Yomorrow I habd deliver to Hayward City Hall, in separate envelopes to each council member save the two retiring but included the new guys….. a copy of the followin which revolves around “the hew deal” created by the California Dept orf Corrections.
I am in receipt of a letter written by Mattheww Cate who is in the offide of the Secretary of the Department of corrections.
A copy of that letter is also to be delivered, together with the associated statistical data provided by Mr. Cate. You might avail youreves of the opportunity to examine the material to which I refer in the ‘blog’ submission sent you herewith.
I am placing a copy with the Board Secretary’s files at HUSd HQ. You might ask to read or obtain a copy….. assuming that you pay the reproduction fees.
John W. Kyle
Phone (510) 782-7612
E-mail: jwkyle6@comcast.net
Distribution of this item is made to all members of the City Council as well as HUSD Trustees !
The enclosed material is provided for informational purposes as well as to suggest a course of action which I bring, to you, as being necessary to eventual resolution of the ongoing problems occurring within Hayward Unified School District. I expect to see rational response!
If you have not already taken the opportunity to read my blog submission dated June 10, 2010, the opportunity exists at http://WWW.ibabuzz.com/hayword.
I took the opportunity to post the contribution at two locations within the blog. Look under Kurhi’s article “ Peixoto has big lead… OR, in better context with competing opinions, see “Meeting Recap and HUSD declares Impasse“…
Previously I provided information dealing with revelations found in The Department of Correction publication dated July 2009. In that ‘glossy’ bit of professionally produced information relative to the three year history of a single year’s release to parole, ( ‘Class of year 2005 ‘) we see that the rate of recidivism was ‘only’ slightly below 60% at the conclusion of year 2008. That three year experience assumes that the reputed recidivism rate of 65% to 75% is erroneous. Just as if the class of 2005 had none of it’s alumni seen as a repeat offender in the 4th or 5th year after their 2005 release.
I enclose information that indicates the numbers of parolees living in Hayward and Oakland is disproportionate to that seen in the balance of the Alameda County community data.
In short the new release program has seen an influx of the numbers released to Oakland and Hayward.
The question which I place before you is this: Do you think it possible that the numbers of parolees seen living in ‘HAYWARD’ have had a direct or indirect affect upon student absences and the affect of those absences upon loss of ADA money and our monetary crisis at HUSD?
At the ‘Mentor – Mentee’ discussions held at Palma Ceia Baptist Church last March 13, 2010, an interesting opinion was introduced which strongly suggested that ‘gangs’ WITHIN WHICH GROUPS, I SUSPECT YOU FIND PAROLEE MEMBERSHIP, have an affect upon ADA money.
Kids cut class to hang about the street corners where much cash is flashed! What do they learn?
How close are parolees monitored when they are under supervision? Will the problem grow worse now that some are no longer supervised? What influence do they have upon their own children?
One solution? The $100 per FAMILY ‘PERFORMANCE BOND’ IDEA…… no unexcused absences at end of year and you have a refund. Lose all if your parenting skills are so lacking that you are unable to correct your ‘unexcused’ absence problem, which so seriously affects HUSD.
June 13th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
So, item above is held in Limbo… awaiting moderation by the Almighty?
June 13th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Members of HEA.
Would any of you care to comment upon the article appearing in the San Franciosco Chronicle, dated June 13, 2010 Today’s issue!
A Sunday Edition “Insight” Section N Page ‘N5′ Full page article by Peter Scheer and which is entitled Public Employee Unions. sub titkle ” Losing the image battle”!
The authoris a er and a journalist and he is also executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, a California non-profit dedicated to government trannsparency and political accountability.
He haa thingsto say about the Brown Act exclusion of the public from salaray negotiations.
The man seems to raise a valid point about errors of the pol;itical paths taken by public employe unions.
His central point seems to be, your excessive retirement benefits!
I think a response is merited! Your silence on the subject might prove his point?
The declarartion of ‘impass’ seems to have some merit.
I am watching or waiting for your response!
June 13th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
aS TO ENTRY ABOVE (# 39) I WAS AGAIN INTERRUPTED BY bLOG CENSOR…. AT PARAGRAPH # ABBOVE ( POST #39) tHE AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE CITED IS A LAWYER. HE HAS THINGS TO SAY…..ETC.
June 13th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Every time time I watch the board meetings transparency is the thing that board member Mr. Reynoso has always been very vocal about. We need to support him on making sure you all get all the info on everything the HUSD do good or bad. I wish I would have known about the secret spanish speakers meeting at the district office. How do we the people get to know about those meetings? Do the people get to see minutes or listen to recordings or watch videos or get to ask questions about it? I looked in the website of HUSD and there is nothing about spanish speakers meeting with any board.
June 14th, 2010 at 9:54 am
O’BAMA NEW AGE;
Your recent comments about transparency certainly ‘hit the mark’ in my vast memory of things occurring in the past!
I definitely recalled the transparency occurring about 12 years ago, ( Perhaps even earlier, when using the ’temporary facility at Centennial Hall ?) when our newest, safest ever, City Hall structure was opened.
Generously heeding the need for greater transparency, the technological set up for telecasts was offered to HUSD and the public.. Previously HUSD board meetings were not telecast… the need for transparency was truly great !
Reasonably enough, the City thought it was doing a great service to the School District; However, it was pointed out to City, by those concerned with City budgets, that HUSD ought be making at least a small donation to support the recording technician and the supply of tapes which were being handed over to the library at HUSD HQ as a means of creating a ‘legal‘ record of the proceedings.
But ‘fairness and transparency’ were not ‘key words’ being utilized by one heavy set member of the Board. ’ $15 per meeting? ….’outrageous expense’ was the cry! Lack of transparency, or associated thought, eventually caused her departure from trustee membership.
For a year one local business man picked up that expense! Thus saving HUSD budget that incredible budget item of about $350 in that initial year of telecasting HUSD meetings. One can only wonder how it was possible to find storage at HUSD Hq. For all those tapes.
Surely you were around and being a zealot for transparency, would like to reveal her identity?
June 14th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
If secret meetings for spanish speakers are going to happen then I want to know what was talked. My spanish is not that good. I am not sure if that is legal but I thought meetings in the district office are for all people to come has that changed? Maybe board member Ms. Heredia and the superintendent Duran can tell us people what she talked to about in the website so we all see what is said in the secret Spanish speakers meeting. I don’t know why they have to meet in secret don’t the HUSD pay for interpreter cause I always see her talking to us talking English translating from Spanish speakers people that don’t speak English.
June 14th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
NOTE ITEM G. ON THE PERSONNEL COMMISSION AGENDA. HOW CAN HUSD CREATE A NEW POSITION WHEN THEY HAVE ABOLISHED OR FAILED TO REPLACE SO MANY. THIS PERSON BETTER HAVE EIGHT ARMS AND WORK 24/7 AND GET PAID FOR 8.
OR COULD THIS BE A WAY OF SIDESWIPING A CLASSIFICATION STUDY AND SHOEING IN A PERSON IN A LEAD POSTION UNDER A TITLE OTHER THAN SUPERVISOR?
June 14th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Teachermama – Sorry it took so long to get back to you … yes, I think we need to make this happen. I think we should all reach out to the Board and the Superintendent and demand these types of forums.
I was also disappointed by the lack of communication to the community about this meeting. I believe meetings with elected officials held in a public forum are open to all attendees. Maybe someone else has the details on this.
As far as translation, there was a translator present and she did provide translation of the meeting. I was only able to stay for a portion of the meeting. As far as I know there were no minutes or recordings of this meeting.
There will be a “Special” Meeting on June 16th at the District Office. It appears it starts at 5:00pm with Public Comments taking place prior to Closed Session.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
To: Roccio, Warchdog, teachermama
I suggest a read of items 37, 39 and 40 above. Especially # 39 were the article tackles the teachers union problem! Revealing stuff!
I also criticize what I perceive is a growing problem with racial backlash over the idea that Latinos are ‘taking over’. That blacks are losinhg their share of the pie etc. etc. etc.
Because ‘the meeting’ held by Heredia was in tha administration facility does that seem sinister? What if it was held in the Public library or at St. Joachim’s Church under auspices of COR at which organization, Herdia is reputed to be an officer of the board at COR
Your problem with me is that you apeaar to be envious of Heredia’s incredible involovment. Well, that is what wew want in an elected official….. she certainly appears to be earning that misereable stipend of $750. per mopnth paid to trustees
IS ABILITY TO GATHER A GROUP TO WHICH YOU WERE NOT INVITED a reason to be envious?
ASK THIS QUESTION OF YOURSELVES. wHATEVER SHE THINKS MIGHT BE GAINED BY LISTENING AND SUBSEQUENT ACTION IS THE Basic ART OF THE ‘AMERICAN WAY of free assewmbly!”
Nothing that she can do is able to be accomplished, approved, set in concrete,etc. until she picks up three votes on whatever she brings to the formalized agendized meeting.
The same thing applies to any and all good ideas brought out for discyssion at a Town Hall meeting!
Relax! Turn away from attempts at rabble rousing as is seen occurring with the ladyh who moved to Oakland but is unable to tear herself away from HUSD for fear of losing part of the pie!
June 15th, 2010 at 9:39 am
If you read my contributions you will see, I am not criticizing the ability to gather a group that might be coming together to share constructive input with those in a position to implement change. What I am disappointed about, is that this meeting was not communicated to the community and that some were turned away. I don’t care how we determine who the “group” includes, but when you start alienating sectors of the community it causes problems. Mr. Kyle you would be the first to step up if you heard that meetings regarding HUSD would now only be open to parents with children currently enrolled in HUSD.
I did state above that there was a translator present. Again, please don’t read something into my posts that is not there! I am only asking that we all have the opportunity to be a part of this type of forum so all of our thoughts can be considered for the formal agenda.
I read the article you mentioned above. It seems a portion of the article you are overlooking discusses the negligence of elected officials who “make contractual promises that are unaffordable, unsustainable and, in general, don’t come due until after those elected officials have left office”. Why do you blame the unions who have been on the front line of saving HUSD for years now? Have you no thoughts on the payout being given to former Superintendent Vigil, the generous raises recently afforded two administrators, the daily cost of our current Superintendent? Could it not be decisions like this that are contributing to the decline of our District?
I just ask that we look at all sides … whether it be when we are talking about meetings or placing blame. Why do we need to criticize where information is coming from? Is it any less valid if it comes from a blog contributor than from a lawyer who submitted an article to the paper? Consider that we may not have all of the information and this is one forum we are allowed to openly share. After all, it is for the kids … right??
From Walter Cronkite: “In seeking truth you have to get both sides of story.”
June 15th, 2010 at 10:54 am
MS. ROCCIO’
wELL WRITTEN REBUTTAL. BUT YOU MISS THE POINT. YOU HAVE DCOME ACROSS AS BEING RESENTFUL OF MS. HEREDIA.
kEEP IN MIND THAT THE LADY WILL, SOONER OR LATER, NEED TO BRIMNG WHAT YOU IMAGINE AS AN AGENDA INTO THE PRESENCE OF A PUBLIC MEETING AT WHICH A VOTE WILL OCCUR.
I HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY EFFECTIVE SUPPORT COMING FROM AMONG YOUR GROUP OF FRIENDS WHICH WOULD SEE CREATION OF A TOWN HALL MEETIING. WHY IS THAT? YOU SEEM TO HAVE MUCH TO SAY BUT LACK EFFECTIVNESS WHICH MIGHT OCCUR AT A TOWN HALL MEETING.
yOU COMPLAIN ABOUT THE pAYMENT OF MONEY TO vIGIL…. i WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT EITHER BUT DO RECIOGNIZE THAT THE MAN HAD AN ENFORCEABLLE CONTRACT IN HIS POSSESSION,. I SUSPECT HE VIOLATEED HIS HIRE AGREEMENT BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO0 BRING THAT FORWARD….LACK OF PROOF!
yOU COMPLAIN ABOUT MONEY SPENT FOOLISHLY BUT DISAPPOINTMENT AT NOT BEING SELECTED OVER MR. ARMAS RESULTED IN YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE RECALL MOVEMENT!
fOR WHAT? fALSE PRIDE?
dO YOU FAIL TO ADMIT OR RECOGNIZE THAT YOU MIS-UNDERSTOOD THE ‘PERFORMANCE BOND’ IDEA. THAT CASTS DOUBT ON YOU WHEN YOU DESCRIBED MY THOUGHT AS ‘STUPID’ IN AN E-MAIL TO ANOTHER INTERESTED PARENT!
CALM DOWN, DO NOT SHOOT FROM THE LIP!
June 15th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Very good Ms. Rocchio. That is why I am still for Ms. Rocchio for the school board. You all listen she is much better than Mr. Armas. She gots smart mind too and is vocal and educated too. She know the problems of Hayward. I agree with her any meeting needs to be for to all people not just spanish speakers that is what the problem is.
The townhall idea meeting did not work in the last meeting at Burbank the people where not listen to and the handicap places to park and walk were no good and it was hard to hear. I have hear Ms. Rochio before on TV and when she answer questions for the board seat interview. She never says things like stupid to anyone. She is a very respectable smart nice lady.
Ms. Rocchio you keep saying things we needs to make better at HUSD we all listen to you.
June 15th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
You all is no good to have for Ms. Heredia have secret meetings for not inviting all languages of people and only in spanish. Maybe I think too she has bad time talking to us in English cause I think that vice president board member Ms. Heredia sounds bad and she is really gheto and has a hard time making sense when I hear her on TV I wish she use the english interpreter so we all know what she is talking about and she only pushes her weight around eastavenue trying to make people and teachers and principals afraid of her just because she is the vice president of the board and other people told me she does that in other schools the same. I want and wish that she has to stop wearing pijamas and slipers in public and speak better when she visits eastavenue or any schools is just bad gheto dress and qheto talk.
I think the board needs to wear school uniforms so they don’t look so ghetto in pijamas and slippers. Mr. Armas and Mr. Reynoso they look good on suits on TV and profesional latin men look good on suits but I only like one of them because he is for the people since from he got elected.
June 15th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
oBAMA OLD AGE
THANK YOU FOR A VERY LUCID EXPLANATION OF YOUR CASE!
I REST MINE!
June 15th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Look it here can we all just get along. Why you always so nasty when others think different than you. Stop calling me oldage. I like what Rocchio had to say and was not looking to you to say it was ok for what I say. You all she sounds alot better than Ms. Heredia or Mr. Armas cause she does not sound gheto or dresses gheto. Ok Mr. Armas does not sound like Ms. Heredia and does not need an english enterpreter but Ms. Rochio sounds better on tv than Mr. Armas. Can you please say I’m sorry to Ms. Rocchio for being nasty to her she is not a politician so you cannot talk to her like that she is a private citizen like you and me. Stop being nasty again.
June 15th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
I have expressed my concerns with an attendance bond in previous posts. I am not only concerned about the families who can not make this deposit, but also guidelines for refund. I think it would be very important for you to investigate what constitutes an “excused” absence in HUSD these days. This type of bond will encourage parents to send sick children into the classrooms. Charging a family financially for a sick child is not something I’m willing to support.
I do not appreciate speculations about what my “friends” have or have not accomplished. I was at the meeting on June 8th. I consider myself pretty well informed. When there are emails being referenced that I have no knowledge of, I am doubtful that accurate information is being shared. I do not feel I have misled anyone in regards to my position on HUSD. I will always speak up when I think the children are not being served as the number one priority.
People are often pointing fingers at others and placing blame. I wonder if it is to incite anger and distrust. I am in contact with the Board Members and they are well aware of how I feel on a variety of topics. I do not need anyone here to try and interpret my comments or feelings for others. I am very up-front with how I feel. I will continue to be involved in matters that relate to HUSD, not because of false pride or not getting elected or appointed, but because I have two children in the middle of this crisis. This is about more than the value of my home or what position I hold. My #1 position is PARENT!
June 15th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Does anyone know what it cost the district to hold Tennyson and Hayward High graduations at Cal State Easat Bay? It seems that maybe this year for form if nothing else, they could have held it at the high schools in question….
June 15th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Not sure about costs to the district. Tennyson’s graduation will probably be the last held CSUEB for some time. The have installed a new field in the stadium. As far as logistics, we have the space but not the infrastructure to pull it off. Chairs, portable stage, crowd control ( which if you saw last years graduation was an issue).
Hugh Lenahan
Teacher
Tennyson High School
June 15th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Ms. Rocchio you go girl. Yes is because you are a parent with children in the HUSD that is the point to what you do right. Someone told me that Mr. Armas is on the Moreau high school board and his kids go there and not to public schools is that true? I knows Moreau High is a very expensive private high school. If is true then is wrong to have him in the Moreaue High board and the HUSD board and his wife be the HUSD personel director and now teachers say he too be now the HUSD teacher contracts negotiator now that is way out wrong wrong. How you all can take all this is I think bad and wrong why the teachers don’t complain more to the board on tv.
You all is a silly idea to make people pay atendance bond when we give so many lunches free to these families that cannot pay it.
June 16th, 2010 at 12:30 am
Ms. Roccio
Again you disappoint!
In the first paragraph of you June 15, blog submission you state:
“ This type of bond will encourage parents to send sick children into the classrooms. Charging a family for a sick child is not something I’m willing to support.”
How in blazes do you leap to that conclusion? I recall you once stating on the blog that in your experience as volunteer at HUSD school attended by your children that there were plenty being sent there in sick condition.
In my own experience at Longwood School during a period when I was invited as a ‘reader’ to Kindergarten and 1st Grade children, I observed teachers having to contend with ’pukes’ and a child’s loss of urinary and bowel controls. Some had obviously high temperatures. Mine attended St. Joachim’s at which school, ‘working parents’ had to provide not only their work address and phone numbers but the names of two responsible parties
( Grandma (etc) who had agreed to pick up and care for a child who became ill. Injuries were handled in another fashion if the injury was serious.
I think your statement that the performance bond would encourage bringing a sick child to school is not constructive nor helpful in any form. Lady, that is one hell of a leap into negativity!
In California there is an annual publication by the State of Calif. Dept of Education which describes the absenteeism at each of our HUSD Schools. What catches the eye, even on first read, is a tabulation for a line item described as “Unexcused Absences” which suggests to me that there must also be, somewhere in Ed. Code. a description on how to recognize ’excused absences’.
I have been searching through some e-mail, especially the one you sent Lisgen in which you describe my performance bond idea as being stupid for the fact that I had sought a bond of $100. Per child! I resent that interpretation and believe you guilty of resenting any suggestions offered by another!
That my dear lady is not the path which any of us would openly pursue in any well run “Town Hall Meeting.
Learn not to pass judgment on honest thoughts of others….. Lest you be judged, purely and simply, as a prideful obstructionist.
Now, as to the California State Law requiring parents to educate their children…. The obverse side of that ‘coin in the realm’ is that the penalty for failure, whatever that means, is not being enforced!
Perhaps that is deliberate? Lack of enforcement heightens the problem and thus do I suspect it to be seen as opportunity to use OUR ADA money for other line item uses in the State’s budget woes. An act quite reprehensible in anyone’s book!
A Town Hall meeting would see amplification of that thought and in that process we would enable ourselves to bring political “HEAT’ down on those responsible for enforcement of parental requirement to educate their children.
How you became confused over the idea that the performance bond would be laid upon each child, is quite beyond me. I agree many, large families particularly would be hard pressed.
I disagree that $100 is beyond reach of a family. If you have not observed, a new crime is being reported in our print news. Seems that youngsters walking to schools are being ‘held up’ ,even assaulted by thugs demanding a hand over of all the cell phones etc that we see kids toting by hand or in book bags by those known by ‘spotters’ in neighborhood gangs. If the $100 bond is that hard to come by then be assured parents will want a refund…. Which is obtained by presence in class and avoidance of ‘unexcused’ absences.
Suggest you use your ‘involvement’ to find that definition of ‘excused’ rules‘. . The last thing…. We need some sharp attendance clerks at each school…. I do not know it for a fact but I understand that they are sometimes attending to that task at more than one location…
June 16th, 2010 at 8:43 am
To all BLOG ATTENDEES AND CONTRIBUTORS!
iN TODAY’S dAILY rEVIEW…. YOU HAVE SOME THOUGHTFUL IMPUT UNDER LETTERS TO EDITOR BIT ENTITLED “POOR PARTICIPATIOM”
ANY RESPONSE SUBMIITEED TO EDITOR?
June 16th, 2010 at 8:50 am
My last post in this exchange, as I will not engage in a personal battle. Mr. Kyle, you are obviously disappointed, but this forum is for all to speak and share.
Just to be clear, I am perfectly aware of what qualifies as an “excused” absence in HUSD. Thus, my concerns regarding your proposal. I have done the research and recommend you do the same. And the post you mention re: sick kids was also in response to this bond proposal. This my opinion.
I also want you to understand that I am very aware of the original email you reference and it might serve you well to revisit before you continue to cite any response from me. The email you are concerned about re: your 3/24 email to HUSD. I did not respond to you or any other party included on this email. Again, do the research before jumping to conclusions. I keep all of my records.
June 16th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Mr. Kile,
How dare you! You are always the first to complain that someone doesn’t use their real name on this site but as soon as they do you jump down their throat about everything from their intelligence and motivations to their weight. You, for some unknown reason, seem to feel that you are of superior intelligence to anyone and you dare not be questioned or challenged or that person shall be deemed inferior to you. You also can’t be bothered to spell a persons name correctly when you do address them (note RoccHio).
In post #8 Cheryl requested you be sensored because you can’t seem to contribute without personal attacks. Does that not make you think perhaps your hostile approaches are ineffective? And by the way, people who hold public offices have opened themselves to criticism of their performance but private citizens who are simply voicing their opinion or exercising their constitutional rights by challenging procedures appear to threaten you and make you feel you need to start slinging your mud.
Mr Kile you obviously have the time, interest and desire to be involved in the community. Perhaps try to focus on something positive rather than slamming people who don’t exactly agree with your stand. Maybe you should try to broaden your scope of focus and not just hound on the same thing OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER…………..AGAIN.
June 16th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Roccio,
Good luck… as you lack clarity, it appears you need luck!you need it! Much regret here over suppor6t for your ‘run’ in 2008.
Read the letter to editor this date!
June 16th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Well Mr Kyle, as the famous singer fRANK sINATRA once sang ♪~ ♫~ ♪ “Regrets I’ve had a few but then again too few to mention.” ♪~ ♫~ ♪ I’m sure there are many more in the community who regret supporting the current board members. Mrs Rocchio is doing an excellent job of monitoring the board activitiy and keeping her friends informed. As a famous movie character once said “life is like a box of chocolates”. Have a great day Mr. Kyle!
June 16th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Observer.
Zing! Boy was thgat a good one!
Have you seen today’s letter to the editor? That ought set you ladies off to still another another ‘back fence’ conversation!
Much luck in your efforts to solve HUSD problems!
June 16th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
1. I have a job so no “back fence” conversations for me.
2. I read the same information as your letter to the editor in your post #20 several days ago.
3. What makes you think I’m a lady? Jumping to conclusions again about who people are?
4. HUSD problems cannot be solved by name calling and mud slinging but by working as a community to make things better in a fair and honest fashion don’t you think? Remember….♪~ ♫~ ♪ just what makes that little ole ant think he can move that rubber tree plant?
June 16th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Observer,
Thanks at least for # 4) Will be back in a day or two with follow up.
In the interim, advise your own opinion on the subject of how best to reduce, if not eliminate, the incredible loss of funding occurring presently with ‘unexcused absences’.
June 17th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Mr. Kyle –
Although the issue of attendance is an important one, it doesn’t seem to be as simple as you think. Your proposal would not only target truancy (I assume your definition is the same as mine was prior to learning it’s so much more than just skipping class but anything the ADA considers absent), but cause a great deal of paperwork when considering when to charge a family or not based on ADA. And I believe attendance clerks are not going to be in abundance after all of the budget cuts are over.
I believe your information about ADA funding not being received by HUSD in such large numbers also includes what you probably consider to be an excused absence (ill child, family funeral, religious holiday) not just the kid who’s parents don’t observe their legal obligation to make sure their child doesn’t “skip” school.
I was advised by a friend with knowledge of the ADA regulations on the difference between “excused” and “verified” absences and what is paid out according to ADA. Just because an absence is verified does not mean the District receives ADA. What you consider “excused” is really just a verified absence for purposes of ADA calculations. ADA is not received when a child is out ill, even if called in by a parent. ADA is not received when a child is in quarantine, legal appts., or even religious holidays or ceremonies. Even a family funeral does not “excuse” one for ADA purposes.
Now, I realize that back when you were in school, with your jacket stuffed with newspapers, there wasn’t as much of a truancy problem (at least in the bay area, but children in rural areas had responsibilities that may not have allowed them to attend school regularly which would now be consider “unexcused”)….but when I was in school there was a problem with “skipping school” and it was resolved with suspension and/or expulsion. Now with all the concerns over money, schools don’t want to suspend children with bad and disruptive behavior over fear of losing the ADA money. This creates an extremely difficult environment for the children there to learn and doesn’t ever teach consequences to the kids with behavioral issues or their parents (who when I was in school were required to take the day off work to stay home with the suspended child). Perhaps making the consequences a little more uncomfortable for those being punished would curb issues much larger than the ADA lost by suspending kids.
Now increase class size significantly and see how that works out. I think there are just so many other areas which you could focus your attention than continuing to beat this dead horse.
There’s my opinion.
June 17th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Observer right on. Dead horse is right for the ADA attendance and the Town hall meeting. The town hall meeting at Burbank was a mess and the ADA thing is more to it than that.
We all need to move on and look at other things which are going on now. Like Ms. Rocchio and many other people like Mr. Drake said on TV about fingerprinting everybody for safety at schools and tuberculosis testing for everyone for health at schools and then the thing about the hiring of the superintendent cause that person has not contract still. Mr. Drake and Ms. Rocchio you all keep going on we support you. The superintendent I found out last week she had lots to do about wasting money on the looking for a superintendent and then canceling the searching. Those things are going on now and whats going on that we can do something we need to do those things.
June 17th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
You are right. They don’t pay for absences any more, regardless of the reason. But the school needs to track its students for reasons of safety if nothing else. But they really don’t need to track what kind of absence any more per say. If a child is late, they also lose money after a certain time (I think 20 minutes). So, if your child needs to be absent, they might as well take a whole day as far as money is concerned. Of course, they miss class time. I would suggest doing what a lot of schools do, making attendance 10% of the grade. If you miss more than 2 sessions, you lose 10% unless you get excused for certain reasons. Schools could also award students for attendance, like a special lunch or something. Some schools do this for students who obtain certain grades. It works.
June 17th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Observer;
You seem possessed by despair! If there are flaws in a process created by humans, other humahns will surely find a path around the obstruction. pURPOSEFUL LOSS of Hope LEADS TO COMPLETE DESPAIR!
WITHOUT FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY WE WILL BE AT EACH OTHERS THROATS AND FORCE OUR OFFSPRING INTO SUB-HUMAN COMDITIONS,.
I AY THAT THE BATTLE FOR THE ADA MONEY IS JUST BEGINING…. AND IF YOU ARE UNABLE OR UNWULLING TO BE PART OF THE LEADERSHIP, THEN PERHAPS, IN THE INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER STANDING ASIDE…. AND DO NOTHING TO OBSTRUCT THE RECOVERY OF THE NEEDED FUNDING!
iT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT IN THE CALIFORNIA DEPT OF EDUCATION’S REPORTS TO THE VARIOUS DISTRICTS THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THE ABSENCES BY SCHOOL.
tOTALIZATION OF THE COLUMN BEARS THE UNQUE LINE ITEM DESCRIPTIOON ” UNEXCUSED ABSENCES ” ….. AND THE MOMNEY LOSS CALCULATION IS VERY HIGH IF YOUR MIND’S EYE CAN HANDLE THE MATH. ( tHE REPORT LET’S YOU DO THAT….. ( NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO SUMMARIZE?iDUE TO BUDGET ?)
nOTHING IS BEING DONE AND I SUSPECT THAT THE back room’TRUTH on tally OF how THE MONEY IS BEING USED, is that it is ILLICTLYuu used TO BALANCE OTHER BUDGETS WITHIN THE State’s various Departments.
That is immoral as well as act of malfeasance.We most smoke the rascals if this is actually occurring!
A town hall meeting is effective when properly otganized. Especially whem all attendees produce proper identificatiohn and ‘sign in’ so that when an idea worthwhile is produced, it can be put into the stew of righteopus anger and force a change in the system
That change in the system is badly needed and if nothing else can be done, change the law to the affect that neglected children are removed from poor conditions…. leading in a great many cases,to eventual enrollment at the University of San Quenton.
Change is possible….. all we need is the will of people behind the idea who are unaffraid of taking a public posituion when raiseing hell in Sacramento.
To start on your path of effectivness…. abandon the nom de plume…. stiffen your backs when you face reality!
Arnold has taken the FederalJudge’s release order to US Supreme Court…. if he losses….. you got 40,000 parolled prisoners on the way…. some without supervision, ( even sex offennders whose offens was ‘light’!
Hayward now has approximately parollees, Okaland around 2,500 and guess what\… Pleasantom suffers the presence of jusr twelve (12)
Is their API test score lower than ours?)
Once, whilke in thew Army, one of tjhe good ol’ sourhern boys assured me that God was a White man
and when I challenged the thought he took offenbse with mme that since Prof Leaky found ‘LUCY’, tyher emight be a possibility that God created black people first, ‘pm his opwn image’!
The reply was a real snapper! ” You are a Californis Boy arnh’t cha?
Yes… and to make things even worse… An Irish Catholic was my snappy reply. A black cook in the Chow line that night brought out an eye popping steak which all the other troops saw as something special… His remark as he dropped that steak on my Tray?….’HE’ speaks Swahili !!
Apparently that cook was awakened by the discussion… he had been dozing in a supply truck near the conversation.
I see my path Clearly and will pursue idea of Town Hall meeting until I hit the proverbial Stonwall….. then look for a way around, over or under the damn Thing!
So there… take that and run with it!
June 17th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Observer
Shucks I have poor typing skills as you will observe…. in addition I ommitted the fact that the April 2010 Count of Pariolless in Hayward was 580 +/,, -
June 17th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
So there? Really? I was not attacking you Mr Kyle. Simply replying to your request for my opinion and providing you with what I considered to be valuable information on obstacles you are sure to encounter in your crusade. But as usual all you can do it attack. I am far from possessed by despair. What you call despair I refer to as reality. I do see that you appear to be possessed by anger.
It doesn’t matter what my real name is – my opinions are still the same. I have no need for people such as yourself to know my identity. If I choose to go to a public meeting where my personal information is deemed to be necessary then I openly provide that information. So thanks for the advice of how I can begin my path of effectiveness but I’m good!
I can only imagine that you act in person in the same manner you conduct yourself on this blog so if you ever wonder why you lack in community support you may want to take a look back at your “exchanges” on this site. You are not open to exchange of information but only seeking confirmation that you have the only idea worthy of support and that you are the only one who posses the intelligence to communicate with board members or criticize opinions and actions of other people and all other information is worthless. If you notice, you are at the center of all of the conflict and anger on this site. Just an observation on my part.
I too am very clear about my path in life and very happy with it’s progress in these 50 plus years. I have also learned along the way that bullies such as yourself are never satisfied until everyone agrees with their stand that they are the superior one. So I will not step aside for people like you! For you, unlike the children in the HUSD and everywhere else, are not worth my time so I’ll be running with it and best of luck to you.
June 17th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
My mistake! I do not know how I came to expect better from such a source.
30
June 18th, 2010 at 12:13 am
Observer you right on him Kyle and I think he has another person using the name “Jeff” here supporting his “free” nasty speech. Is hard to support anyone with such nasty behavior that attacks people with a different view. Anything to be the center of atention. Is just time to drop the townhall nonsense of it did not work so lets do something else cause the Ms. Heredia wants secret spanish meetings to not finger print people and not do TB test and the other people on board Mr. Frumkin and Ms. Simms and mr. Armas wants to do the same thing.
June 18th, 2010 at 6:49 am
O’Bama new age
You strike me as a friend of children who can rely upon you, only so long as they have no need.
Was ther a time when you actually played a successful role in HUSD activity?
June 18th, 2010 at 10:25 am
It is true that ADA is not received for what most people think of as an excused absence. There are also other reasons HUSD suffers large loss in ADA. One example is when families pull their students to attend to personal matters. Since many of these emergencies are with little or no notice, Independent Study Contracts are typically not completed = No ADA. If the time were taken to complete Independent Study Contracts and complete the required work, ADA would be paid. Many of these cases last for several weeks.
I also agree that HUSD has lost sight of the purpose for suspensions. It should be inconvenient to the student and parent. I have seen students serving “suspension” on campus while they continue to taunt the student or staff members initially involved in the act leading to their suspension. All in an effort to allow ADA to be collected!
Regarding the superintendent search, I am very disappointed in the communication timelines between HUSD and Ray & Associates, Inc. HUSD HR notified Ray & Associates 13 days prior to presenting the semi-finalists that they wished to put a hold on the search process. The initial screening and vetting process had already been completed. Then, one day prior to the date set for presenting semi-finalists, HUSD Board sent Ray & Associates a letter stating that on May 12th the BOE had appointed Ms. Duran as Superintendent and thanking them for their support in the search.
This is an example of the type of fiscally irresponsible decisions we must stop making in HUSD.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:39 am
I don’t think suspensions should be used at all. Why give a kid who doesn’t want to be at school more time off? Sit him by himself and add to his school work. Take his worse two subjects and give him 1/2 day of each until HE or SHE asks to go back to regular class.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I remember the fights I to get my son’s HSUD school to draw up an independent contract when I needed to remove him due to family issues. Any thing that is like extra work is not supported by the staff.
June 18th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
To all;
From the top of my soap box, I proclaim:
MANAGEMENT BY EXCEPTIOM IS A DISASTER!
AND
There s another flaw, deeply embedded at HUSD……. much time and effort, morale etc is lost by all the constant finger pointing employed by peripheral parties!
Finally, had there been a hire other Than J. Duran …..how long wopuld the learning curve become a problem of major concern, considering all the advice frely offered by ‘peripheral’ crtics?
Perhpas y’all ought present your own resume? Ms. A. Bock might guide you?
June 18th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Ms. Rocchio you are very intelligent I was looking at those Ray Associate leters too that I got that talks bout the search firm for superintendent. That kyle is out of touch with his nonsense of learning curve. That is not the problem the problem is spending money that was not there into searching for a superintendent then leting the superintendent stop the search.
I am just saying is wrong wrong. It seems like all was done in secret fixed and wrong cause now the people are being force fed someone they do not want to be superintendent. I spent so much time with lots of parents getting ready and going to those meetings to tell the Ray people what kind of superintednt we wants. Why do that to people and waste their time and fool them.?
You all I want to know how she cut the search with out a board meeting on tv to see. Is not about learning curves but about being straight honest with people and not waste money having secret meetings to keep the superintendent Duran. You all was that secret meeting done in spanish too did anybody get an invitation like the last spanish speaking meeting with Ms. Heredia? That is the problem we all have corrupt politicians when they do stuff like that. Recall Mr. Frumkin and Ms. Heredia they are the president and vicepresident and are not being straight and just playing us and fooling us is so wrong to have corrupt politicians I am so so sorry I voted for both.
June 18th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
o’BAMA NEW AGE
iS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU ARE, IN FACT, GLORIA GRANT WILSON?
tHE BOMBAST SERVES TO REMIND….. i AM JUST CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR APPARENT FEAR OF RISING LATINO INFLUENCE.
iF YOU ARE NOT SHE, AND IF I TRUTH YOU HAVE MOVED TO oAKLAND…. READ TODAY’S ISSUE OF THE cHRONICLE WHERE ‘CHIP’ IS HARRASSING RON DELLUMS AGAIN…… YOUR MAYOR NEEDS YOUR HELP!
June 18th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Are we back @ high school with some of these ridiculous comments. Let’s all grow up and look at the big picture, the kids.. We all know it’s a difficult time everywhere with budget cuts, so how are we all going to work together to help all students suceed if you are not happy with the ways things are going what can you do to make the situation better? Let’s all WORK together to help all children. It’s true in every situation that there are quality workers and some that need to go, that means,teachers,district staff, and board members, but all we are doing is making things worse by attacking and showing children that they are not are top priority that everytime anyone is attacking it’s in there best interest not the kids. All parents have the right to get information in there own language even if its not English and about the meeting Maribel held at the district it was open to the public and not anyone was turned away because there was translation. Spanish speaking parents also have a voice and if they understand in there language better they have that right to get meetings in there language and thank you to her for going outside the box. Thanks to ELD I know so many are against this but its to benefit all children and I feel that even if my son is an english only student he still benefits from ELD in the morning.
June 18th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
I make a suggestion for all that say to recall Frumpkin & Maribel you do what you have to do but, when are we going to recall the Teachers. I only wish are children had a strong union protecting them too. For all those great teachers that we do have you should not worry because you are going out of your way to make sure all children suceed even staying after 3. Thank you to those teachers.Remeber the top priority are the kids sorry for all those teachers that are great and received pink slips too bad we have the Union protection good and bad teachers . Lets have a students union wouldnt that be great…It’s not about teachers,parents, district or board members its about the students and everyone need to remember this.
June 18th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Speaking of superintendent searches,
Our very own Dale Vigil is one three finalists on San Diego’s search for a new superintendent!
I was contacted yesterday by an education reporter asking my opinion of his performance at Hayward Unified.
If you do a quick search and read what is on the internet about it, it sounds like San Diego did actually do what HUSD said they would do before they changed their mind and simply anointed Duran without community participation or input.
June 18th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Kyle what difference who I am black is beautiful there so don’t change the subject and really look it here the contract and hiring of superintendent Duran is the problem and she is not wanted and we need to recall those board people that want to give her a contract and the way they doing it.
When are the superintendents that Ray search company found going to be interviewed on TV by the people in the HUSD community? I think instead we all will just get a big fat bill like the letters say and I think the Board people that voted to make Duran a superintendent should pay more than $25,000.00 that Ray company wants to get paid for looking for other superintendents.
So Ms. Heredia and Mr. Frumkin and Mr. Armas and Ms. Sims I hope you have more than $25,000.00 in your bank account you all need to get recalled and you need to pay for money wasted not just by being irresponsible with money but by being like cockroaches like the newspaper say in making her the superintendent and now want to give her a contract. Is that going to be in secret and in spanish and not on TV for all of us to come and tell you what we really think of you all and your superintendent? You are right Mr. Reynoso they are like cockroaches when they do things in darkness and in secret please keep turning on the light for us.
You all I’m not against spanish speakers just because I don’t like secret spanish meetings and because I want All people to get fingerprinted and TB tested is like for reals all I want is to protect the children like all caring people. Anyone to say I am against latinos to ask for open public meetings and not in secret and in spanish is wrong. Kyle you must be a very racist anti-latino person to acuse me of being anti-latino I have grandchildren that are part latino and speak spanish. Get off your bully pulpit like someone said here before you are not the only one with an opinion here ok?
June 18th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Obama new age’
Your ship has slippeed it’s cable and you now drift far out to sea……. Poor Mr. Gellums, no rescue of the man by you? You and other Oakland residents ignore him?
June 19th, 2010 at 10:49 am
This comment is for Obama New Age,
I would like to clarify for you about the “secret, invite only spanish meeting”. It WAS NOT A SECRET INVITE ONLY SPANISH MEETING! As a bilingual parent and teacher, it was the Spanish speaking parents who wanted a meeting to discuss issues that mainly concerned them, as parents of HUSD. It was an open forum, and parents felt comfortable to voice their concerns and opinions. It was held in Spanish because a Majority of the participants were Spanish speaking parents. However there were audience chairs, and a translator, just like when a majority of the participants are English speakers the meetings are held in English and their are translators for those parents who don’t understand English. What is the crime in that? If I am “secretly” racist, then I would have a problem with meeting the needs of non-English speaking parents.
I would also like to clarify on the point that HUSD teachers are forced to give ELD. This was not MS. Heredia’s novel idea, this happens to be a STATE LAW! HUSD was not in compliance with the state law, yet they have been receiving thousands of dollars every year to implement ELD. All Ms. Heredia did was make sure that HUSD was finally in compliance with this STATE LAW.
Obama New Age, if ELD was centered around teaching African American, Asian American, and Pacific Islander ELD, I am pretty sure you along with all the other anti-Spanish community would not have a hard time with “forcing” teachers to be in compliance. You would not see ELD as a bad thing, but it is to you because currently ELD programs are servicing mostly “poor Mexican” children. We all know how most of you feel “they are here illegally anyways, this is America, they should learn English” Well newsflash, with ELD, “they” will learn English! That is what ELD stands for, English Language Development, it is not SLD (Spanish Language Development). Why don’t you open up an ELD book and learn English yourself, maybe then you will understand Ms. Heredia when she speaks.
This next point is on ALD. This is not a waist of time. Their are teachers and administrators who would like us to think it is, but they have the opportunity to academically develop English for their English only speaking students. Children in affluent communities are exposed to over 40,000 new words every year. Studies have shown that children from poor working class-working middle class families may only be exposed to 5,000-20,000 new English words a year. So ALD time is a perfect opportunity to “catch up” with the rest of the children that our children will be competing with in college and the job market. If teachers are saying it is a waste of time, they are just saying that because they have a personal vendetta against Ms. Heredia. We need to remember that we are here ultimately to teach our students, regardless of what the state or district mandates. Every minute wasted is taken away from our students learning.
June 21st, 2010 at 4:05 pm
All I’m saying secret spanish meetings by invitation ony need to stop by Ms. Heredia and fingerprinting of all people and Tb testing of all people need to happen and just because you speak spanish and are here illegally you all should not get a free ride on those required things. English needs to be the legal national language just like Mexico has spanish as them poeples language is ok for us to have English as ours peoples language here.
June 21st, 2010 at 8:08 pm
This message is to thank some of the bored members specially Maribel Herdia. She has taken the time to walk down the hallways of schools making sure things go right and if anything came up she’d take care of that. she has scheduled appointments/meetings with concerned parents, answering any questions they have or helping them out in any way possible. There are many students whom parents are concerned that their children aren’t receiving the correct amount education they believe is needed. As-well to the others who are latinos, but thanks to her, Mrs.Heredia Things have changed for the best. She’s fought for her ideal which is education. Mrs.Heredia has said herself it doesn’t matter where the children come from, education is for everyone.
For the teachers that have taken the time to read and write negative comments, if I may say so myself, thats not such a great move. Join the parents because without the parents theirs no children and with no children attending the schools, their will be no school and without schools their will be no job for you “teachers”. We should all come together with strength, love, and honesty no hypocrisy. The students need you as-well as you need them. And as for Mrs.Heredia please continue with the meetings they are very helpful and informative. I know that your meetings have not been closed they are open. but remember that Latinos are not minority but majority and like a wise one once said “Dogs bar when you come along” In other words you are doing history, do not give up! its time for a change as-long as it involves the education of our children, we are and will support Mrs.Heredia.
June 22nd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Obama.newage, “Them people’s language” “they are here illegally”, Yikes!
You complain about LED obviously without knowing what you are talking about, since if you knew you would certainly support it.
Thanks Rose for the clarification about what ELD stands for. But I must say that English Language Development helps not only those whose first language is Spanish, but all of “them people” whose SECOND LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH.
June 22nd, 2010 at 7:03 pm
I agree that ELD supports English Language Skills. It helps students improve language skills and in-turn improves achievement. I don’t believe anyone would argue the benefits in building a strong foundation for ALL of our students who are ELL or those that struggle with the language skills. I do wish the 45 minute ALD was a bit more structured and able to work in some sort of GATE program at the same time, but that is another subject.
It’s easy to get caught up in the name-calling and saying someone is uninformed. What is important is that we all share information and that can only make our community stronger and more understanding. I think it’s important to point out that what Obama.newage is feeling about this meeting is not so different from other posts. We all need to be included and feel like a part of this District, it’s the only way it will work. We need to stop splintering the community, it will cause us to lose sight of the main goal: Educating the children of Hayward with the limited resources we now face.
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:37 am
All:
Well, let us hope that tonight’s meeting will see civil comportment on the part of those attending.
Fearful of being targetd once again by O”bama new age, I shall remain glued to the TV in the hope that all will project their voice to enable an old guy with a hearing aid to understand what is being said.
In addition, the ‘lady’ from Oakland is highly critical of the fact that I was asked to lead the ‘Pledge to the Flag’ on two successive occasions,, which puts me in some sort of posirion as an ‘insider’ according to her ‘lghts’.
If anyone sees that damnable sigh held again by Ms. Bock….. tell her what you think. Perhaps even suggest therapy somewhere?”
Enjoy the evening… only one meeting in July and anothetr in August!….
In the meantime, I might find time to put some thoughts to papewr on the subject of “Community Involvment’. In my younger years I was involved fairly heavy with volunteer type fund raising for ‘community purposes’ within the City of Oakland’s group of service clubs. I see no reason why they are not available to that portion opf the community who might desires physical presence in finding solutions to finance Music, Sports, and activity which brings proper overall prospective to HUSD’several problems.
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:48 am
So all the “non-English proficient” students have ELD “English language development” for 45 minutes and the remaining “English proficnet” students have ALD “American language development.”
Did ELD and ALD replace the old fashion reading, writing part of the school day or this is in-additional to it.
Concerning uninformed, I was on the HUSD website and reading one of the feature story “3rd Annual Lation/Latina Recognition Night.” My concerns is with what about the rest of the student population. Was there a recognition night for African American Students, or White non-lation students, or even Asian American Students. I feel if HUSD hold a recognition night it should be for all students and not for any particular race/ethinic group.
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:33 pm
I do believe I have seen announcements for recognition ceremonies for African American students in the past. I’m not sure about Asian American students.
I could be mistaken, but I would be very surprised if HUSD did not hold a ceremony to recognize the highest achieving students in the district regardless of race or ethnicity.
In my opinion, being as it is that both Latino and African American students lag so far behind all other groups, I don’t see anything wrong with giving them a little extra recognition. A little extra pat in the back couldn’t hurt…
According to my wife, ELD and ALD are taught in addition to the regular language arts program. However, up to recently HUSD did not have ALD curriculum, so many teachers have used that time to teach science or social studies.
Apparently the curriculum materials for ALD were delivered to the schools three weeks before the end of classes.
June 24th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Rose, we are all on the same team here. After parents, teachers are the ones who care the most about the students. We are with them 7 hours a day, and are not just responsible for teaching reading, writing and math. We stop nosebleeds and tears, help negotiate solutions to problems with peers, offer advice, the list goes on and on . . . The point is, it is your child’s teacher who knows him/her best – not a board member, superintendent, or manager. I was a teacher in this district long before I was a parent, and I would not have put my son in a Hayward Public School if I was not convinced that the teachers are still providing an excellent, well-rounded education despite the challenges to doing so.
Like you, I wish parents and teachers were more united so we could better protect our students’ welfare. I have noted recently that certain vocal parents – COR members, actually – have been bad-mouthing the HUSD schools in a very public way and have adopted a certain “throw the bums out” attitude toward teachers under the guise of this re-design agenda. This saddens me so much, because it shows that these parents (or this organization) do not see teachers as stakeholders in our community. Our teachers are here for the students 100%. We are used to being scapegoated by the district, the state, even the US Dept. of Ed., but to hear from a PARENT that it would be better to have a school with all new teachers, even though some of the current teachers have deep roots in the neighborhood, well, that really hurts. If we are not working hard to please the parents, then who are working for?
The current divides between teachers and parents, school board and community are not serving our students at all. Not all districts function this way, either. I have heard that in San Lorenzo and Castro Valley the parents, teachers and administration work together to find resolution to issues that affect them. Why not here?
June 25th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I wonder why not here too
November 11th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Is it ok to let our teachers be assaulted by students.