Hayward City Council candidate forum Tuesday night
By Eric Kurhi
Monday, April 9th, 2012 at 4:38 pm in Alameda County, Blogroll, Hayward, Odds & Ends, Politics.
UPDATE: Story on forum.
Tomorrow’s brief, today: The League of Women Voters-Eden Area will host a pair of nonpartisan political forums Tuesday night, one for Hayward City Council candidates and the other for contenders in the 15th Congressional District.
For Hayward City Council, nine candidates are vying for four seats that are up in June. Incumbents Barbara Halliday, Olden Henson and Francisco Zermeno are facing challengers Shahla Azimi, Peter Bufete, Ralph Farias Jr., Greg Jones, Fahim Khan and Al Mendall.
It will be followed by candidates in District 15, where incumbent Pete Stark is up against challengers Chris Pareja and Eric Swallwell.
The City Council forum starts at 6:30 p.m., District 15 at 8 p.m. at Hayward City Hall, 777 B St.
Judging from various candidate statements, there’s sure to be talk about economic revitalization and bringing businesses to Hayward. Other possible hot topics (and new territory for HayWord commenters as well) include a contested Walmart Neighborhood Market in south Hayward, and the reuse of the former Mervyn’s headquarters site as upscale housing. And there’s always gang injunctions or even happy hour restrictions/alcohol policy.
Take a gander at political reporter Josh Richman’s blog for the latest word on the District 15 race.
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
April 10th, 2012 at 5:27 am
No WalMart!
April 10th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Teachermama, no worries I think. The Planning Commission listened and said no. This is a good example for choosing candidates to support.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:37 am
What is wrong with Walmart?
April 10th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Lousy wages, terrible benefits, predatory business practices with the competition, reliance on foreign manufacturers, terrible vendor relations among just a few. I do not shop there. Just look a the mom and pops and local businesses that disappear after Walmart.
I also do not support chains and franchises.
April 10th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Well, I’ll be livetweeting the forum in about a half hour. As always, http://www.Twitter.com/erickurhi
April 10th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
It’s Wal-Mart’s world, we’re all just living it (except Michael and I, hee hee). If you patronize Wal-Mart, you may find that eventually it is the only place to shop, and if you work in retail, you may eventually end up *shudder* working there. I stay away. Teresa, for more info check this out. http://www.walmartmovie.com/
April 10th, 2012 at 7:42 pm
Debate lowlights: Kahn just said crime was NOT a big issue in Hayward…compared to Oakland. Farias said our school district ranks so low in the state, it’s just “28 away from stupid.” And now Greg Jones just said “damn”. If only Rick Perry were here, we’d have a full slate of bizarre commentary.
April 11th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Teachermama;
I do belive that Greg Jones had a bit more to say… but on the whole I do not believe that any candidate had anything valid to say about what it will take to make the so called downtown area are really viable mixed use combinations of condominium residential uses above condominium type COMMERCIAL uses and which are located along El CAMINO REAL IN MTN. VIEW AND SUNNYVALE.
oNE THING WHICH DETRACTS FROM THE APPEAL FOR INVESTORS NEEDED TO BRING THE CONCEPT TO HAYWORD IS THE LACK OF ‘bARS’PER SE! yOU COULD NOT INDUCE PURCHASERS OF A RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUM UNIT TO LIVE ABOVE A BAR AT GROUND LEVEL….THE BUSINESS TYPES ATTRACTED TO THE COMMERCIAL FIRST FLOOR ( GRADE LEVEL) UNITS ARE TYPICALLY PROFESSIONAL OFFICES FOR ACCOUNTANTS, LAWYERS, BOOK STORES, MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TAILORING SHOPS. In Hayward,it would not be good idea to provide park-like sitting benches in the Landsaped areas. Separate structures for parking is accessed from side streets and condominium units find parking at upper floor levels in separate structures with bridged, secured but open to elements type walkways.
What I advise is that some viably interested individsuals take advantage of my offer to make a tour along El Camino on the Penninsula for the purpose of educating those interested in what is and is not economically feasible for small developers to acquire a parcel or two in downtown Hayward and possibly transplanting the idea. The levels of expertise exhibited by our present and future Council members are insuffiicient to meet the benefit found in the advantage of having a third party influence brought to the discussion.
April 11th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
1. Don’t plan on the City Council agreeing with the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission voted against housing on the old Burbank School site and City Council just voted for it anyway.
2. It is really sad that in a city of about 150,000 people there are so few who want to serve in public office. Well, who would want that job anyway? So many would rather sit back and have fun criticising those who do.
3. After watching the candidates, I still see a difference, though. Now we will be the ones who can make a difference – if we get off our butts and vote!
April 12th, 2012 at 10:31 pm
Good heavens, this is the worst lightning storm I remember. I have been in more wind and storm, but not with lightning. Batten down the hatches! Find the candles!
April 12th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
Ms.Blair;
Did planning commission vote against housing using a particular objection? There are occasions when a housing project is inferior to the potential of a better thought for housing on a particular site.
The Burbank site is ineresting because a commitment was made for a particular comcept on that level piece of ground during thsnkwheeling and dealing which led to the creation of the new Burbnk School….. AT NO COST TO HUSD.
Do not feel badly if you do not understand that which occurrede…. Gov. Brown has kissed ogff urban redevelopment agencies such as we had here in Hayward. That gent demonstrated his own ignorance in that act!
Allshouldbe aware that the ‘old cannery’ atrea is gone and that we have in that neignborhood anew tarct of housing being debveloped and that we have a New school AS REPLACEMENT FOR THE OLD BURBANK SCHOOL, ANENLARGED hard park and weasier automotive access,not only to the train stop, but easier access to the new housingstill uinder development just nortjh opfthe Winton Overpass which extends all the way to the New Hard PARK AND THE NEW BURBANK SCHOOL….
PERHAPS THE NEW HOUSING WILL ATTRACT FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WHOSE INTELLIGENCE WILL LEND THEMSELVES TO AN IMPROVMENT TO THE OVERALL STUDENT PERFORMANCE AT THE WINTON AVE MIDDLE SCHOOL! THAT AREA FROM WHICH wINTON sCHOOL DRAWS IT’S STUDENTS COULD USE AN INJEBNCTION OF ASPIRING STUDENTS!
iF YOPU HAVE NOT NOTICED WHENSTUDENTS ARE ENJOYING RECESS OR NOON/LUCH BREAK…. THEY ARE ALLLWEARIN WHITE SHIRTS ANBD BKLOUSES WITH DARK PANTS…Not a unifoembut a code which reveals a students connwection to the Burbank schookl as a matter of patrental pride as well as safety; to say nothing of identity when a youngster is off campus witythout permission. The uniformity is less expensive to parents as well… it is not a uniform so much as it permits passing ‘hand me downs’ in preference to a new outfit each and every year! That general area is not at the peak of existence/identity as a wealthy neighborhood.
If planing commission goofed, all the applicant has to do is appeal to council… who would review the case even if the planmnjing commission had approved the project.
Ms.Blair you are intelligent and you wroite well…just hang in their and seEk opportunity to be part of City TASK fORCES AND COMMISSIONS…. IT CAN BE VERY ENLIGHTENING ANDOFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE OPINIONS WHICH WILL BE EITHER APPROIVED OR REJECTED BUT WHICH ALSO PROVIDE ONE GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE, tO SAY NOTHING OF CHOOSING GOOD candiates.
Too few of those who havwe tossed their hat in the ring for our City Council election in June have spent any time in volunbteer effort. Tossing out solutions by inexperieced candidaes with no concept of how to steer them through the process is a poor candidate and political choice for a council seat.
I would recoomed that you consider Al Mendall,and Mr Jones if you want new blood or if satisfied with their past performance, Ms.Barbara Halliday and/or Mr.Zremeno. Hang in there with our African American gent who does his homework prior to the meetings and has done much service to the city in it’s establishment of use of electronic devices. He has a degree in that subject and I would hate to lose him. He has done much good work on his assignmnets by the Mayor and I can personaly recommend that he be permitted to be the Council Representative on the Hayword Airport Committee. Ms Halliday is an incumbet and Is the only female candidate AND MY OBJECTION TO HER IS BASED ON A SIMPLE ANNOYANCE WITH HER SPEAKING/GIGGLE STYLE OF ORATIONS. mR.mENDALLHAS PUT INA LOT OF TIME ON THE PLANNMING COMMISSION, i WOULD VOTE FOR HIM IF HE CAME BACK IN TWO YEARS TIME! i INTEND TO VOTE FOR THE FORMER cITY MANAGER MR.JONES, hE HAS A HISTORY OF DEALING WITH MATTERS AT THE COUNCIL L;EVEL AS CITY mANAGETR HERE AND IN ( ?)CONCORD. yOU CANNOT BLOW SMOKE IN HIS FACE ON BUDHET AND OR DEVELOPMENT MATTERS. i’D KEEP ZERMENO AND OUR KNOWLWEDGEABLE BLACK GUY WHOSE EXPERIENCE IS HIGHLY VALUED BY ME!
April 12th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
aLL:
cHEESE AND CRACKERS GOT ALL MUDDY …THE SCHPELLING ABOVE IS HORRIFC…WELL PAST MY BED TIME!
April 14th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Your post #11 leaves a lot to discuss, but I would like to focus on two things that are bothering me.
The first is your idea that the new housing in the Burbank neighborhood might bring in “FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WHOSE INTELLIGENCE WILL LEND THEMSELVES TO AN IMPROVMENT TO THE OVERALL STUDENT PERFORMANCE AT THE WINTON AVE MIDDLE SCHOOL!” Not only is that a false idea, but an insulting one to the many families already living in the neighborhood and their intelligent children.
I am not surprised, though, since when my own intelligent children attended Burbank and Winton, they suffered from the false images attributed to Burbank in general. Often those images were created by the schools themselves in order to persuade State and Federal officials of why they needed special funding to meet our needs.
I remember in particular how difficult it was to even get Burbank students tested for the gifted program. Once parents pressed for testing, low and behold, gifted students were indeed discovered.
The second issue is your objection to Councilwoman Halliday, “BASED ON A SIMPLE ANNOYANCE WITH HER SPEAKING/GIGGLE STYLE OF ORATIONS.”
I think I have noticed what you are talkimg about, but I do object to your description altogether. To tell you the truth, I identify with her. But I don’t expect you to understand that either.
You see, women in general have a hard time with speaking up and speaking out. That is often because they are so often shut down by the male dominated power structure, both in families and in the community. As a result, women often anticipate being cut off before they have time to complete their statement. That interferes with the flow of their speech. I have seen our mayor cut off Coucilwoman Halliday in the past. Perhaps he shared your “annoyance.” I also noticed that he does not do the same to the councilmen who sometimes seem to go on and on from my point of view. Fortunately, Halliday and Sweeney seem to have worked through their relationship with each other. In fact, I think our council is rather remarkable in the way they work together as a group.
Barbara Halliday is the only voice womaen have on our council and she is a voice worth listening to. She certainly speaks for me. I only wish we had more like her.
And along these same lines, although I appreciate your comments about me being intelligent and writing well, I find your other comments: “Do not feel badly if you do not understand that which occurred.” and “Just hang in their and seEk opportunity to be part of City…” really patronizing.
Ask your wife what she thinks.
April 15th, 2012 at 7:02 am
Ms Blair;
Sorry? No, I had intended to be helpful… will not try again!
Except to say that Winton middle school has a poor history in it’s experience with truancy. In School year 2010 – 2011 the truancy rate stood at 80.18% !which placed it at 3rd position among the five middle schools.
Patronizing? Well if that 9is how you handle that…. so be it! I do not mean to brag but i Have participated in about two dozen taskforce groups ( or if you will, ‘ad hoc groups’ the last of which was the walpert Ridge advisory group which made poassible what you now see at the ridge; HUSD rec’d a free school! Communitry gained a nice high end housing project which unfortunately mnissed the prime money market experience…. are all the lots sold and have they been improved with a new ‘upscale’ home?
April 15th, 2012 at 7:35 am
No need to be defensive, John. I was not doubting your intentions, only the effect the words you use to communicate them. I do not doubt the extent of your resume either, but your words seem to express your doubt about mine.
April 15th, 2012 at 11:05 am
Sherry,
You are talking to a brick wall whenit comes to getting Mr.Kyle to understand how words sting and sometimes hurt.
April 15th, 2012 at 10:06 pm
All;
Poor Ms. Booth…. On or about August 1, 2011, she made her first contribution to the Hayword Blog… spent much time during August 2011, attacking Mr. Armas… when I asked Armas what started her obvious dislike, he was tight mouthed AND SAID NOTHING.
Booth was on personnel commission which heard grievances from city employees…a convention affecting matters involving personnel, is that the matters under consideration are private and not discussed after the event, which occurs after the doors are closed to hear various personnel matters and disciplinary actions.
It is PRACTICE requiring self control! Mr. Armas is one of the most self controlled folks that I have ever met!
When I asked Armas what caused Booth’s obvious bitterness towards him, he shrugged his shoulders and said absolutely nothing!
It was obvious that with Booth’s attacks upon Armas in the blog were designed to hurt, that when she carried a grudge to the point that she joined forces with a party using a nom de plume ( ‘Obama new age’ )……that there was nothing honorable about the Attacks….. Obama new age act was venomous, when she suggested that I was stalking her daughter! Booth suggested that she, ( Obama New Age), file a report with the police Department
I suggest to all that you go back to the blog submissions starting at August 1, 2011. Read those contributions by Booth… especially from the time she joined with another female character ‘Obama new age’ whose contributions suggested that she was a female working in Oakland as a nurses aid.
April 16th, 2012 at 8:41 am
I read a book for teachers once called “He Hit Me Back First.”
Words do hurt and sting. But that is true on both sides of a conflict. They also hurt when they are about our friends and family and even about our choice of candidates!
John does understand, Kathy. It hurt him when you used hurtful words about his friend Jesus. It hurts me when he uses them about you.
Can’t we call an end to this old feud?
Be the change that is needed?
April 16th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Sigh. The August you speak of, John, was in 2010. It won’t be long before two years have passed since the exchange you keep bringing up.
As a reference point, in August 2011 some of us were talking about the fate of the 1/4-pound Giant Burger, which was a much more pleasant exchange.
In California, the statute of limitations on defamation is one year. I would think a grudge based on comments on a blog would have an even shorter shelf life.
I agree with Sherry — end this old feud.
April 16th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Whatever……
April 16th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Duely chastised.
April 18th, 2012 at 8:43 am
Now that our little group therapy session is over, I have another idea: Let’s start a new American Revolution in Hayward!
I know, we’re just a small group, but remember Margaret Mead’s observation: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
And like our forefathers and mothers, we are connected to a newpaper guy! And we have the internet! How good does it get?
No, I wasn’t thinking about getting out the guns or overthrowing the government. I don’t think it will be necessary. It’s our government this time.
What we will need to do is focus. Those who would dominate the people have created a system that divides us. While we are busy arguing over our differences, they get stronger. What is needed is for us to rise above our differences and unite around our common cause!
That means balancing the power of male and female, rich and poor, black and white and brown and everything in between, old and young, religious and scientific, left and right and everything in between. What’s left, what we share,is our individual liberty and our union. E Pluibus Unum.
What do you think? Can we make a new conscious beginning or should we just give up. I say evolve!
April 18th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
All.
Ms. Blair,
You put forward an excellent idea which of itself justifies continued expenditure of individual time in the act of reading and contributing to this blog! I expect to personally provide some thoughts about HUSD AND IT’S FINANCIAL CONDITION. I may be delayed a few hours or perhaps a day or two…. Seems the ‘honey do list’ has grown a bit with the arrival of some dry sunny weather.
April 18th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Golly gee, perhaps we should have a Town Hall meeting and get everyone together. Why I am sure that parochial school leadership from the Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostals, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Orthodox Jews, Reformed Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, Jains, Bahai’is and Latter Day Saints would love to be able to contribute their special expertise in to making the schools so much better.
April 19th, 2012 at 12:31 am
Ms. Blair
As an initial topic on a single subject, I suggest that the ‘blog community’ discuss thoughts on the subject of Average Daily Attendance (ADA) money, which presently sees HUSD losing $29.10 per day for each act of truancy, which sum, the State of California retains, presumably for another worthy purpose other than support of HUSD. Hayward schools have an extremely serious money problem solely caused by truancy.
Obviously, the annual full year gathering of truancy data for school year 2011 – 2012 will not be available for several months. I have in my possession a copy of the data for year 2010- 2011. The data reflects the enrollment at October 1, 2010 so the actual percentages reflecting the truancy rate may be conservative if, as I suspect to be the case, the assumption that the enrollment number on October 1, 2010 is not the true experience throughout the school year. I assume that the data on actual occurrences of truancy are accurate but reserve judgement until such time as administration offers enlightenment on that subject. The rates of truancy are thus assumed to be a calculation using the October 1st enrollment data as a constant throughout the fiscal year. We had an enrollment of 20,666 in year 2010 – 2011 the number of truants is reported at 14,986.That statistic indicates that 72.71% of the total enrollment were classified as truants. ‘Only’ 24.23% of k-6 students were truants! ‘Just’ 79.2% of middle school enrollees were classified as truants and 91% of our High School enrollment had the dubious distinction of being identified as truants.
Not too many meetings ago, the Board of Trustees at husd enacted a new ‘real estate parcel assessment’ as a means of making up the $9,000,000 (approximate loss), which seems to be occurring on an annual basis.
I can hardly wait until the experience of fiscal year 2022- 2012 is reported!
How about yourself, dear reader ? Is it not the moment in time to prosecute the parenst of truants under the rules established in California State Senate Bill 1317 ?
April 19th, 2012 at 12:39 am
All !
Damn hour at which I finished the above… note four lines above the last…. fiscal year 2022 should read 2011 ! Blame it on the aging process ?
April 19th, 2012 at 6:38 am
I appreciate your support for the revolution, guys, but I was thinking about real change, opening to a new more balanced, inclusive and life affirming paradigm. Real change involves changing ourselves first.
Michael, I rather enjoy you. I think you are very intelligent and witty, I certainly think you have the capacity to imagine a better world. In fact, I know you have already. But you don’t seem to believe in people’s ability to learn and change or your own ability to persuade people to change. I can see why too. A leader must be able to communicate his vision, not his sense of hopelessness. Your sarcasm tells others that, since there is no hope for real change, the best we can do is develop a sense of humor about it. That only depresses people like me who want to move forward.
John, I have my own “honey do list” for you! You are like a dog with a bone! You see a change that is needed, but you have not been able to create it. You keep talking about it, but nobody seems to care. I think what’s in the way is that you are only looking at one piece of the puzzle. If you saw the larger whole picture, you would be more able to see how your part fits into the whole in time and space. In other words, it can happen but only after other things prepare the ground. In the meantime, you are just spinning your wheels. By the way, I like that you are willing to set aside the blog to help your wife!
I have my own resistences to change. It is hard work for one thing. It requires lots of energy, resilience and the ability to forgive others for their shortcomings and especially to forgive myself. Sometimes I have periods of doubt and lack of self confidence. But when in the company of those who love and support me, my family and friends, I get re-energized. But isn’t that true for us all? I think we need each other to pull this off. That’s why we keep coming here.
Back to the revolution…I think we must begin with our individual visions. What kind of Hayward do we want? Sometimes that comes out in the form of what we don’t want first. Then we must learn how to communicate what we want to each other in a clear way so we can all see it too.
When we begin to communicate in this way, it is important for the listener to try to imagine what the other is saying and to see the good in it. By seeing the good in the other, we actually help it to come out. When we are sarcastic or hurtful, the other withdraws into a defensive position that prevents real communication. I’m not talking about lying to each other, but developing our own capacity for seeing good in others.
April 19th, 2012 at 11:13 am
Blair;
Your re-action is quite disappointing. In a single word….. bland!
I leave you and all the many other contributors to the blog.
Good luck to the students of HUSD too!
April 20th, 2012 at 7:39 am
Well done Sherry.
April 21st, 2012 at 7:01 am
John, it’s your choice, but…
The revolution I am thinking of is no less than the evolution of human consciousness that is happening in the world today whether or not you choose to be a part of it.
It is based on an emerging consciousness of what is beyond our dualistic, separating consciousness, an awareness that unites us all for the good of the whole.
I believe that, far into the future, people will view this time as at least as exciting as the age of enlightenment that preceded the birth of our country. Hardly bland at all!
None of us are going to escape the consequences of our choices now.
April 22nd, 2012 at 11:37 am
Mr. Kyle if you are still checking out the blog…look at today’s, Sunday April 22, Chronicle…Insight Magazine. There is a very interesting article on Truancy.
April 22nd, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Ms. Booth;Ms.
Thank you for mentioning the ‘truancy articles’ appearing in the Sunday, (April 23rd) edition of the SF Chronicle. Actually there were three articles and a photograph covering two pages of the Insight section of the Sunday edition. Hell would freeze over before the Bay Area News Group ever made a similar, well needed and appreciated article. I think to send my copy to the Board of Trustees.
I will mail you a copy of some interesting additional details if you agree to accept that mail! Please make a statement to that affect in your next contribution to the blog. Others will be afforded the same courtesy but they must mail me $0.50 worth of postage; my address is in the phone book!
I have in my possession, the latest available annual report of truancy factors at HUSD. It covers the school year 2010 – 2011 and it explains why we need to build pressure on the Board of Trustees for the dual purposes of correcting the truancy problem at HUSD. There is the additional irritation of knowing that the oncoming additional ‘parcel tax’ being implemented by HUSD Trustees, would not be necessary if the Board of Trustees, just stopped ‘being nice’ to our plentiful supply of neglectful parents! Their truant sons and daughters are indifferent to their own future as well as the plight of taxpayers who, in many cases, just simply are unable to keep up with the effects of inflation and the unnecessary loss of $9,000,000. suffered by a school district possessed of an additional need to dip into the purses of taxpayers in HUSD’s district.
I am not able to apply what I am about to say, to current condition of the last few years, but in my real estate appraisal experience which extended over 30 years of my 40 year employment in the banking industry, I recall reading statements by realtors, which appeared in their listings controlled by the Southern Alameda Board of Realtors to wit: “This property is located In Union City (or Castro Valley) school district but not HUSD despite the location in City of Hayward or unincorporated areas of Alameda County, bearing a Hayward zip code!’’
GUESS WHAT/! Your home is worth more if located outside of HUSD’s area of concern !
April 22nd, 2012 at 6:48 pm
mr. kyle,
Thank you for the offer, but I really do not need any further info from you. I just wanted to pass along the notice of the article(s) to you.
April 22nd, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Ms. Blair;
How about You? See # 31 and # 32.
April 24th, 2012 at 7:15 am
No thanks John. I already have too much stuff I want to read. Just getting through my emails is almost impossible these days.
April 24th, 2012 at 10:12 am
Ms. Blair,
It is a free country… do as you will with your time and energy. However, I remind you and all other readers of the blog…. that, I find it incredible that there is a general lack of concern for realistic control of our truancy problem
IT BECOMES A BITTER CONCERN WHEN TRUSTEES ARE NOT EMPLOYING THE TOOL WHICH WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM IN A MATTER OF JUST A FEW MONTHS.
Lay aside the problem we all experience which is, the affect upon the most common form of investment we all make that not surprisingly, is the home in which we live AND the children or grandchildren living in that abode, who are compelled to attend classes at HUSD SCHOOLS.
THERE ARE OTHER COMMON INTEREST PROBLEMS WHICH OCCUR AS A RESULT OF UNCONTROLLED TRUANCY. Our state supported criminal justice system is flooded with those having a history of truancy.
If HUDSD trustees have used California Senate Bill 1317 to battle truancy, they ought say so publicly and advise of the effect as well as the number of individual cases in which that ’tool’ has been used and amount of dollar loss of ADA money stemmed as a result!
An election is coming up and we need to know the names of those trustees we will retain, if such exist!
See one of my earlier submissions on the subject of truancy and learn that the lost ADA money was at or very near, the $9,000,000 mark IN SCHOOL YEAR 2010-2011. The experience report for the current school year will not be available until around middle of August.
April 26th, 2012 at 8:29 am
Were any of you at the board of educaton meeting on school boundaries last night? Eric?
I was in the back of the room and couldn’t see or hear everything so I am not sure I was interpreting it right. Please correct me if I am wrong.
The most interesting part to me was right at the beginning.
The board came out of their closed session and began the agenda. When they got to the section on approving the agenda, a disagreement emerged. Reynoso had made a motion to accept the agenda as written, McGee had seconded it. Armas apparently wanted to insert a return to another closed session sometime later, maybe after the worksession. They argued about it for a time and then, when a solution was not found, they adjourned to a back room to resolve it out of the public eye. Well, the men did. Heredia hadn’t arrived yet and Brunner came out with the audience to wait for the men.
Of course, the audience had to wait and were very inconvenienced by this dispute. In fact, this is usually the part where the public would ordinarily get really disgusted and begin trashing their leaders.
When the men came back, the motion was passed and McGee made a speech that I really liked. He apologized to the people waiting in a way that expressed his heartfelt sorrow at having caused our inconvenience. Well he won my heart for sure. At the same time, he defended the board’s need to take the time it needed to resolve the interpersonal issue it was faced with. That was exactly the right thing to do and well worth the wait. He made the best of a bad situation by taking advantage of the teachable moment.
The board did the right thing too. Our school board is like any group of people, like our own group right here on the Hayword blog, in fact. Differences are real and must be worked through in order for the group to work well together and accomplish their purpose. We are wrong to treat public officials as if they ought to be possessed of super human capacities that make them immune to the same problems of other groups and families.
I only wish that our congress could do as well as our school board!
May 1st, 2012 at 8:41 am
All;
HUSD Trustees, failing to understand a basic cause of current and forthcoming budget deficits, now seek an incorrect solution! The Trustees are guilty of an assault upon intellect of voters when seeking passage of Measure ‘G’, as seen propounded within the Alameda County Sample Ballot and Voter Information Pamphlet !
What they seek is a property tax assessment of a mere $58. per annum. The amount of the proposed tax is put forward as being $58.00 per year regardless of whether or not this is a business parcel, an apartment complex or a single family residence. Exceptions are to be made which are directed to the elderly, who may or may not understand the requirement that the exception must be supported by an application requiring a visit to HUSD Administrative offices.
The annoying factor in the ballot measure is that the Assessment will bring in only about $9,000,000 . That sum is roughly equivalent to the amount lost to HUSD as a consequence of the loss experienced by a permissive attitude exhibited toward parents of truants.
About $9,000,000. per year is lost to HUSD as a consequence of losses in the Average Daily Attendance money caused by it’s lenient, almost permissive attitude, exhibited toward hooky players and their parents.
Obviously, I do not have possession of the statistics for school year 2011- 2012 but I do have in my possession the Truancy Data for School year 2010-2011. The initial enrollment established on October 1, 2010 totaled 20,606 students. The number of truants totaled 9,921 , which is expressed as being 48.44% of the total enrollment, established on October 1, 2010. I note here also, that when a truant is absent on successive days, that factor is un-discernable in the annual report for year 2010 -2011.
Expressed in another fashion:
3,026 elementary school students were truant. Or, 24.123% of our elementary school students were truants;
2,383 middle school students were truant. Or, 79.02% of middle school students were truants;
4,572 high School students were truant. Or, 91% of high school students were truants.
Of the total enrollment at 21,406 students 46.7% were truant on one or more days.
I lack sufficient data to pin point the precise cost, but my bet is that the sum total of lost ADA money experienced by HUSD in year 2010 – 2011 was at or above the $9,000.000. level.
So, instead of bringing parents of the worst truants to task under terms of Senate Bill 1317, our Trustees are laying solution of the problem upon the backs of homeowners!
May 1st, 2012 at 10:20 am
John, if your numbers are correct, how can there be overcrowding in schools?
May 1st, 2012 at 1:40 pm
M.Moore
Good question…(even if a bit inane).. when registration occurs seats are provided in all appropriate classes. Truancy is sporadic through out the system…. you do not pull desks or seats just because a kid absents himself…. you do not have the labor force for that….
Seats pulled today would be returned the day he/she returns…. so do we have a labor force on the payroll for that activity. Truants do put together 2 0r 3 day succesive unexcused absences.WSo I rathwer imagine that teachers have an annoying task of trying to undertstand just how to assure that all have opportunity to obtain FULL INSTRUCTIONof all subjects which are involoved inh a course of the year… so do API scores drop because a teacher problem or an attendence problem.
FROM cAL AT SAN LUIS OBISPO ‘magna cum laude’ in mathmatics… she refused to even consider applying to HUSD after graduation she apparently took a bit of hazing for even entioning that she lived near HAYWARD. She lived in Castro Valley but commuted, (AS DID A BROTHER AND THREE SISTERS.) to Concord to attend HS at The young ladies school ‘Carondolet’ located near the “football team”,(DeLasalle.)
May 1st, 2012 at 1:49 pm
All!
That which appears above escaped into the ether prior to completion and editing for spelling etc.
May 1st, 2012 at 4:36 pm
I think I may have discovered the answer to the disappearing posts.After you submit a coment, refresh. I think that does what we want. Try it.
May 8th, 2012 at 12:13 am
All:
sEEMS TO ME THAT THE Lack of contributions by Mr. Kurhi and contributing readers of this blog…. that it is near a state of extinction!
May 8th, 2012 at 12:38 am
All:
It would be beneficial for Hayward to see Mr. Quirk in the State Assembly. He is intellectually bright, highly articulate as well as being energetic. He has advanced degrees in Mathmatics and astro-physics, retired from The governmemnt facility in Livermore, has a quick mind, does not go off in tangents when speaking …in short I will vote for the man based on my Observations of his participation in City TASK FORCE ON WHICH WE WERE BOTH APPOINTED IN EARLY 1990′S AS WELL AS HIS SERVICE AT HAYWARD AIRPORT AS A MEMBER OF cOUNCIL’S AIRPORT COMMITTEE FOR ABOUT 10 OR MORE YEARS.
AT ONE TIME JET FUEL EXHAUST FILTERED THROUGH THE LONGWOOD / WINTON GROVE NEIGHBORHOOD, LOW FLIGHTS ON TAKEOFF BY SINGLE ENGINE AS WELL AS MULTI-ENGINE PROPELLER AND/OR JET POWERED AIRCRAFT NOISE WERE THE BANE OF THE lONGWOOD-wINTON GROVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS AND RESIDENTIAL AREA… AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY AND NIGHT!
HIS ABILITY T0 GRASP DETAIL AND ARTICULATE SOUND OPINIONS HAVE BEEN A FORCE FOR GOOD IN lONGWOOD / wINTON GROVE AREA AS WELL AS ENTIRE CITY.
I LO0K FORWARD TO HIS USE OF PERSONAL ABILITIES IN THE State Assembly and hopefully, in future , the State Senate !
May 8th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Our votes will negate each others Mr. Kyle.
May 8th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Ms. Booth:
Negativitry is your forte… used as an adverb !
(… in musical language.)
Then too, Mr. Quirk has used his various degrees to their maximum while you have admitted ( on the blog in year 2011) ..NOT TAKING THE BAR exam. So why did you go to law school? Somenody must have been disapointed!
May 8th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Give it up Mr. Kyle. The fact that I support a candidate other than Mr. Quirk does not give you the right to go on the attack against me.
May 8th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Booth
# 45 was not an attack by you?
May 9th, 2012 at 9:14 am
Nope..simply stated that I would not be voting for Mr. Quirk and as such our votes would negate each other. It was certainly not an attack on Mr. Quirk…not supporting him does not equal an attack on him or on you.
May 9th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Read #45 again, John. Kathy’s right.
Why compare Kathy’s education to Mr. Quirk’s? She isn’t a candidate.
I agree that Mr. Quirk is very talented and has much to offer. I still have not decided, though.
I spoke to all the candidates at the League of Women voters event. I think we need to take the time to be grateful that good people have the courage to run for public office, given the way they are treated by the very people they hope to serve. All of the candidates seemed to be good people with visions to improve Hayward. Yet we must choose the one with the best vision and ability to make it real.
While I’m at it, let’s be thankful for the League of Women Voters who do the hard work of studying the issues that most citizens do not do. Check out their website, Smart Voter.org.
They really knows how to put on a candidate’s forum in a way that serves the needs of intelligent citizens, not at all like the ones the media is feeding us.
Also, if you didn’t see it, Bill Moyers did a really good show: “Big money, big media, big trouble.” It is worth seeing online. We just have to wake up.
May 9th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
ALL;
In Review issue dated May 9th , Mr. Novak’s ‘My Word’ piece, takes the HUSD Trustees to task for their poorly written explanation of parcel tax plan Measure G, as found in the sample ballot distribution.
He criticizes “their poorly written measure….which does not ….clearly define how the moneys collected will actually protect critical education programs”.
I thank Mr. Novak for his interest in protecting ‘critical education programs’. However, Mr. Novak is apparently lacking in some knowledge about HUSD finances and the lack of understanding of the single most, truly basic economic and operational problem, exhibited by HUSD Trustees. Our elected trustees, as well as our paid HUSD administrators, are simply guilty of consciously ignoring the truancy problem and it’s direct, catastrophic affect upon the budget.
On Jan 1, 2011, California State Senate Bill 1317 empowered all California School districts to ‘go after’ the single greatest monetary expense ( loss) experienced by most school districts. That expense, or loss of Average Daily Attendance money, is simply expressed (or, IDENTIFIED) by me as ‘the hooky expense’. Oddly, Trustees do not seem to notice that Measure G would ‘bring in’ no more than that which is lost due to truancy!
When I asked Ms. Brunner, in early January 2011, if SB 1317 had been utilized, she replied….”we prefer to talk to parents”. That solution has not been effective!
California Senate bill 1317, offers our trustees a quick solution. They need only file a complaint with the District Attorney, in which HUSD accuses parents of a chronic truant, with child neglect. A SHORT FRONT PAGE ARTICLE BY Review reporters touching on the filing of a complaint against an unnamed parent would certainly solve half of the money loss problem. Naming the involved parents in the second complaint might just cure the whole problem.
May 10th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
aLL;
AFTER READING THAT AT #51 YOU MIGHTWANT TO THINK TWICE ABOUT YIELDING TO TRUSTEES …. AFTER ALL… IT’S ONLY a property tax of about $8.00 per year per parcel! Right? Ever notice how those impositions slip into a condition of perpetuity ?
Recall also tha6t the second instalment under measure I strikes again next year!
May 11th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
What do you think will be the amount of the Measure I installment, John?
The parcel tax is $58 per parcel per year for the next five years – adding up to $290. I am not voting for it, because it is a regressive tax, designed to favor the rich at the expense of the poor.
May 12th, 2012 at 9:32 pm
s. Blair;
*Use the same amount as was used for the first phase of Measure I…but expect an overlap…. there aqre four phases and my memory tells me that there was an overlap of one phase to the next!
The parccel tax onthe ballot is calculated to bring in about $9,000,000 per year…… the disappointing thing about that is the fact it brings in about $9,000,000 per year which is highly similar to the amount lost to Truancy on an annual basis…. which brings up the question of failure to utilize conditions of Senate bILL 1317 WHICH IS DIRECTED TO THE ACTION NEEDED TO
BRING PARENTS OF TRUANTS TO CORRECTION OF ‘THEIR
PROBLEM’ that latter idea is most annoying.
lOSS OF ADA MONEY IN THE AMOUNT OF ABOUT $29.10 PER DAY FOR EACH dAY THAT A TRUANT IS ABSENT IS AN AMOUNT TOTALING ABOUT $9,000,000 PER YEAR.
tHE TRUSTEES APPARENTLY FEEL THAT IT IS THE DUTY OF FOLKS LIKE YOU AND i TO PICK 7UP THE TAB FOR THE FAILURE OF PARENTS WHOSE KIDS ARE TRUANTS.
i HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR MR. ARMAS BUT I BELEIVE HIM DEAD WRONG ON THIS ISSUE. oN THIS DATE, Saturday May 12, I placed a two page letter in the mail which is addressed to The ‘Yes on G’ Committe. I then sent off the absentee ballots in which my wife and I voted ‘no’ on G.
I will place a copy of the body of that letter on the blog on Tuesday evening thus paying them the courtesy of at least having had time to read that missive before I made it public….although I cc’d the letter to Editor of the Review, I suspect that the editor will do and say nothing to offend the advertisers who keep that paper alive.
If they have not read my letter by Tuesday afternoon… that is their problem…. the voters need to know what I have said before going to the polls on June 5, 2012
I am in the phone book and my address is listed there also…. send me your address which I will not recorde except on the envelope within which, when delivered to you, will provide visual evidence of HUSD neglect in the matter of truancy loss which they expect to be paid by the rest of us peons.!
May 13th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
All;
A copy of the letter (Body) dated May 12, 2013 which I sent to “Yes on ‘G” Committee.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am taken back, quite a bit, by the fact that you have ‘bought’ into the idea that a parcel tax is needed as a means of ‘improving’ the educational needs of Hayward children.
Are you totally unaware of the existence of Senate Bill 1317 which was created and became law through the efforts of Calif. State Senator J. Leno and which became effective on January 1, 2011 ? It was rather lightly discussed at the regularly scheduled, public meeting of HUSD Trustees about 2 months ago! They were apparently pleased and satisfied by the idea that the proposed parcel tax approximated the gross amount of ‘new income’ necessary to avoid using red ink. That amount apparently will bring in the money needed through fiscal year 2012-2013.
I now apprise you of the fact that truancy is costing the school district something near approximation at $9,000,000 in lost Average Daily Attendance Money. The State of California contributes around $29.10 per day for each day a student attends a full day of classroom instruction. The new assessment against residential property, reputedly will bring in $9,000,000 per year.
The most exasperating thing about this matter is that truancy at HUSD translates into a loss of about $9,000,000 per year. The thing which really angers me is that HUSD fails to enforce California State Senate Bill 1317 which permits the school district to avoid damn near 100% of the lost ADA money, by bringing charges against the parents of truants, who in a large number of cases are cognizant of their child’s truancy. That is a violation of Calif. State law which requires parents to provide housing, clothing, meals and education to their offspring! Parental neglect is costing HUSD approximately $9,000,000 annually in lost ADA money!
Senate Bill 1317 was sponsored by Senator J. Leno and the bill became effective on January 1, 2011. Later, in that same month I approached the Board of Trustees at public comment and posed this question to the party holding the gavel at the meetings. Mrs. Brunner was the presider who, surprisingly, responded to my question at the initial public comment period. The question essentially revolved around my curiosity about whether or not any action had been taken against a parent or parents of offending offspring guilty of being a repetitious truant. The answer was that….. ‘We prefer to talk to those parents.’
With reference to the enclosed report of ‘truancy rates for school year 2010-2011 you will see the data which ought cause a thinking person, (if such there are, within the boundaries of HUSD service area), an incredible shock at the revelation of incompetence at HUSD.
I will not vote for measure G!
Vox clamantis in deserto! ( A voice crying in the desert !)
Signed, John W.Kyle
Copies to : Daily Review, HUSD Board of Trustees, HUSD Supt.of schools, HEA, Hayward City Council, Hayward Chamber of Commerce and finally, those seven elderly, formerly prominent, individuals who were duped into permitting their photos to appear in the mailed Measure G Campaign material;
May 13th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Mr. Kyle,
Senator Leno’s first name is Mark. And yes, chronic truancy is an albatross around the neck of the HUSD.
May 13th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Silent Observer;
Hiding behind a ‘nom de plume’ will never bring correction to the problems of HUSD.
Applying the mechanical idea of a ‘jack screw’, I suggest you display some courage for the purpose of lending force or energy required to lift weight of an albatross from the neck of successful students so that their HUSD graduation certificates will influence ‘forces of change’
Otherwise the albatross will remain around the neck of HUSD, the students,the teaching staff,the taxpayers,the business community etc., etc! Is it any wonder that the numbers of parolees living in HAYWARD, HAS CLIMBED? IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THOSE WITH CHILDREN?IN TOW ARE OVER WHELMIING hAYWARD?
I HANDED A LOT OF DATA TO MR.KURHI ON THAT SUBJECT A FEW MONTHS BACK…. YOU DO UNDERSTAND THAT HIS SILENCE IS PERPLEXINTG TO ME! RIGHT?
May 14th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Nice letter, John.
I wouldn’t assume that the people who allowed their pictures to be put on the marketing material were duped.They might just disagree with you.
May 14th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
LLY UNDERSTAND JUST HOW POOR husd. lAST YEAR HUSD GRADUATED LESS THAN 90 WHO WERE QUALIFIED FOR COLLEGE.
May 14th, 2012 at 10:18 pm
PLEASE SCRATCH # 59
tHE PUBLIC JUST DOES NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW POOR IS THE CONDITION AT husd. lAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO AN ITEM PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY BULLETIN AT ALL SAINTS CHURCH, LESS THAN 90 GRADUATES WERE READY FOR COLLEGE!
May 15th, 2012 at 10:39 am
Sherry;
Duped may just be a bit strong. In some cases it was probably a matter of ‘go along to get along’ without much personal knowledge of the subject or even indiffernce to anything but ‘get along by going along’. Too much of which occurs in Hayward.
May 15th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
I agree with you there, John. We need more critical thinking, not less.
May 15th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
MS. BLAIR;
lACKLING YOUR MAIL ADDRESS….. IT MIGHT BE WELL IF YOU CONTACTED husd OFFICES AND ASKEDE FOR THE GENTLEMAN WHO PREPARES TYHE ANN7UAL REPORTS ON TRUANCY. tHE MOST RECENT AVAILABLE COVERS FISCAL SCHOOL YEAR 2010-2011.
wHAT Y9OU WILL LEARN FROM THAT SINGLE REPORT,WHICH IS FORMALLY ENTITLED “TRUANCY RATES 2010-2011″ IS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING… MAKE COPIES OF IT AND PASS IT ALONG TO YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
IT ITEMIZES THE TRUANCY RATES FOR EACH SCHOOL
IN THAT REPORT DISCOVER THAT MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE TYPICALLY EXPERIENCING TRUANCY RATES WELL ABOCE 70%
wHICH IS TO SAY THAT MORE THAN 705 OF STUDENTS ARE CLASSIFIED AS TRUANTS. tHE HIGH SCHOOLS SEE A LOW OF 85.44% AT bRENKITZ AND THAT THE OTHER THREE ARE AT OR ABOVE 86%….EXPRESSED ANOTHER WAY…Mt. Eden experiences a level where 86.05% of students are ‘truants’ while Hayward H9igh at 90.95% is lower than Tennyson @ 91.44%
either correct the problem or close the shop and send ‘em to charter schools or the rop.
HUWSD has one hell of a lot of chutzpah to ask for passage of measure G.
At 82 I am too old to run for A SEAT AS TRUSTEE…. BUT NONE OF THE PRESENT INCUMBENTS HAVE EARNED MY VOTE FOR RE-ELECTION. DAMN!
May 15th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
ALL
AT ITEM ABOVE THE NUMBER 7O5 SHOULD READ 70%
May 16th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Did I miss the Daily Review’s endorsement of a candidate for the Assembly seat?
I noticed that the Chronicle has endorsed Mark Green. I like that Green is non-partisan. In fact, in looking at politics past the gridlock we are in now, I see that we are going to have to get past the present two party system. We need to break down the barriers of thinking (silos) that are caused by party affiliations and loyalty that limit the personal freedom and integrity of our lawmakers. Instead we need minds that are open and free to think and solve problems.
There is a new movement called “Transpartisanship” which is far superior to partisan, bi-partisan or non-partisan. I think I’ll join.
If Mark Green is evolving into a transpartisan, he will have my vote!
May 16th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
Ms. Blair;
I have actively supported Bill Quirk who has a long history of activism in Hayward; My memory of him is that he has an advanced degree in astro-physucs and an employment history with the US Governbment at the facilities in Livermore where he was employed for a long period before retirement.
He had influence over our space activities in that he was aware of the difficulties to be expected and how to successfully meet those difficulties. Yet, in WHEN WE WERE BOTH cOUNCIL APPOINTED MEMBERS OF HAYWARD’S CITY OREINTED TASK fORCE WHICH WAS TASKED TO DEVELOP GUIDE LINES TO lAND USES ETC., HE WAS QUITE CALM,DELIBERATE AND EFFECTIVE IN HIS LEADING REMARKS.
I first met him when we both were chosen (1989-91 era) by City Council to participate in the aforementioned task force which was directed to creating a guide for future of Hayward’s land uses and development patterns.
He was oustanding in his performance in that and subsequent activities.His children were educated in HUSD schools where he was a very active participant in PTA. He was also deeply involved with the Library.
He has a quick, alm mind which is sorely needed in politics at State Level.
On the otherhand I have attended Alameda County Traffic Committee at which the Mayor of Union City has been Chair for far too long.. That man passes demeaning remarks to memebers of the public who bring questions to that group.
I would never vote for Mark Green. Not familiar with Union City politics but I would never vote for him to any position which puts him in a position of power affecting communities outside of Union City.
I have long advocated for positioning of a professionally well run truck stop so that ‘long haul’
interstate truck drivers would have a decent, safe and convenient place for layover.Professionally operated truck stops are profitable and are a big help at alleviating concentrations of trucks on highways such as US 80, 580,880 ETC MR. SMART MOUTH SUGGESTED SOUTHLAND MALL AS AN IDEAL SPOT…. IGNORING THE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP AND TENANT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTENACE OF THE PARKING LOT SURFACES. ( I am a retired real estate appraiser and spent 30 of my 40 years in the banking business as an appraiser of many types of land uses both proposed and existent not limnited to single family dwellings but special purpose uses also, which included retirement homes, funeral parlours etc.)
Next time you drive down I-5… just before you get to the big hill about a mile or so south of the point where Rte 99 joins I-5 look for the Truck stop called ‘Petro’s)… When it opened in July 1998 it was the only improved property which had buildings on itwithin two miles of that site, !
My wife and I went to Northern Ohio to assisty her brother and his wife to make a successful return to California, We rented a fairly large ‘U-Haul’ truck and as I had Ar,my experience in driving tanks as wq\ell as trucks,I spent much time behind that lengthy trip. Traveloing in January I chose Route 10 so to avoid snow on RTE 80….we hardly knew the path but the thing which made it successful was the stops we made at Petro’s truck stops. You can not ignore that business for cleanliness, and it’s assembly of well manered truck drivers ( and their wives) the food etc..
Yet,mention a truck stop to a ‘shallow thinker’like Mark Green and akll you get is smart as remaqrks…like let ‘em park at southland mall!
I’d ask foer the return of Mrs Lockyer before I voted for Mr. Green!
May 17th, 2012 at 7:52 am
That’s worth thinking about, John.
May 17th, 2012 at 7:58 am
I have also been thinking about your issue with truancy. You have repeated yourself a lot about this. I do understand the issue and why it makes you angry, although it isn’t my issue.
Since you haven’t been able to get anywhere with your letters, I wonder why you haven’t tried some of the other remedies available to citizens. You have to expect the same results if you keep doing the same thing over and over, you know.
May 17th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Blair;
A response to your #68 above.
Is it possible that you are the parent of a truant?. Truancy is not your issue?
Truancy is apparently also not an issue with the Trustees of HUSD. They find it easier to put responsibility for the burden of lost “average daily attendance” money upon the residential tax payers within the boundaries of the school district!
The magnitude of the truancy problem is quite high. Let your mind deal with the following factors, then tell me that truancy is not a matter of concern for you !
This information is taken from the HUSD report entitled Truancy Rates 2010-2011. ( the latest full year report available to the public!)
Elementary ( K-6) 12, 491 students and truancy factor @ 37%
Middle schools 3,090 students and truancy factor @ 77%
High schools 5,025 students and truancy factor @ 89%
If those truancies were single day truancies at a Cost of $29.10 per day the loss would only be about 3.5 million dollars but we know the losses are much higher; at 3 days each occurrence, the loss exceeds $10,000,000. But actual loss of $ amount is only a bit more than the $9,000,000 sum that triggered placing Measure G up for a vote.
Frankly, HUSD’S failure to utilize terms of Ca. State Senate bill 1317, against parents of truants is an expense which causes me to adopt an attitude of deep resentment against HUSD trustees. That expense is minimal when compared with the choice the trustees made.
If measure G. passes, look for an exciting if not disruptive HUSD election campaign period in the fall of 2012.
Do you really understand the basic cause of Truancy at HUSD. ? The fact is that Hayward and Oakland have a problem with parents ( male,and female) who are paroled felons or felons no longer on parole, who lack the earning capacity to rent housing in Pleasanton. Hayward’s zip code 94541 has had or, still enjoys major presence of that type parent. If felons have paid their debt to society, then ignore their presence; however they owe considerable diligence to their children’s education. I see no reason to give them a pass if their children are truants…. When that failure leads to future employment disaster for the involved child or children!
So, do you still avoid involvement?
May 17th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Remember that a parcel tax is not restricted funds unless otherwise stated. Be vary wary of how these funds may and will be used or redirected.
May 17th, 2012 at 9:15 pm
Will these funds go towards certified salary increases and undermine the already understaffed classified support staff, and possibly feed the pockets of contractors because the Personnel Commission fails to reconize the value of reinstating the positions it has failed to fill? I don’t think that the Commission really has a grasp of what their duties and responabilities really are, which may have led to Mr. Accords’ resignation from the Commission.
May 17th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Mr. Accord did not share the same opinion as the other 2 Commission members. He was ” Untouchable.”
May 18th, 2012 at 8:37 am
John, why did you just ignore the second paragraph in #69? Why not take the leap from blaming and complaining to effective action? A democracy requires more than talk from its citizens.
May 18th, 2012 at 11:32 am
Blair;
I miss your point about paraghraph 2!
Also: How in blazes do you come to the idea that I have not taken direct action?
If by ‘direct action you think i OUGHT TO “PICKET” husD ADMINISTRATION bLDG. fORGET IT… FOLKS IN THIS TOWN ARE MUCH LIKE YOURSELF!
BLANTLY INDIFFERENT BUT WILLING TO HOLD THE HAT AND COAT WHILE ANOTHER GUY GETS INTO A SCRAPE!
dIRECT ACTION? lIKE IN A PICKET LINE DEMONSTRATION ETC. ONLY THE TEACHERS WILL DO THAT AND ONLY WHEN THREATENING A STRIKE! THE REST OF THE TOWN IS INDIFFERENT.
my efforts are mainly directed to the idea that arming the elctrorate with information will eventuate to some-thing like a TOWN HALL MEETING AS THAT IDEA WAS UTILIZED IN EARLY HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY; IT WAS SEEN AND WRITTEN ABOUT BY A FRENCH DIPLOMAT..A CERTAIN
CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS BLOG DECRIED THE IDEA RATHER BLATANTLY.
MET WITH A LARGE DOSE OF INDIFFERENCE IN MY APPROACH TOLAST YEAR….tHE WAS THE SWECOND TIME AROUND WITH THAT iDEA…. i HAD BEEN APPOINTED TO THAT GROUP WHEN THE IDEA CAME UP ABOUT 10 OR 12 YEARS ago. All talk no noticeable effect! HEA pushed for it and I am sure provided the sam leadership……. result? None just a lot of mental masturbation… you know a pleasureable idea involving much effort and blarny…. with no result!
If you and your friends will finance the effort, I will run for office, with the silent hope that I Lose ( AT AGE 82, iF i WON, I’D PROBABLY POP A BLOOD VESSEL IN ONE OF THOSE CLOSED DOOR SESSIONS!).
I GATHER THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THE ‘HOLD YOUR COAT TYPES’ SINCE YOU AVOID CONTRIBUTIONS POSSESSED OF MEANINGFUL THOUGHT!
SUGGEST YOU CONTACT HUSD’S STATISTICS GUY AND ASK FOR A COPY THE TRUANCY REPORTS FOPR YEAR 2010 – 2011 WHICH IS TYHE MOST CURRENT ANNUAL REPORT. 2011-2012 WILL NOT BE READY UNTIL LATE aUGUST,
May 18th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Jeez, John I didn’t mean to belittle your efforts to educate people! I am only suggesting that, since those efforts have failed to bring about the change you are looking for, maybe you should think of a new strategy.
Open up to a new idea: If in fact there are laws that HUSD is not obeying, and all of us are suffering because of it, what are the legal rememdies provided to a citizen?
What is really wonderful about our system is that one person CAN make a difference…if they are willing to do what it takes.
You don’t have to look far for role models. Look at Lilly ledbetter’s story. If you knew me, you could use me as an example too. And Kathy Booth. There are people all over Hayward who have taken the next step all alone when no one else supported them and succeeded in making a difference.
Although your priorities are not my priorities, I do support your right to stand up for what you believe. I’m just not going to do your work for you.
May 21st, 2012 at 1:54 pm
It seems the district is in the hole quite a bit, and maybe more than the board is saying. Some where around 8 million plus. This tax is really just a drop in the bucket. If the tax was directed to a specific program, ie. keeping art and music in schools or extra tutoring to bring up the grades of the students I would fine that made sense. I might not support it, but it would be addressing a direct loss or need of the district. This resolution gives the district 2 million to go to where ever they want it and it almost sounds like there is a program they intend to use it on. Right now, I am voting against it.
May 21st, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Overall, the current method of schooling is becoming obselete. Through the internet, all kids could learn at home with the direction of teacher who would be free to actually teach, and not babysit or discipline. Schools need to stop being responsible for food, social activities, etc and just do their job as teachers. They have taken on too many of the jobs that belong to parents.
May 21st, 2012 at 4:01 pm
What is the program they are thinking of spending the $$ on? I have not heard. Has there been any movement on the boundary changes, by the way?
May 22nd, 2012 at 4:13 am
Ms. Blair;
HUSD is not guilty of disobeying laws!
What is occurring is HUSD Board of trustees failure to take the necessary steps to assure full delivery of the money, necessary to meet the budget demands, which are financed to a large degree by the ‘average daily attendance money’ ( ada) which makes up the largest part of our schools budget) !
What has happened is that the truancy problem has grown so great that the $29.10 received from the State of California, on a daily attendance basis for each student, has been curtailed by ‘about’ $9,000,000….. or approximately the sum to be derived from the parcel tax if Hayward residents are dumb enough to vote for Measure G. Failure of Measure G would push Trustees into a back room where they ought be encouraged and able to think aloud until their failure is implanted in their minds.
Measure G has been estimated to bring in, by a parcel tax on residential properties, of about $9,000,000.
If there is anything I try to avoid, it is the practice of paying twice for a failing system or product. ‘They’ compound that error with State of California paying Pleasanton the same rate of ada money, when that district has minimal numbers of parolees ( read: Parents of truants) living within it’s area of responsibility. That City has a history of avoiding creation of low income housing.
I provided much data supporting that which I say above to our local Daily Review reporter but here again, no response or recognition for receipt of the data was made.
Ms.Blair, HUSD is not guilty of disobeying laws! If that were true would not HEA have undertaken a bit of hell raising? My whole point is that Trustees have not picked up on the usefulness of Senate Bill 1317. That bit of law came into effect, about two and a half years ago. It provided an inexpensive, useful tool to combat truancy. If HUSD has used it, they need not be secretive about that fact. Just a simple news release would have had a pretty good affect ! All it would have needed would be a simple announcement that an offender. ( the parent,) is being brought before the courts by the District Attorney at behest of HUSD.
Association of Bay Area Governments brought suit against Pleasanton and won it’s case. The argument was about Pleasanton’s failure to provide low income housing. Since Hayward and Oakland are cities which have existed for well over 140 years, they have had and continue to add to their inventories, much low income housing. I see no possibility to correct that imbalance.
What I do think to be a fair solution, over and above full employment of devices found in Senate Bill 1317, is an adjustment in the distribution of ADA money. For example reduce ADA payment to Pleasanton to no more than $24.00 at Pleasanton and similar cities which contribute to the imbalance presently seen at Hayward and Oakland. I do not think HUSD Trustees are able to address and solve the imbalance between school districts presently occurring through no fault of their own possession.
I do fault HUSD Trustees for not engaging themselves in the use of the remedy available in
SB 1317. I fault them for doing nothing! Except, passing the buck to dazed tax payers!
Finally, Ms.Blair, I do not accept your advice that I take a major leadership role in solving the issues which I have raised, in recent times. I took on such a role when my children were attending parochial schools. I recollect that it was about the year 1964 that the property tax levied directly against parochial school buildings in support of public schools was lifted from the backs of parochial school supporters here in California. The issue was fought and lost in 1932 and again in 1952. We won the battle in 1964, largely because we gained support from 7th Day Adventists and another faith group whose identity is lost to my 82 year old mind. Both had private schools suffering the same problem.
Ms. Blair, your expressed indifference to my point of view is disappointing,,,,,but I understand that indifference is endemic to the folks who have or had children in HUSD. They are not totally indifferent, just reluctant to again become involved…. Which is not my problem. I Have other uses for the time left to me and will not further engage the BLOG with this subject except to make public an observation or two during the HUSD elections occurring in the fall of this year.
At the risk of repeating myself, our absentee ballots saw two votes against Measure G emanating from this home! Think of it this way…measure G helps support dissemination of lost HUSD ADA MONEY TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS
May 22nd, 2012 at 4:43 am
Teacher momma;
In response to your # 78. Are you the mother of a teacher or are you a teacher with children at HUSD?
It would be interesting to know if you communicate with your daughter if she is the teacher in your family. If you yourself are a teacher, then it would be interesting to know why you fail to understand or even be unaware of the truancy problem!
May 25th, 2012 at 10:15 am
All;
The simple fact is that the numbers of days lost to truancy sees aq drop in average daily attendence money to a sum of about $9,000,000.
Mesure g WILL EXTRACT ABOUT $9,000,000 FR0M THE POCKETS OF HOWMEONERS LOCATED WITHIN THE husd dISTRICT.
IN THE MEANTIME, PARENTS OF TRUANTS ARE NOT BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DIDTRICT ATTORNY UNDER THE CONDITIONS FOUND IN sENATE bILL 1317.
so dear voters….. shoot yourself in the foot and pass the money seeking item onthe current ballot. Pass item G.
By PASSING ITEM G YOU WILL SAVE THE husd tRUSTEES THE STRESFUL TASK OF DEALING WITH PARENTS OF TRUANTS WHOSE ABSENCWE EMPOWERS THE STATE OF cALIFORNIA TO AVOID DEPOSITING $9,000,000 IN OUR SCHOOL
pLEASE HELP OUR STRESSED OUT TRUSTEES… HELP THEM AVOID SAVING THE TAXPAYERS ABOUT $9,000,000. LOST TO TRUANCY!
gET IT ????
May 25th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
http://houston.cbslocal.com/2012/05/25/honor-student-supporting-siblings-arrested-for-being-too-exhausted-for-school/
Saw this in the internet today. I am wondering which contributors of this blog would support the arrest and jailing of this student.
I don’t know why there are no parents involved here.
May 25th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Thank you for sharing this, Qodrn. I think the biggest mistake we make today is lumping people into groups and then treating the individual members of those groups as if they are all the same. This error in thinking causes racism and sexism and class struggles and religious persecution, civil wars and just plain war. Yet I have never met anyone who was the same as anyone else.
We make laws that apply to groups, laws that excluded people and discriminate and harm people as if they were all the same. When we are talking about someone else, it seems perfectly clear that they are all alike, yet when someone else is talking about us, we know better.
The mind divides us one against the other. We must learn to use our hearts.
May 26th, 2012 at 1:31 am
Ms. Blair;
So, you are indifferent to the problem of Truancy?
Husd has a rule or two to follow in determing what consitutes truancy; one of those rules requires advice to schools by a parent that a child will be absent when medical/ dental appointments are required. The rules are quite simple and easily understood.
Truancy is the rueful failure to attend classes and or even a single scheduled class without previous advice to the school, prior to the actual commencement of a full day of classes. ‘skipping classes after lunch is put down as a day’s loss per State REGULATIONS, as I understand them to exist.
In my days at parochial schools, My wife would make the initial review since it was the practice to have the children hand carry the report card home, she was the first to read them and then preswent them to me when coming home from work at the office or field area; appraisal assignments often carried me to distances requiring an over night stay, so the report card was never returned without a discussion as between ourselves and if necessary with the child or children. ( We had four.) We made it a practice to attend ‘parents nights’ and had ample opportunity to talk to one or more teachers if for no other reason than to let them know that we supported them and their teaching practices. In those days the staff was composed of Nuns who were in chatrge of administration and who also taught along side ‘lay teachers’ hired o n the basis of their own educatuion and teaching experience…. some had taught in public schools and were grateful for the high rate of attention on parent nights.
Raport between parents and teachers is essential to their common interest. What made parochial schools succeed as well as they do is the fact that parents had to pay tuition ‘from the get go’ at first grade through high school.
Enrolling a family’s first childwas not simple especially at first grade. Waving Cash in the air did not work when attempting the initial enrollment.
I had approached my native Parish School in Oakland and had a certrificate of acceptance in hand for a school year starting almost a year prior to the oldest child’s entry into first grade.
We moved here in January 1960 and we went to St. Joachim’s to enroll the oldest in first garde for the following September…. I naievly thoughjt that my letter of acceptance to the school in Oakland could be transferred to St. Joachim’s in HAYWARD. NO DICE!
sO MY ELDEST WENT TO lONGWOOD sCHOOL IN HER FIRST GRADE EXPERIENCE….. WE WERE NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE TURN OUT OF PARENTS, ON PATRENTS NIGHT IN THAT FIRST EXPERIENCE AT LONGWOOD. …… I GUESS ‘FREE EDUCATION’ IS TRANSLATED BY SOME TO MEAN FREE OF ANY SENSE OF OBLIGATION TO KNOW AND SUPPORT TEACHERS WITH WHOM YOU HAVE ENTRUSTED YOUR CHILD! tHE FACT THAT FREE EDUCATION IS SEEN BY SOME PARENTS AS BEING FREE OF ANY ATTEMPT AT CONTACT WITH TEACHERS OR THAT THEY ARE FREE OF OBLIGATION TO DEVELOP RAPPORT WITH TEACHERS.
SUCH CONTACT IS UNDERSTOOD BY ME TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO PREVENT DESTRUCTIVE ACTS BY STUDENTS, AS YOU SUGGEST IN YOUR EARLIER, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.
MYINTEREST OR CONCERN WITH USE OF SB 1317 IS THAT WE HERE INVOLVED WITH HUSD ARE NOT FULLY COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT OUR FAIRLY LARGE INVENTORY OF OLDER HOMES WHICH ARE LARGELY NOW SEEN AS LOWE INCOME HOUSING ARE THE BREEDING GROUND OF A VICE THOUGHT BEST IDENTIFIED AS PARENTAL INDIFFERENCE.
hOW DO i MAKE THAT LEAP? wELL CONSIDER THIS, OOR LOW INCOME HOUSING IS ATTRACTIVE TO PROBATIONERS OF ALL AGES, SOME IN THEIR EARLTEENS. tHEN CONSIDER ALSO THAT OUR LOW INCOME HOUSING IS POPULATED BY A HIGH NUMBER OF FELONS WHO HAVE PAID THEIR DEBT TOP SOCIETY BUT ARE PROBALY NOT THE MOST EFFECTIVE PARENTS.
IF MR. KURHI IS ABLE TO MAKE USE OF THE DATA i MAILED TO HIM SOME MONTHS AGO,i MIGHT AT LWEAST VERIFY THAT WHICH i SAY TO YOU NOW.
HAYWARD’S ZIP CODE AREA 94541 HAS OVER 4,000 INDIVIDUALS, SOME OF WHOM ARE RELEASED WITH AND WITHOUT SUPERVISION. MANY HAVE PAID THEIR DEBT TO SOCIETY AS WELL AS THE MANY WHO ARE ON PAROLE WITH AS WELL AS WITHOUT SUPERVISION.
sO NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY IT MIGHT WELL BE A VALID SOLUTION TO OUR ada MONEY LOSS BY MAKING EFFECTIVE USE OF CA. senate bill 1317 ?
The loss of $9,000,000 in ADA MONEY FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2010-2011 IS JUST TO DAMN MUCH TO IGNORE POTENTIAL FURTHER LOSSES OF THAT MAGNITUDE AS A RESULT OF UNCONTROLLED TRUANCY !
ACCORDING TO A REPORT PUBLISHED IN THE ALL SAINTS PARISH cHURCH BULLETIN A FEW WEEKS AGO…. ONLY ABOUT 85 OR 90 OF Husd’S hIGH sCHOIOL GRADUSTES WERE QUALIFIED TO DO COLLEGE WORK TOWard a college degree
I calculate, using the truancy factors of school yeat 2010 2011 that the loss of ADA totals about $9,000,000.
Do the math yourself for school year 2011 – 2012 when the Truancy report for current year is released in August of 2012.
Pleasanton enjoys the presence of just 5 parollees per the report I sent KURHI some mopnths ago…. you see,Pleasanton really doesn’t have any low income housing and only rwecently started reacting to their loss of the lawsuit brought again st that City by the Association of Bay Area Govt.’s
And that is why their test scores are well above ours.. It’s called effective parental guidance!One would think that HEA would hjavwe jumped on this data and started raising a bit of hell over the lost ADA money as well as the disproportionate costs of truancy
between the two school districts and the probable pay differential existing between our teachers and those in Pleasanton.
sO GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR OTHER INTERESTS mS. bLAIR…. WAIT UNTIL YOU ATTEMPT TO SELL YOUR HOME….. TO COME AROUND BEFORE husd USES sb 1317 ???
May 26th, 2012 at 9:09 am
A quick sidebar: I’m no longer at the Daily Review. I’m now reporting on breaking news in the South Bay. There will be a new Daily Review reporter coming on soon to report on Hayward, San Leandro, CV, SLZ and the likes. I will let her know about the blog, maybe she will keep it going. For the record, I’ve much appreciated all the input everyone always had on the HayWord, and for the most part it’s always been a good thing. I already miss you all. If you want to reach me, I’m still at the same email addy, ekurhi@bayarenewsgroup.com.
May 26th, 2012 at 1:36 pm
Thanks for letting us know, Eric and good luck to you on your next journey. Your heart hasn’t been here in a long time.
I do keep running into people who read this blog. Do you have any idea how many followers you have?
I would hate to see The Hayword die? It’s such a good name too. There must be a copyright.
Anybody got any ideas?
May 26th, 2012 at 5:21 pm
thanks for all your hard work Eric. Sad that we have gone from less news to no news at all over this area. If one reporter is going to be covering all those areas all I can say is they are going to be very busy. Wow.
May 26th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Thank you Eric for all of your efforts to give the people in Hayward a voice.
I guess we all should lobby BayAreaNewsGroup to allow the blog to continue…If anybody has an idea as to how we might be able to do it without this web site please throw out your suggestions.
May 27th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
I just put my two cents worth on the Review’s facebook page. But…
I don’t think we should depend on the Review. I think we should view this as an opportunity to take control and create a real people’s forum. We could use news from a variety of sources and have meaningful conversations about what’s happening.
There is a lot of information available about online forums and how to manage them well. I would do it myself, but I seem to be overextended right now.
Any takers?
May 28th, 2012 at 11:36 am
All;
All;
# 90 was a brilliant piece of writing …. it just got losted…..but do not be alarmed… I’ll reconstruct that count of those paroled or on probation with or without supervision by parole officers…. which I believe can be related to our incredible truancy factors at HUSD.
Please, do not also worry about HUSD’s money problems… the trustees will continue to ignore the truancy problem! As do taxpayers whose pockets are being picked by truants and their inattentive mommas and poppas! TAXPAYERS are currently unaware of the funds retained by the STATE…. due to truancy! Loss of State funds paid to School districts such as HUSD, for each day that our several thousand truants skip class, occurs at AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO OUR NEW, LOCAL HUSD TAX IF THAT IS APPROVED UNDER ITEM ‘g’ ON THE bALLOT.
IN CANCELLATION OF MEASURE G, IF BY SOME QUIRK IN HUMAN NATURE WE SAW PARENTS SUDDENLY ALARMED AT THE TRUANCY ACTS BT THEIR OFFSPRING, SUDDENLY BROUGHT OUT A FANNY PADDLE WHICH, JUST AS SUDDENLY RESULTED IN A RETURN OF THE $9,000,000. IN LOST STATE PAYMENTS.
Now, because the State has ‘clipped’ approximately $9,000,000. in ‘average daily attendance’ money which is paid to HUSD for each day that a student attends class, then solve the following math problem. Divide $9,000,000 by $29.10 and even you, dear taxpayer will understand the umbrage I display toward HUSD Trustees, who fail to take action against parents of even the worst truants.
Divide $9,000,000 by $29.10 to gain an idea of the number of ‘classroom days’ lost to truancy!
Is it any wonder that I felt cheated as a tax payer, when I read the statement appearing in a recent Sunday Bulletin at All Saints Church, that considerably less than 100 HUSD high school graduates in the class of 2011, were considered as college material?
Dig down… think! I suggest a vote against Measure G as a means of catching the attention of HUSD Trustees!