Greater Orange News Service

Two OUSD Schools Closed Tuesday in Santiago Canyon Fire

Anaheim Hills Elementary and Canyon Rim Elementary will be closed Tuesday Feb 7th. Anaheim Hills Elementary, Canyon Rim Elementary and Santiago Charter schools were evacuated as a result of the 1500+ acre Anaheim Hills-Santiago Canyon Fire on Monday Feb 6th. Orange Unified officials also closely watched other canyon area schools. Villa Park H.S. was designated as one of two official Red Cross evacuation centers for over 2000 people who evacuated from Serrano Heights, Orange Park Acres and Anaheim Hills. Orange High School and Santiago Canyon College were two of three designated animal evacuation centers.

Orange Unified and the City of Orange both posted fire updates on their websites. OUSD at first used its scrolling message ticker to announce in red lettering fire information was available by clicking the scroll. Later in the day, the OUSD Homepage was changed to the fire information page. The City of Orange page gave the time of the posted information and a link to OUSD.

OUSD also used its automated telephone system to call parents with students at the evacuated schools about the evacuation. Many parents who were home at the time of the call went immediately went to the designated high school (Canyon and El Modena) to pick up students. Those parents responding to the call immediately had to wait for emergency cards to be brought from the schools before the students were released into an adult’s custody.
CLICK ON : http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/2006/02/special-fire-report.html

OUSD Administration asks: Who will pay for Fred Kelly upkeep?

After community representatives addressed the Orange Unified School District Board of Trustees at their January 19 meeting about the possibility of being priced out of using the recently made over Fred Kelly Stadium, the OUSD staff presented a report on the state-of-the-art costs associated with their new state-of-the-art stadium. With Orange Council persons Tita Smith and Carolyn Cavecche, and Rancho Santiago Trustee John Hanna and Community Foundation of Orange Board Member, plus the ever present Villa Park Councilman and Foothills Sentry editorialist Robert Fauteux looking on, the Orange Unified Administration presented a Review of Operations report that gave a breakdown on costs for running Fred Kelly Field. The Community Foundation of Orange spearheaded the community fund raising efforts which raised $500,000 of the $1.8 million dollar cost.

The staff report broke down the costs for operation of the stadium that included personnel and staffing, restrooms, electricity, plus eventual replacement and maintenance expenditures. The report was not without controversy as community members got their first look at the report that night and questioned some of the data. The delay in the report was a source of contention since the community was first alerted to its existence when the agenda was published. A week prior to the January 19th meeting, Orange Councilman Steve Ambriz had been communicating with OUSD trying to no avail to get a copy of the report for civic leaders and city staff and officials to review.

After the report was presented, it was obvious that most of the OUSD Trustees understood the frustration of the community members who had raised funds for the facility with the understanding that the youth organizations in the community would use the facilities, but now feared that they would be priced out of the facility. Those Trustees included John Ortega who is also a Community Foundation of Orange Board Member. Declaring that the OUSD staff was “not saying who is to pay”, but merely reporting “this is the cost”, OUSD Superintendent Secretary to the Board Thomas Godley added that how the costs would be paid for was “a discussion for another day”. It was Trustee Kathy Moffat who made the point that the district provided $1.3 million and the community only provided $500,000 of the total $1.8 million cost of the make-over. In addition, Moffat pointed to the fact that the community portion was a gift with no strings attached. Trustee Wes Poutsma echoed Moffat’s points when he appeared to reject the notion of staggered fee schedules as he declared the community contribution was a “gift of public funds” and the district could not “treat one group better than another”. Trustee Rick Ledesma tried to champion the community concerns asking that the staff look for “user friendly” fees by possibly making a profit on outside groups to subsidize fees to local youth groups. In addition, Ledesma called for a Special Session Board Meeting to address all staff and community concerns. The idea of a Special Session meeting was ignored by the other Trustees and staff.
For More information on the Community Foundation of Orange Fred Kelly Contribution CLICK ON:
http://www.communityfoundationoforange.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=cfo&report=rptShowPage&ID=FredKelly&user=&pass

Year-Round Schools have Calendar Concerns

Aligning the year-round schools with traditional during winter break caused some concerns last week by parents from Anaheim and Orange Hills. This week the Calendar Committee proposes more revisions as an information item. To see those revisions see pages 59-62 of the Agenda (see below for online link).

SURVEY SAYS….

Last week OUSD had a survey available to all employees by computer. The survey asked for feedback on a range of items from how well the district staff was supportive, to impressions about the OUSD Trustees, Superintendent and other administrators.

Florida Daggett Conference, What will the OUSD Staff Buy?

Executive Director Fran Rooney plus 5 OUSD High School Principals will travel to Florida for a Model Schools Conference for $10,623. The Model Schools Conference is a conference put on by Dr. William Daggett’s International Center for Leadership in Education. Far being a leading educational “think tank”, the center and conference is used to promote Daggett’s “Gold Seal Lesson Kits” and numerous other educational paraphernalia. Widely considered leading educational research think tanks do not sell educational paraphernalia. Last year the OUSD Trustees cut $7,500 from the budget to stop broadcasting the Trustee Meetings to the community and only after a community outcry reinstated the money. Now, barely six months later it’s $10,623 in educational tax funds to send administrators to a sales pitch.
A Google Search on most educators gives you a sense of the breath of work they have produced. The few hits on “Dr. William Daggett” gives you his many paid speaking engagements and:
See What $10,000 gets you:
Dr. William Daggett’s 2001 Technology “Predictions”:
http://intergate.ncc.sdccd.cc.ca.us/teachertraining/articles/League-InnovationNov01.html

Conference Site; Gaylord Resort, Florida
CLICK ON http://www.leadered.com/msc06/gaylord.html
Innovative restaurants, fascinating shops and live entertainment
The most prestigious spa in Central Florida, a leading-edge fitness and health facility, and a championship golf course at Falcon's Fire

International Center for Leadership in Education
“White Papers” All by… W. Daggett
http://www.leadered.com/white_papers.html

Order Form for Daggett’s Gold Seal Lessons: http://www.leadered.com/pdf/GSLkitorderform.pdf
http://www.leadered.com/performance_tasks.html

Highlights of the NEXT OUSD BOARD MEETING February 9, 2006
State of the School Report: Orange H.S. by Student Representative: Kieran Sellers
Item 12 A/B- Del Rio Bond/ Mello-Roos Tax District Public Hearing and Vote
Item 12C- Alternate Retirement System “ARS” for classified employees
Item 12D- Wavier of California High School Exam for Students with Disabilities
Item 12E- Board Policy Revisions Series 3000 Business and Non-Instruction Operations
Item 13 A- School Calendars- More Information on School Calendars
Item 13 D- Costs and Fee Schedule for Kelly Stadium adjustments to pay for the “new” Kelly Stadium
CONSENT AGENDA- All items pass without comment unless a Trustee “pulls” for discussion
Agenda page 69 The district is switching to Verizon Wireless from Cingular to save $1100 a month on their current $3,200 a month cellphone bill.
Agenda page 100 Executive Director Rooney and 5 Principals will travel to Florida cost- $10,623.
COMMUNITY DONATIONS: Mr Vincent Rossi donated an electric keyboard, stand , and amplifier to El Modena High School. For a complete list of community gifts see page 67 of the Board Agenda.