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Monday, January 12, 2009
MIDYEAR BUDGET CUTS AT ORANGE UNIFIED?
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
a news service of Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Independent insight into OUSD
With Sacramento lawmakers from all sides embroiled in a never-ending budget battle as the economy across California and the nation tanks, the Orange Unified School Board will be receiving a staff report at their regular January 15th, 2009 meeting on the most recent impacts of the Proposed State Budgets. Information Item 13 A (Agenda page 6) states that:
“Potential budget solutions for future Board of Education consideration will be reviewed and discussed”.
OPEN ENROLLMENT BOARD POLICY REVISITED
By coincidence, or design, just a month after a heart-wrenching story of a Canyon High School student being bullied and victimized, with allegedly little help from the Canyon Hills administrators, OUSD is revisiting the Intra-District Open Enrollment policy. With six Enrollment Priorities, Board Policy 5116.1(a) changes include a cleaning up of the language related to providing an option to “victims” of school violence to transfer to another school. While we somewhat understand the logic of the offer, it appears an easy way out for schools to “transfer” the victim and not deal with the abuse problems. We cannot help but wonder what would society at large think if citizen victims of violent crime were given the option of moving to another city so their attackers could remain at-large?
To see the FULL STORY on the Canyon High School abuse from DEC 11, 2008 CLICK ON:
CANYON HS ABUSE STORY
INSIDE THE SEPTEMBER 15th AGENDA
Action ITEM 12 A (page 5)- 2009 Calendar of Board Meetings: OUSD Board President Rick Ledesma promised to revisit this issue after re-writing the calendar at the December Board meeting, much to the chagrin of the three minority members. We expect calendars in-hand as the Board members wrangle the dates. Who needs Steve Rocco for an interesting meeting?
Information ITEM 13 B (page 7) District’s Homework Policy: Trustee John Ortega wanted an ongoing discussion and updates of the OUSD Homework Policy. He is getting it!
Information ITEM 13 C- 2nd Quarter Year Two Update on 3-year Strategic Plan- The OUSD Consultant Culture lives on in the Personalization Section of the report on page 10 of the Agenda. Reading in the last column:
“Forward with Rigor, Relevance and Relationships” apparently even in times of financial crisis, some OUSD Administrators can’t face the reality of the consultant who coined that phrase, Dr. Daggett, is widely seen as an educational charlatan. Wait, wait, let’s just substitute a real scholar (and educational consultant) Dr. Robert Marzano’s name for Dr. Daggett. Who would possibly notice! Sorry, we noticed.
For more DAGGET information CLICK ON: DAGGETT
Inside COMMUNITY DONATIONS to OUSD
La Veta E.S. PTA- $1167 for Connect Ed system; Target Corp for Fletcher E.S.- $364 for supplies; Canyon Hills PTA-$1963 for 5 computers; Canyon H.S. ASB-$1777 for C.I.F. Football support; Assistance League of Orange-$500 for library books at Olive E.S.
For a complete list of the $51,527 in community donations see Agenda page 17.
INSIDE the OUSD Budget
INSIDE’s EDUCATIONAL TAX DOLLARS WATCH 2009:
Total $200,000
2009 Attorney Fee Tally:
11/13/08 Parker & Covert (for 1/09 -6/09) $200,000
2009 Consultant/ Speaker Fee Tally:
None
2009 TOTAL $ 200,000
Former Superintendent Godley’s Retirement Bonus running total (beginning 8/2008): $7260.00*
* The Godley Retirement Bonus presented here is an estimate of the amount in “bonus retirement” accrued since the Superintendent’s retirement on 6/30/08 using a 6% lifetime formula calculated here at $1210 a month since 8/08. The actual retirement plan the former OUSD Superintendent opted to take is not public information and the figures presented are only as an estimate of the taxpayer costs after the OUSD trustees voted against an amendment to exclude Godley from the retirement program. The on-going estimated figure is presented as a reminder to the community of the high cost in educational tax dollars the OUSD Board vote to allow the former Superintendent to participate in the 6% retirement incentive cost the OUSD education community in tax dollars. Godley retired from OUSD on June 30, 2008 after he worked for the school district for a little over five years.
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2008: $907,800
2008 Attorney Fee Tally:
6/19/08 Parker & Covert $ 60,000
6/05/08 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 40,000
6/05/08 Parker & Covert $150,000
6/05/08 Parker & Covert $200,000
2/07/08 Parker & Covert $100,000
11/15/07 Parker & Covert (for 1/08 to 6/08) $200,000
$750,000
2008 Consultant/ Speaker Fee Tally:
11/13/08 Subs for SDCDE (Reading First) $24,000
11/13/08 SDCDE (Reading First) $30,000
10/30/08 Dr. Willard Daggett (ICLE) $ 4,500
10/16/08 Dr. Parker 40 pt Consultant $ 4,200
9/25/08 Visual Ink for Sadler Consultant $ 6,600
9/25/08 Bob Sadler Consultant Fee $ 8,500
9/25/08 Candace Simpson-Sadler Helper $ 5,500
7/24/08 Dr. Parker 40 pt Consultant $ 10,000
4/17/08 Dr. Kenneth Stichter Speaker Fee $ 6,500
3/7/08 Dr. Kathleen Weigel Speaker Fee $ 8,000
Consultant Total $ 107, 800
2008 TOTAL $ 907,800
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2007: $704,090.00**
2007 Administrative Conference/Travel: hidden since 6/8/06**
**JUNE 8th, 2006 Trustees VOTE to Give OUSD Superintendent the power to APPROVE Travel Requests taking this item OUT of the PUBLIC AGENDA
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2006: $849,717.00*
2006 Consultant Fee Tally: Total $176,400
2006 Attorney Fee Tally: Total Approved $655,000
2006 Administrative Conference/Travel: Total $ 18,317 *
* JUNE 8th, 2006 Trustees VOTE to Give OUSD Superintendent the power to
APPROVE OUSD Travel Requests taking this item OUT of the PUBLIC AGENDA
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2005: $978,300.00:
Total 2005 Conference Administrator/Board Fees: $ 7,500.00
2005 Attorney Fee Tally: $730,600.00
Total Watched 2005 OUSD Consultant spending: $ 270,200.00
Next OUSD Board Meeting January 15th, 2009 -OUSD BOARD ROOM
FOR the Agenda CLICK ON: JAN 15 AGENDA
OUSD CLOSED SESSION STARTS 6:30 PM, Regular Session: 7:30 pm
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions call Business Services at 714-628-4015
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
Independent insight into OUSD
is an independent news service of /O/N/N/
Orange_NetNews@yahoo.com
“Independent Local Insight”
A 21st Century Communications System
a news service of Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Independent insight into OUSD
With Sacramento lawmakers from all sides embroiled in a never-ending budget battle as the economy across California and the nation tanks, the Orange Unified School Board will be receiving a staff report at their regular January 15th, 2009 meeting on the most recent impacts of the Proposed State Budgets. Information Item 13 A (Agenda page 6) states that:
“Potential budget solutions for future Board of Education consideration will be reviewed and discussed”.
OPEN ENROLLMENT BOARD POLICY REVISITED
By coincidence, or design, just a month after a heart-wrenching story of a Canyon High School student being bullied and victimized, with allegedly little help from the Canyon Hills administrators, OUSD is revisiting the Intra-District Open Enrollment policy. With six Enrollment Priorities, Board Policy 5116.1(a) changes include a cleaning up of the language related to providing an option to “victims” of school violence to transfer to another school. While we somewhat understand the logic of the offer, it appears an easy way out for schools to “transfer” the victim and not deal with the abuse problems. We cannot help but wonder what would society at large think if citizen victims of violent crime were given the option of moving to another city so their attackers could remain at-large?
To see the FULL STORY on the Canyon High School abuse from DEC 11, 2008 CLICK ON:
CANYON HS ABUSE STORY
INSIDE THE SEPTEMBER 15th AGENDA
Action ITEM 12 A (page 5)- 2009 Calendar of Board Meetings: OUSD Board President Rick Ledesma promised to revisit this issue after re-writing the calendar at the December Board meeting, much to the chagrin of the three minority members. We expect calendars in-hand as the Board members wrangle the dates. Who needs Steve Rocco for an interesting meeting?
Information ITEM 13 B (page 7) District’s Homework Policy: Trustee John Ortega wanted an ongoing discussion and updates of the OUSD Homework Policy. He is getting it!
Information ITEM 13 C- 2nd Quarter Year Two Update on 3-year Strategic Plan- The OUSD Consultant Culture lives on in the Personalization Section of the report on page 10 of the Agenda. Reading in the last column:
“Forward with Rigor, Relevance and Relationships” apparently even in times of financial crisis, some OUSD Administrators can’t face the reality of the consultant who coined that phrase, Dr. Daggett, is widely seen as an educational charlatan. Wait, wait, let’s just substitute a real scholar (and educational consultant) Dr. Robert Marzano’s name for Dr. Daggett. Who would possibly notice! Sorry, we noticed.
For more DAGGET information CLICK ON: DAGGETT
Inside COMMUNITY DONATIONS to OUSD
La Veta E.S. PTA- $1167 for Connect Ed system; Target Corp for Fletcher E.S.- $364 for supplies; Canyon Hills PTA-$1963 for 5 computers; Canyon H.S. ASB-$1777 for C.I.F. Football support; Assistance League of Orange-$500 for library books at Olive E.S.
For a complete list of the $51,527 in community donations see Agenda page 17.
INSIDE the OUSD Budget
INSIDE’s EDUCATIONAL TAX DOLLARS WATCH 2009:
Total $200,000
2009 Attorney Fee Tally:
11/13/08 Parker & Covert (for 1/09 -6/09) $200,000
2009 Consultant/ Speaker Fee Tally:
None
2009 TOTAL $ 200,000
Former Superintendent Godley’s Retirement Bonus running total (beginning 8/2008): $7260.00*
* The Godley Retirement Bonus presented here is an estimate of the amount in “bonus retirement” accrued since the Superintendent’s retirement on 6/30/08 using a 6% lifetime formula calculated here at $1210 a month since 8/08. The actual retirement plan the former OUSD Superintendent opted to take is not public information and the figures presented are only as an estimate of the taxpayer costs after the OUSD trustees voted against an amendment to exclude Godley from the retirement program. The on-going estimated figure is presented as a reminder to the community of the high cost in educational tax dollars the OUSD Board vote to allow the former Superintendent to participate in the 6% retirement incentive cost the OUSD education community in tax dollars. Godley retired from OUSD on June 30, 2008 after he worked for the school district for a little over five years.
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2008: $907,800
2008 Attorney Fee Tally:
6/19/08 Parker & Covert $ 60,000
6/05/08 Miller, Brown & Dannis $ 40,000
6/05/08 Parker & Covert $150,000
6/05/08 Parker & Covert $200,000
2/07/08 Parker & Covert $100,000
11/15/07 Parker & Covert (for 1/08 to 6/08) $200,000
$750,000
2008 Consultant/ Speaker Fee Tally:
11/13/08 Subs for SDCDE (Reading First) $24,000
11/13/08 SDCDE (Reading First) $30,000
10/30/08 Dr. Willard Daggett (ICLE) $ 4,500
10/16/08 Dr. Parker 40 pt Consultant $ 4,200
9/25/08 Visual Ink for Sadler Consultant $ 6,600
9/25/08 Bob Sadler Consultant Fee $ 8,500
9/25/08 Candace Simpson-Sadler Helper $ 5,500
7/24/08 Dr. Parker 40 pt Consultant $ 10,000
4/17/08 Dr. Kenneth Stichter Speaker Fee $ 6,500
3/7/08 Dr. Kathleen Weigel Speaker Fee $ 8,000
Consultant Total $ 107, 800
2008 TOTAL $ 907,800
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2007: $704,090.00**
2007 Administrative Conference/Travel: hidden since 6/8/06**
**JUNE 8th, 2006 Trustees VOTE to Give OUSD Superintendent the power to APPROVE Travel Requests taking this item OUT of the PUBLIC AGENDA
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2006: $849,717.00*
2006 Consultant Fee Tally: Total $176,400
2006 Attorney Fee Tally: Total Approved $655,000
2006 Administrative Conference/Travel: Total $ 18,317 *
* JUNE 8th, 2006 Trustees VOTE to Give OUSD Superintendent the power to
APPROVE OUSD Travel Requests taking this item OUT of the PUBLIC AGENDA
Total for Watched Tax Dollars approved in 2005: $978,300.00:
Total 2005 Conference Administrator/Board Fees: $ 7,500.00
2005 Attorney Fee Tally: $730,600.00
Total Watched 2005 OUSD Consultant spending: $ 270,200.00
Next OUSD Board Meeting January 15th, 2009 -OUSD BOARD ROOM
FOR the Agenda CLICK ON: JAN 15 AGENDA
OUSD CLOSED SESSION STARTS 6:30 PM, Regular Session: 7:30 pm
For more information call the OUSD Superintendent’s office at 714-628-4040
For budgeting questions call Business Services at 714-628-4015
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
Independent insight into OUSD
is an independent news service of /O/N/N/
Orange_NetNews@yahoo.com
“Independent Local Insight”
A 21st Century Communications System
