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Wednesday, July 25, 2012
New El Mo H.S. principal to be named
ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
a news service of Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Independent insight into OUSD
New El Mo H.S. principal to be named
The Thursday July 26, 2012 Orange Unified School Board meeting has a full agenda (165 pages) of items to address. In the Closed Session (starting at 5:30), the OUSD Trustees will hire new staff including three principals. Former El Modena Principal John Briquelet left OUSD for Loara High School in the Anaheim Union High School District. Criticized as a micromanager by some, Briquelet had instituted several new policies at El Modena. Implementing some of those policies caused divisiveness among the school staff. One of those policies was using the California Standards test as a way for students to boost grades. While the California Department of Education has tried to stay out of the controversy that has surrounded the practice in a small number of schools that have tried to implement it, the practice has problems associated with it (CLICK ON: GRADES Pt 1 and GRADES Pt 2). As part of the July 26 agenda, the OUSD Board will be revamping Board Policy 5121 (see below) which addresses a uniform grading police for OUSD that could be in conflict with any single school creating its own grading standards.
Another controversial principal that has left the district is Michelle Moore of Panorama Elementary School. Moore was called to task by the Greater Orange Communities Organization every time she publicly attributed her small homogeneous school’s success to OUSD’s expensive and failed consultant program Focus on Results. Criticized for attributing the small private school-like outstanding state testing scores on that program, her school was called “a fairy-tale” school and Moore was dubbed the Queen of Rigor. Moore’s husband, Dr, Rock Moore was also criticized for using the OUSD District School News to write a glowing educational tribute to his wife in the section of the paper that was to be used for good school news. Moore will be jumping from the fry-pan to the fire when she takes the helm of a similar high achieving “fairy-tale” school, Laguna Niguel Elementary School at the epicenter of the politically explosive Capistrano Unified School District.
For "Moore" information CLICK ON:
MOORE Consultants
MOORE Fairytale
More MOORE
More on Mr. MOORE
OUSD to wade through several Broad Policy changes
The July OUSD Board Agenda also has First Readings of proposed revisions to Board Policies. The eighty pages of Board Policy changes (Agenda pages 6-86) are mostly to correct language and comply with changes in federal and state laws
Board Policy 0410 (a) Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities ( Agenda pg 7-8) adds the phrase “or any basis contained in the prohibition of unlawful employment practices as set forth in subdivision (a) of section 12940 of the Government Code.” The list included in that section is not spelled out in the Board Policy. However, the list does appear as new language in OUSD BP 1312.3 (a), Community Relations, Uniform Complaint Procedures (Agenda page 15). That list from the Government Code is as follows:
California Government Code Section 1294012940.
12940. It is an unlawful employment practice, unless based upon a
bona fide occupational qualification, or, except where based upon
applicable security regulations established by the United States or
the State of California:
(a) For an employer, because of the race, religious creed, color,
national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability,
medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender,
gender identity, gender expression, age, or sexual orientation of any
person, to refuse to hire or employ the person or to refuse to
select the person for a training program leading to employment, or to
bar or to discharge the person from employment or from a training
program leading to employment, or to discriminate against the person
in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.
Student grades are addressed in Board Policy 5121 (a) Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement (Agenda page 27-29). The new language is as follows:
“The Superintendent or designee shall establish uniform grading system based on standards that apply to all students in that course and grade level. Principals and teachers shall insure that student grades conform to this system”
The new language establishing a “uniform grading system” applying to “all students in that course and grade level” apparently district-wide appears to undo the El Modena High School lone practice of changing grades based on a student’s standardized test scores.
Other changes include the entire Bylaws of the Board section on Conflict of Interest BB9270 (a). It is being completely re-written (page 79-86).
In addition, six entirely new sections are being added to the Board Policies:
• Temporary/ Substitute Personnel BP 4121(a) (Agenda pgs 11-12)
• Open Enrollment Act Transfers BP 5181 (a) (Agenda pgs 24-26)
• Bullying BP 5132.2 (a) (Agenda pgs 40-42)
• School Heath Service BP 5141.6 (a) (Agenda page 43-45)
• Standardized Testing and Reporting BP 6162.51 (pg 69)
• Animals at School BP 6163.2 (pg 70)
Board to Approve developer for Peralta Site
In Action Item 13 E (Agenda pg.87) the OUSD Trustees will select a developer for the Peralta Site and start the procedure for leasing the land. The three developers in the running are(CLICK ON each for more information): City Ventures ; Fairfield Residential: and Peralta Apartment Partners . City Ventures offers green building technologies. Fairfield is a nation-wide firm, but it has had BANKRUPTCY problems. Peralta Apartment Partners is a local partnership group with various local projects attributed to the partnership members.
OUSD Trustees to receive update on OPED Bond investment
In 2008, just before the financial market meltdown and the beginning of what is now called the Great Recession, the OUSD Board voted to approve a little used financial bond practice called Other Post Employment Benefit (OPEB). The basic idea was to sell bonds to cover the liability of OUSD’s retirement costs. While the financial markets have taken a beating, the yearly updates on OUSD OPEB bonds have not always been positive. The key phrase in the synopsis of the July OPEB Bond Agenda Item 14 A (Agenda page 88) is:
“The value of the portfolio continues to move in step with the recovery and overall stock market”
On April 18, 2008, the Dow Jones index closed at 12,620. . On Monday July 23, 2012, BloombergBuisnessweek published its article “Global economy in worst shape since 2009” that was picked up by AP News and published around the world. (CLICK ON:BLOOMBURG)
The next day (yesterday Tuesday July 25, 2012) the Dow Jones dropped 200 points with continued bad news about the European debt crisis to close at 12,615. None of which could be seen in the optimistic days in the Spring of 2008 (see stock market report from Thursday April 17, 2008 below click on ARROW below).
INSIDE Former Superintendent Godley’s Retirement Bonus
Running total (beginning 8/2008)
$56,690.00*
* 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.
Next OUSD Board Meeting Thursday -OUSD BOARD ROOM
For AGENDA-CLICK ON: JULY
OUSD Closed Session: 5:30 pm
OUSD Regular Session: 7:00 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/
a news service of Orange Net News /O/N/N/
Independent insight into OUSD
New El Mo H.S. principal to be named
The Thursday July 26, 2012 Orange Unified School Board meeting has a full agenda (165 pages) of items to address. In the Closed Session (starting at 5:30), the OUSD Trustees will hire new staff including three principals. Former El Modena Principal John Briquelet left OUSD for Loara High School in the Anaheim Union High School District. Criticized as a micromanager by some, Briquelet had instituted several new policies at El Modena. Implementing some of those policies caused divisiveness among the school staff. One of those policies was using the California Standards test as a way for students to boost grades. While the California Department of Education has tried to stay out of the controversy that has surrounded the practice in a small number of schools that have tried to implement it, the practice has problems associated with it (CLICK ON: GRADES Pt 1 and GRADES Pt 2). As part of the July 26 agenda, the OUSD Board will be revamping Board Policy 5121 (see below) which addresses a uniform grading police for OUSD that could be in conflict with any single school creating its own grading standards.
Another controversial principal that has left the district is Michelle Moore of Panorama Elementary School. Moore was called to task by the Greater Orange Communities Organization every time she publicly attributed her small homogeneous school’s success to OUSD’s expensive and failed consultant program Focus on Results. Criticized for attributing the small private school-like outstanding state testing scores on that program, her school was called “a fairy-tale” school and Moore was dubbed the Queen of Rigor. Moore’s husband, Dr, Rock Moore was also criticized for using the OUSD District School News to write a glowing educational tribute to his wife in the section of the paper that was to be used for good school news. Moore will be jumping from the fry-pan to the fire when she takes the helm of a similar high achieving “fairy-tale” school, Laguna Niguel Elementary School at the epicenter of the politically explosive Capistrano Unified School District.
For "Moore" information CLICK ON:
MOORE Consultants
MOORE Fairytale
More MOORE
More on Mr. MOORE
OUSD to wade through several Broad Policy changes
The July OUSD Board Agenda also has First Readings of proposed revisions to Board Policies. The eighty pages of Board Policy changes (Agenda pages 6-86) are mostly to correct language and comply with changes in federal and state laws
Board Policy 0410 (a) Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities ( Agenda pg 7-8) adds the phrase “or any basis contained in the prohibition of unlawful employment practices as set forth in subdivision (a) of section 12940 of the Government Code.” The list included in that section is not spelled out in the Board Policy. However, the list does appear as new language in OUSD BP 1312.3 (a), Community Relations, Uniform Complaint Procedures (Agenda page 15). That list from the Government Code is as follows:
California Government Code Section 1294012940.
12940. It is an unlawful employment practice, unless based upon a
bona fide occupational qualification, or, except where based upon
applicable security regulations established by the United States or
the State of California:
(a) For an employer, because of the race, religious creed, color,
national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability,
medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender,
gender identity, gender expression, age, or sexual orientation of any
person, to refuse to hire or employ the person or to refuse to
select the person for a training program leading to employment, or to
bar or to discharge the person from employment or from a training
program leading to employment, or to discriminate against the person
in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.
Student grades are addressed in Board Policy 5121 (a) Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement (Agenda page 27-29). The new language is as follows:
“The Superintendent or designee shall establish uniform grading system based on standards that apply to all students in that course and grade level. Principals and teachers shall insure that student grades conform to this system”
The new language establishing a “uniform grading system” applying to “all students in that course and grade level” apparently district-wide appears to undo the El Modena High School lone practice of changing grades based on a student’s standardized test scores.
Other changes include the entire Bylaws of the Board section on Conflict of Interest BB9270 (a). It is being completely re-written (page 79-86).
In addition, six entirely new sections are being added to the Board Policies:
• Temporary/ Substitute Personnel BP 4121(a) (Agenda pgs 11-12)
• Open Enrollment Act Transfers BP 5181 (a) (Agenda pgs 24-26)
• Bullying BP 5132.2 (a) (Agenda pgs 40-42)
• School Heath Service BP 5141.6 (a) (Agenda page 43-45)
• Standardized Testing and Reporting BP 6162.51 (pg 69)
• Animals at School BP 6163.2 (pg 70)
Board to Approve developer for Peralta Site
In Action Item 13 E (Agenda pg.87) the OUSD Trustees will select a developer for the Peralta Site and start the procedure for leasing the land. The three developers in the running are(CLICK ON each for more information): City Ventures ; Fairfield Residential: and Peralta Apartment Partners . City Ventures offers green building technologies. Fairfield is a nation-wide firm, but it has had BANKRUPTCY problems. Peralta Apartment Partners is a local partnership group with various local projects attributed to the partnership members.
OUSD Trustees to receive update on OPED Bond investment
In 2008, just before the financial market meltdown and the beginning of what is now called the Great Recession, the OUSD Board voted to approve a little used financial bond practice called Other Post Employment Benefit (OPEB). The basic idea was to sell bonds to cover the liability of OUSD’s retirement costs. While the financial markets have taken a beating, the yearly updates on OUSD OPEB bonds have not always been positive. The key phrase in the synopsis of the July OPEB Bond Agenda Item 14 A (Agenda page 88) is:
“The value of the portfolio continues to move in step with the recovery and overall stock market”
On April 18, 2008, the Dow Jones index closed at 12,620. . On Monday July 23, 2012, BloombergBuisnessweek published its article “Global economy in worst shape since 2009” that was picked up by AP News and published around the world. (CLICK ON:BLOOMBURG)
The next day (yesterday Tuesday July 25, 2012) the Dow Jones dropped 200 points with continued bad news about the European debt crisis to close at 12,615. None of which could be seen in the optimistic days in the Spring of 2008 (see stock market report from Thursday April 17, 2008 below click on ARROW below).
INSIDE Former Superintendent Godley’s Retirement Bonus
Running total (beginning 8/2008)
$56,690.00*
* 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.
Next OUSD Board Meeting Thursday -OUSD BOARD ROOM
For AGENDA-CLICK ON: JULY
OUSD Closed Session: 5:30 pm
OUSD Regular Session: 7:00 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/
