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  • Thursday, December 12, 2013

     

    SPECIAL REPORT

    SPECIAL REPORT
    ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
    Independent insight into OUSD      
    a news service of
     Orange Net News /O/N/N/
    OUSD Male Trustees shut Women Trustees out of meaningful Board leadership roles

    The Orange Unified School Board voted along gender lines, 4 male trustees to three women trustees, to give the two most significant OUSD Board of Education leadership roles to men trustees Thursday December 12, 2013.

    Trustee John Ortega election as OUSD Board President was on a 4-3 vote. Trustee Mark Wayland nominated Ortega and Trustee Rick Ledesma seconded the nomination.  Trustee Diane Singer nominated Dr. Alexia Deligianni  and Trustee Kathy Moffat seconded the nomination.

    The 4-3 vote saw the three women trustees voting for Deligianni and the four male (Ledesma, Surridge, Wayland and Ortega) trustees voting for Ortega.  

    The OUSD Board Clerk job also split along gender lines.  Kathy Moffat nominated Diane Singer for the clerk's position with Dr. Alexia Deligianni seconding the nomination.  Trustee Mark Wayland  was nominated by Trustee Rick Ledesma and seconded by Trustee Timothy Surridge.  The four males again voted together 4-3 giving Wayland his third term as OUSD Clerk.

    Moffat nominated Dr. Deligianni  for  a second term as OUSD Vice President and Diane Singer second it.  The male trustees did not nominate anyone for the insignificant role of Vice President and Deligianni was elected 7-0.

    Moffat and Singer lose vote over meetings
    After Ortega assumed the role of OUSD President, the OUSD Board took up Agenda Item 9B, the 2014 Board Meeting Calendar.

    Moffat questioned the change in the Agenized proposed calendar with an earlier version that included more meeting dates. OUSD Superintendent Michael Christensen explained that some of the meeting dates included in the earlier calendar had now been moved to "stand-by" date status.

    Moffat argued for more meeting dates arguing that others on the Board, including John Ortega had last year called for more meeting dates.

    Moffat made a substitute motion to send the dates back to staff to add regular meeting dates for consideration.  Meanwhile, Singer argued if more dates were not added then pushing the time back to allow the Board to get its work done and the public time to attend and not have to wait until late at night on meeting nights. 

    Ledesma, Wayland and Ortega all expressed doubts about adding meeting dates. Wayland insisted that if the Board stayed "focused" during meetings then they could get the work done in a reasonable time. Other arguments ranged from stress on staff  time to being able to schedule meetings as needed.

    Ledesma stating that unlike Singer and Moffat, he had not heard from anyone in the community that was concerned about the meeting times.  Moffat reminded the OUSD Board that the Peralta community representatives  all through last year had made repeated remarks about the timing and frequency of meetings.

    Timothy Surridge remarked that meeting scheduling should be at the staff's discretion. Surridge also noted that the Orange City Council now only meets once a month and credited " my conversations" with the  Council that they only meet once a month.

    In the end, on a voice call vote asked for by Moffat the vote was 4-2.  Deligianni, without explaining her reasoning, joined Ortega, Ledesma, Surridge and  Wayland in defeating Moffat's amendment. Moffat and Singer voted for it.

    The vote was again split 5-2 in approving the calendar for the 2014 Board meetings.

    ARCHIVAL Information and direct news can be found at:
    the Greater Orange News Service http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/
    ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
    and the
    Greater Orange News Service
    are independent news services of /O/N/N/
    Orange Net News

    “Greater Orange's TRUSTED independent news for over 12 years"

    Tuesday, December 10, 2013

     

    Surridge's failed Year of Living Dangerously...


    ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
    Independent insight into OUSD      
    a news service of
     Orange Net News /O/N/N/
    OUSD Board to elect new officers after Surridge's failed Year of Living Dangerously 

    The Orange Unified School Board is set to elect officers at their December 12, 2013 School Board meeting for the next 12 months.  The election could have major consequences for not just the 2014 OUSD Trustee elections, but also a possible 2014 OUSD School Bond.


    In December of 2012, the Orange Unified School Board elected Timothy Surridge for a second term as OUSD Board President.  Surridge's second term has been one of the most controversial and contentious policy years in OUSD history since the years leading up to the 2001 Orange Recall.


    Surridge's contentious Year of Living Dangerously started with his public policy statement of his "vision" for OUSD at the January 17, 2013 OUSD Board Meeting. That was when Surridge outlined his goals for the coming year. Those goals included investment in schools by the local community,  exploring using unused portions of school sites for city recreation purposes, and dealing with "the size" of the OUSD governing body ( the Board of Trustees). 

    By any means of measurement, over the past year Surridge failed to deliver anything but controversy across the Greater Orange Communities.

    The Surridge "vision" included what many community members characterized as  a “radical un-democratic plan” to eliminate two OUSD Trustee seats. This "Surridge Plan" was seen as ultimately stripping away representation from Villa Park and Anaheim Hills on the Orange Unified School Board to consolidate power for the Surridge majority. 

    Publicly stating the reasoning for his plan was “a turn-over” of superintendents, Surridge tried to begin to build a case that having more than five trustees on a school board leads to a higher turn over of superintendents. He offered no evidence to support his theory.

    In fact, there was no evidence to support his assertion. Almost as fast as he presented it, Surridge's theory was promptly debunked ( CLICK ON DEBUNKED ). In fact one of the reputable academic studies circulating throughout Greater Orange after the "Surridge Plan" was introduced reported that five member school boards are actually more unstable for superintendents because one election can completely change a board majority that supports a district's superintendent.

    OUSD Trustees Kathy Moffat (Trustee Area 4- majority Villa Park neighborhoods) and Diane Singer (Trustee Area 1-majority Anaheim Hills neighborhoods)  have been the minority on the OUSD Board since Surridge was elected and have frequently clashed with Surridge (an Orange resident) over numerous policies, especially his center piece effort to privatize surplus property and build high density apartments on the Peralta Site.   

    They were not alone. Many City of Orange and Villa Park officials and numerous leading citizen’s have also been outspoken opponents of the Surridge backed plan to lease the Peralta site property. The Villa Park headquartered Foothills Sentry  too has been a leader in reporting on the Peralta deal and its stories were routinely blasted by Surridge and his allies on the Board.

    Surridge wasted no time in working on his "vision"  of reconfiguring the OUSD Board. As Board President, Surridge added Informational Item 13 D to the February 21, 2013 Board Agenda. The agenda item titled a “Discussion Requested by Board President Surridge”, the item description on page 30 states:

    At the January 17, 2013 meeting, during the Board President’s Report, Mr. Surridge laid out a vision for the District. Included was the reduction of the Board of Education from seven to five members. Additionally an intereste [sic] has been expressed regarding term limits for members of the governing board.

    Mr. Surridge has requested that the Board discuss reducing the number of Board members and term limits.

    At that February meeting, with his "superintendent" theory debunked, Surridge glossed over the original reasoning he had stated was the purpose in his introducing the item -to keep superintendents longer.
    
    While Surridge tried to change his “vision” approach to the “just starting a discussion”, approach,  Trustee Kathy Moffat quickly pointed out that Surridge had offered no concrete reasons for the radical board change-except to just do it.  

    The Greater Orange Community Organization blasted not only the "Surridge Plan", but also Surridge ally OUSD Trustee Mark Wayland for his call to do away with district-wide voting in favor of “election by Trustee Area only”  votes to elect trustees. GOCO made the case that an area like the Peralta community would have no electoral recourse if the other 6 Trustees voted to build apartment buildings- but its "local" Trustee “safely” oppose the project. Under such a scenario, the Peralta voters could not influence other trustees with election upsets- just their trustee- who would have political cover by opposing anything unfavorable in their Trustee Area. Nor could any other group-civic, business,  school, environmental etc. have any political clout with trustee area only elections.

    At the February meeting, Trustee Diane Singer brought up the fact that there could be possible Voter’s Rights Act problems in changing the trustee numbers and voting arrangements. While she did not specify, a change that diluted  the minority vote, (which is concentrated in specific neighborhoods, in specific Trustee Areas) could prove to be an expensive problem for the cash strapped district if a deep pocket organization like the ACLU (which took on the district in Colin vs. OUSD  and won a precedent setting case) challenged a trustee area change. Just this year, OUSD backed down from a lawsuit threat by the deep pocketed National Rifle Association over an OUSD  student wearing an NRA t-shirt.
     
    Another focus of attention in Surridge’s February Agenda was term-limits. Originally brought forward as a campaign promise by OUSD Trustee Dr. Alexia Deligianni when she  ran five years ago for her first term, Deligianni –has taken  no action about term limits since her election. Deligianni also said nothing on the subject during the discussion at the February meeting. Ironically, speaking in favor of term limits at the February meeting was OUSD Trustee John Ortega. Saying he has "always favored term limits", Ortega failed to point out that after being originally elected in 2001, he has filed to run for office each successive time he has been eligible, thereby negating any personally imposed term limits he believes in.

    Later in the year, Surridge ally Trustee Rick Ledesma also took an aim at the "Surridge Plan" stating that when he goes to public meetings throughout the Greater Orange communities, when it comes to discussing the schools, people want to know what seats the OUSD majority wants to eliminate. Not exactly the subject a school board trustee wants to be foremost in the community minds when it comes to schools.

     
    While the "Surridge Plan" died a quite death, Surridge's push for high density apartments at the Peralta Site had the Greater Orange Community in a complete revolt  throughout most of the year.  Month after month, against universal  opposition, not one community member publicly supported Surridge and the Board majority's position on Peralta.

    To make matters worst for the High Density Apartment majority, which were all the men on the OUSD Board, was the degrading and demeaning manner they spoke to the plans opponents who were all the OUSD women trustees. The men's tone, attitude and bullying toward the women did not go unnoticed in the Greater Orange Communities that are filled with women elected and civic officials, PTA moms and  women activists.

    Surridge's Year of Living Dangerously  could have far reaching effects with the 2014 election cycle and the 2016 election cycle.  With Rick Ledesma and Timothy Surridge on the ballot in 2014 ( along with Kathy Moffat and Diane Singer) the Peralta community could flex its politcal muscle by using the ties it has forged with anti-growth and open space advocates
    across the Greater Orange Communities.  In 2016 those anti-growth advocates could again play a role as could an anticipated  2016 Year of the Women which could spell trouble for Surridge allies Mark Wayland and John Ortega.

    The 2014 OUSD races and the elusive OUSD School Bond quest really starts with the vote on Thursday night for the 2014 OUSD leadership.  Another term of Timothy Surridge could prove disastrous for OUSD as Surridge runs for re-election.   Both Ledesma and Ortega have had experience as President, but both of them also can be irritated into confrontation with Moffat and Singer- not a good look. Wayland has repeatedly ruled out leading the Board and while there is no doubt Dr. Deligianni would welcome the duties, her reputation in Greater Orange is well known and with a possible OUSD School Bond would she be the leader of OUSD that the Trustees want representing the Bond effort?

    Perhaps the late OUSD Trustee Robert Viviano's short-lived rule for rotating officers is looking really good right now to a number of OUSD Trustees.  

    INSIDE the December 12, 2013 Agenda
    Agenda Item 9 B- 2014 OUSD Calendar- Moffat and Singer have been pushing to revert back to bi-monthly meetings for the OUSD Board. Coming right after the leadership election, look to this item to be the first test of the new OUSD President in setting the tone for the 2014 OUSD Board.

    Agenda Item 13 B- First Interim Financial Report.

    NEXT OUSD BOARD MEETING December 12, 2013
    Next OUSD Board Meeting -OUSD BOARD ROOM
    CLOSED SESSION- 6:00 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

    ARCHIVAL Information and direct news can be found at:
    the Greater Orange News Service http://greaterorange.blogspot.com/
    ORANGE Unified Schools INSIDE
    and the
    Greater Orange News Service
    are independent news services of /O/N/N/
    Orange Net News

    “Greater Orange's TRUSTED independent news for over 12 years"

    Friday, December 06, 2013

     

    Greater Orange Weekend: Santa,Plaza Tree lighting and Villa Park Boat Parade!

    Late Thanksgiving piles Christmas traditions over this weekend

    The Christmas holiday season’s official Greater Orange kickoff celebrates 19 years of tree lighting ceremonies in the Orange Plaza

    This year's guest narrator is former Orange Police Department Lt. Dave Hill, recently retired after a distinguished 30 year career.

     The 350 voice Orange Master Chorale choir led by Orange High’s world famous choir director Michael Short and a 60 piece orchestra in the traditional Choir Procession and Tree Lighting Ceremony.

    The festivities start at 3:30 pm on Sunday December 8th 2013 with food booths and kids activities including those holiday photo ops with none-other than Santa himself followed by the official choir and tree ceremony starting at 5:15 pm.


    In case of rain please call the official Orange Special Events Hotline for details: 714-744-7278.



    Santa to Tour Villa Park December 7th before heading to North Pole
    Few people outside Villa Park may know that Santa and Mrs. Claus keep their Southern California vacation residence right here in Greater Orange at the Claus Villa in Villa Park. Each year before making the final push towards getting ready for that Christmas Eve world tour, the Claus family spends a weekend at their Villa Park get-a-way. Traditionally, Santa has thanked his home-away-from home neighbors with the Annual Villa Park Santa Tour winding his way through the Greater Orange “Hidden Jewel” in a bright red fire truck. This year’s tour is Saturday December 7, 2013 from 8:00 am- 5:00 pm.

    Santa has been known to drop by or stop along the route where ever there is a gathering of believers. For more information contact the Villa Park City Hall at 714-998-1500. The Annual Santa Tour is sponsored by the Villa Park Foundation.

    Annual Villa Park Great Inland Boat Parade-December 8th, 2013
    Being land-locked never bothered many in Greater Orange, especially in Villa Park where the Annual Great Villa Park Inland Boat Parade takes place on Sunday December 8th, 2013. this year a new route sails through the backwaters of Villa Park, from starting at 5:00 pm, the mighty Villa Park Fleet sails to the Villa Park Towne and Community Centre arriving around 6:00 pm. for more hometown festivities including a tree lighting ceremony and entertainment.

    The Great Villa Park Inland Boat Parade is sponsored by the Villa Park Foundation.


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