Planned Parenthood
The wife and I were having a discussion over dinner about the pros and cons of Proposition 30, and its claim to save education from a devastating blow of the budgetary axe. Then I remembered this post I’d uploaded some time ago in 2011 about the NOCCCD’s “School of Continuing Education”, and decided to re-post it. So if you happen to be sitting on the fence with this one, well, I won’t tell you how to vote, but it might help to keep in mind how tax dollars have been spent in this particular scenario. Enjoy!
The North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) is the proud parent of Fullerton College and its younger sibling, Cypress College. But apparently the nest wasn’t quite complete, as NOCCCD decided years ago that it wanted yet another baby, and popped out the abundantly productive School of Continuing Education (SCE) on Wilshire Blvd., across the street from Fullerton College. Amazingly, SCE has no academic courses, but has new buildings, deans and even its own Senate like a regular university!
And what does this seemingly well-greased, finely-tuned bureaucracy manage to provide for the taxpayers? A substantially rich offering of classes, such as (read this carefully):
- How to Sell on eBay
- Digital Scrapbooking
- Blogging for Beginners
- Toddler Fitness
- Raising Caring Kids
- Bartending Workshops
- Latin Cardio Blast
- Journey Back into Time for Older Adults
- Needlecrafts, Knitting, Crochet for Older Adults
- History of Comedy and Humor for Older Adults
- Beginning Drama for Older Adults
- Draw and Paint Animals (ages 5+)
- Making Yummy Snacks (ages 6-10)
- Sing and Learn Chinese for Parent and Child (ages 0-6)
- Cheerleading (ages 4-7)
- Public Speaking for Children (ages 8-12)
- Career Exploration (ages 9-12)
- Please Pass the Manners (ages 5-7)
- Teen Etiquette (ages 13-17)
- Puppetry and Storytelling (ages 3-6)
- Readiness for Kindergarten (ages 4-5)
- How to Be a Best Friend (ages 5-8)
Okay, just in case this list hasn’t left you completely baffled, keep in mind that the SCE’s course offerings are funded by the North Orange County Community COLLEGE District! Do these classes have ANYTHING to do with college? Don’t offerings like these really belong in the domain of something like parks and recreation?
Despite the inappropriateness of these course offerings, the Chancellor of the NOCCCD, Dr. Ned Doffoney (one can only imagine what kind of salary the title of “Doctor” delivers) continues to cradle the SCE as a fresh newborn, giving it his support and blessing as only a chancellor can do.
Meanwhile, administrators at the colleges are suggesting the cancellation of 46% of the courses that were offered this year, a move that is likely to prevent significant numbers of students from graduating and moving on to university because they need classes in chemistry, calculus and business. Well, at least we can all take comfort in knowing that senior citizens will fully comprehend the History Of Comedy, or that toddlers will know how to make Yummy Snacks!
I wondered what was going on there.
Don’t forget that huge medical building they bought in Anaheim an that gets lit up at night like the Taj Mahal. I can only imagine what overpriced nonsense goes on there.
Your talking about the former Martin Luther Hospital (my daughter was born there). 9 floors + basement for the administrative and support staff for a 3? campus district. Seems a very richly supported system.
Of course. Molly McClanahan presides over this whole stupid empire.
Well, to be more precise they let her think she does.
and that’s exactly what happens when let dim wits rise to the top.
correction: and that’s exactly what happens when dim wits rise to the top.
It’s fascinating that these people think 3-8 year olds need “continuing education.”
Of course given the level of FSD education put on display by the Janny Meyer facebook string, maybe they do need continuing education – even before third grade.
hey, stop with the dead end attitudes about higher education, we need these classes to make us well-rounded people smart in everything. and the biggest plus is it gives the unemployable a job teaching: etiquette, re-learning kindergarten and tons of other good stuff and gives the NOCCCD administrators more pay. people who don’t see the value of learning to use puppets just don’t know nothing,
The unfortuate truth is that the community college ideal has been corrupted and twisted beyond any rational stretch of the imagination. The CC system was designed to give a higher level of vocational training in technical fields, paraprofessional careers, and offer college bound students a less expensive alternative to satisfy genral education requirements before they transfer toa four year institution, and finally offer high school grads with lowerrs GPAs a second chance at getting on track for a 4 yr college degree.
That list is pretty funny. Yummy snacks? Please pass the manners?
Didn’t a bunch of Fullerton College students protest on Harbor last week? I wonder how they would feel about this.
Your usual mingey, snarky views of anything basically decent that could use some citizen cooperation, improvement and assistance. But no, you are enamoured of only psuedo-clever repartee.
Improvement through citizen cooperation? Be sure to let us know how that works out for you.
You are joking, right?
What’s “decent” about taxpayers shelling out for “History of Humor” classes?
Or bartending workshops.
Are all of those free, Tony?
If not — and they’re not — do you see how that undermines your argumen?
Wrong again, DimeBag.
All public education is heavily subsidized and learning how to be a bartender is something you can either teach yourself or learn at a bar.
As far as learning the history of humor I humbly subit that one could trace your employment/career trajectory for free.
Dear Admin – you picked 2 poor examples to bitch about. Especially bartending. That could actually lead to someone getting a job.
You’re joking, right?
Jack Scott, the Chancellor of the ENTIRE California Community College System, earns a salary of $198,000 per year. Maybe if he is lucky and promises to offer such excellent “continuing education” opportunities for toddlers, Jack Scott can aspire to be promoted to NOCCCD Chancellor. Oh, but wait, it gets better, the US Vice-President, earning a $230,700 annual salary plus expense allowance lower than most community college “CEO’s”, should ALSO aspire to be such a CEO, in particular, at NOCCCD! Dr. Doffoney makes at least $259,200 as of last year, including nearly $20,000 in retirement pay (all over double what a nearly retiring, long-time faculty member gets). Chancellor Scott and VP Biden should be jealous! Or, really irate.
It’s a good thing we re-elected NOCCCD Board of Trustees Jeff Brown and Molly McClanahan, whose overwhelming support of perks for top administrators in the District and disdain for faculty could now attract Jack Scott and Joe Biden as job candidates for top dog at NOCCCD! The six full-time instructors who could have been hired to teach a full load of classes to college-age students can rest assured that Jeff Brown, Donna Miller, and Molly McClanahan are treating their top administrators like the kings (or queens?) that they really are. Down with peasant faculty and students! We don’t need them! Cut 46% of them now Herr Chancellor!
Six full-time faculty members costs the same in NOCCCD as 1 chancellor, or 3/4 of a President, Vice Chancellor of God knows what! um, What?
I don’t think the Libs on the NOCCCD are the problem, as every action they have taken has been to cut the number of Union and tenured Jobs in favor of bringing in “community experts” to teach such things as listed above.
The real problem with the NOCCCD is that they act as a rubber stamp for the recommendations they receive without giving any real consideration for faculty, student or community input. They are facing some tough decisions, but their approach seems to be to divert money to things which can be shut down quickly in the future rather when the time comes rather than to attempt to continue offering the best services they can afford to the students and community they are serving.
Also, look at the retirement programs that the “executives” end up with here. Dr. Kathleen Hodge was “promoted” to Vice Chancellor of Instruction (from Fullerton College President) in October of 2009. In June of 2010 she retired (at presumably a higher pay rate and retirement benefit package).
I realize there are Human Resources issues here that will never get publicly aired surrounding this, but the difference in retirement packages in an on-going expense to the District. Why was this charade allowed by the Board with nothing but a few slaps on the back and “great job, we’ll miss you.”
That’s what’s known as a pension spike.
Pension spiking is declared as illegal by CA. But apparently it’s a regular practice of the NOCCCD and will continue to be. And one of this reaches students or teachers, only the classes that are cut to pay for this crap.
correction: none of this reaches students or teachers, who are being asked to tolerate more and more degradations while the top dogs continue to pat themselves on the back every other week at the good ol NOCCCD Board meetings
I just want to know if I can still get into Latin Cardio Blast.
“Can I still get into Latin Cardio Blast”……… Hmmmmm
Sorry Gröfaz but you are a convicted DUI felon so the answer is NO!
I wonder what Jessie LaTour has to offer regarding this post. I believe he teaches English Composition at FJC.
Well NO SHIT.
Why the FFFF is uncovering and covering (as a story) this debacle, but not the LA TIMES or OC Register is a testement to this blog and dare I say independent media.
While others are moping up tears over a man’s suicide a man they NEVER knew and likely would never associate with you uncover another million bucks of waste.
That leaves me with only one question: Did you guys forget about Tony Recaukuas and Sandra Hutchins birthday??
FFFF ARE REAL COMMUNITY SERVANTS!
Classes like these would be good money makers for the NOCCCD. If community outreach classes, both valuable and of perhaps dubious value alike, can be operated at a profit by charging those who can afford it to pay a reasonable fee, then they might be made to help offset the expenses of academic classes at Cypress or Fullerton.
Great approach, but I think that if anyone could make a profit off of a class called “Journey Back into Time for Older Adults” then they probably would already be doing it.
Sorry, no sale. I don’t want government “making a profit.”
The first thing they do is undercut competition by burying overhead. That’s plenty of incentive right there
The point should be moot. Governments aren’t allowed to charge more than the actual cost of the service provided.
I think the essential point of this post is that there are legitimate students at Fullerton College who are simply trying to move on and get their degrees so they can be productive members of society. Meanwhile, they’re being told by administration that massive cuts to core classes are likely because of budgetary constraints. And where’s that money going? To prop up classes like “Latin Cardio Blast”, or “Teen Etiquette”, or “Making Yummy Snacks”! Classes like those belong more appropriately in something like parks and recreation, they shouldn’t be funded by the NOCCCD. If citizens of Fullerton want to fund these classes, let ’em do it, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of classes in calculus or chemistry.
It would be a wonderful idea to see a school make a profit, but ONLY if it commits to distributing the profits where they ethically should belong. NOCCCD does nothing to tell the public whether the “School of Continuing Recreation Education for 4-7 year old cheerleaders” loses money or gains. My guess is that since they aren’t transparent about it, one can assume that the organization constantly loses money, despite its claims that the kiddie/parky classes are fee-based. How about this idea: Instead of fee-based, shouldn’t they be FEE-DEPENDENT? In other words, if the class doesn’t self-sustain CANCEL IT! And that includes all indirect costs. Does a park need $160,000 Deans to supervise fourteen “community experts” to make sure they are teaching “Sing and learn Chinese for Parent and Child” or “How to sell on E-Bay”? Why are taxpayers helping to prop up Meg Whitman’s company? Some dude on TV sells that crap.
I went to Nicholas Jr. high and I saw a teacher I had on this list and can not for the life of me figure out why. Stacy UDKOFF-VETROVEC was the “design” teacher. I took the class thinking it was going to be modeling and beginners drafting only to find out I was taking an arts and crafts class. It was so basic it was beyond stupid. I wouldn’t pay a day care to instruct me children in the pure waste of time I had to deal with. her receiving $90,000 a year is a plain waste of tax dollars and my children’s time.
$90,000 per year + lifetime pension@60% of final year pay+ lifetime health benefits=
more like $160,000+ of total compensation per current year worked
I participate in another district in an “arts” class; that class is continually over-enrolled and is a money-maker. Before complaining about some of the courses listed in this blog, please consider the following:
1. Are those classes fully and/or over-enrolled?
2. Are fees charged for those classes?
3. Why shouldn’t those who are considered “seniors” be offered classes for personal enrichment? Are seniors expected to stagnate and/or just “go away”?
4. Why do some posters have issues with “arts and crafts” classes? That attitude causes a loss of skills that can be valuable. Not everything relates to the “electronic age” and instant gratification.
5. I dare the posters to say any of them are over 50 years old!
Many of those “classes” have fees that go to pay the part-time instructors . Do they pay the utility and maintenance costs? Do they pay for the building renovation? Do they pay for the overpriced administration overhead?
BTW, teaching your kids to play nice and talk in Chinese is not a seniors class. And it may have escaped your notice but the taxpayers are already underwriting seniors classes….at the Senior Center!
Hahahaha!
That’s the best you can do for a response? Don’t dump on the students; go after the admin types!
Nobody here dumped on the “students,” if you wan to call somebody taking a class on how to make “yummy snacks” a student.
Why don;t you address the issue of renovation, maintenance, overhead? The Truth made an excellent point.
I don’t think the purpose of “higher education” is to provide recreational activities, this is something that taxpayers already pay parks and recreation organizations to do. Seniors and toddlers may get a “benefit” out of these courses, but is making plastic keychains next for higher education rather than funding freshman English? Ridiculous.
You call it recreational, others call it personal enrichment. But, as I said in a previous reply, its gotten crazy.
no on 30, take the money from the “DREAM ACT” and use it for U.S. children
I looking forward to my email from Chris Thompson telling me how to vote.
not only have my tax dollars bought private, objective investigations by Gennaco, legal hush for Fullerton PD’s civil rights abuses, my tax dollars bought puppets, joke books and booze for the chronically unemployable members of north Orange County.
Nestled in this report from the Institute for higher education are some startling figures about the failure of the CC system. Stunning.
Warning: dry wonkish reading.
I was gonmg to suggest Not greg Diamond and Greg Diamond, take the “How to be a good best friend” class.
Actually it is a great school the one in Anaheim, they help the students, and it is great, this nightmare they have over here, in the education city that gives a rats ass about anyone but thier faculty. Figures.
It seems like u know a lot about this particular subject matter and it
all shows throughout this blog, called “Friends For Fullerton’s Future