Fullerton School Board Archives - Page 6 of 11 - Friends For Fullerton's Future

October 27, 2010October 27, 2010Fullerton 2010

2010 Fullerton Voter Guide

The generally non-partisan bloggers here at Friends for Fullerton’s Future have come up with a handy election guide for Fullerton voters. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or independent voter, everyone hates to see public resources mismanaged and squandered by political opportunists, bureaucratic excuse-makers and drowsy incumbents.

These recommendations are based on a preference for candidates who represent the principles of limited government, personal freedom and courage to stand alone when necessary.

Fullerton City Council – 2 Year Seat

Bruce Whitaker

Bruce has always been independent and principle-driven, and he has proven himself to be a real tax-fighter. His past victories have already saved Fullerton residents over $150 million in unnecessary utility taxes.

Fullerton City Council – 4 Year Seat

Greg Sebourn

Greg’s platform centers around cleaning up waste in local government and bringing fiscal sanity back to Fullerton. He has already called out several wasteful projects and agencies on our blog and his own while proposing very reasonable alternatives.

Barry Levinson

Barry has shown courage in publicly denouncing Redevelopment boondoggles and he promises to rein in ridiculous public employee pensions. His background as an auditor may come in handy, too.

Fullerton School Board

Chris Thompson

Chris has courageously challenged the school bureaucracy on behalf of children more than any parent in the history of Fullerton. He will truly be a voice for children and taxpayers on the Fullerton school board.

Beverly Berryman

Beverly is easily the best of the current school board members, and has voted against bad policies and tax increases when necessary in the past.

Measure M – Term Limits

Yes on Measure M

Term limits are on the ballot as a response to Don Bankhead’s 22 years of representing city staff instead of Fullerton taxpayers. Measure M will help counter the often overpowering advantage of incumbency.

Orange County Supervisor – 4th District

Shawn Nelson

His opponent is a perjuring carpetbagger who sold out to the public employee unions.

47th Congressional District – South Fullerton

No Recommendation

Both Loretta Sanchez and Van Tran have way too many core faults to make them even mildly acceptable. One of our bloggers suggested a write-in vote for himself, but he is a dog. Consider choosing an alternative candidate.

October 17, 2010Fullerton School Board

Meanies Hit Thompson with Tiny Signs

by Travis20 Comments

Over the weekend these little signs began appearing on a few intersections in Fullerton.

The print is so small that you’ll have to pull over and get out of your car to read it. This one warns of Chris Thompson’s endorsement by U.S. Congressman Ed Royce, which is pretty funny considering it’s the same message that Thompson is trying to get out himself. I’m sure he appreciates the help, but next time please make them big enough to actually read.

Other equally odd versions of the sign say “bad for our children, bad for our teachers” and “Bushala puppet.” Thompson is an advocate for promoting good teachers and identifying underperforming ones, which I guess would make him “bad for BAD teachers,” but arguably good for children.

So if Thompson is good for good teachers and bad for bad teachers, who do you think would put up this sign?

September 6, 2010September 12, 2010Fullerton School Board

Norby Pushes Schools to Adopt Teacher Scorecards

by Travis17 Comments

The LA Times has published it’s entire database of what it calls “Value Added” teacher ratings, scoring LAUSD teachers with a method that tracks individual students’ advancement as they pass through classrooms over the years.

Sample Rating — Example of a teacher's rating

In support of this idea, State Assemblyman Chris Norby just sent the following letter to current school board members and to this year’s candidates. In the letter, Norby asks them to figure out how to publish similar rankings for Fullerton teachers and schools.

Click to read Norby’s letter

The LA Times’ controversial scoring method is supposed to reflect a teacher’s effectiveness at raising standardized test scores using seven years of student testing data. While the Times admits that the scores do not rate every aspect of a teacher’s effectiveness, they do “bear on the performance of public employees who provide and important service.”

In defense against the teachers’ union outcry over the release of this data, the Times asserts that parents and the rest of the public have a right to view all of this data for the benefit of children.

We’re anxious to find out how the candidates respond to Norby’s request. This information would be extremely beneficial for Fullerton parents.

September 5, 2010September 5, 2010Fullerton 2010

Who Else Took The School Union Endorsement?

by Travis15 Comments

Last week this blog criticized school board candidate Janny Meyer for announcing her acceptance of the endorsement of the Fullerton teachers’ union while simultaneously claiming to be a fiscal conservative. Shortly thereafter we had learned that Bev Berryman and Aaruni Thakur had also accepted union support, albeit much more quietly.

For Aaruni, the endorsement was a given. Being a union tool is practically a requirement for the modern Democrat politician. Who can fault a guy for latching onto the massive union political machine which has helped put so many Democrats into office? Well, I suppose Republicans could find that to be a cause for concern.

Berryman’s acceptance, on the other hand, is much more disappointing. She won her first school board campaign without any union support, so she certainly didn’t need it now that she is an incumbent. Saying “no” to this powerful special interest would have been the best way for her to preserve her independence. She certainly has opened herself up to closer scrutiny on future votes.

On the bright side, Bev does have a history of taking stands on important issues that put her at odds with the union. She led the charge against the most recent attempt to launch a parcel tax on Fullerton voters. Bev also was the only school boarder who has repeatedly said no to imposing the expensive Apple laptop fees on parents throughout the entire One-to-One laptop fiasco. And she has never been on the receiving end of union’s negotiating power as a government employee.

So that begs the question: Why did the union endorse her anyway?

August 27, 2010August 27, 2010Fullerton School Board

Another Republican Cuddles Up to the Union Machine

by Travis38 Comments

The other day Fullerton school board candidate and self-described “fiscal conservative” Janny Meyer joyfully announced her acceptance of the Fullerton teachers’ union endorsement.

janny-meyer-bw — Well, it's kind of a gray area.

This registered Republican must not be interested in GOP support, since that party has forbidden candidates from taking any union money.

But more importantly, Janny’s campaign is now backed by the very same teachers’ union that has repeatedly sacrificed your child’s education at the alter of paycheck protection. The result? Furlough days and increased class sizes, not good education.

It’s also the same union leadership that fights to protect bad teachers at all costs while refusing to allow schools to reward good teachers. They will boycott anyone who attempts to help parents evaluate teacher performance. They’ve instituted a system which puts young, energetic teachers up on the chopping block while coddling tenured teachers without any regard for job performance.

Of course, the union would love to pass a new property tax in Fullerton next year so they can keep shoveling money into this flawed system. Any idea how that conflict would churn in the head of a self-styled conservative who is also beholden to the union?

August 23, 2010Chris Norby

Oh No! Teacher Performance Analyzed

by Travis8 Comments

Last week the LA Times released an in-depth analysis of LAUSD teacher performance data which shows a wide variance in teacher quality that can greatly detract from a child’s education.

The analysis angered the teachers unions, who have spent decades lobbying to hide teacher performance data from the public in order to protect bad teachers. As retribution for the LA Times’ disclosure of public information, the unions are attempting to organize a boycott of the newspaper.

State Assemblyman Chris Norby, who was a teacher himself for 17 years, sent out an email blast encouraging these disclosures and asking the public to pay attention to this story.

“Shielding poor-performing teachers hurt both the kids and the teacher. Recognizing and emulating high performers will help us all,” wrote Norby. He also highlighted another major find in the report: the discovery that the educational disparity between teachers within a given school is much greater than disparities between schools, suggesting that education can best be encouraged by holding teachers more accountable, rather than just pouring money into under-performing schools.

Perhaps someone will attempt disclosure and analysis of teacher performance in Fullerton school districts, although the unions would probably fight it every step of the way. For the good of the children, of course. What we really need are school boards and state legislators who will fight union efforts to coddle bad teachers.

August 13, 2010August 13, 2010Fullerton School Board

2010 Fullerton School Board Candidates

by Travis16 Comments

Despite their enormous operating budgets, school boards rarely receive the attention and oversight they deserve. Perhaps the public is disheartened by the realization that school boards operate under behemoth state bureaucracies that leave little room for local input and control.

But in the next few years our schools will have a good shot at making serious improvements that affect the classroom. While they will continue to be challenged with budget cuts, there will be new opportunities to renegotiate bad union agreements and eliminate wasteful programs in favor of putting resources directly into the classroom.

Let’s hope voters decide to make some changes. Here are the starting lineups:

Fullerton School District – vote for 3

Board members Minard Duncan and Ellen Ballard decided not to run, which means there are three available seats and only one incumbent in the race. The candidates are:

Beverly Berryman, Incumbent
Janny Catlin Meyer, Retired Teacher
Aaruni Thakur, Children’s Court Attorney
Chris Thompson, Fullerton Businessman/Parent

Fullerton Joint Union High School District – vote for 3

All three incumbents are running for reelection. The candidates are:

Marilyn Buchi, Governing Board Member, Fullerton Joint Union High School District
Vicki R. Calhoun, Educator/Scholarship Administrator
Robert N. “Bob” Hathaway, Governing Board Member, Fullerton Joint Union High School District
Nadia Sanchez, Student/Care Provider
Robert A. “Bob” Singer, Governing Board Member, Fullerton Joint Union High School District

July 30, 2010July 30, 2010Boohooism

Fullerton Observer Takes Dump On Self. Again.

by The Fullerton Shadow15 Comments

the-observer-ostrich4-300x225 — On a clear day you can see forever...

In its page one retelling of events at the last Fullerton School Board meeting, Yellowing Observer Jan Youngman spun out this yarn about the District’s unconscionable arrangement with The Fullerton Collaborative for the services of FSD employee and soon to be ex Fullerton Councilwoman Pam Keller:

Five spoke in opposition to
continuing the relationship,
including the president of FACT
(Fullerton Association of
Concerned Taxpayers), a group
responsible for vicious hit mailers
in past school board and council
campaigns. (The group’s major
funding comes from Bushala
Brothers Inc. Tony Bushala heads
the group FFFF (Friends for
Fullerton’s Future) which has
made both Pam Keller and the
Fullerton Collaborative frequent
targets. FFFF is currently suing
the City of Fullerton.).

Hoo boy! Now there’s a mouthful of tripe, even for one of the Observer crew who can’t discern the difference between editorial and news reporting. We haven’t made Keller or her illicit arrangement with the Collaborative a “target.” Oh, no. That was all her doing – by a multiplicity of conflicts of interest as a councilmember, by skipping out without having to account to anybody for her time, and by remaining an FSD employee with the attendant benefits without having to set foot in a classroom. We only shed some light on the whole rancid deal.

Bad girl. Bad, bad girl.

But back to the egregious Youngman. Important fact, hon. FFFF sued the Redevelopment Agency, not the City. I know it’s next to impossible for you people, but next time do please try to get your facts right. By the way, why is that even relevant to your story?

July 21, 2010July 21, 2010Boohooism

FSD Renews The Shameful Keller Contract

by The Fullerton Shadow16 Comments

Pam Keller4 — Let a smile be your umbrella...

Wow. It’s sort of weird. I spend a few months in eastern Nevada and when I get back it seems like nothing has changed. It was way back in February that Joe did a recap on the doings of Pam Keller – and what a recap it was. We had over 130 comments, most from some pathetic Keller apologist calling him/herself 4th SD Observer.

And today I learned from a pretty reliable source that last night the Fullerton School Board renewed the Keller/Collaborative contract. You remember, the contract that permits Keller to be an FSD employee while in actuality she goes gallavanting around Fullerton, latte cup in hand, hobnobbing with other professional do-gooders, and taking credit for real philanthropy performed by others.

Anyway, I gather that the vote was 3-2, with Bev Berryman and Lynn Thornley, to their credit, dissenting. As usual Ed Royce liberals Hilda Sugarman and Ellen Ballard voted yes; and of course our old friend Minard Duncan had to go along, too. That figures. He has popped up here occasionally to inform us of how hard Pam works.

July 19, 2010July 21, 2010Behind Closed Doors

Fullerton Collaborative’s Bogus Contract Is Up For Renewal TONIGHT

by Travis7 Comments

So what ever happened to the Fullerton Collaborative? You remember… Pam Keller’s non-profit with the curiously convoluted contract with the Fullerton School District that provides payment to herself , all of those nice government benefits but none of that pesky accountability.

Keller is attempting to renew her contract with the school district at the board meeting tomorrow night. The contract allows her to work as a private organization with little oversight while still collecting all the pension and benefits of a school teacher.

Anyone who takes issue with the school district acting as a financial conduit for the shenanigans of a well-connected liberal activist should show up and be heard. If you’d like to review the myriad of conflicts and liabilities that this arrangement provides, start with the Pam Keller Recap and continue to the Fullerton Collaborative archives.

The meeting is Tuesday, July 20th at 5:30PM at the district board room. The Collaborative giveaway is listed as item 2c on the agenda. Plenty of our Friends will be there!