What is a board of education? Or at least what is it supposed to be?

School board members make up the largest body of elected officials in the United States. We entrust them to set the policies of our most treasured institutions: our public elementary, middle and high schools. Every district has a board of education, and boards generally meet once or twice every month in meetings that are open to the public. Sort of.

These gatherings range from tame rubber-stamping sessions to intense, provocative discussions with the community where controversial issues are debated and landmark decisions are made.

School boards are nonpartisan at least on paper. In most districts, members serve four-year terms, and terms are staggered so seats don't become open all at once. In general, to run for school board, you have to be at least 18 years old, a citizen of the state, a resident of the district, a registered voter and eligible under the state constitution to be elected to public office. In makes ethical practical sense if members have had previous experience in the education field.

In most cases, a school district employee can't be a board member in that district. This means no teacher, principal, librarian, custodian or anyone else that works in a school in the district can serve on the school board, unless they resign from the employed position.

School districts are complex corporations; they' re often the largest employers in a community and the decisions they make reach far, affecting jobs, resources and most importantly, the education of all children.

What do they do?

Somewhere in between the agendas, public comment sessions and resolutions, school boards make a number of important decisions. School boards establish a vision for the community's schools. They have to set up and maintain an effective, efficient organizational structure for the district that lets the superintendent and administrators manage the schools, teachers teach and students learn.

They are responsible for hiring and evaluating a superintendent, evaluating and adopting policies that affect all schools in the district, serving as a judicial and appeals body when conflicts go unresolved, monitoring and adjusting district finances, and managing the collective bargaining process in the district.

A school board has a symbolic role as well. The behavior it shows off in the meeting room, the rapport among school board members and the relationships that members have with teachers and administrators in the district all add up to the climate of public education in a community. Whether healthy or dysfunctional, a school board has a heavy influence on the spirit that characterizes a community's impression of its school system.

How can I tell if my school board is doing a good job?

By attending a few school board meetings, you'll learn firsthand what school boards do. Call your district office to find out where and when meetings are held. Once you've observed your school board in action, you'll be prepared to ask the following questions:

·   How does the school board make decisions?  Do the members function as predictable, single-issue advocates, or do they approach each decision with an open mind? Do they seem to make strategic choices for the well-being of the district? Strong decision-making requires analysis, the balancing of needs and concerns, and the ability to see the long-term implications of an action.

·    How's the team spirit?  Does the board exhibit a healthy group dynamic, or is it a parade of egos marching single-file? Do members show respect and trust for each other, and for the operating rules of the board?

·    Is the board's authority well defined?  The classic challenges of management don't skip over your board of education. There's a delicate balance between the board's act of choosing a strong chief executive (the superintendent) and letting him or her lead the way and the board's tendency to get involved with many levels of decision-making.

·        


     Does the board understand the community?  One of the most difficult parts of school governance is creating a strong relationship with the public. An effective board knows and respects its community, and encourages the community's trust in its school system.

What should I look for in a school board candidate?

First of all, you should think about the issues that are important to you in your school district. Are you concerned about student transportation, textbook adoption, funding for extracurricular activities, new curriculum standards and/or construction of new school facilities? What's your hot button? You'll want to find out where the candidates stand on issues that are important to you.

You might also look for the following qualities:

·   The ability to work well with a team and support group decisions, along with an understanding that the board sets a climate for the entire district

   
    A desire to work toward a stronger relationship between the district and the public it serves

·       
    A keen eye toward serving the needs of all students, regardless of their     abilities and backgrounds

·       
    A professional, poised demeanor and respectful, respectable behavior    Respect for diverse points of view

    Commitment to the time and energy required each week for meetings, phone calls, conversations, visits to schools, and professional development seminars and workshops

    Knowledge about district policies, guidelines, needs, challenges and strengths. Experience working as an educator should be essential.


    At the heart of it all, members of a district's board of education must believe, unequivocally, in the value of public education. They must be dedicated to serving and teaching all children. They must believe in the democratic process and understand that their role is to act strategically, in line with the interests of the entire school community

UPDATE ON MORENO VALLEY USD SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE MIKE RIOS

Riverside Case Number RIF1201429; Charges: 2 Counts of Attempted Murder, 1 Count of Prevent/Dissuade from Testimony, Prevent/Dissuade from Testimony, 2 Counts of Assault With a Deadly Weapon, as Well as Four Enhancement Charges of 2x Serious Felony/Used Firearm, and 2x Intentionally Discharge Firearm.

HONORABLE   JUDGE BECKY DUGAN PRESIDING.

COURTROOM   ASSISTANT: LMJ-L. JUNIO

COURT   REPORTER: HL-H. LEE

PEOPLE   REPRESENTED BY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: MICHAEL BRUSSELBACK.

DEFENDANT   REPRESENTED BY DPD-MICHAEL MICALEFF.

DEFENDANT   PRESENT.

AT 10:10,   THE FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD:

ORAL MOTION   BY DEFENSE REGARDING BAIL REDUCTION IS CALLED FOR HEARING.

PEOPLE   OPPOSE

MOTION   GRANTED

- - CUSTODY STATUS/INFORMATION - -

BAIL SET IN   AMOUNT OF $250000.00.

REMAINS   REMANDED TO CUSTODY OF RIVERSIDE SHERIFF.

CONDITIONS OF BOND IF POSTED:

1. NO   CONTACT WITH VICTIMS BY ANY MEANS

2. ABSTAIN   FROM ALCOHOL AND DO NOT GO TO PLACES

WHERE   ALCOHOL IS THE MAIN ITEM OF SALE

3. DO NOT   OWN/POSSESS/USE/HAVE ACCESS TO ANY

FIREARMS   DURING THE PENDENCY OF THIS CASE

ORAL   MOTION BY DEFENSE REGARDING RELEASE OF SAFE IS CALLED FOR HEARING.

MOTION GRANTED

COURT   ORDERS RETURN OF SAFE AND ALL NON-CONTRABAND/NON-EVIDENTIARY.

PROPERTY TO   THE DEFENDANT OR HIS GRANPARENTS

RAFAEL   MERCADO/ELENA MERCADO

ORAL MOTION BY DEFENSE REGARDING RELEASE   OF VEHICLE (HUMMER) IS CALLED FOR HEARING.

COURT AND COUNSEL CONFER REGARDING:   RETURN OF VEHICLE AT SIDE BAR

MOTION WITHDRAWN. Thanks Again to MVGordie (MVGordie.com)

Innovation Officer

Innovation


Enter the "innovation officer," a job title that is cropping up in school districts and state education departments nationwide. Often a top administrative position filled by a candidate from the corporate world, charter school management, or a district office,

The innovation officer (or a variant on that title) might oversee a "portfolio" of schools, lead the integration of new technology into the classroom, and redistribute central-office services.
Data on how many of those jobs exist are difficult to come by, but many identified by Education Week began in the past five years, with the more recent ones loosely coinciding with the Obama administration's Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation, or i3, competitions.
That shouldn't be a surprise, said Daniel A. Domenech, the executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, based in Alexandria, Va. During President George W. Bush's administration, districts developed administrative positions around "assessment and accountability," to garner favor and funds under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and its test-centered mandates, Mr. Domenech said.


How Much Substance?
Now, the Obama administration has awarded more than $4 billion so far in Race to the Top grants, which reward initiatives like school turnarounds, charter schools, and technology-based reform. School Improvement Grants offer $3.5 billion in federal aid to districts that agree to aggressive overhauls of their worst-performing schools. This year, the i3 fund awards $150 million in competitive grants for innovative practices proven to boost student achievement. Again, districts are responding, Mr. Domenech said, but will the administration's leverage really have an impact?


"They are just basically recooking or rewarming the old school," Mr. Domenech said. He added: "In the majority of cases, it's just a new title."
The U.S. Department of Education's top innovation official, however, disagreed.


"I don't think people are jumping in (to create the innovation officer positions) just because it's trendy," said James H. Shelton, the assistant deputy secretary for innovation and improvement. "I think districts are both seeing the upside of the opportunity and feeling the necessity that the pace of change should pick up dramatically."


Attracting Money
Innovation officers interviewed by Education Week did acknowledge a focus on procuring and managing state, federal, and private grants.
"That is what I do. All of it goes towards that," said Michael Haggen, the associate superintendent of innovative services for the St. Louis public school system, which enrolls 25,000 students.
Most of the time, Mr. Haggen's office, which manages federal School Improvement Grants the district received in 2010 to turn around 11 low-performing schools, must come up with an initiative, prove its worth and practicality, and then seek funding for it, he said.
"We're not going to write a grant with grandiose ideas," he said. "We are only going to put in there what we can do."
There's a similar approach in a much-smaller district, the 8,500-student Missoula County schools in Montana. As budgets are squeezed, Matthew Clausen, the director of creativity, innovation, and technology, seeks district funds, federal grants, and private money to support initiatives.
"The kind of things we are trying to do—our state budgets don't think about those things," said Mr. Clausen, who was hired in October as the first person to hold the position. "Grant funding is one of the ways to get the resources, so we can show they are successful and work them into state funding."
An undisclosed private foundation is supporting a pilot 1-to-1 iPad program for 120 elementary school students in Missoula, based on a similar Oregon initiative that is credited with helping to raise test scores.
Missoula's initiative illustrates Mr. Clausen's focus on technology. Before holding his current job, Mr. Clausen served in various district positions responsible for integrating technology into the classroom. It's a priority shared by innovation officers in smaller districts that don't have portfolios of schools or large federal support.
In Pennsylvania's 2,500-student South Fayette Township district, near Pittsburgh, Aileen Owens, the district's first director of technology and innovation, is focusing mostly on classroom technology and on the STEAM subjects: science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Her goal is to train a new generation of software engineers and computer programmers.
A new computer-programming course enrolls 160 students in grades 5-7 this year, and 26 South Fayette high school students are enrolled in an after-school program that develops applications for Google's Android operating system.


While money for the programs is hard to come by—using free software and sharing costs with neighboring school districts are common—Ms. Owens prefers her small district. There, innovation can be nimble, as it should be, she said. "When you need to be innovative, you need to grapple with things quickly and move," said Ms. Owens, who was hired in July. "You don't want to wait a year to implement something."


Sharing What Works
In some large urban districts, new positions have formed to marry two new trends in education, "innovation" and school "portfolios."
Alyssa Whitehead-Bust, the chief of innovation and reform for the Denver public schools, oversees a portfolio of about 35 charter schools and 20 "innovation schools," which together enroll 18,000 of the district's 80,000 students.


In most cases, including in Colorado, innovation schools are not subject to certain state regulations and collective bargaining provisions, but are still operated by the school district. Some states and districts, most notably New York City, have taken the concept a step further and created "innovation zones," coordinated groups of schools within a district that pilot new programs and rigorously research them.
But rather than promote such schools as better alternatives to traditional schools, Ms. Whitehead-Bust aims to take what works in her portfolio schools—extended school days, for example—and scale it districtwide. The relationship works in reverse, too: A new initiative will allow charter schools to opt in to central-office services such as security, professional development, and English-language instruction, she said.
"It's a tighter, more congruent system, where schools get what they pay for and pay for what they get," said Ms. Whitehead-Bust, who was hired less than a year ago after working as an education consultant and founder of a charter school in Denver. "It's less about managing our portfolio of autonomous schools and more about creating district systems," she said.


Innovation Stakeholders
Christine Fowler-Mack, the chief of new and innovative schools and programs for the 42,000-student Cleveland district, oversees seven charter schools either operated or sponsored by the district. That puts her on the front lines of a larger effort by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson to reverse plummeting student enrollment, establish new charter schools, and overhaul rules on teacher compensation and tenure.
But as positive as "innovation" sounds, the plan in Cleveland has been criticized. The Cleveland Teachers Union accused Mr. Jackson and the school district of excluding the union from the new plan.
"The notion of innovative schools isn't at odds with us; it's the troubling track the district is often taking to shut out the union when it comes to reform that's related to innovation," said David Quolke, the president of the union, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.
Both Mr. Quolke and Ms. Fowler-Mack highlighted successful innovation initiatives stemming from district-union collaboration, such as the 13 separate contracts agreed upon for Cleveland's innovation schools. But Mr. Quolke also noted that Mayor Jackson and the district consulted with Cleveland's business community when creating the new plan, highlighting what the union leader sees as the tendency for innovation to favor the private sector over teachers.
Indeed, for many innovation officers, building relationships with businesses is a large part of the job, a dynamic that can rankle parents and unions.
The Denver district, for example, will use an $800,000 donation from the Dell Foundation to train school leaders at charter schools to prepare them for jobs as principals at district-run schools.
RELATED BLOG


Visit this blog.
St. Louis is looking to the private sector to support new charter schools, including one that will incorporate literature into all the curriculum and another dedicated to environmental sustainability.
"There's no way to do this without the private sector," Mr. Haggen, the St. Louis associate superintendent of innovative services, said.
As federal policy and, perhaps, the presidential administration change, so could these new positions. The comprehensive, all-encompassing nature of "innovation" in education, allowing for an agile approach but a great deal of uncertainty, appears to also apply to the daily work of its district-level stewards. As Mr. Clausen said: "It's certainly been a challenge to know what I'm doing every day. There's limitless potential." 


Assistant Editor Michele McNeil contributed to this article.


Coverage of the education industry and K-12 innovation is supported in part by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Vol. 31, Issue 22, Pages 6-7


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Score: 3
paulhoss@hotmail.com
7:07 AM on February 28, 2012
While "Innovation Officer" appears appropriate and clearly has great potential it also potentially adds another layer to the educational bureaucracy; one more insular division between someone in the classroom directly working with students.


I'd watch these appointments very carefully.
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Score: 1
Larry
12:57 PM on February 28, 2012
Those who were around when ESEA of 1965 came out will find this familiar territory. Title III of the orgininal act was dediated to innovation...and it set off many new directions that are commonplace today. What goes round comes round.
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Score: 0
DCGMentor
2:30 PM on February 28, 2012
Jason,
It is a funny thing about innovation. Some of the best innovations are not necessarily new. TV is 75 years old. Radio, 90. How about the refrigerator?


The question is not how to replace these but how to make them better thought the use of technology as a tool, not as a means and end unto itself.


The example I like to share is of a program that is approaching 40 years old and is nationwide. it is called the WISE program. (www.wiseservies.org)


It and others like it innovated the idea of experiential learning as a supplement to in class learning. What has changed is how we use the new technology. Experiential learning allows students to work with new technologies in subjects they are passionate about.


it was innovative back in 1973. It still is now. We should find ways to share it, not lose it.


In fact Denver had two HSs that had the program; Abraham Lincoln and East High schools, but somehow they lost out on that innovation as it was replaced with new innovation? Huh?

School Shooting Kills Two High School Students In Ohio

Originally Publishe

February 28, 2012, 9:14 a.m.

Edited by I, Praetorian

T.J. Lane, the teenager being held as the gunman in the deadly Ohio school shooting, is scheduled to have a proceeding in juvenile court on Tuesday afternoon, according to lawyers familiar with the case.

The appearance is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern time in Geauga County Juvenile Court. Lane has been in custody since Monday’s shooting spree at Chardon High School, which has claimed two students' lives. The usual procedure is for a teenage suspect to be treated as a juvenile until a decision is made by prosecutors on whether to charge him or her as an adult, one attorney said.

Lane, 17, is being represented by family attorney Robert Farinacci, who identified his client in a statement released to the media overnight, before the second victim died.

“The family wanted me to convey to the citizens of Geauga County and northeastern Ohio that the family is devastated by this most recent event,” Farinacci said. “They want to give their most heartfelt and sincere condolences to the family of the young man who passed and their continuing prayers are with all those who were injured."

“This is something that could never have been predicted. TJ's family has asked for some privacy while they try to understand how such a tragedy could have occurred and while they mourn this terrible loss for their community,” the lawyer said.

Farinacci described Lane as a fairly quiet and good kid.

“His grades are pretty impressive,” Farinacci said. “He's a sophomore. He's been doubling up on his classes with the intent of graduating this May. He pretty much sticks to himself but does have some friends and has never been in trouble over anything that we know about.”

Lane allegedly entered the high school cafeteria on Monday morning and shot five students. Daniel Parmertor died Monday afternoon and a second student, Russell King Jr., was reportedly declared brain dead Tuesday. The three others remain hospitalized in serious or critical condition.

The victims were found in separate areas at the school, said officials who are still investigating the incident.

King was studying alternative energy at nearby Auburn Career Center and, like some of the others who were shot, was waiting for a bus for his daily 15-minute ride to the center.

One Chardon High School student wounded in the shooting, Demetrius Hewlin, was in critical condition at Cleveland's MetroHealth System hospital Tuesday, a spokeswoman said.


More guns in schools: Texas boy, 12, pulls loaded pistol on classmate

It is Easy to Fire an Educator!

It is Easy to Fire an Educator!

The board minutes simply state“resigned for personal reasons.”

Moreno Valley, CA. Its a shame and ethically undefendable that Assistant Superintendent of HR, Henry Voros does not afford the same standard of proof with a dozen or more employees (all of whom are at the top of the salary scale and suspended without pay and without cause or due process) as Dr. White endeavors toward Board Trustee Mike Rios in her statement. (see Below.) I could not agree more though I don't care for Rios as a person. "Due Process" as Board Trustee Harold "Rick" Sayre mentioned.


Then again, is his sad little way, Voros is as much driven by personality dysfunction as is Rios. Harold “Rick” Sayres is also driving this back door effort to break the employees contract and their collective will to dessent or question administration. Via the conceit of these two self serving individuals they reduce payroll.

Who said it’s hard to fire a teacher? Its easy: conjure up any reason, refuse to follow state education department regulations for disciplining educators, Ignore Education Code and State Labor law, and Government Code, then suspend without pay. Done! Effectively fired at the date of suspension!

Voros has seen the actuarial table that shows the number of educators that will just leave (or quit) far out ways the number who will fight. There by producing an immediate half-million dollar savings to the district's publically inflatted bottom line. Those educators who are willing to fight, sometimes to the appellate level usually win, which costs the district hugely in the short run. However, the district doesn't have to disclose documentation to the press or public regarding these cases because they 
can claim confidentiality of the former employee.

The board minutes simply “resigned for personal reasons.”

CTA seems powerless or unwilling to effectively put a stop this trend. Last year was the implementation year for MVUSD. SO FAR, this tactic appears to be working without substantial resistance. 

ATTEMPTED KIDNAPING:  Moreno Valley  Police  look for suspect


BY DARRELL R. SANTSCHI

STAFF WRITER

dsantschi@pe.com

Originally Published: 23 February, 2012  05:30 PM

 In the Press Enterprise


A 14-year-old Moreno Valley girl and two boys managed to fight off a would-be kidnapper while walking near a middle school Tuesday evening. Police are looking for the driver of a 1990s Chevy Astro van who is believed to have tried to kidnap the girl as she was walking to Sunnymead Middle School at 6:15 p.m. The incident occurred near the intersection of Old Valley and Softwind drives northwest of the school. A 6-foot-tall, 180-pound black man wearing black clothing approached the girl and offered her moneyto get into the van, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. When she refused, the man stopped the van and ran after her. The girl and two juvenile boys managed to fight off the man and they ran to safety, the news release said. The girl later told her mother, who called police. Police are asking anyone with information to call the MVPD at 951-247-8700

My thanks to MVGordie.com


Mike Rios
sees the Judge!

Action Date	Action Text	Disposition	Hearing Type
02/15/2013 8:00 AM DEPT. PTS	O.R. FILING – ANNUAL REVIEW DATE (CLERK CALENDAR)	VACATED	ARRAIGNMENT
03/05/2012 8:30 AM DEPT. 41	PRELIMINARY HEARING	ACTIVE
03/01/2012 8:30 AM DEPT. 41	FELONY SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE	ACTIVE	TSC
03/01/2012 8:30 AM DEPT. 41	HEARING ON MOTION FOR BAIL REVIEW.	ACTIVE
02/21/2012 1:30 PM DEPT. 41I	FELONY INCUSTODY ARRAIGNMENT	DISPOSED	ARRAIGNMENT

John Ashbury of the Press Enterprise asked for and received permission to  video of the proceedings. See it all at the link below.

Mike Rios 

 RIF1201429

thanks again to MVGordie.com

Moreno Valley Unified School Board member Mike Rios was arrested Thursday morning on Suspicion of Attempted Murder.

February 16, 2012 - Police say One of Moreno Valley Unified’s Board of Trustees - Mike Rios, fired at two men in front of his home but initially portrayed himself as the victim.(Again)

                           

/RIVERSIDE COUNTY                                                                        See any Bullet Holes?

     (Actually, This is not Rios' house. It belongs to some other
poor sucker. I just neededd a picture to use. Thanks Reader
Marion...  I didn't even know we had a reader!?)

Sheriff's Derpartment

                           

Original story BY JOHN ASBURY AND LAURIE LUCAS

P.E. STAFF WRITERS

Originally published, February 16 2012 04:05 PM


Edited by I, Praetorian

·        WEBLINK PE: Moreno Valley trustee's wife facing deportation (Nov. 28, 2011)

·        WEBLINK PE: Newly elected Mike Rios hopes to shake up school board (Nov. 28, 2010)

·        WEBLINK Mike Rios' blog

A Moreno Valley Unified School board member who reported two men shot at him early Monday was himself arrested Thursday by police who say it was actually him who shot at the men after arguing with them at a nightclub. Mike Rios, 41, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, where he remained Thursday evening. Bail was set at $1 million, standard in attempted-murder cases. Rios has not yet been charged. Riverside County prosecutors are expected to review the case next week to determine what charges should be filed.

Moreno Valley Unified Superintendent Judy White said she would meet with the school board in closed session before Tuesday’s regular meeting to discuss how to handle the situation.

Fellow school board members and others who know Rios reacted to the news Thursday with a mix of shock and sadness.

Trustee Jesus Holguin said it’s not for him to decide whether to keep Rios on the board. “I don’t think it’s for me to say. The people elected him; they should have their say,” Holguin said.

Do you mean all 8,600 of them? They’ve all gone back to the cities they live in.

Trustee Harold “Rick” Sayre called it “a sad day for Moreno Valley, the city and the school district.” He accorded Rios “the presumption of innocence. We need to let the system take its course. Nonetheless, getting yourself involved in such an accusation is beyond belief.”

Another way of Sayre saying… ‘I got you, I got you! Ha Ha’

Moreno Valley Police Chief John Anderson said the arrest and the incident were unrelated to Rios’ school board duties “This has nothing to do with his elected status,” Anderson said. “We have to look at the evidence and handle this just like any other case.”

CONFLICTING STORIES

Rios called police about 2:20 a.m. Monday, Anderson said Tuesday, speaking while the investigation was in its initial stages. Police said Rios told officers he had been involved in an argument with two men at the Bahama Mama’s nightclub on Sunnymead Boulevard in Moreno Valley. Police do not know what sparked the argument.

Rios said he drove to his home in the 25700 block of Palm Shadows Drive, and the men followed him, police said. Rios claimed one of the men pulled a gun and shot at him outside his house, then the men sped away in a compact sedan. Exclusive film footage to come!

HEY! That’s what Mike Rios did to me just prior to the November 2010 Board election. He was driving a silver Toyota pickup registered to Victoria Baca. Luckily I spotted him following me and lost him in Riverside. He might have shot at me too, alledgedly!

Officers arrived at Rios’ home minutes after he called 911. They searched the area but could not find any suspects or the vehicle Rios described.

Moreno Valley detectives later interviewed the two men Rios had described and processed their vehicle for evidence, including bullet holes, Anderson said Thursday. Neither of the men was arrested. Did anybody (read any reporter) bother to get their names? Or their statements? Police said evidence and interviews with nightclub patrons and neighbors who witnessed the shooting contradicted Rios’ version of the story.

Anderson said police believe the two men did go to Rios’ home, but that he fired at them. Officers conducted a second interview with Rios on Thursday morning, and he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and witness intimidation or persuasion, according to jail records. Anderson said he was not aware of what led to the accusation of witness intimidation or persuasion. Police may explore whether Rios filed a false police report, Anderson said.

DIVISIVE FIGURE

Rios, who calls himself “the people’s candidate,” was the top vote-getter in an eight-person race in November 2010 for three seats on the school board.

His win followed a 2008 loss to Robin Hastings for a City Council seat.

He has said that he wanted to challenge Hastings this November, but through redistricting he now lives in an area represented by Mayor Richard Stewart. That seat won’t be on the ballot for another two years, a move Rios has called political and unfair.

Since his election to the school board, Rios has been harshly criticized for flip-flopping on issues and making outlandish statements in public. But he has ardent supporters, as well. Harold Rick Sayre, with whom Rios has clashed on the board, said he doesn’t put much credence in Rios’ statements. “You never get a straight answer out of him,” Sayre said. “Sometimes it’s hard to know if he’s telling the truth.” Unfortunately many district employees say the same about Sayre. Besides, Sayre can’t comprehend the meaning of “credence.”


 Thanks again reader Marion!

Former MVUSD board trustee Victoria Baca called his arrest “embarrassing” to the city. Who would know better than Victoria when it comes to embarrassing the city, the school district, Telemundo, voters, etc, by being arrested for a dangerously asinine  publicity stunt.

Tom Jerele Sr., who said he is a close family friend, was upset upon hearing of Rios’ arrest. “Unbelievable,” he gasped. He said Rios has never lied to him and he had no idea Rios even had a gun. Jerele said he’s concerned about Rios’ two children at home, a daughter, 11, and a son, 17. He has two older children as well. “This is very sad for the family,” Jerele said. “I’m praying for him.” Rios’ wife, Dora Landaverde-Torres, is also in jail, facing deportation to her native El Salvador. She has been held by federal immigration officials in Santa Ana since her arrest in September during a nationwide operation focusing on convicted criminal aliens. She was convicted of a felony drug charge and deported in the 1990s. Landaverde-Torres’ attorneys are seeking to reopen her deportation case.


I'll bet Pacheco is happy about this...

Miramonte School's Decision to Replace All Staff Announced In Parents-Only Meeting 

Originally posted: 02/ 7/2012 4:05 pm

The Huffington Post (video)

Edited by I,Praetorian

In an effort to take his message directly to the families of Miramonte Elementary, LA schools superintendent John Deasy shared the news of the entire faculty's replacement in a parents-only, press-barred meeting on Monday evening.

Officially scheduled for 6 p.m. in the auditorium of South Region High School, families started showing up to the venue hours early. 1,200 people quickly packed the standing-room only auditorium and dozens of families were left stranded outside the meeting, along with journalists who were not allowed inside.

Before the meeting was over, Deasy's staffers ushered reporters into a smaller room, ostensibly to prepare for a press conference. But the move also had the effect of secluding journalists in a more isolated location when the meeting let out, making it that much harder to gauge parental reactions.

When Deasy finally arrived for the press conference, he was faced with about a dozen irritated journalists who peppered him with challenges to his decision to bar media from the big event.

For instance, Deasy described the parents' reaction to the staff replacement as "relief" communicated by frequent applause. But that only fueled the fire for the reporters challenging him.

KTLA's David Begnaud asked, "Why did you decide to keep media out of the meeting with the parents so we are hearing secondhand on how they reacted from you?" Begnaud continued, "On what legal grounds do you bar someone with no recording equipment from coming into the meetings?"

KCAL9's Suraya Fadel also challenged Deasy. "You can tell us they applauded and all that. How do we know?"

Throughout, Deasy stood firm on his decision to keep press out of the meeting. Recalling the media's announcement of teacher Mark Berndt's arrest last week, he explained, "Parents were so angry and so disrespected that they learned the information first through the media and not through the district ... And I wasn't going to disrespect them a second time."

His decision to bar journalists didn't stop KNX's Claudia Peschiutta, who was able to make her way into the auditorium. In a video report for CBS2/KCAL9, Peschiutta confirmed Deasy's report that parents communicated their approval of the staff replacement through applause, but she also noted that some parents were asking that the press be allowed inside to make sure that the meeting was "as open and transparent as possible."

WATCH:click here

The Associated Press' video report also notes that many parents were glad to hear the news about the staff's replacement from the district first -- although perhaps not at the expense of freedom of the press. Miramonte mother Nancy Linares told the AP, "I want everyone to know they're covering up something, that's why they don't want the media in there."

For parents who could not get inside, the parking lot was a dark and tense place to wait for a secondhand announcement. Families huddled with friends and there was tension between those who decided to speak out about the abuse on television and those who decided to keep quiet. Among the crowd, parental activists were passing out petitions to transfer their children away from Miramonte Elementary School. Near the entrance of the auditorium, a small group of parents protested the closed doors with chants and by banging on the gate.

Unaware that the announcement inside was making her worries moot, Miramonte parent Elizabeth Varela told The Huffington Post that she and her husband were struggling over the decision to transfer their 5-year-old son in the middle of the academic year. "I've never thought of Miramonte as a bad school," Varela explained, but "now we're hoping he's accepted [somewhere else]."

Karla Rivas, a 20-year-old college student, waited outside the parents-only meeting because her little brother was in 8th grade at the school. Both she and her brother were former students of Bernard Springer, a teacher who was arrested on suspicion of fondling two girls. She expressed dismay at parents who were shouting and chanting with protest signs when they were stranded outside. "They're screaming that they want justice," she said. "What else do they want? [Berndt and Springer] are in jail already."

And the Press Enterprise Headline Read:

 "MORENO VALLEY: Six students arrested after ruckus at high school"

"ruckus.."

"ruckus.."

"ruckus.."

"Ruckus - A noisy disturbance and/or commotion."

PLEASE! How about some truth? Even if it might endanger an advertising dollar or two?  

After several weeks of gang and race related fights, an administrator was hit by a student as the administrator tried in vein to break up the fight. The police came as the ruckus turned to near RACE RIOT. A police officer while attempting to restore order had to cuff a defiant student who refused to follow his/her request to return to class. At that point at least five students attacked the officer from behind. The condition of the officer is not known. 

The campus was under strict lockdown half the day. It's a good thing no students were seriously hurt but what about that Deputy? Its a lucky thing no one was shot at that silly "RUCKUS."

Missing 13 year-old returned home safely Thursday afternoon

Runaway 13-year-old Moreno Valley girl, Julessa Franco missing overnight returned home Thursday afternoon. Julessa was reported missing Wednesday evening when she ran away from home. Police said Julessa was suspended from school Wednesday for fighting. She came home to collect her belongings and then left on her bicycle. Authorities were concerned about a medical treatment that needed attention. Her parents reported Thursday that she came home that afternoon after spending the night at a friend’s house. Julessa said she ran away because she was afraid of getting in trouble at home. She was not injured. Still, there is a troubling common tread - Fighting.

edited by I, Praetorian