TRANSFORM SDUHSD
“Everything starts and ends with leadership.”
Marsha Sutton, Education Reporter, Del Mar Times
EMPOWER STUDENTS NOT UNIONS!
Our current elected majority board members lack accountability, transparency, and integrity. The majority board members have made many poor decisions promoting their own personal agendas and special interest groups. They serve as poor role models for leadership, inducing a culture of secrecy, stonewalling, and lies. These unlawful and undemocratic practices are harming students, teachers, parents, and taxpayers.
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No Urgency in Addressing School Safety
In a recently conducted survey, only 61% of respondents stated that the “District schools are safe.” Despite parents and the community insisting that the TPHS perimeter needs to be secured due to incidents including threats of school shootings, the District has yet to implement a plan to secure the facilities. Clearly, the board majority has limited sense of urgency.
Inducing Emotional Distress and Trauma
On repeated occasions, board members have punished students harshly for innocent or silly mistakes. Meanwhile, they have repeatedly turned a blind eye on teachers and staff who sexually assault, harass, and bully students.
Not only do they demonstrate lack of compassion, at times their actions have induced trauma and emotional distress to students and their families.
Lack of Financial Accountability and Transparency
From $6.5 Million Surplus to $10 Million in Deficit!
The district went from having a surplus $6,5000,000 in 2016 to a projected deficit of over $10,000,000 in 2018. This is due to a poorly made decision by the majority board members to give raises ranging from 12.5% to 35%!
- Budgeting for the San Dieguito raise
- District “JABs” SDUHSD Taxpayers again (and again): 20%-35% increases for Top Paid Employees
Gift from District to the Union?
Highest Paid District with Limited Credential
Yes, teachers and staff should be paid top dollar for their hard work and quality of performance. Compensation should be based on qualifications, experience, and credentials.
I find it outrageous that:
- SDUHSD CFO, Delores Perley, has no college degree and manages over 145 million dollars.
- Executive Assistant to the Superintendent makes over $143,000 a year.
Do you? Check for yourself: Goto https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2016/school-districts/san-diego/san-dieguito-union-high/
Interesting enough, salaries for 2017-2018 has not been released yet, why?
Collaborating with our Communities
Both TPHS and CCA have over 2,600 students on campus. For the size of the student population, there is limited sense of community at these schools. Besides sports, there are limited activities to bond students and encourage parents to get involved. For example, there were only 200-250 people in attendance at the CCA gala, a surprisingly low number for the school size.
We need leadership to demonstrate integrity and take ownership. We need a leader who is attentive to student’s needs, collaborative, a global thinker, a creative problem solver, fiscally responsible, and an excellent communicator. We need to restore trust and confidence in the community.
Current board member Joyce Dellasandro continues to promote large class sizes. It is her belief that it increases engagement. Class size in our district averages 38 students per class, allowing up to 50 students per class. Research clearly states that smaller class size is more conducive to full engagement, critical thinking, and learning.
Engaging an Unethical Law Firm
The SDUHSD hired the same unethical law firm representing the San Ysidro School District. This law firm had been presented with a lawsuit by the SYSD and charged with fraud, negligence, misrepresentation and unfair business practices.
Why was this law firm chosen to represent the legal needs of our district? Why does the district continue to use this firm? This decision places our students, their families, and the district at risk. It’s the responsibility of Board members to ensure that the district is represented by an ethical law firm.
Refer to the following articles: