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October 30, 2006
The Star Endorsements
The Star Editorial Board has endorsed Charles Watson & Donna Prenta for the Board of the County Schools Office. Read the article by clicking below, and then let's discuss how the county board race is shaping up!
To listen to the interviews with candidates, click here:
The Star editorial board does interviews and makes endorsements. Endorsements by the Star in no way influence, coincide or sway the author of this blog.
Star endorses challengers to 2 seats
October 30, 2006
Voters are likely to be more familiar with their local school district trustees than they are with the trustees of the Ventura County Board of Education, which governs the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Office with elected county Superintendent of Schools Charles Weis.
There's nothing like an election, though, to educate the public about a vital board.
This year, two trustees on the five-member county Board of Education are up for re-election to represent Area 1 (Ventura, Saticoy, Montalvo, El Rio, portions of northern and western Oxnard, Channel Islands area, Port Hueneme, Naval Base Ventura County and La Conchita), and Area 4 (Moorpark, Simi Valley, Santa Susana Knolls).
Incumbents are Mary Louise "ML" Peterson, of Ventura, in Area 1 and Dean Kunicki, of Simi Valley, in Area 4. Mr. Kunicki was appointed to finish a previous trustee's term in 2004. Challenging Ms. Peterson in Area 1 are Charles T. Watson, 53, of Ventura, and David Norrdin, 47, of Ventura. Challenging Mr. Kunicki in Area 4 is Donna Prenta, 46, of Simi Valley.
The Star endorses challengers, Mr. Watson in Area 1 and Ms. Prenta in Area 4. The incumbents have served ably, but The Star believes Mr. Watson and Ms. Prenta will build on their successes and implement new ideas.
Area 1
Some may be familiar with the county Board of Education as it hears interdistrict transfer and expulsion appeals. It made headlines earlier this year when it upheld the appeal of a Ventura elementary charter school. The board also oversees specialized programs, including severely handicapped special education, regional occupational program, incarcerated youth, and expelled and other youth at risk. It hosts noted education programs such as Academic Decathlon, Mock Trial, and Top Scholars.
Mr. Watson's experiences and skills are perfectly suited for trustee. The father of two children, he recently retired as president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit social services agency, Interface Children Family Services, where he served for 23 years. He has other sterling credentials, including an MBA in organizational development. He has served as past chairman of First 5 Ventura County, which provides early childhood development services to Ventura County children up to age 5; on the Community Commission for Ventura County; on the Workforce Investment Board; as a soccer coach; and foster parent for 10 years.
He cites as top priorities holding charter schools accountable, seeking solutions to threats of violence on campuses, encouraging healthy school nutrition, exercise and cultural programs.
He has key endorsements from Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction; Ventura Unified School District trustees Debbie Golden, Deborah Fitzgerald and Velma Lomax; Sheriff Bob Brooks and District Attorney Greg Totten.
Area 4
Ms. Prenta has spent her professional and personal life devoted to children's issues. The mother of four is a children's case manager; president of the Special Education Advisory Committee at the Simi Valley Unified School District; a past member of the Ventura County Mental Health Board; and a past member of the Ventura County Schools, Community Advisory Committee.
She has firsthand experience working with the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Office, since her daughter has developmental disabilities. She said she is running because she is "very grateful to families that came before us" and feels she has a moral responsibility to give back.
She said she would like to get more satellite programs for Simi Valley and add to vocational education offerings.
We were impressed with Ms. Prenta's record of working with others to accomplish important goals for youth, such as getting mental-health services to more jailed youth.
Among those endorsing Ms. Prenta are the Simi Valley and Moorpark Educators associations, the California School Employees Association, the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, and Simi Valley Mayor Pro Tem Glen Becerra.
The Star recommends Mr. Watson for Area 1 and Ms. Prenta for Area 4 of the Ventura County Board of Education.
Posted by Tim Keaney at 05:43 AM
October 28, 2006
If it acts like a rat, smells like a rat...
Then it must be a story about Simi Valley Unified's Bond Measure C4 - The exploding budget Bond.
GREAT article in the Acorn about the District wanting to hire a construction management firm to manage the Bond, except for one minor detail that was missing...About a year to 18 months ago, THEY FIRED their existing construction management firm and foisted the story upon the public that they only needed PMI, who would handle everything.. And they would save $5 million...
Except now, they need a construction management firm.
Does this sounds like a government operation or WHAT?
Look, has there been a more mismanaged, botched ridiculous example of a bond project to date? The City and private developers built the entire new mall in less time than it has taken SVUSD to plan HOW it wants to build. The Bond Passed in March of 2004, and only 4 projects are complete. New estimates are coming in over $3 million higher than expected.
I wonder why? Could it be that they have no idea what they are doing, and taking too long in not doing it?
What else was missing in the article? Not one comment from the Oversight committee, and not one comment from any of the 9 school board candidates, 2 weeks before election day. Why the disconnect from these two interested parties?
The bond was meant to modernize classrooms, expand the technology infrastructure and provide safer and more accessible campuses. We are now down to replacing partioned walls and removing boilers as success stories.
We often say to kids "Finish what you start" The same can be asked of SVUSD. If you are voting in the November election for school board, I hope you'll ask the candidates how they plan to act with your peoperty tax dollars, and what they plan on doing to save the bond from being a sinkhole.
And do you support additonal bonds (taxes) to get more money to finish the job?
Let's debate it here.
Firm says Measure C4 bond project is running over budget
By Avi Rutschman avi@theacorn.com
The Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Education is considering hiring a construction management firm to provide the board with more accurate pricing models for the Measure C4 building projects.
The $145-million bond project is believed to be running over budget due to the inflation of construction costs, according to Project Management, Inc., the firm selected by the school board to oversee the bond project.
According to Project Management's Bill Mitchell, a construction management firm will be able to provide more accurate pricing and inform the district on exactly how much money will be required for each project.
Current price estimates for the construction are based on figures developed by the projects' architects.
"Construction management firms are building every single day and have a firm understanding of the price of supplies," Mitchell said.
Recent bids for projects at Crestview, Lincoln, Santa Susana and Atherwood elementary schools were more than $3 million over the price estimates supplied by the architects.
Project Management consulted with Bernard Bros. Construction, a local construction management firm, and asked for price estimates on projects approaching bid, such as the construction of an auditorium at Santa Susana High School.
The firm returned with building prices they were willing to commit to, and the figures showed that the architects' estimates were under by $3 million, according to officials at Project Management.
"There was no necessity for this a year and a half ago when the project was started, but the way estimates are running, it's been a galloping horse," Mitchell said.
By having more accurate price estimates, the school board can begin to cut unnecessary expenditures to bring the project back on budget, according to officials.
While Americans with Disabilities Act compliances and fire and safety systems are required, endeavors such as the removal of old furnaces for additional storage space are likely to be abandoned, according to district officials.
Some board members expressed concern that people wouldn't validate the bond measure if only internal systems were updated.
"We need to have some things that let people know we were here and that we made some changes," trustee Greg Stratton said.
The school board also stressed the importance of developing additional library space at the schools and creating permanent walls in place of the folding partitions that separate many classrooms.
"Replacing the partitions are a priority for me because I've witnessed the disruptions that occur in the classroom because of them," said Debbie Sandland, school board president.
Four projects have now been completed in the district. They include the first phase of modernization of Royal High School, the first phase of modernization for Simi Valley High School, the first phase of construction for Atherwood Elementary and modernization of the Simi Valley High School track and field.
Projects currently under construction include the modernization of Abraham Lincoln, Crestview, Knolls and Santa Susana elementary schools. The district will soon bid on
the second phase of the modernization project at Atherwood Elementary, which will include the construction of a new administration building, a classroom building and a multipurpose room and library; and the second phase of construction at Simi Valley High School, which will include upgrades to the science labs.
Posted by Tim Keaney at 07:38 AM
October 26, 2006
Candidates Forum
The Simi PTA held their candidate forum last night. This is a forum they like to hold during election years when they like the candidates running...
Did anyone go? If you have thoughts or comments on any of the candidates, feel free to leave them. Brian Dennert has a funny report of the debate on his blog.
Tim
Posted by Tim Keaney at 07:03 AM
October 21, 2006
Billions, Bonds & Beliefs
I've been watching the local school board races, from afar, and talking to many folks about the local campaigns, candidates and issues. It seems to have been a less than visible race so far. Credit is due my friend and fellow blogger Brian Dennert and his political blog for getting some of the Simi Valley and County candidates to come out of the wood work and talk about the issues. You can follow their videos, positions and occassional comments on Brian's blog.
So far, the issues seem to be: Billions (in state and federal funds), Bonds (as in how is C4 going and is it time for another?) and shockingly, Beliefs (as in, evolution vs. creationism) is back on the local scene.
(Disclosure - I ran two school board races, and not once was I asked about evolution vs. creation)
It's interesting to see who is talking and who isn't. Kudos to Ray Cruz & Tim Camarillo for answering some questions. On this blog, the ONLY candidate who has said anything was Mr. Camarillo. Brian has gotten quite a few to send in videos (which is good with Simi''s seemingly unconstitutional ban on political signs)... If you're a voter, or better yet a parent, you should watch the videos closely to see if the candidates know and understand the issues that are important to your kid's future.
So what are the issues as you see them?
Is the state sending enough money?
Is your district growing or shrinking and how does that effect funding?
Is the evolution vs creation debate real, or as I think, is it a Red Herring designed to keep voters off the actual issues?
What about Bonds? Are you feeling them in your property taxes? Would you pay more in taxes for better schools? How do you define a successful school?
Are your kids being prepared for college and life after school? (no one seems to be sayng much about that)...
Where are the candidates who aren't saying anything?
In the final weeks, what is going to sway you, and who are your votes going to go to?
I welcome your comments and debate.
Posted by Tim Keaney at 07:23 AM
October 12, 2006
For your voting pleasure...
On the November ballot are two state ballot initiatives to increase funding for school construction, modernization and other facility needs statewide. One, is a sale of bonds to provide matching funds for local school districts, who have sold their own bonds and need additonal state money to get all of their projects done (p.s. there is one of these bond measures every election cycle, and it wins every time...)
The second is a Parcel Tax on Real Property. he parcel tax would go to fund 5 specific programs. A parcel tax would charge any property owners $50 a year to go towards these programs.
The Legislative Analyst office states the following:
"Over the past decade, voters have approved a total of $28.1 billion in state bonds for K–12 school facilities. Approximately $3 billion of these funds remain available for new construction projects."
K-12 class size reduction
Instructional materials
School Safety
Facilities Grants
Data systems
Here is a link to the Legislative Analyst's report on the Parcel tax
It's estimated the Parcel tax will bring in $450 million in new tex revenues every year. Yes Virginia, that would be called a tax increase.
Here is a link to the same analyst's report on the $10.4 billion bond issue prop.
For adHow will you be voting? Check back often for more updates and links.
Education Funding. Real Property Parcel Tax -- State of California (Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute - Majority Approval Required)
Should the California Constitution be amended to levy an annual $50 real property tax on most parcels with the funds allocated to five K-12 education programs?
Posted by Tim Keaney at 09:19 AM
October 10, 2006
Should she be fired?
Or applauded for taking kids to the museum? Is she hiding the real reason for her firing behind the museum story, or do you think the tour was inappropriate?
Share your views... From CNN
Art teacher, school spar after complaints about nude artwork
FRISCO, Texas (AP) -- Like the artwork that teacher Sydney McGee insists she was fired for letting her students study, her former school says there's more to her dismissal than is apparent at first glimpse.
McGee, who taught elementary school in this sprawling Dallas suburb, has drawn national sympathy and disbelief since claiming she was let go last month because a parent complained that their child saw a nude piece during a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art.
Eighty-nine of McGee's fifth-graders toured the museum during the April trip, which McGee concedes likely included nudes but was arranged as a chance to see Picassos and Piet Mondrians.
"It's not a place of pornography, it's art," said McGee, 51, who has taught for 28 years and lists Oxford University among her graduate studies.
Her dismissal has stirred up familiar stereotypes of Texas conservatism run amok and the intemperate prudishness of suburban life.
The Frisco school board suspended McGee, with pay, on September 22 for the remainder of the school year and the superintendent has said he will recommend that her contract not be renewed. District officials have vigilantly maintained that the decision stemmed from separate personnel issues and not one child's exposure to a nude artwork, which has never been identified.
But as public attention has intensified, school officials are trying to defend their decision in a back-and-forth they say puts them in "an extreme disadvantage ... due to issues of employee privacy and ethical considerations."
On the school district's Web site last week, administrators posted that "we have tried very hard to take the high road" and said they asked McGee for permission to make her personnel files public. In a memo to McGee dated almost three weeks after the field trip, Fisher principal Nancy Lawson lists performance concerns that include not updating lesson plans and wearing flip-flops to work.
McGee's attorney, Rogge Dunn, said he would approve the disclosure if the district superintendent and McGee's former principal also disclose their personnel files.
Dunn said he is reviewing what legal options McGee might have. He downplayed news this week that McGee accepted a buyout of nearly $8,300 at her last teaching position in nearby McKinney, saying the documents, which include parents' complaints about her teaching, don't reveal the reason for the buyout.
"That doesn't mean you're bad at your job," Dunn said. "This doesn't change anything."
McGee said she arranged the field trip with Lawson's encouragement and toured the museum twice before taking her students. She said she decided against having the class examine a Mayan exhibit because its virgin sacrifices and bloodletting scenes were too "esoteric" for the students.
"We have a lot of sporting things in Frisco, with the soccer and the baseball," McGee said. "But not a lot of those kids go to the museum."
Posted by Tim Keaney at 08:28 AM
From the Journal
Is the housing bust good for school construction?
Read on...
Why Slowing Housing Sales May Be Good News
For Developers: Falling Prices in Commodities
By ALEX FRANGOS
October 9, 2006; Page A2
NEW YORK -- Real-estate developers and government builders have complained for years about runaway construction costs. Relief could be on the way, however, thanks to falling commodity prices and slowing housing sales.
Considering that commodity prices are notoriously volatile, it may be too soon to uncork the champagne. That is especially true for oil prices, which could start rising again if leaders of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are successful in their bid to shore up prices by convincing members to cut production.
For now, the oil-led decline in commodity prices is welcome news for real-estate developers in the public and private sectors that have struggled to respond to construction inflation, which began to outpace economywide inflation in 2004. While overall inflation in the U.S. crept up 3.3% in 2004, steel and iron prices surged 33.7% in 2004. Lumber was up nearly 16.8% that year and prices of gypsum, or wallboard, were up 20%. The price increases continued in 2005 and the first half of this year. Analysts cited a strong construction market in Asia and the U.S. and the rapid rise in petroleum prices.
Although construction inflation slowed some municipal and commercial construction, the red-hot residential market more than offset the loss, and construction spending expanded overall. Construction spending rose 11.6% in 2004 and 10.5% in 2005, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The latest figures showed the U.S. economy spent $1.2 trillion on construction on a seasonally adjusted basis in the year ended Aug. 31.
Still, individual projects were roiled by the price increases, forcing design changes or, in some cases, cancellations. At the same time, contractors had plenty of work, especially on the residential side, which reduced the number of bidders on jobs, adding to construction costs. Related Cos., a New York developer, canceled close to $3 billion of projects in Las Vegas earlier this year, blaming construction inflation.
"It has been very challenging for contractors to correctly estimate what the cost of a job will be, so they have either had margins squeezed or seen projects delayed or cancelled," says Kenneth Simonson, chief economist with Associated General Contractors, a trade association based in Arlington, Va.
One place that has been especially hard hit by construction inflation is fast-growing Arizona. The state's Arizona School Facilities Board funded $1.4 billion for 168 new schools in the past five years. But rapid cost increases mean that money isn't enough to get the projects done and now districts are being asked to pare back the amenities in new schools to bare minimums.
Vail Unified School District near Tucson, Ariz., has built 14 schools in the past 20 years. Now, because state funding hasn't kept up with construction inflation, Vail Unified is being forced to rethink the design of some buildings, district Superintendent Calvin Baker says.
"It's becoming very difficult to build an aesthetically pleasing school" or an energy-efficient one, Mr. Baker says. The money from the state's funding formula, for instance, only provides enough for unfinished concrete block walls, rather than walls finished with gypsum and insulation. The lack of insulation means air-conditioning costs will be more in the long run. "We're building schools that are very shortsighted for energy efficiency," he says.
Some economists say change is coming and project that prices of basic commodities such as steel, oil and natural gas, which have fallen in recent months, will soon trickle down to finished construction products such as asphalt, gypsum, plastics and cement.
The biggest contributor to easing construction inflation is oil. Petroleum is a key component in materials such as asphalt and plastic and is used to make and transport items such as cement and steel. "With the decline in petroleum prices... common sense would say asphalt prices should soon retreat and also see some retreat by cement as well," says Robert Murray, vice president at McGraw Hill Construction, a New York trade publication. Asphalt, which is used on highways, parking lots, driveways and roofing, is a byproduct of petroleum.
In addition, with less residential construction, prices for gypsum "are going to come down quite a bit," predicts James Haughey, director of Research and Analytics at Reed Construction Data, a Norcross, Ga., publisher of building information and a unit of Reed Elsevier Inc. "Gypsum prices have fallen substantially in previous housing downturns." Residential construction was down 5.1% on a seasonally adjusted annual basis. That's compared with a 4.4% increase for construction projects of all types, according to the Commerce Department.
Mr. Simonson at Associated General Contractors believes prices for copper, used in electrical wires and pipes, are heading lower. Spot commodity prices for copper are already as much as 22% off their high earlier this year, and that should translate into lower prices for finished products within a month or two.
One contractor who believes it is premature to celebrate is Robert Seghetti, vice president at Acme Concrete Paving Inc. in Spokane, Wash. He has had two jobs canceled in the past two weeks because of clients who couldn't come up with the cash for higher material prices, prompting him to lay off several seasonal staff members earlier than usual.
One project was a tarmac and deicing facility at Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, Wash. Acme was the only bidder at $11 million, almost double what the airport expected. He also has bid three times for the same taxiway job at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Wash. All three times the job was shelved because the price was too high. The first time was in the fall of 2004.
In each subsequent bid, Mr. Seghetti had to raise his price because the cost of asphalt and concrete had risen so much. Even though the scope of the job is the same, the cost has doubled to $3.8 million. In an email last week, the Air Force told him the job was off again: "Due to the budgetary constraints, slab replacement taxiway P has been cancelled. Thanks for your interest and we hope you will continue to respond to future solicitations."
"I'm expecting we may see the softening in cement as the housing market deteriorates," Mr. Seghetti says, "but it's too early to tell."
Posted by Tim Keaney at 08:20 AM
School Safety
Today there is a "Summit on school violence" with the President and head of the Department of Education.
What is your take on the recent reports of school violence across the country? Do you feel your kids are unsafe at school, or are they more unsafe elsewhere?
What is your school district doing to assure campus safety and security?
What are candidates in next month's election saying about it?
At our local school, all visitors are required to funnel in through a central location, register and have their driver's license in hand, as well as scanned in to a database. Then, before entering the school, the visitors' information is instantly checked against law enforcement and child predator databases.
Is it going to stop a madman with a gun? No. Is it a significant step in the right direction? For sure...
Students, teachers and volunteers should be safe to do what they are on campus to do during the school day. Government, particularly school districts and law enforcement officials need to dust off the safety plans and make sure everyone is safe. They should take this action much more frequently, and not be inspired just by the news of the day, but by what's right for the people in their trust.
What do you think?
Tim Keaney
Posted by Tim Keaney at 06:09 AM
October 05, 2006
Be quiet - voters might hear you...
State of California Education budget... $65 Billion
Department of Education Budget... $56 billion
Local District budgets... Hundreds of millions
Bonds issues for construction of schools and repairs in the last 10 years in California... $100 billion + and "13 % inflation on costs"
Silence from school board candidates 30 days prior to an election.... priceless.
Posted by Tim Keaney at 07:12 PM
October 02, 2006
Uh yeah, I think you fire the Sup
From MSNBC -
Officials are trying to determine whether to fire the superintendent. What do you think?
Superintendent could lose job over gag video
New teachers made to look like killers, strippers, drug users
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:49 p.m. PT Oct 2, 2006
CHICAGO - A suburban school superintendent says he was only trying to be funny when he took videotaped interviews with his new teachers, spliced in his own gag questions and made the faculty members look like killers, strippers and drug users.
Now he could lose his job.
“How do you like to unwind?” Bremen High School District Superintendent Rich Mitchell asks in the mock documentary that he later posted on the Internet. The tape cuts to a teacher who replies: “I enjoy a lot of leisure activities.”
“Such as?” Mitchell asks.
“Killing,” says the teacher.
Mitchell asks another teacher: “What were the results of the last drug test that you took?”
The reply: “It was positive.”
'Bad idea gone wrong'
School board president Evelyn Gleason said Mitchell could be fired over the stunt, though she said the seven-member board will first have to conduct an investigation.
“I personally think he stepped over the line when it went on the Web site,” Gleason said. “We’re a great district, we have wonderful teachers and students and this is not representative of them. I think it was a bad idea gone wrong.”
Mitchell first aired the video for a back-to-school staff seminar on Aug. 24. About 500 faculty and staff members from the district’s four high schools in the large Chicago suburbs of Tinley Park, Midlothian, Country Club Hills and Oak Forest were there for a discussion about how to inject humor and laughter in the workplace.
“I thought it was in poor taste when it was shown,” Gleason said. “I leaned over to someone and said, ‘I don’t think this is funny.’ What was I going to do, stand up and scream and tell him to shut it off?”
Afterward, Mitchell, who has been superintendent since 2004, posted the video and outtakes on the district’s Web site for people who were not able to attend the seminar. All the clips were pulled from the Web site by last Thursday.
Gleason said that at the start of the last school year, Mitchell also made a joke video and showed it to the faculty. But she said this year’s video offensive, and her main objection was that Mitchell posted this one on the Web, where “the whole world” could see it.
Apology expected
Mitchell was on a planned vacation Monday and did not immediately return telephone or e-mail messages.
On the Web, he wrote: “Each year we try to use a mix of humor and sincerity to welcome everyone back. We hope it provides an opportunity for you to meet some of our staff and perhaps, to laugh with us as we continue to carry out our critical work in changing and improving kids’ lives.”
Mitchell is expected to face board members at a previously scheduled meeting on Tuesday evening.
“I think at the very least an apology should be made,” Gleason said.
Posted by Tim Keaney at 02:51 PM
