Comments by Ken Johnson

Coastsider endorses John Moseley for school board

Barry Parr deserves far better than my prior comment. To say I regret it is an understatement.
Ken Johnson

Coastsider endorses John Moseley for school board

“Et tu, Brute?” - Barry,

We will have to agree to disagree about the facts and the results. I think the School Board and District needs Change and apparently you don’t.

Four years ago I read your endorsement. I also looked at the Garner and Moseley Smart Voter pages and their websites, ElectGardener and ElectMoseley dot com - they were all the same, put up by the same person. Then I found a single ‘door hanger’ on my front door for Garner and Moseley running like twins!

I cast a single vote for Jonathan Lundell only! Too many did otherwise and all on the Coastside have suffered since.

I attended a school Board meeting where a retiring Board member, Ruth Palmer (1992-2004), was verbally assaulting Jonathan for running for the School Board without children in the district.  First time I have ever seen someone criticized for not having a conflict of interest. You see, Ruth joined the board to see extra service for her special needs child and was leaving the board because legally the child was no longer eligible, tho she sought more services.

Re-read YOUR endorsement for Pam Fisher - might it be better with out the ‘however’ paragraph?

There are only three end states:
1 Johnson - Moseley—My preference
2 Garner - Moseley—Your preference
3 Johnson - Garner—not numerically possible
and as pointed out, a ‘spot’ vote, vote for Ken Johnson only, Is the only way to change CUSD

Moseley was the top vote getter four years ago, and will be the top this time, endorsed by the Charlie’s mythical CCF-PCF and LCP !

The Review I understand, they want Gardner and Moseley - If I was running unopposed, they would endorse “Write In” They like things as they are!

Barry, Is this a new ‘Don’t Change a thing about the School District”? You need to attend more than one meeting in four years.

Jonathan L should be running for re-election and Pam F should be on the board.

The ElectGardener and ElectMoseley dot com issue: and your mischaricataion:
- both registrations expired years ago
- their smart voter pages were copied from four years ago for both Gardener and Moseley to this years pages with the links to ElectGardener and ElectMoseley still in place
- it was months into the campaign and neither were registered for the campaign by them
- I registered the ElectMoseley in a stupid moment - it was publicly registered with no attempt to hide registration
BUT unlike chariction, I put up precisely what I was supporting, “Elect Moseley” with a quick cartoon like script saying Elect Moseley and Johnson’.  If a sign is put on a front yard it says the person who put up the sign hopes the person is elected not that that candidate endorses them.
Gardener and Moseley Smartvoter sites soon had removed the links to the deceased ElectGardener and ElectMoseley sites.
The only link to the ElectMoseley site was from Moseley’s Smartvoter site.
I made no attempt to set links to the site.
On my part, it was a simple stupid prank.
Moseley made NO attempt to contact me!
I simply forgot about it.
He never mentioned it to me at the School Board meeting.
Then weeks later, simultaneously, snarky Clay put the post up you referenced and an email was sent to my campaign ‘support’ site requesting the ‘page be brought down’
As soon as I got the email, I put a ‘blue screen’ to the site. And confirmed it in a reply email.
I also sent an apology to John Moseley and offered to change the ‘A’ record to point to his host site, transfer or host a site for him.
Snaky Clay acknowledges that he got it wrong about his key claims!
Neither Gardener nor Moseley Smartvoter sites link to any web site - check it all out!

As to your: “why don’t more qualified moderates run for our school board?” You might start to answer your question be re-reading and analyzing your endorsement strategy.

I ran a candidate search for more than six months before the election and there was a parallel effort by CUSD teachers - I am the only one I could talk into it. I didn’t want to see Charlie Gardner run an unopposed victory lap. When that happened for the HMB City Council it collectively cost us who live in HMB $20,000,000.

As to my “concrete proposals” - you might try reading Coastsider.Com!

Later, we can sit around the campfire - you can sing Kumbaya and I’ll bring the marshmallows, my ‘Kabar’ firmly gripped between my teeth.

Ken Johnson

Coastsider endorses John Moseley for school board

Leonard and Kevin,

Charlie Gardner did the math and took his victory lap a week after the endorsement with publicly announcing CUSD’s next land use involvement -
[url="http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_10848489?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com"]
Sell off the current administrative and school site for a hotel and restaurant and buy the Podesta property. He hasn’t said who will pay for the new construction.[/url]

He understands the effect of Barry’s endorsement of vote only for Moseley: Re-Election of Gardner and Moseley.

Didn’t anyone see the endorsement advertisement of Gardner and Moseley by PCF-CCF? [PCF Put Construction First]

Ken Johnson

KenForCUSD.com

Coastsider endorses John Moseley for school board

Jonathan,

Maybe Moseley’s “concrete proposal” was expressed at the last School Board meeting - after the APR/Testing Results (Accountability Progress Report)”? As close as I could get it, the proposal was that ‘since the District has never met the academic standards they should just stop trying!’

Ken Johnson

Video: School board candidates debate

FACT CHECK :

An Employment Contract for [then CUSD] Superintendent John Bayless “agreed to this 1st day of July, 2005” was signed on 11 Aug 2005 by the Board and on 19 Aug 2005 by Bayless.

The item, in no form, appeared on any agenda for any open or closed session. 

It was never reported out from any closed session.

It was never discussed in any open session.

When the Board was offered an opportunity, it declined to make its actions lawful.

Item 2:

Now former Superintendent John Bayless continues on being paid by CUSD as a “consultant”.

I want to terminate this redundant and unnecessary expense for CUSD!

Item 3:

Charles “Charlie” Gardner wants to discuss his perception of “Brown Act violation by MCC”.

Why doesn’t he want to discuss CUSD?

Ken Johnson

KenForCUSD.com

Video: School board candidates debate

Thanks Barry,

Sarah Sampson reminds us CUSD has great students - taught by great teachers!

Unfortunately, Charlie Gardner again reminds us above, in Comment 5 on Oct 06 at 7:31am, that his interest is still more in local land use politics and NOT CUSD education when he wrote: “We were showing support for our community leaders”.

Charlie Gardner showed that ‘The Past IS Prologue’ whether three years ago on the Cunha site selection or a couple of months ago when he dragged the School Board down into local land use politics in Half Moon Bay again on AB1991.

Maybe he should move to Half Moon Bay and run for City Council instead of CUSD School Board. Anyone remember his presentation on “his street to nowhere - Foothill Street” to the Half Moon Bay City Council for his own make believe PCF-CCF Organization? 

He certainly isn’t interested in the responsibilities of a School Board Member living in Montara.

Has Charlie Gardner ever explained his actions to deny Federal money to Farallone View Elementary?

As I wrote earlier, I would like to undo his damage and restore the Federal money to Farallone View Elementary!

Ken Johnson

KenForCUSD.com

Video: School board candidates debate

FACT CHECK: Charles “Charlie” Gardner voted against the Cunha site selection on 13-Oct-2005 [without explanation] along with Jolanda Schreurs! John Moseley and Dwight Wilson voted for it. This was in spite of a report on 6-Oct-2005 from a hand picked committee, “Report of the Site Professional Advice Committee”, headed by CUSD Superintendent Bayless giving costs for the four alternatives:

Cunha $32,345,616

Wavecrest Joint Development $56,164,216

Wavecrest Alone $61,611,842

Podesta $61,799,067

Cunha was the only alternative that could be done within existing funds! The other alternatives were more than double the funds available and there was clearly NO SUPPORT for another Bond Measure! Cunha also was the only alternative that could be done this decade.

Following the Board vote of 3 to 2 against considering the Cunha site, conversations continued for an hour in the parking lot planning to Recall Charles “Charlie” Gardner and Jolanda Schreurs. I wrote “considering” because the HMB High School Representative - Sarah Sampson, student representative to the Board, observed during the meeting that this was not even a commitment to build but to evaluate - she was smarter than Charlie. [Barry had a great article in Coastsider about it that I couldn’t find - I looked for “High School Rep was smarter than Gardner and Scherus"].
School board delays vote on middle school--Most in attendance want project to move forward

A follow-up meeting was scheduled but the
“anticipated board meeting was postponed ...until the day after the election, Nov. 9.” that was the key - to influence the HMB City Council election and demonstrate contempt for the public interests and the School District needs!

In a bit of irony, the headline on the day after the election was
“It’s Patridge, Grady, Ferreira”. Mike Ferreira was their perceived nemesis of the Wavecrest Project. That evening, Charles “Charlie” Gardner and Jolanda Schreurs relented to reality and the
“School District board voted unanimously Nov. 9 to build the new middle school on land that currently is home to the Cunha Intermediate School.” I wrote “a bit of irony” in that Mr. Ferreira’s victory would ultimately be upset by a vote recount lost by less than 10 votes and the Wavecrest Project was ultimately doomed and sold to POST anyway.  Turns out Charles “Charlie” Gardner is wrong on every issue no matter which way you look at it!

So, Mr. Gardner, VOTED AGAINST IT, BEFORE HE VOTED FOR IT! ALL DONE FOR THE WRONG REASONS.

Charles “Charlie” Gardner wrote above on Oct 05 at 5:38pm “The fact is I ran 4 years ago to “Expedite the Construction of the New Middle School” -
actually; Charles Gardner, on his “smartvoter” page four years ago for Priorities wrote:
“Expedite Final Steps to building a new world class Middle School.” Go take a look at Cunha. That is Charlie Gardner’s concept of
“a new world class Middle School”?

Mr. Gardner may be wrong on seemingly every issue, but he and his supporters can be nefarious:
“Ad writers say ends justify means of CUSD campaign.”

Mr. Gardner wrote above, on Oct 06 at 7:31am, regarding the 4-1 vote to support AB1991 by the Board: “We were showing support for our community leaders “! Once again, Charlie was voting against the interests of the School District for his own personal political gain.

It Is Time To CHANGE The School Board!
The Board needs to focus on education issues and not divisive local land use politics.

Ken Johnson

KENforCUSD.com

Video: School board candidates debate

School Bussing, AB1991 - and Parcel Tax, Declining Enrolment - Flight, Test Scores - Academic Achievement, Technology or lack of it, Local Economy—no problems, according to incumbents Charlie Gardner - Stay the Course!

Change the Course?

School Bussing:
Opponents - NO bussing, keep it as it is.

Me - It would represent less than 1% of the budget. Just how many students were lost to CUSD when bussing was cancelled? How many ‘children in seats’, that is how CUSD is paid, are absent from CUSD on heavy rainy days?
Farallone View Elementary has elementary students bussed in from Half Moon Bay. The bus returns to Half Moon Bay EMPTY. Why not have a meeting of parents, school teachers and staff to see what might be done in scheduling to make it possible to have Cunha and High School students on it for the reverse now empty trip.  There is money available for teachers, by restoring the Federal Funds cut off by the School Board to Farallone View Elementary, to be used for remedial instruction for the kids bussed in to FV in a schedule shift.

AB1991 - Parcel Tax:
Charlie Gardner is proud of his embroiling CUSD into Half Moon Bay’s land use disagreements. If you forgot, AB1991 was the Anti Environment Bill that was dead when the school board voted 4-1 in support of it. That vote probably killed any opportunity for a parcel tax for years. Charlie did earn the support of Bonnie McClung - Mayor, City of Half Moon Bay and Ken Jones - former CUSD School Board President proudly displayed proudly on his smartvoter.org page.

Me - It should never have been on the CUSD board agenda!

Test Scores - Academic Achievement: 
The incumbents say everything is great in CUSD. They are not curious about Coastside parents who are sending their children to Pacifica School District.

CUSD:
2006-07
2007-08
Notice the matrix filled with “no”?
How about the District and THREE schools designated as ‘failing’ on the incumbent’s watch!

Just on the other side of the new tunnel: 
Pacifica School District
2006-07
2007-08
Notice the matrix filled with “yes”?

Technology or lack of it:
The incumbents think the new Cunha building with no-tech white boards and a projector and, oh yeah, empty wiring conduits is the high tech solution.

MMI, MultiMedia Instruction, - incumbents think of ‘film strips’.  and CBI, Computer Based Instruction, Interactive Screen Instruction, Interactive White Boards, Interactive Wall, etc. linked to Instructional DataBase is beyond their comprehension.

The lack of curiosity in what is happening in our schools, let alone what is the potential, achieved by other schools is boggling in the incumbents! 

Personally, It was a great humility exercise - apparently, I can’t say anything before the time keeper would raise the ‘30 seconds left’ card.

Ken Johnson
KENforCUSD.com

Album:  Hardhat tour of Cunha

“expected to be completed before the scheduled date” ?

Didn’t we pass the Bond Measure for it in June 1996?

Ken Johnson

Album: Coastside Democrats celebrate at Fall party

Cheri,

Terrific photos of a fun event.
Thank you,

Ken Johnson

Opinion: CUSD board loads, aims at foot, prepares to pull trigger

Heard Charlie Gardner received the endorsement of Half Moon Bay Mayor Bonnie McClung and former CUSD Board President (for life) Ken Jones. And he is looking for President Bush and VP Cheney endorsement - I understand they will have plenty of time during the campaign season,

Now we know why he drug CUSD into the AB1991 fight.

Ken Johnson

Editorial: Senator Yee’s SB863 gets it right

Barry, nice editorial.

Sometimes Senator Leland Yee’s prior professional experience prepares him for dealing with the Coastside.

It would have been nice today to have those days squandered by the CC4 et al as I mused on August 19th morning <url=http://coastsider.com/index.php/site/news/2957/#6342>"I hope that the CC4 has not delayed to long to make it happen."</url> The CC4 waited nearly a week to say ‘yes, save us!’ at a regularly scheduled meeting - not a special meeting. Today was the last day to get legislation out of the Appropriations Committee and back to the Assembly floor again. $10 mill out of a $15.2 billion deficit is a rounding error ;-)

It is difficult to evaluate, at this point, just how much damage city officials, lobbyists from California Strategies, PCF-CCF-Charlie Gardner, Etc., form Emails previously pushing AB1991 and smearing everyone opposed, made the job more difficult today in getting out of the Appropriations Committee. The floor vote on 08/22/2008 - Ayes 47 Noes 29 - was pretty much along expected lines when re-referred to Appropriations Committee pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2 - a Substantially Amended Bill.
.
As Barry wrote: “Saving the city of Half Moon Bay from itself is a dirty, thankless job.” - so true!

Oh, State Senator Dr. Leland Yee is a Child Psychologist!

Ken Johnson

Yee offers HMB $10 million bill to put park on Beachwood

Thank you Senator Yee and staff! I hope that the CC4 has not delayed to long to make it happen.

Kevin, it looks like you forgot to include the millions the CC4 squandered on AB1991 and when I looked at the City budget, it looked like they had already committed to spending that $5 million from ABAG.

CUSD would regain the title from HMB of ‘Greatest Squanderer of Public Funds’ with the $15,000,000 lost by CUSD on delaying for a decade the new Cunha Middle school while sadly fighting for the failed Wavecrest development site!

I looked at that ‘other’ web site to see what problems they found with Santa Claus. They moaned about ‘lost’ income to schools from property taxes - apparently they are not knowledgeable enough to understand that CUSD receives funds based on daily attendance in the schools and not based on property taxes. Many of those that could afford the new houses in that price range are now sending their kids to other schools.

Charlie ‘Charles’ Gardner and Jolanda Schreurs led the effort to have CUSD vote to support AB1991 at the 5 June 08 meeting - only John Moseley voted to oppose AB1991. When Charlie ‘Charles’ Gardner and Jolanda Schreurs demanded to know why John Moseley was opposing AB1991 John explained simply that AB1991 was a dead bill - reality! I had asked the Board to table the item, remove it from the Agenda, as any vote on this unnecessary divisive item was not in the best interest of our School District!

As a further demonstration of ironic comedy, Charlie ‘Charles’ Gardner and Jolanda Schreurs led a discussion decrying the need for another - now doomed by their own prior vote to support AB1991 - Parcel Tax Vote during the discussion of approving this years School Budget at the 26 June 08 meeting.  Apparently some people have short term memory problems.

Ken Johnson

HMB High’s dropout rate soars under new reporting system

Darin,

That you took it personally is sufficient for me to offer an apology to a friend.

I feel passionately about education and a dropout as a tragedy for all!

As the majority agrees that there is a problem in the dropout rate of CUSD, it is time to look to solutions for me. When I did ‘turnarounds’, I never bought into the ‘not invented here’ philosophy. Identify what is working and where things were not working look to resources to change it.

As I wrote earlier: South San Francisco Unified has fewer dollars per student and a more challenging demographic and yet they have half of the CUSD dropout rate! And it seems like everyone not on the coastside has a more effective ELL program.

More later,
Ken Johnson

HMB High’s dropout rate soars under new reporting system

Barry,

Thanks for the information. There is hope that Superintendent Gaskill will be more forthcoming than former Superintendent Bayless.

Bayless claimed he had confirmed what had happened with every departing student—he never claimed he had accurately reported it to the State.

Ken Johnson

HMB High’s dropout rate soars under new reporting system

Darin,

Maybe my comment was ‘excessive’; yet

“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” [Goldwater’s 1964 Acceptance Speech]

Statement of facts:

Children were denied legally mandated support services at Farallone View last year!

You aired a “video, shot on October 2nd at out local [Farallone View] PTA meeting” on your site erroneously explaining the justification.

31Oct07 CDE confirmed:  Farallone View Elementary: “PI Status:  In PI - Year 1”

04 Nov 2007 - You put on Coastsider: “ Video: Farallone View not in Program Improvement”

05 Nov 2007 8:21am [on your thread] I commented on the factual inaccuracies in the video with a link to:

05 Nov 2007 08:41am [on a parallel thread] I commented in detail on the factual inaccuracies in the video providing links to CDE FACTUAL information that refute the video’s content.

Apparently you AGAIN missed the questions above: Let me repeat:

Did you ever question your favorite Farallone View Principal, any where as intensively as you criticized Jonathan, about her numerous erroneous statements she had made on the tape?? WHY NOT? I am not yet blaming your favourite Principal - I would like to know where she got her erroneous information before judging!

Farallone View has some great teachers who deserve support.

I am still waiting, since 5 November 2007, for some explanation of your ‘disinformation’ campaign!

My intention is not a “personal attack” - it is a friendly ‘intervention’, to get you to face your problem with factually recognizing CUSD’s shortcomings.

Ken Johnson

HMB High’s dropout rate soars under new reporting system

The Graduation Rate Crisis is a tragedy. Not simply for the kid, or their parents but for society in general.

Beyond all the usual social costs, from reading the comments by others, there is a lack of appreciation that it is the highest group within the ‘gifted’ that are most likely to dropout - especially in a district like CUSD. They will be ‘diagnosed’ as ADHD or simply as disruptive. The truth is that they ARE BORED - sometimes, literally to the point of screaming out.

It is not likely, among the 1%, is another Dr. Stephen Hawking but then again…

Ken Johnson

HMB High’s dropout rate soars under new reporting system

Steve Hyman,

WHAT - of course the School Board is responsible! They decide on the final school budget, how money is spent and the priorities, hired the new superintendent who has no background in his CV for our district’s needs, “Cunha [non] Plan”, politicizing the school board, disinterest in academic achievement, etc…

You must be expecting a great payday from commissions selling off CUSD property to cover their fiscal mismanagement.

otoh, we do agree that we have some great teachers - fewer each year, as they get tired of the ‘Kabal’

Ken Johnson

HMB High’s dropout rate soars under new reporting system

Darin Boville,

You are ‘nitpicking’ Jonathan about chart appearance and ignoring the information. I am surprised, after CUSD destroyed your credibility, that you are still an apologist for them.

“ Video: Farallone View not in Program Improvement”
OR
Other discrepancies in presentation.

The truth - Farallone View Elementary: “PI Status:  In PI - Year 1” according to California Department of Education.

Did you ever question your favorite FV Principal any where as intensively as you criticized Jonathan about her numerous erroneous statements she had made on the tape?? WHY NOT?
I am not yet blaming your favourite Principal - I would like to know where she got her erroneous information before judging!

[B]MYTHS:[/B]
You keep referring to “immigrant”; let’s look at the real numbers:
“ English Learners Enrolled in School in the U.S. Less Than 12 Months”
2007 grades 2-11 = 27 students or 1%
as this accounts for ALL non English speaking immigrants in 2007 this means that the “new” Latinos to CUSD were less than or equal to 27
- hardly an impact upon the district. Our “English learners” are primarily born here. The children of former CUSD students?

In 2006, CUSD finally ‘improved’ to 50% [how sad is that?] of our local
“English learners”, students who had attended CUSD K-11, were classified FEP, Fluent English Proficient!

The Coastside has the least effective ESL programs in the County.

Ken Johnson

HMB High’s dropout rate soars under new reporting system

Kevin Lansing,

Thanks. Stories you can’t read in the Review.

It was difficult to get the attention of Bayless and the elected CUSD trustees about the dropout problem when they simply didn’t give a damn about the kids.

Anyone out there understand why CUSD is still paying Bayless nearly a year after he resigned and left?

Ken Johnson

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