Comments by Ken Johnson
November 04, 2008
"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…
November 03, 2008
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 - 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. 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…
November 03, 2008
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
October 19, 2008
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…
October 11, 2008
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…
October 07, 2008
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…
October 01, 2008
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…
September 22, 2008
"expected to be completed before the scheduled date" ?
Didn't we pass the Bond Measure for it in June 1996?
Ken Johnson
September 21, 2008
Cheri,
Terrific photos of a fun event.
Thank you,
Ken Johnson
September 05, 2008
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
August 31, 2008
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 "I hope that the CC4 has not delayed to long to make it happen." 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…
August 19, 2008
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…
August 07, 2008
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…
August 06, 2008
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
August 06, 2008
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:…
August 05, 2008
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…
August 05, 2008
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…
August 05, 2008
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…
August 05, 2008
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
August 05, 2008
Jonathan, Great first step in dispelling the myths and lies promulgated by CUSD. Now determine the true picture. It has been entertaining to hear CUSD blame CDE, California Department of Education, for 'reporting excesses'. The truth is that CDE has been brought forward kicking and screaming since NCLB was passed to provide accurate reporting. Finally, CDE was threatened with withholding all Federal Funds, the State is somewhat coming around - it is still severely under reporting the problem! It…
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