Herrera, Jaka and Chunka do their jobs

Only three board members attend VUSD budget meetings

Guess which three school board member are showing up at all the budget meetings? In a time when terrible decisions will have to be made wouldn't you think every school board member would be interested enough to show up and ask questions? Our ANTI friends tell us that Jaka, Chunka and Herrera are union puppets who never think for themselves. Weird then that it is ONLY Jaka, Chunka and Herrera who are coming to the district budget meetings and asking very good and very pointed questions about expenses.

The hero of our ANTI friends Jim Gibson does not show up at these meetings just like he never visits our schools or classrooms. Jimmy doesn't need to. Facts and information don't matter to Jim as long as he has feelings and prejudices. Facts might upset is reality challenged world view.

But none of us really ever expected Jimmy to care enough to show up at the budget meetings. It has been clear for years that the only reason Jimmy ran for our VUSD school board was to use the position as a stepping stone to higher office. How many times has he run for Oceanside City Council or State Assembly while sitting as a VUSD board member? Four times? Five times?

If Jimmy would just try doing his job as VUSD Board member, he might finally get enough support to meet his political dreams of glory. But of course he won't. Jimmy hates work and he hates schools so why would he ever do any school work?

Answer truthfully and get scolded

I have heard that the district office has asked site principals what can be cut at the sites with the least effect on learning. Principals have learned to never mention the most expensive, least productive program---Lindamood Bell. District admin has made it quite clear that anyone who criticizes LmB risks a dressing down and perhaps losing their jobs. The principals have now learned never to be critical of LmB.

Privately the unanimous consensus among all the elementary site principals is that Lindamood Bell is the greatest waste of money in this district. It is no better than other much cheaper programs.

Besides the results from the LmB folks is skewed as the LmB trainers only help students on the cusp. The students who are the most likely to need only a little help to get better scores.
The students who are the most in need of reading help are deliberately excluded by the trainers. See my blog in October called "The Fix is In".