After the government began imposing draconian policies in the wake of COVID, I attended many SBCC Board of Trustees meetings trying to oppose the mandate of the experimental gene therapy deceptively labeled a COVID "vaccine". During that period, the Board of Trustees undertook an effort to use a funds windfall from a large donation to hire 10 "diversity" professors. I am not sure if they explicitly stated what that meant, but from their discussions, it was clear that it would exclude straight white men. When it came time to hire a new president/superintendent, do you think the mentality was any different? The only trustee who spoke against these policies was Veronica Gallardo who was bullied, including by white men Jonathan Abboud and Robert Miller, for doing so, despite being the only person of Latin origin on the board. What I observed was a very clear demonstration of how phony the claim of diversity and inclusion is. It is actually a movement meant to exclude people who respect the inherent sacred worth of every human being such as Christians. In other words, it is the opposite of what it claims to be. It is the imposition of a particular materialist, atheist, will to power belief system on society meant to displace Christianity, the belief system this country was founded on.
Aimee, you’re a hidden gem! Your proactive commitment to Santa Barbara residents and students is remarkable and valued. How our community needs dozens more like you: aware, informed, prepared, articulate, committed, your words impactful. It’s outrageous how responsible trained qualified non-Dem Party leaders like former Trustee Veronica Gallardo are sued, threatened and harassed. It’s a stressful, costly life for the very rare elected non-Dem Party official in South County Santa Barbara.
Aimee it is all coming back to HAUNT SB So Called Leaders as you say>
"What I observed was a very clear demonstration of how phony the claim of diversity and inclusion is." It is MUCH MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE THE SB DEI CRIMINAL
Informative. Institutionalizing DEI is not the answer; has proven a failure. SBUSD Elementary schools have proven a continued failure for the last 45 years of my advocacy. So what is the answer when the school board is dominated by politically ambitious, self serving puppet Trustees seated to advance their Party’s Agenda? SBUSD & SBCC Trustees are elected to support the teacher’s union, pensions, and protect high paying, unnecessary admin jobs for Party loyalists. Schools are not about students. There are many exceptional, exemplary SBUSD teachers who are student focused but they stay in hiding, off radar. These teachers know that family economics, a parent’s determination for their child’s school success, parent capacity to be involved raising, assisting their child (versus simply creating one), and zip code are all factors in a child’s elementary school academic success. A child who can’t read by third grade doesn’t stand a chance entering junior high. If all parents were taught what’s expected of American parents for 18 years; and every child started sequential Kumon Reading and Math by age 4-5 we’d be on the road to high proficiency. However learning requires daily sustained parent discipline to ensure each child spends 20-30 minutes 7 days a week on reading and math; and a parent spends another 30 minutes of 1:1 focused time on each child reading and assisting their child learn 15 new vocabulary words each week for five straight years. Santa Barbara can produce 7000 academically prepared, capable students by 7th grade. However, reading and math are outside the comfort zone of many parents, or they’re too tired after working a physically demanding non-government job (or 2 jobs), and their cultural tradition is only schools educate children which is not the American way.
Certainly can attest to the benefits of Kumon as my child fell behind. At the time, my child HATED Kumon, but now admits it what was needed in a failing school system.
Unfortunately, the Democratic party hate-culturism has infiltrated the schools and impregnated the minds of children for the preparation of college for the hate mongering to continue. The usual tactic to make the young brains full of mush (borrowed from Limbaugh) to believe the Dems are good and the Republicans are bad. We can only hope that maybe half the Dems can see through all this crap and realize the Dem politicians only care about themselves. Dem politicians want to steal your money to an outstanding amount of waste and theft. As Elon essentially mentioned in Friday's Rogan interview, the government workers can't relate to wasting an individual taxpayer's money. Government workers only see taxpayers as a group which means nothing personally to the government worker. I'll go a bit further and include my concerns with non-responsible committees versus individual responsibility. Give a task to an individual and it's more likely to be handled properly. Give a task to a committee and nobody takes responsibility. The government operates in a finger-pointing committee mode of blaming others for not doing their job. If you hand a defined task to one person, it will be done ... there are no excuses. This I've found true in engineering ... never give a design to a committee, I have so many stories about when things go bad, the company will use a committee and then things go even worse.
I think government employees "love" their jobs for the wrong reasons. Not for the reason of thinking they are doing something wonderful for the country, but rather for the reason it's a "soft" or brainless (really easy) job. Therefore, the answer you might be looking for in the first question can be ambiguous to the government worker's child-brain. The second question is probably a resounding no in realistic terms. To a government worker, they will go along with the "game" and say their job is necessary, even though they are working from home spending about an hour per day at their "job." Maybe somedays they spend ten minutes. When designing and testing circuitry for my corporate workers I frequently spent a lot of time at home, this was at a time way before Covid back in the 1980's. As the engineering VP said to me, "You probably get three times more done at home than here." He said, "Just don't have an accident" ... probably something about being insured outside of the work environment. When working at home, I often worked 12-hour days ... that's because "I loved my work."
I read this article on "Discrimination" Titled "Santa Barbara’s DEI Disaster"
By Greg Hammel and I provide a new Title as follows>
Santa Barbara DEI Leads to Major Civil Rights Violations Including
Public Corruption and Obstruction of Justice" I quote from Mr. Hammel's key statement>
"Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible.”
and "leadership has chosen to double down on a divisive “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) agenda that has demonstrably failed its students" THAT IS THE TIP OF THE SB DEI ICEBERG!
What you do not know SB Currentor's is that DEI has utterly failed it's SB Community and their
SB Citizens as follows>
1. Were there DEI people hired that resulted in MAJOR PROBLEMS in the SB Local Government?
2. Have those DEI people been weeded out and quietly let go?
3. How many are we talking about? ALOT
The Problem is the Local So-Called Leaders are not going to tell you of these serious problems so>
DOJ TIME TO MAKE THAT RICO ANNOUNCEMENT LIKE DOWN IN LA>>
"Former Los Angeles Politician José Huizar Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Tax Evasion"
DEI adherents are willfully blind to the division and racism that DEI creates in school and the workplace. It has all of the trappings of cultural Marxism complete with political commissars and collectivism. It is against everything the United States stands for. It belongs in a society like Russia or China where absolutism and tyranny are the cement of society.
Hello David, I was wondering if you could give an example of the “division and racism that DEI creates in school and the workplace”? I’m always looking to learn more! Thank you.
Excellent article by Mr. Hammel in outlining the disastrous impacts of DEI at SBUSD. I attended the SBUSD Board meeting in November, when a resolution was adopted in order to combat racism and bullying against black students. What the Board adopted was a nonsensical diatribe based on the BLM movement. Not only does the resolution seem unconstitutional based on preferential treatment and services offered to solely black students, but the tenor and tone was clearly calling out Latino students as the underlining perpetrators and cause for the bullying and seemed to make Latino parents in attendance uncomfortable. The notion of the Board adopting anything with BLM ideology seemed troubling, as many of its leadership members have been indicted for criminal activity! So, why then is our school district passing a resolution based on a criminal enterprise? Clearly, our SBUSD is obsessed with race and woke agendas instead of educating our students. The obvious bias is towards students of color and gay as the “victims” and whites as the “perpetrators.”
Very sad how these elected officials have evolved into racial activists pitting one group over another, all while receiving our tax dollars! Sincerely hope the Trump administration holds these radicals accountable and hold federal funding until if and when they can demonstrate equity for ALL students, just not for those of certain “protected” groups.
It is in gambling called pushing a hunch when the cards are against you.
This quote is a classic example... “chronic and persistent achievement gaps” .... Unfortunately for students and families the answer was and is what you and yours have rejected. The question is when do the voters and supposed academic elite get it?
The school distinct had a strong Superintendent who said this ends!!! Complete immersion in English was the rule and withing 2 years (just a few months in school) the achievement gap started to evaporate. Oh and the "gap" that also happened with Anglo kids that did not have a grasp of English and basics in math also started to evaporate.
SBUSD states by omission Dr. D. Flores was never Superintendent of the district... oh and she is Hispanic and followed the above successful immersion programs. Dr. Flores unhappy with the intentional cultural failures by certain groups left the SB. Here is a quote from the Gilroy Dispatch "....In Santa Barbara, she helped spur drastic improvements from populations that traditionally score low......"
Call it what every you want, a Female, a Ph.D., and Hispanic came before was successful in Santa Barbara and was forced out by politically correct politics. When do these groups start putting the welfare and education of kids first?
When? Never! Debbie Flores & Mike Caston were standouts as SBUSD Superibtendent & Assistant Supt. I remember meeting with them often. They knew the importance of at least one parent focused on their child’s learning, participating, and making a commitment to helping teachers educate their child.
How disappointed many were when they both chose to leave SBUSD to communities that would value instead of fight immersion in the American way. Flores taught me to carry on, help parents, and not listen to critics. Starting Hablamos Espanol immersion summer camps & after school programs helped 93108 elementary students while helping 93103 students at Cleveland and Franklin before they attended together SB Junior High.
Albert Einstein allegedly said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The response by Mr. Escobedo and the SBUSD Board to the message from the Department of Education qualifies as insanity... and demonstrates an uncompromising ignorance of the facts. These people are responsible for the education of our children...need I say more?
Actually, voters are responsible for the education of our children. We select the State Superintendent of Schools, down to our local school board members, plus our state legislators (Limon and Hart) who craft the state Education Code.
First rule in future elections do not vote for the teacher-union supported candidates, no matter what cute political action committee names they use to disguise their sinister grip on the failed education of our children.
Prop 98 money flows too freely into our state public education system with no strings attached - it badly needs reform and accountability measures.
Coincidentally, Jerry Roberts through his blog, Newsmakers, published an article that addresses this issue -- but from the polar opposite, as is expected. The article stresses NOT the curriculum, but the "sky is falling" hysteria that clubs and specific celebrations will be prohibited: black student clubs, celebrating Cinco de Mayo or Chinese New Year. The only club I have ever known to be prohibited was a Christian Club at City College. And that was while DEI was in full force! Truth be told, DEI curriculum does nothing for students. Many take the required Ethnic Studies course in freshman year "to get it over with." And always conveniently left out of the equation: Asians. Specifically, the children of Hmong and Vietnamese refugees who came to this country with nothing. Yet, their children achieved at the highest levels, and from homes where the adults did not all speak English. BTW: If Gabe responded to your Public Comment from the dais, he was in violation. Electeds are required to listen only, not to correct or debate.Excellent article, Greg. Here's the link to Jerry's:
To clarify why school board members are not allowed to discuss public comment topics: Any new topic introduced in a public comment would not allow upfront notice to the general public prior to the meeting this topic was under discussion, which is required in the posted agenda prior to that meeting.
So technically intake-only is the name of the game when it comes to public comments. Which is very frustrating on both sides. There can be some limited discussion for clarity of the public request, but no substantive discussion nor future action promised if the topic was not on the published agenda
Later the superintendent and/or board member can request the topic be placed on an upcoming noticed board meeting agenda for further discussion. Of if it is purely an information-only request, this can also be provided later by the administration. This is Brown Act territory.
One way to measure a schools effectiveness is to compare the performance of its students in higher grades to that in the lower grades. If their performance increases: the school system passes. If it decreases: the system needs improvement.
Brent- every local knows too many if not most SBUSD Elementary students entering junior high from McKindly, Cleveland, and its other schools don’t stand a chance academically which is why at the high school level ‘academies’ were created by SBUSD. SBUSD CAN NOT BE CHANGED. Voters perpetuate the status quo. With that said, what’s needed by 7th grade are vocational trade training classes in all four SBUSD junior highs to enable academically unprepared students to learn essential work skills.
Why is academic, high level proficiency from every student the benchmark? Especially when our economy needs caregivers, tradesmen, cooks, gardeners, mechanics, construction workers, physical trainers,etc. As former 4-term competent, apolitical Bob Noel said repeatedly, it’s wrong to not offer work preparedness classes, ROTC, and multiple options to give every students a reason to come to school to achieve personal success. Opportunities to learn are too limited in Santa Barbara.
With changes in unlimited immigration, we need opportunities for Americans to learn basic work skills. As they say at MIT, we can do the highest level math, but most jobs require only arithmetic, plus discipline, commitment, reliability and an exemplary work standard.
WSJ just today gives a shout-out to the value of reinstating more high school vocational classes, and the serious economic benefits this shift of emphasis can offer today's students. AI cannot replace hands-on trade skills.
Montecito93108, my comment was directed at how to measure the effectiveness of SB using DEI. You have opened an issue that exceeds my typing ability except to say in principle I agree. I saw the limitations in career choices of my B.A. degree in mathematics, which is why I then pursued more functional degrees. I saw the value of teaching trades when I taught Shop Math and then Industrial Engineering Technology in North Carolina. I can say that I also saw the applications of some subjects I taught in the College of Business Administration at The University of Tennessee.
But let's not forget that a healthy society would also be preparing its students for citizenship and leadership. The degree of the undermining of integrity and basic logic across our society is troubling, to put it mildly. Children need to be taught morality, self-discipline, focus, empathy, the value of hard work and at least enough math, logic and science to competently manage their own household and participate intelligently and effectively in citizenship. When everyone in the governance of education starts seeing these students as future community leaders, doctors, teachers, caregivers, heads of households and parents instead of marks for corporate exploitation as laborers and/or consumers and numbers for more dollars on a balance sheet, we will see change.
I sent my children to public elementary school to learn citizenship, standards of conduct, social skills, leadership, tolerance, diversity, and that every adult teacher is different and like an employer (or parent), your job is to meet and exceed the teacher’s requirements. Additionally, attending school exposes students to the many subjects and varied topics a parent can’t teach. As a parent, seasoned teachers taught me my weakness and how to improve for which I remain indebted to each.
Finding out whether community college placement exams are an artificial barrier or a model to be reinstated needs to be analyzed: I care and wish for 48 hours in my every day. What I do know from direct observation multiple times is that 18 -70 year olds taking SBCC math & English placement exams were shocked when passing scores announced and posted.
The highest exam scores were the tested 5th-8th graders who took the same tests, in the same room, at the same time as the adults. These are the same local students who can easily pass the CA High School Exit Exam between ages 10-13. How does the SBUSD justify cancelling honors and GATE track accelerated classes that benefit these students? Party politics demand equality of outcomes; simply meet lowest common denominator.
The author’s article didn’t mention CA’s standardized tests have been dumbed down by the 4000 person worthless CA Office of Education. The SB County Office of Education costs property taxpayers over $1.4B and for what? Lifetime secure highly compensated pay (with a meaningless job title) for those party-loyal, Union-loyal administrators and teachers.
When SBCC required entry placement exams in English and Math, they found a constant decline in college readiness in both topics. In turn, this required more entry students were forced to take SBCC remedial classes in both topics This considerably slowed the student's progress to finally enroll in college level classes.
Proof of this steady decline in college readiness, was also an objective black eye for the state K-12 system, who at the same time was bragging about higher grades and graduation rates.
Naturally the overly powerful K-12 teacher union-dominated state political system chose to correct this objective evidence of K-12 failure, by eliminating the community college placement exams. Thus pushing students into college level classwork, for which they were previously unprepared to handle.
Were SBCC instructors in turn then pushed to keep their own passing rates high and retain these previously underprepared students? Or did their instant immersion into college level classes provide the shock treatment jump start, that they needed to achieve success now in higher education.
Were the prior placement exams an artificial barrier, or a proven model to determine future higher education success? Not sure this study has yet been undertaken, nor can I identify anyone who even cares enough to find out.
Hello Brent, I think looking at the data in different ways is always helpful in seeing a more complete picture. The state department of education and district websites provide test scores data. I like to track a cohort/class of students (how did they do in 3rd grade, then 4th, then 5th, etc) and also look at the trends in grade levels (so comparing this year 3rd grade scores to last year 3rd grade scores).
You ask “how do SB’s schools rate” so I was curious your thoughts on school data? Thank you.
Thank you Greg, for your statement using 'common sense,,,schools new MANDATE:.........Schools should be focused on learning.
The U.S. Department of Education is committed to ensuring all students have access to meaningful learning free of divisive ideologies and indoctrination. This submission form is an outlet for students, parents, teachers, and the broader community to report illegal discriminatory practices at institutions of learning. The Department of Education will utilize community submissions to identify potential areas for investigation.
I’ll tell you an oppressed class in our school system. Conservative educators. Enduring the wokeness of so-called colleagues who bully, discriminate and threaten the safety of anyone who dares to voice a differing “worldview.” Pfft. So much for classic liberalism. The 70s were far more open minded, and I’m grateful I came of age then.
After the government began imposing draconian policies in the wake of COVID, I attended many SBCC Board of Trustees meetings trying to oppose the mandate of the experimental gene therapy deceptively labeled a COVID "vaccine". During that period, the Board of Trustees undertook an effort to use a funds windfall from a large donation to hire 10 "diversity" professors. I am not sure if they explicitly stated what that meant, but from their discussions, it was clear that it would exclude straight white men. When it came time to hire a new president/superintendent, do you think the mentality was any different? The only trustee who spoke against these policies was Veronica Gallardo who was bullied, including by white men Jonathan Abboud and Robert Miller, for doing so, despite being the only person of Latin origin on the board. What I observed was a very clear demonstration of how phony the claim of diversity and inclusion is. It is actually a movement meant to exclude people who respect the inherent sacred worth of every human being such as Christians. In other words, it is the opposite of what it claims to be. It is the imposition of a particular materialist, atheist, will to power belief system on society meant to displace Christianity, the belief system this country was founded on.
Aimee, you’re a hidden gem! Your proactive commitment to Santa Barbara residents and students is remarkable and valued. How our community needs dozens more like you: aware, informed, prepared, articulate, committed, your words impactful. It’s outrageous how responsible trained qualified non-Dem Party leaders like former Trustee Veronica Gallardo are sued, threatened and harassed. It’s a stressful, costly life for the very rare elected non-Dem Party official in South County Santa Barbara.
Aimee it is all coming back to HAUNT SB So Called Leaders as you say>
"What I observed was a very clear demonstration of how phony the claim of diversity and inclusion is." It is MUCH MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE THE SB DEI CRIMINAL
CRUSADE.
Informative. Institutionalizing DEI is not the answer; has proven a failure. SBUSD Elementary schools have proven a continued failure for the last 45 years of my advocacy. So what is the answer when the school board is dominated by politically ambitious, self serving puppet Trustees seated to advance their Party’s Agenda? SBUSD & SBCC Trustees are elected to support the teacher’s union, pensions, and protect high paying, unnecessary admin jobs for Party loyalists. Schools are not about students. There are many exceptional, exemplary SBUSD teachers who are student focused but they stay in hiding, off radar. These teachers know that family economics, a parent’s determination for their child’s school success, parent capacity to be involved raising, assisting their child (versus simply creating one), and zip code are all factors in a child’s elementary school academic success. A child who can’t read by third grade doesn’t stand a chance entering junior high. If all parents were taught what’s expected of American parents for 18 years; and every child started sequential Kumon Reading and Math by age 4-5 we’d be on the road to high proficiency. However learning requires daily sustained parent discipline to ensure each child spends 20-30 minutes 7 days a week on reading and math; and a parent spends another 30 minutes of 1:1 focused time on each child reading and assisting their child learn 15 new vocabulary words each week for five straight years. Santa Barbara can produce 7000 academically prepared, capable students by 7th grade. However, reading and math are outside the comfort zone of many parents, or they’re too tired after working a physically demanding non-government job (or 2 jobs), and their cultural tradition is only schools educate children which is not the American way.
Certainly can attest to the benefits of Kumon as my child fell behind. At the time, my child HATED Kumon, but now admits it what was needed in a failing school system.
That kid face in the 'O' of Kumon always made kids think he was sad.
Unfortunately, the Democratic party hate-culturism has infiltrated the schools and impregnated the minds of children for the preparation of college for the hate mongering to continue. The usual tactic to make the young brains full of mush (borrowed from Limbaugh) to believe the Dems are good and the Republicans are bad. We can only hope that maybe half the Dems can see through all this crap and realize the Dem politicians only care about themselves. Dem politicians want to steal your money to an outstanding amount of waste and theft. As Elon essentially mentioned in Friday's Rogan interview, the government workers can't relate to wasting an individual taxpayer's money. Government workers only see taxpayers as a group which means nothing personally to the government worker. I'll go a bit further and include my concerns with non-responsible committees versus individual responsibility. Give a task to an individual and it's more likely to be handled properly. Give a task to a committee and nobody takes responsibility. The government operates in a finger-pointing committee mode of blaming others for not doing their job. If you hand a defined task to one person, it will be done ... there are no excuses. This I've found true in engineering ... never give a design to a committee, I have so many stories about when things go bad, the company will use a committee and then things go even worse.
Elon Musk needs to ask two more questions from these government employees: (1) Do you love your job? (2) Do taxpayers love paying you to do this job?
I think government employees "love" their jobs for the wrong reasons. Not for the reason of thinking they are doing something wonderful for the country, but rather for the reason it's a "soft" or brainless (really easy) job. Therefore, the answer you might be looking for in the first question can be ambiguous to the government worker's child-brain. The second question is probably a resounding no in realistic terms. To a government worker, they will go along with the "game" and say their job is necessary, even though they are working from home spending about an hour per day at their "job." Maybe somedays they spend ten minutes. When designing and testing circuitry for my corporate workers I frequently spent a lot of time at home, this was at a time way before Covid back in the 1980's. As the engineering VP said to me, "You probably get three times more done at home than here." He said, "Just don't have an accident" ... probably something about being insured outside of the work environment. When working at home, I often worked 12-hour days ... that's because "I loved my work."
I read this article on "Discrimination" Titled "Santa Barbara’s DEI Disaster"
By Greg Hammel and I provide a new Title as follows>
Santa Barbara DEI Leads to Major Civil Rights Violations Including
Public Corruption and Obstruction of Justice" I quote from Mr. Hammel's key statement>
"Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible.”
and "leadership has chosen to double down on a divisive “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) agenda that has demonstrably failed its students" THAT IS THE TIP OF THE SB DEI ICEBERG!
What you do not know SB Currentor's is that DEI has utterly failed it's SB Community and their
SB Citizens as follows>
1. Were there DEI people hired that resulted in MAJOR PROBLEMS in the SB Local Government?
2. Have those DEI people been weeded out and quietly let go?
3. How many are we talking about? ALOT
The Problem is the Local So-Called Leaders are not going to tell you of these serious problems so>
DOJ TIME TO MAKE THAT RICO ANNOUNCEMENT LIKE DOWN IN LA>>
"Former Los Angeles Politician José Huizar Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Tax Evasion"
https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/former-los-angeles-politician-jose-huizar-sentenced-13-years-federal-prison
Howard Walther, Member of a Military Family
PS1 - Just like the Pervasive CORRUPTION IN BALDWIN PARK JUST UNSEAELD BY DOJ BANG>
"Former Commerce City Manager and Former Baldwin Park City Attorney Bribery Guilty Pleas and Plea Agreements Unsealed"
https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/former-commerce-city-manager-and-former-baldwin-park-city-attorney-bribery-guilty
PS2 - BANG BANG - Huntington City Park Corruption FBI raid Mayor & Other City Officials >
"Huntington Park City Hall, mayor’s home raided in corruption probe"
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/huntington-park-city-hall-mayors-home-raided-by-authorities/
PS3 - NEVER ENDING CORRUPTION IN WOKE CALI WITH DEI LEADING THE WAY!!!
TIME TO RUN FOREST RUN FROM CALI>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSMxl1V8FSg&ab_channel=Movieclips
PS4 - BANG BANG BANG - MAJOR IMMIGRATION FRAUD CASE CONCEALED BY THE SB DEI
https://x.com/AntiWokeMemes/status/1893870027054420108
DEI adherents are willfully blind to the division and racism that DEI creates in school and the workplace. It has all of the trappings of cultural Marxism complete with political commissars and collectivism. It is against everything the United States stands for. It belongs in a society like Russia or China where absolutism and tyranny are the cement of society.
Hello David, I was wondering if you could give an example of the “division and racism that DEI creates in school and the workplace”? I’m always looking to learn more! Thank you.
Oh, you’re a leftist!
What do you mean? I asked a question and was trying to have a conversation?
Excellent article by Mr. Hammel in outlining the disastrous impacts of DEI at SBUSD. I attended the SBUSD Board meeting in November, when a resolution was adopted in order to combat racism and bullying against black students. What the Board adopted was a nonsensical diatribe based on the BLM movement. Not only does the resolution seem unconstitutional based on preferential treatment and services offered to solely black students, but the tenor and tone was clearly calling out Latino students as the underlining perpetrators and cause for the bullying and seemed to make Latino parents in attendance uncomfortable. The notion of the Board adopting anything with BLM ideology seemed troubling, as many of its leadership members have been indicted for criminal activity! So, why then is our school district passing a resolution based on a criminal enterprise? Clearly, our SBUSD is obsessed with race and woke agendas instead of educating our students. The obvious bias is towards students of color and gay as the “victims” and whites as the “perpetrators.”
Very sad how these elected officials have evolved into racial activists pitting one group over another, all while receiving our tax dollars! Sincerely hope the Trump administration holds these radicals accountable and hold federal funding until if and when they can demonstrate equity for ALL students, just not for those of certain “protected” groups.
It seems that the true oppressors are the elected and unelected public servants while the oppressed are the tax payers.
(Shhhhhhhhh, Jeff........................wash your mouth out with soap.)
It is in gambling called pushing a hunch when the cards are against you.
This quote is a classic example... “chronic and persistent achievement gaps” .... Unfortunately for students and families the answer was and is what you and yours have rejected. The question is when do the voters and supposed academic elite get it?
The school distinct had a strong Superintendent who said this ends!!! Complete immersion in English was the rule and withing 2 years (just a few months in school) the achievement gap started to evaporate. Oh and the "gap" that also happened with Anglo kids that did not have a grasp of English and basics in math also started to evaporate.
SBUSD states by omission Dr. D. Flores was never Superintendent of the district... oh and she is Hispanic and followed the above successful immersion programs. Dr. Flores unhappy with the intentional cultural failures by certain groups left the SB. Here is a quote from the Gilroy Dispatch "....In Santa Barbara, she helped spur drastic improvements from populations that traditionally score low......"
Call it what every you want, a Female, a Ph.D., and Hispanic came before was successful in Santa Barbara and was forced out by politically correct politics. When do these groups start putting the welfare and education of kids first?
When? Never! Debbie Flores & Mike Caston were standouts as SBUSD Superibtendent & Assistant Supt. I remember meeting with them often. They knew the importance of at least one parent focused on their child’s learning, participating, and making a commitment to helping teachers educate their child.
How disappointed many were when they both chose to leave SBUSD to communities that would value instead of fight immersion in the American way. Flores taught me to carry on, help parents, and not listen to critics. Starting Hablamos Espanol immersion summer camps & after school programs helped 93108 elementary students while helping 93103 students at Cleveland and Franklin before they attended together SB Junior High.
Insanity. I would line to know how much these people are making on this disaster that they support.
Albert Einstein allegedly said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The response by Mr. Escobedo and the SBUSD Board to the message from the Department of Education qualifies as insanity... and demonstrates an uncompromising ignorance of the facts. These people are responsible for the education of our children...need I say more?
Actually, voters are responsible for the education of our children. We select the State Superintendent of Schools, down to our local school board members, plus our state legislators (Limon and Hart) who craft the state Education Code.
First rule in future elections do not vote for the teacher-union supported candidates, no matter what cute political action committee names they use to disguise their sinister grip on the failed education of our children.
Prop 98 money flows too freely into our state public education system with no strings attached - it badly needs reform and accountability measures.
Hello Harold Baer, it just does not stop at SB DEI WOKE EDUCATION.
The DEI Mind Virus, per Musk, has infiltrated everywhere and especially
in Santa Barbara Government were there is a large disproportioned share of DEI
Hires that has caused HAVOC with the SB Local Government bringing
no other than the FBI to our Lovely Lil Ole Beach Town.
Coincidentally, Jerry Roberts through his blog, Newsmakers, published an article that addresses this issue -- but from the polar opposite, as is expected. The article stresses NOT the curriculum, but the "sky is falling" hysteria that clubs and specific celebrations will be prohibited: black student clubs, celebrating Cinco de Mayo or Chinese New Year. The only club I have ever known to be prohibited was a Christian Club at City College. And that was while DEI was in full force! Truth be told, DEI curriculum does nothing for students. Many take the required Ethnic Studies course in freshman year "to get it over with." And always conveniently left out of the equation: Asians. Specifically, the children of Hmong and Vietnamese refugees who came to this country with nothing. Yet, their children achieved at the highest levels, and from homes where the adults did not all speak English. BTW: If Gabe responded to your Public Comment from the dais, he was in violation. Electeds are required to listen only, not to correct or debate.Excellent article, Greg. Here's the link to Jerry's:
https://www.santabarbaranewsmakers.com/p/this-is-not-the-time-to-run-what
Thanks, Joan, for the clarification. A primary reason for me, that it gives the dais an unfair advantage because the public cannot respond. I
To clarify why school board members are not allowed to discuss public comment topics: Any new topic introduced in a public comment would not allow upfront notice to the general public prior to the meeting this topic was under discussion, which is required in the posted agenda prior to that meeting.
So technically intake-only is the name of the game when it comes to public comments. Which is very frustrating on both sides. There can be some limited discussion for clarity of the public request, but no substantive discussion nor future action promised if the topic was not on the published agenda
Later the superintendent and/or board member can request the topic be placed on an upcoming noticed board meeting agenda for further discussion. Of if it is purely an information-only request, this can also be provided later by the administration. This is Brown Act territory.
One way to measure a schools effectiveness is to compare the performance of its students in higher grades to that in the lower grades. If their performance increases: the school system passes. If it decreases: the system needs improvement.
How do SB's schools rate?
Brent- every local knows too many if not most SBUSD Elementary students entering junior high from McKindly, Cleveland, and its other schools don’t stand a chance academically which is why at the high school level ‘academies’ were created by SBUSD. SBUSD CAN NOT BE CHANGED. Voters perpetuate the status quo. With that said, what’s needed by 7th grade are vocational trade training classes in all four SBUSD junior highs to enable academically unprepared students to learn essential work skills.
Why is academic, high level proficiency from every student the benchmark? Especially when our economy needs caregivers, tradesmen, cooks, gardeners, mechanics, construction workers, physical trainers,etc. As former 4-term competent, apolitical Bob Noel said repeatedly, it’s wrong to not offer work preparedness classes, ROTC, and multiple options to give every students a reason to come to school to achieve personal success. Opportunities to learn are too limited in Santa Barbara.
With changes in unlimited immigration, we need opportunities for Americans to learn basic work skills. As they say at MIT, we can do the highest level math, but most jobs require only arithmetic, plus discipline, commitment, reliability and an exemplary work standard.
WSJ just today gives a shout-out to the value of reinstating more high school vocational classes, and the serious economic benefits this shift of emphasis can offer today's students. AI cannot replace hands-on trade skills.
Montecito93108, my comment was directed at how to measure the effectiveness of SB using DEI. You have opened an issue that exceeds my typing ability except to say in principle I agree. I saw the limitations in career choices of my B.A. degree in mathematics, which is why I then pursued more functional degrees. I saw the value of teaching trades when I taught Shop Math and then Industrial Engineering Technology in North Carolina. I can say that I also saw the applications of some subjects I taught in the College of Business Administration at The University of Tennessee.
But let's not forget that a healthy society would also be preparing its students for citizenship and leadership. The degree of the undermining of integrity and basic logic across our society is troubling, to put it mildly. Children need to be taught morality, self-discipline, focus, empathy, the value of hard work and at least enough math, logic and science to competently manage their own household and participate intelligently and effectively in citizenship. When everyone in the governance of education starts seeing these students as future community leaders, doctors, teachers, caregivers, heads of households and parents instead of marks for corporate exploitation as laborers and/or consumers and numbers for more dollars on a balance sheet, we will see change.
I sent my children to public elementary school to learn citizenship, standards of conduct, social skills, leadership, tolerance, diversity, and that every adult teacher is different and like an employer (or parent), your job is to meet and exceed the teacher’s requirements. Additionally, attending school exposes students to the many subjects and varied topics a parent can’t teach. As a parent, seasoned teachers taught me my weakness and how to improve for which I remain indebted to each.
Finding out whether community college placement exams are an artificial barrier or a model to be reinstated needs to be analyzed: I care and wish for 48 hours in my every day. What I do know from direct observation multiple times is that 18 -70 year olds taking SBCC math & English placement exams were shocked when passing scores announced and posted.
The highest exam scores were the tested 5th-8th graders who took the same tests, in the same room, at the same time as the adults. These are the same local students who can easily pass the CA High School Exit Exam between ages 10-13. How does the SBUSD justify cancelling honors and GATE track accelerated classes that benefit these students? Party politics demand equality of outcomes; simply meet lowest common denominator.
The author’s article didn’t mention CA’s standardized tests have been dumbed down by the 4000 person worthless CA Office of Education. The SB County Office of Education costs property taxpayers over $1.4B and for what? Lifetime secure highly compensated pay (with a meaningless job title) for those party-loyal, Union-loyal administrators and teachers.
4000 person Sacramento office dictating K-12 education?
Had no idea this unelected state level school bureaucracy had grown so large, making any pretense about "local school boards" a total farce.
When SBCC required entry placement exams in English and Math, they found a constant decline in college readiness in both topics. In turn, this required more entry students were forced to take SBCC remedial classes in both topics This considerably slowed the student's progress to finally enroll in college level classes.
Proof of this steady decline in college readiness, was also an objective black eye for the state K-12 system, who at the same time was bragging about higher grades and graduation rates.
Naturally the overly powerful K-12 teacher union-dominated state political system chose to correct this objective evidence of K-12 failure, by eliminating the community college placement exams. Thus pushing students into college level classwork, for which they were previously unprepared to handle.
Were SBCC instructors in turn then pushed to keep their own passing rates high and retain these previously underprepared students? Or did their instant immersion into college level classes provide the shock treatment jump start, that they needed to achieve success now in higher education.
Were the prior placement exams an artificial barrier, or a proven model to determine future higher education success? Not sure this study has yet been undertaken, nor can I identify anyone who even cares enough to find out.
Same reason they stopped the "racist" SAT tests, that showed failure.
Racism™ is both sword and shield.
Hello Brent, I think looking at the data in different ways is always helpful in seeing a more complete picture. The state department of education and district websites provide test scores data. I like to track a cohort/class of students (how did they do in 3rd grade, then 4th, then 5th, etc) and also look at the trends in grade levels (so comparing this year 3rd grade scores to last year 3rd grade scores).
You ask “how do SB’s schools rate” so I was curious your thoughts on school data? Thank you.
Rita- in response to your post: 2023 salaries for Santa Barbara Unified
https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2023/school-districts/santa-barbara/santa-barbara-unified/
2024, not yet posted
https://enddei.ed.gov/
Complete this easy form to report any school or DEI POLICY enfraction.
Click on the link Montecito93108 posted above!
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Thank you Greg, for your statement using 'common sense,,,schools new MANDATE:.........Schools should be focused on learning.
The U.S. Department of Education is committed to ensuring all students have access to meaningful learning free of divisive ideologies and indoctrination. This submission form is an outlet for students, parents, teachers, and the broader community to report illegal discriminatory practices at institutions of learning. The Department of Education will utilize community submissions to identify potential areas for investigation.
I’ll tell you an oppressed class in our school system. Conservative educators. Enduring the wokeness of so-called colleagues who bully, discriminate and threaten the safety of anyone who dares to voice a differing “worldview.” Pfft. So much for classic liberalism. The 70s were far more open minded, and I’m grateful I came of age then.
SBN, yes I lived here in the 70’s and except for the IV riots in 70, everything was very mellow. Especially compared to the vitriol of today.