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Hello Everyone!

This past week we celebrated the 10 year anniversary of District Deeds.

To mark this occasion we decided to give a historical perspective on a few of the most recent HAT Trick offenses attributed to the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) management, operational and financial disaster.

The layout for this analysis is as follows:

1.  Recent SDUSD News Story

Item 1 will be from a local news organization providing the source, author and key quotes from the article.

2.  District Deeds Historical Perspective

Item 2 provides key posts (with links) from previous incidents in the SDUSD that we explored/investigated relating to the item 1 subject

3.  Historical Comparison

In Item 3 for each issue profiled we provide a comparison of how the SDUSD has evolved (or devolved) to the current management, operational and financial situation.

Of course ALL of these incidents SHOULD BE viewed and analyzed through the critical  District Deeds “HAT Trick” lens illustrated below:

Enjoy!

HAT Trick Offense Example #1:

Gross Financial, Operational and Administrative Mismanagement

6/30/24

Even after staffing cuts, San Diego Unified adopts budget with $114 million deficit

By Kristen Taketa – San Diego Union Tribune

Quote:

The San Diego Unified School District on Tuesday adopted a $1.1 billion unrestricted budget for the next fiscal year that assumes a $114 million deficit, which the district will cover by eating up reserves.

The district is facing a significant shortfall despite having already made $94 million in cuts this spring, including five dozen layoffs of non-teacher employees and the elimination of more than 550 staff positions in areas ranging from classroom teaching to special education to English learner support.

AND…

The district also increased its spending last year when it gave 15 percent raises to all employee groups, which at the time were estimated to cost an additional $208 million a year.

March 17, 2017

NEWS FLASH! “What Structural Deficit?” EdSource Agrees with District Deeds – San Diego Unified “Failed to Tighten Their Belts…Are Facing Austerity”

Quote:

Both San Diego Unified and Montebello Unified failed to tighten their belts earlier and now are facing austerity: San Diego gave layoff notices to 850 teachers this month and still faces a deficit in 2018-19 – EdSource

Historical Comparison

The only difference between 2017 and 2024 is that the political influence of the SDEA (teachers union) has now spread to ALL 5 members of the SDUSD Board of Education manifested by massive raises tied to ZERO Teacher layoffs in 2024 despite rapidly declining enrollment. This corrupt phenomena was also profiled by the same publication and author almost a year earlier On June 21, 2023.

A quote from that story tells it all:

“Teachers get a 10 percent retroactive raise, and 5 percent for the coming year. The district projects a $128.9 million shortfall for 2024-2025 but expects to balance the budget by then.”

Those “successful” political lobbying efforts budget deficit condition by the SDEA for MASSIVE raises with current board members (who depend on the SDEA support to get re-elected) are being placed on the backs of the neediest families (who don’t have financial resources for expensive private special needs and language supports) and will tragically remove critical “staff position” supports for the most vulnerable of students in “special education” and “English learner support.”

The cuts in special education and English learner support were forewarned in a post from this past October, 2023 (BEFORE the current cuts to Special Education support were identified) featuring a parent of a special needs child:

To quote that parent:

 

It isn’t a matter of IF San Diego Unified will fail your SDUSD Teacher, Principal, Staff Member, Family, Parent/Guardian, Child, Caregiver…it is when.

It is not a matter of IF Mr. Jackson and this Board will fail your will fail your SDUSD Teacher, Principal, Staff Member, Family, Parent/Guardian, Child, Caregiver…it’s when.

Political corruption?  You be the judge!

The SDUSD has obviously continued to get MUCH worse under the current dishonest, unaccountable and opaque SDUSD Board of Education and puppet Superintendent who are beholden to their political donation masters.

A TOTAL violation of the required SDUSD HAT Trick of Honesty, Accountability and Transparency.

HAT Trick Offense Example #2:

Horrible Technology Mismanagement, Misdeeds and Cover-up

June 27, 2024

The Progress Report: AI Is in Use at San Diego Unified – But the District Doesn’t Have its Own Plan

Quote:

The rise of AI-supported education technology caught San Diego Unified without a policy. Now, as teachers and students within the district have begun to use AI products in the classroom, district leaders are creating one.

AND

Magee also wrote that officials are collaborating with officials at the San Diego County Office of Education and San Diego State University.

That came as news to Stacy Brandt, a spokesperson for the San Diego County Office of Education.

“I haven’t heard anything about SDCOE’s involvement in any group like this,” Brandt wrote in an email.

September 26, 2017

1 IT Tech for 2,300 Classrooms – MILLIONS of Prop Z/S IT Investment Dollars at Risk Through Severe Layoffs in San Diego Unified Technology Support!!!

QUOTE:

Last year, with 350 classrooms, 9 or 10 school sites, or 33 front office/administrative areas each, the IT Techs were busy but through effective scheduling protocols and best practice methods the workload was doable.

This year, with 2,300 classrooms, 60 school sites, or 100 front office/administrative areas the IT Tech workload is impossible…and SDUSD Students and dedicated staff are the one who pay for the Marten operational blunder.

With impossible workloads, valuable and expensive equipment purchased with Bond Z and S funds with lay dormant and eventually grow obsolete without the needed technical support and thousands of expensive i21 instructional hours will be wasted.

Historical Comparison

There is a huge difference between what happened regarding SDUSD technical support in 2017 and 2024…and not for the better.

In 2017, the corrupt senior leadership under then Supt. Cindy Marten cravenly used used the “i21 Interactive Classrooms” moniker as a propaganda device to pretend that the SDUSD was at the bleeding edge of technology while actually hamstringing that tech effort by massively reducing IT support staff.

In 2024, the inept and unqualified leadership under current Supt. Lamont Jackson are too stupid to even realize that AI even exists in the SDUSD and has empowered his staff to, when in doubt, just lie about it.

The quote by the SDCOE Spokesperson exposed that lie:

I haven’t heard anything about SDCOE’s involvement in any group like this

This is not to say that the Cindy Marten SDUSD administration did not lie.  It just means that the Lamont Jackson SDUSD administration has just been empowered to deploy lies in a more overt and stupid manner by Jackson as we posted on October 1, 2023 in “Corrupt SDUSD Board of Education Rewards Superintendent “Cryin’ Lamont” for Lying…What’s New?”

This AI issue with the current SDUSD Senior Leadership just illustrates the ongoing components of stupidity and dishonesty in trying to be opaque and unaccountable to all SDUSD Stakeholders.  Jackson and his senior staff obviously are totally unqualified to lead.

HAT Trick Offense Example #3:

Corrupt Superintendent Leadership

 

May 21, 2024

San Diego Unified School District hires law firm for ‘personnel’ investigation

By Alexis Rivas and Meredith Royster

QUOTE:

Jackson named in lawsuit filed by SDUSD police officers

While we don’t know if there is a connection, Jackson is named in a lawsuit filed by 11 police officers with the SDUSD last December. They are suing the district, Jackson and the SDUSD police chief for retaliation claims, negligence, discrimination and sexual assault.

In the complaint, one of the 11 officers, Robert Lozano, says Jackson retaliated by intimidating Lozano’s girlfriend, who is an elementary school teacher in the district. Lozano says Jackson “came in in the middle of class and sat in the back of her classroom while she taught to intimidate her. Notably, the principal of the school where she taught had no idea Jackson was even on campus nor had he ever set foot on that campus in the past. Thereafter, Jackson proceeded to give Lozano’s girlfriend an unwelcomed hug and told her class she was amazing, even though the two never met before that day.”

AND

NBC 7 contacted SDUSD, and a spokesperson told us in an email, “The district is precluded from commenting on personnel matters.” We’ve also reached out to all school board members and the district’s teachers’ union, but none have commented on the investigation.

January 27, 2014

NEWS FLASH!!! – Supt. Cindy Marten “Green Elementary” Deposition (ENCLOSED): “It depends” Whether Sexual Activity Between Kindergarteners is a “Serious Incident”!!!

QUOTE:

“It depends”???!!!!???? SDUSD supe Cindy Marten deposition in ugly Green Elementary scandal has  stunning stuff.

Here is the FULL SDUSD Superintendent Cindy Marten Deposition: marten-depo-gurrieri

There are many questionable  (and “I can’t remember”) answers by Marten throughout the deposition that District Deeds will soon be analyzing, but this “It depends” statement by Marten absolutely disqualifies her as Superintendent.

What could it possibly “depend on” that would make Student sexual abuse between Kindergarteners NOT a serious incident?!?

District Deeds cannot think of ANY condition that would NOT make extreme sexual contact between Kindergarten student a “serious incident”.

Can you?

Historical Comparison

This Superintendent misconduct is clear by just paraphrasing our last two statements regarding Marten and applying it to Jackson:

District Deeds cannot think of ANY condition that would NOT make intimidation of a District Teacher (whose partner was a litigant against Jackson and who had no previous personal contact with Jackson) by showing up unannounced and then embarrassing/shaming that teacher with an unwelcome embrace in front of the class.

Can you?

We cannot think of ANY condition that would allow this horrible intimidation activity by Jackson.

Actions of intimidation and unwanted physical touching by Jackson to ANYONE CANNOT be permitted in ANY area of the SDUSD and MUST be severely punished.

District Deeds urges ANY AND ALL SDUSD Stakeholders (Teachers, Admins, Parents, Students, Community Members, Taxpayers) who have had a similar incident with Jackson to have the courage to speak out.

The commitment to the three HAT Trick Components of Honesty, Accoutability and Transparency applied to the current SDUSD can be summed up in the SDUSD response for information from Channel 7 San Diego:

“We’ve also reached out to all school board members and the district’s teachers’ union, but none have commented on the investigation.”

What a surprise!!! The School Board and their donors stonewalling any public information that could incriminate Supt. Jackson!!!

Apparently betraying a current teacher’s union member with a “no comment” is what a “10 percent retroactive raise, and 5 percent for the coming year” gets a Teacher in the “district’s teachers’ union“!!!

BONUS QUICK ASSESSMENT!!!

Inflated Grades

Voice of San Diego: “San Diego Unified High Schoolers: Getting Great Grades But Troubling Test Scores”

Key Quotes:

  • “An analysis of thousands of letter grades from San Diego Unified high schoolers shows that far more students pass classes in subjects like English, math and science than meet state standards on tests.”
  • School board member Richard Barrera is skeptical of standardized tests and even questions if students should be tested at all in high school
  • Maxwell said new grading standards have only exacerbated the problem. Now, she said, students get an A for showing up. This can have dramatic consequences on students when they graduate from high school.“There’s nothing like walking across that (graduation) stage and making your family proud and then going to college and thinking that that A or B (grade) was real and having to take remedial classes at the college level,” Maxwell said.She said it often results in students dropping out.“It breaks a person. It breaks a person at that young age to realize they have not been intentionally, authentically taught.”

District Deeds Quick Summary: 

Barrera and his cronies prefer grades that can be manipulated by teachers and give “an A for showing up” thereby preventing California Dashboard exposure and maintaining funding while failing to really educate Students

Ms. Maxwell exposes the real effect of ignoring standardized tests that cannot be manipulated by the SDUSD and instead allowing grade inflation and a useless high school diploma.

District Deeds Violation Quick Assessment:

  • Trustee Barrera exhibits a total lack of Honesty, Accountability and Transparency.
  • Ms. Maxwell exemplifies Honesty, Accountability and Transparency.

CLOSING STATEMENT

It is sad that the same abuses that Stakeholders experienced over the last 10 years have, many times, gotten even worse with the dysfunction and corruption of a new Superintendent/Senior Staff and new Board of Education members beholden to self serving special interests.

Although we are not posting on a set schedule we will continue to periodically post information, editorials and articles relevant to SDUSD Stakeholders and ALL education advocates that want to use this blog as a resource for their own challenges in their own school district.

We are committed to funding this resource intact for the foreseeable future.

THANK YOU to ALL our readers and the brave SDUSD Stakeholders who continue to share their stories with us and provide deep insights into the ongoing SDUSD dysfunctional work and education environment.

Now for our Quote of the Week dedicated to using past lessons for future growth:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana

IF

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