Mayor's Dinner Proceeds Distributed

CASH FOR THE ARTS
In a press release yesterday the City of Costa Mesa announced that $31,500 will be distributed to two Costa Mesa high school arts programs and PBS SoCal and the Segerstrom Center. 

HUMILITY ON PARADE
This money represents the proceeds from the recent "Mayor's Celebration: The Art of Leadership", held last April.

MORE THAN 31K GIVEN
The money will be distributed thus: $10,750 each to Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools for their Arts Programs and $10,000 to PBS SoCal and the Segerstrom Center.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE KIDS
Mayor Jim Righeimer is shown in the photo above handing over the Costa Mesa High School check to Principal Phil D'Agostino with Newport Mesa Unified School Board President Dana Black standing by.

NMUSD Selects Dr. Frederick Navarro As Superintendent

THE BEST...
After a lengthy process that included winnowing out the best from 50 applicants, including lengthy interviews by the Community Interview Committee, the Trustees of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District announced their choice of Dr. Frederick Navarro as the new Superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District

GLOWING REVIEWS BY TRUSTEES
In a lengthy press release, which can be accessed via the district website announcing the selection, HERE, several Trustees spoke in glowing terms about Dr. Navarro and his accomplishments.  He is presently Superintendent of Schools for the Lennox School District, up near the Los Angeles International Airport area.

HE'S BEEN HERE BEFORE
Dr. Navarro certainly knows what he's getting into by accepting this job, having been an educator in this district in the past.  He was the Principal of Costa Mesa High School from 2002 - 2005.  He was Director of Secondary Curriculum 2005 - 2006.  He left NMUSD to become Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Anaheim, 2006 - December, 2010.  He has served in his position in Lennox since January, 2011.

SOLID CREDENTIALS
Dr. Navarro received his Bachelors degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1981, his Master's degree from UCLA in 1984 and his PhD, also from UCLA, in 2000.

CONTRACT APPROVAL NEXT WEEK
His contract will be approved by the Board at the meeting on June 26, 2012.  Dr. Navarro does not plan to relocate from his current home to accept this job.

THE ESSENCE OF THE CHOICE
Among the many quotes from Trustees is this one from President Dave Brooks that may capture the essence of the selection:
"Dr. Navarro is a dedicated professional who cares deeply about educating all students. His integrity is above reproach, he is accessible, a good communicator and finds ways to get things done. We believe he will serve our students in an outstanding manner.”

MOVING FORWARD
Hopefully, this appointment will allow the NMUSD to move forward with the important work of educating ALL the children of this district.  Dr. Navarro brings a record of very significant accomplishment and leadership to his new job.  We here at A Bubbling Cauldron wish him well and congratulate the Trustees and the members of the community who participated in this process for a job well done.

Costa Mesa School Resource Officer Program Canceled (**Updated)

COSTA MESA SRO PROGRAM CANCELED
Based on several contacts this morning, it is my understanding that the School Resource Officer program at Costa Mesa schools has been canceled effective next month.

LOSS OF A VALUABLE PROGRAM
This program, in which Costa Mesa police officers are an active presence on high school and middle school campuses in Costa Mesa, has long been hailed as very positive program and an effective deterrent to gang participation.  The Newport-Mesa Unified School District pays for half the cost of these officers.

 OFFICERS MOVED TO PATROL
It is my understanding that the officers who participate in this program will be transferred to patrol duties in an effort to shore-up that effort in the face of diminishing resources due to low staffing levels,  departures and injuries.  Normally the SRO officers would perform patrol duties during the summer months, when school is out.  However, it is my understanding that there is NO anticipation that they will return to the campuses in the fall this year.

UNDERSTAFFED
As most folks know, the Costa Mesa Police Department is now operating with 131 sworn officers (including a handful from a federal grant) down from 164 two years ago and well below the staffing levels recommended by the consultant the City hired to do an assessment of police operations last year.  Former Interim Police Chief Steve Staveley - who did two tours in that role in our city recently - also recommended a much higher staffing level.  The current levels were demanded by the current council using numbers that were largely irrelevant to Costa Mesa's circumstances.  I wrote about it HERE and HERE.

POLITICS AHEAD OF PUBLIC SAFETY
I'm not surprised that this move has been made.  Crime is up in our city and I expect that Chief Tom Gaszi and the CMPD command staff sees this as one way to try to plug holes in our system to keep all residents of the city safe.  The current city council majority refuses to permit the CMPD to hire new officers until there is a second pension tier in place, so they've placed political dogma ahead of the safety of all residents and visitors to our city.  Shame on them!

Officials from The City, the CMPD and the School District were not available for comment yet.  When they are I'll provide their input. 

**MORE NEWS...
I've heard from the City since I published this story.

PER BILL LOBDELL
 Bill Lobdell, Communication Director, sent me the following message:
"It hasn't been cancelled.  The program winds down each summer.  This year, the shift started a little early because of increased demands and officers out of the lineup as a result of on-duty injuries.  It's anticipated that the program will start again in the fall."

CHIEF GAZSI CONFIRMS
This evening I also heard from Chief Tom Gazsi, who confirmed that the SRO program has NOT been canceled, per se.  Due to recent injuries to several officers, the summer program was moved forward a couple weeks.  He tells me his expectation and hope is to resume the SRO program in the fall, although much depends on the extent of the injuries to the officers and when they can return to regular duty.  And, of course, it depends on what's happening elsewhere in the city crime-wise.  If crime stats are up significantly it may mean some more creative deployment to attempt to provide a safe city with limited human resources.

NO WORD FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT YET
So far, no official word has been received from any member of the School District administration or the board on this issue.

NMUSD Board Fires Hubbard

FINALLY
In a closed session late this afternoon the trustees of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District voted unanimously to fire convicted felon, Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard, from his position as superintendent of the district. According to the report by Fermin Leal and Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register, HERE, the action is retroactive to Monday, January 23rd.

THE PAYOUT...
According to coverage provided by Britney Barnes in the Daily Pilot, HERE, indicates that Hubbard will still be eligible for his pension but, because he was fired before turning 55 - his birthday is Thursday - the amount will be significantly less. Trustee Judy Franco is quoted by Barnes as saying, "If the district had fired him without cause before he was convicted, Hubbard would have been entitled to 18 months of pay." The Register article calculates that his pension, based on his salary of $305,920 annually, will be $119,920.

REED AT THE HELM
Deputy Superintendent Paul Reed will act as superintendent until March 5th, or until an interim leader can be found, according to Barnes. (Daily Pilot Photo)

DISTRACTION OVER?
There is no doubt that the Hubbard incident has been a major distraction for the school district for more than a year. While I hope - with his conviction and the board's decision to fire him - teachers, students and parents will be able to re-focus on the job at hand - educating the more than 20,000 students in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. However, I do fear that this sad event will linger in the minds of all for some time. I certainly hope the trustees will make a wise decision on Hubbard's replacement... the district deserves it.

More Reaction To Hubbard's Conviction

TEACHER'S UNION LEADER SPEAKS OUT
Late this afternoon Kimberly Claytor, President of the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers AFT local 1794 issued a press release regarding the conviction of Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard, the now-disgraced Superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. The text of that press release follows:

***

Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers AFT 1794 Responds to Guilty Verdict of Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard

This afternoon, Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard, N-MUSD Superintendent, was found guilty by a Los Angeles Superior Court jury on two of three felony charges of misappropriation of public funds.


As educators, we are saddened by the impact that this case has had on the reputation of our district and the resources it has drained from our classrooms.



Though the felony charges stemmed from employment outside of Newport Mesa Unified School District, the email messages exchanged between Jeffrey Hubbard and Karen Christiansen, introduced as evidence in the case, revealed behavior unbecoming of a superintendent of a school district. Furthermore, the majority of our School Board members voted to grant Jeffrey Hubbard five months of paid leave to prepare for his defense – this money would have better served the public had it been spent in our classrooms.



We look forward to finding a new superintendent who respects processes put in place to protect the public trust, understands both the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa communities, and is willing to put the needs of our students first. We call on the School Board to have an open and transparent public process, with input from parents, teachers, and other community members in our search for a new superintendent. We want a School Board that is responsive and responsible to the community.

***

YELSEY - NEW SUPERINTENDENT TO BE SOUGHT
Additionally, in an article in the Daily Pilot this evening, HERE, trustee Karen Yelsey - described as a Hubbard supporter - is quoted as saying the school board, "will be in the search for a new superintendent".

CLOSED SESSION TOMORROW
According to that article, the Board of Trustees will meet Tuesday at 3:00 in a closed session to discuss how to manage this issue. I certainly agree with those who feel this whole sordid affair has been a major distraction to the district and it's time to put it behind us.

REED? MAYBE
Some folks have suggested that Paul Reed, who has been standing in for Hubbard during his absence, simply be elevated to the position of Superintendent. If Reed wants the job, that might work. But I've got another suggestion.
(Daily Pilot Photo)

WHAT ABOUT BAUERMEISTER?
Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a nationwide search effort, why not reach down into the innards of the district itself and select a new superintendent from one of the many highly skilled administrators working within the organization. The first name that pops to my mind is Estancia High School principal Kirk Bauermeister. He's been on a fast track for years, is a proven visionary and leader and a man who really knows this community. It's worth some careful consideration.

Hubbard Guilty! School Board To Consider Action

HUBBARD GUILTY!
In a press release issued by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District minutes ago, it was announced that Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard, Superintendent, was found guilty of some of the charges dealing with his time at the Beverly Hills School District. That press release follows:




Newport-Mesa USD Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard Found Guilty on Two of Three Felony Charges by Los Angeles Jury

Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard, N-MUSD Superintendent, has been found guilty on two of three felony misappropriation of public funds charges by the jury at his trial in Department 102 of the Los Angeles Superior Court. The charges all pertained to actions taken in his capacity as superintendent of the Beverly Hills Unified School District over six years ago. There was no allegation of illegal activity during his tenure as Superintendent of Newport-Mesa Unified School District, where he has been employed since 2006.

To avoid acting precipitously in regard to charges that had no connection with Newport-Mesa, and to observe Dr. Hubbard’s legal right to be judged by a jury of his peers, the school board has refrained from action in the past year. At the same time steps were taken to assure that the school district would continue to move ahead while Dr. Hubbard’s personal legal issues were brought to closure.

Board President Dave Brooks has called for an immediate closed session of the N-MUSD School Board in accordance with Brown Act requirements to review the Board’s legal options regarding the superintendent’s employment contract and next steps in light of the outcome in the case. The closed session will be scheduled as soon as possible and further announcements will be forthcoming.

NMUSD Meetings Now On Streaming Video

TIRED OF FOOTBALL?
Just in case you've got nothing else to do this weekend - after watching the four football games on Saturday and Sunday, I mean - here's some information you may find useful.



NMUSD MEETINGS ON STREAMING VIDEO
Dane Bora and Brad Long, stalwarts of CMTV, have arranged for Newport Mesa Unified School District board meetings and Study Sessions to be available for viewing via streaming video on the city web site. In my view, this is a terrific community service and will, hopefully, bring school board activities into more homes in our communities.

FIRST TWO
The first two entries are the Study Session, HERE, and the formal Board Meeting, HERE, from January 11, 2011.



HUBBARD "CITY TALK" INTERVIEW
Because of the recent intense interest in the extracurricular activities of Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard, NMUSD Superintendent of Schools, I thought it might be worthwhile for you to view his City Talk interview from October 9. 2009, HERE. No, he doesn't make clever sexual jokes... sorry.

AND FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE...
And, for some perspective, I think you'll appreciate the City Talk interview with Principals Kirk Bauermeister and Phil D'Agostino conducted October 6, 2010, HERE.





FOLEY COMING UP ON "CITY TALK"
Coming up soon on City Talk will be a half-hour with Katrina Foley, whose presence on the School Board is sure to change the tempo, at least. That should be available for viewing on streaming video and in the normal rotation on CMTV next week... I'll let you know.

Hubbard Racy Emails Part Of A Pattern?

I'VE WAITED TO COMMENT, BUT...
I've avoided commenting much about the brewing scandal involving Newport-Mesa Unified School District Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard because his case is in the initial stages in the courts. I've felt, and still do feel, that he should be given the opportunity to clear his name in court. He is charged with two felonies, apparently for the misuse of public funds while in his previous job as Superintendent of Schools in Beverly Hills. His co-defendant is a woman who worked with him in Beverly Hills, Karen Anne Christiansen.

REGISTER PUBLISHES EMAILS
Yesterday Tony Saavedra in his OC Watchdog column in the Orange County Register, HERE, published emails obtained through a Public Records Request that covered several years of a relationship Hubbard and Christiansen had both while working together and afterward, when Hubbard began working in the Newport-Mesa job. Those emails can only be described as graphic, sexual in nature and indicative of just what might have prompted Hubbard to bestow public funds on a woman with whom he had a less-than-professional relationship.

DAILY PILOT QUOTES SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
Joseph Serna in the Daily Pilot published a follow-on article this evening in which he refers to the Register article and also quotes the emails. You can read it HERE. His subtitle online is quite bothersome to me. It reads, "Exchanges between the Newport-Mesa schools chief and his former subordinate in Beverly Hills doesn't bother some on the school board." What I want to know is, why not?

FLUOR - "THEY'RE CONSENTING ADULTS"
Serna quotes long, long time school board member Martha Fluor as stating, "I take it with a grain of salt. They are consenting adults." Later in the piece Serna quotes her as saying, in response to some specific references Hubbard apparently made to Christiansen in emails, "So, you know, he's a very affectionate person and expresses him and does say some witty things, and that's the type of relationship when you're working with a superintendent. You develop a bond of trust and closeness that's not necessarily sexual." Is that right, Mrs. Fluor? Really?


SCHOOL BOARD TOO BLASE'
It astounds me that elected leaders on the school board have taken such a blase' attitude about this issue. I was willing to wait until the outcome of the legal actions before commenting, but the release of the emails by the media changed that. They clearly show a man who was using his position of power in a relationship with a subordinate and it resulted in the misuse of public funds. I mean, the articles imply that he paid off his girlfriend with a $20,000 stipend because he had been unkind to her while she was grieving. Geez!

REMEMBER STEPHEN WAGNER?
If the quotations attributed to Fluor and to other members of the school board in Serna's article are accurate, it causes me much concern for the diligence of those members. We have only to recall the pathetic case of Stephen Wagner, the former finance director for the school district, who embezzled nearly $4 million back in the late 80s and early 90s, was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, where he died at age 43 of AIDS-related causes. Daily Pilot columnist Bill Lobdell reminded us of that case recently, HERE.

ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH - AGAIN?
If the school board is dozing at the switch again, then the voters need to remember this at the next election. This will certainly generate more comments about some of the trustees on the board overstaying their welcome. The way Fluor shrugs this off with a kind of "boys will be boys" comment makes me question her judgment. It seems to me that it's about time for someone to take a good, hard look at Superintendent Hubbard's activities since his appointment four years ago. Was his lapse of judgment in Beverly Hills a one-time thing or part of a pattern of inappropriate, and perhaps criminal, behavior? It seems unlikely that the school board is interested in taking the lead. If they won't, who will? I'd really like to hear what School Board President Walt Davenport has to say about this...

What's This Foley Rumor?

MENSINGER TOUTS FOLEY FOR SCHOOL BOARD
Out of the blue this week Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner Steve Mensinger floated a message to his Facebook pals requesting that they join him in drafting Councilwoman Katrina Foley to run for the Board of Education Trustee Area II seat presently held by Michael Collier in November. In his typical bull-in-the-china-shop style, he didn't bother to ask Foley if she was interested before he launched this effort.

Here's an image of part of his Facebook entry:POSSIBILITY FOR MAJOR CHANGES
Now, you must admit this really gets the juices flowing. Collier's seat is one of four up for grabs this fall. School Board President Karen Yelsey, Vice President Walt Davenport and Trustee Judy Franco also must face the electorate. Holdovers this time around are Dave Brooks, Dana Black and Martha Fluor.

BIG COUNCIL CHANGES POSSIBLE
If Foley decides to make a run for Collier's seat, so to speak, it creates some interesting scenarios for our November municipal elections. If she did run, and was successful, that makes for some interesting potential demographic shifts on the Costa Mesa City Council come December.

CONTEMPLATE THE POSSIBILITIES
Mayor Allan Mansoor is termed out - thank goodness for that - and we don't yet know if Wendy Leece will try to run for re-election - this time without Mansoor's coattails to ride. One must assume that our old carpetbagging buddy, Jim Righeimer, will run for Mansoor's seat. Remember, the perpetually inept Chris Steel ran nine times before he was finally elected. There might also be others who choose to enter the battle, especially if Leece decides to pack it in.

PLANNING COMMISSIONERS WAITING IN THE WINGS
Among the folks who logically jump to mind as candidates would be current planning commissioners Colin McCarthy and newbie Jim Fitzpatrick and commission Vice Chair, Sam Clark. Heck, Mensinger might be trying to clear a spot for himself, too, by touting Foley for the School Board.

WHAT ABOUT OTHERS?
What about some of those folks who ran last time? Chris Bunyan, Chris McEvoy, Jeff Matthews, Bill Sneen and Lisa Reedy? Can we lure my friend, Bruce Garlich, back into the frey?

THREE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS POSSIBLE
Let's just say, for the purpose of discussion, that Leece runs and wins and Riggy also wins a seat in the election. If Foley gains the School Board seat she must abandon her city council seat. That means that, come January, the Costa Mesa City Council would be one body short, requiring either a costly special election or the appointment of someone to fill out the 22 months of Foley's term. I'm betting on an appointment, considering the financial condition of our city.

DROOLING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES
I salivate like Pavlov's Dog when thinking about the wheeling and dealing that would go on between the four council members if that should happen. It would be a battle between the self-anointed "improvers" versus the developers. Talk about the clash of the Titans!

DEAL-MAKING AT IT'S BEST & WORST
Would Gary Monahan try to appoint his pal, Matthews? Would Riggy try to appoint McCarthy? What about Mensinger? This is just too delicious to contemplate!

OK, all you potential candidates, start thinking about what this fall might be like. What fun!

FOLEY'S IMPACT ON BOTH ELECTIONS
And, lost in all my speculation, is Foley's impact on both elected bodies. I think her reasoned, articulate views and energy would be missed from the City Council dais. Her departure would eliminate any kind of balance on the council. We would be governed with a perpetual right-hand turn on the tiller, which wouldn't be good for our town.

SHE'D BE GREAT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD
She has not decided yet whether she will, in fact, run for the School Board based on my conversation with her today. However, I think she would give the stodgy, somnolent School Board some much-needed vitality and shake things up at a time when some shakin' is necessary. She's been active in school activities for seven years, including her current stint as Sonora School PTA President. She's tireless - I never had that much energy! - and would be an asset to the School Board at a time when fresh ideas and energy are essential.

HOMEWORK FOR YOU
So, your assignment this weekend is to come up with other names and scenarios assuming Foley does, indeed, run for the School Board. Drop me a note or post a comment. Let the games begin...

O.C. Register Ranks 64 High Schools

A FASCINATING STUDY
Sunday, May 31st, the Orange County Register published another in a series of articles on education in Orange County. This time, in a group of articles written by Fermin Leal and Scott Martindale, it ranked 64 comprehensive diverse high schools from 15 school districts using a variety of measurements. I'm not going to try to paraphrase the article(s) but you can begin reading them HERE.

KUDOS TO THE TOP TEN
The top ten high schools listed in this study were, in order:
1 - Oxford Academy, Cypress(Anaheim Unified District)
2 - Troy High, Fullerton
3 - Northwood High, Irvine
4 - University High, Irvine
5 - Los Alamitos High, Los Alamitos
6 - O.C. High School of the Arts, Santa Ana
7 - Sunny Hills High, Fullerton
8 - Edison High, Huntington Beach
9 - Middle College High, Santa Ana
10-Laguna Beach High, Laguna Beach

NEWPORT-MESA NEXT TO LAST
To pique your interest I will tell you that, based on the rankings provided in this series, of the 15 school districts listed, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District ranked fourteenth, just ahead of Santa Ana.


OUR HIGH SCHOOLS RANKINGS
The four high schools in the Newport-Mesa District were ranked as follows out of the 64 schools in this study:
Corona Del Mar - 16
Newport Harbor - 42
Estancia - 58
Costa Mesa - 60

NOT QUITE THE BOTTOM - BUT CLOSE
Only four high schools in Santa Ana finished lower than Costa Mesa High School, with Orange High School sandwiched between Estancia and Costa Mesa.

READ THE ARTICLES TO UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS
The articles that can be found beginning at the link above provide the explanation of how these rankings were compiled and explain in great detail how various elements were weighted when calculating the rankings. I encourage you to go to that link and read through the articles.


I'M NOT SURPRISED
It will not surprise me at all if some in our community come completely unglued at these numbers. While I don't spend a lot of time dwelling on school district issues, I do pay attention. These numbers do not surprise me. The fact that Corona del Mar is ranked high and the other three high schools are ranked progressively lower the further they get from the Back Bay doesn't surprise me. I'm not happy about it, but I'm not surprised.

MORE INFORMATION-MORE QUESTIONS
You can read more about each of the schools rankings, including those schools not in this particular study HERE. I could not find anything that tells us why 30 schools, including Back Bay High, Orange Coast Middle College High and Early College High, were excluded from the study, but one must assume they didn't meet the definition of "comprehensive diverse high schools".

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK
I know some of you regular readers do spend a big part of your lives immersed in school district issues. I hope you will take the time to read the articles, then give me your opinions. I'll look forward to them.