New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: SAUSD

No surprise – the SAUSD overpaid their new Superintendent

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Rick Miller, Santa Ana, SAUSD 2 Comments

Santa Ana Unified School District officials were less than excited last week to share their new superintendent’s salary contract – one that makes Rick Miller one of the highest-salaried school district superintendents in California, based on the latest figures from the state Department of Education, according to the Voice of OC.

The new Superintendent’s “contract includes a $300,000 salary, a $7,200 annual car allowance and other benefits – is set to receive a $35,000 salary increase over the previous superintendent at a time of major financial challenges at the district.” (That is crazy money but Miller is still making less than Randy Barth, the CEO of Think Together, who banks $330K a year!).

This is of course what we predicted would happen. Miller is very old and does not figure to work in Santa Ana for very many years. He is spiking his retirement pension with this huge salary – at our expense. Continue reading→

Kids at Heninger Elementary to try to set a world reading record on 10/3

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Entertainment, Jose Solorio, Literature, SAUSD, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Santa Ana Unified School District

Media Advisory: Santa Ana USD children to help set world reading record

October 3, 2013

Heninger Elementary School With Otis the Tractor!

Event: Dressed as either farmers or farm animals in support of the book Otis by Loren Long, hundreds of pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students at Heninger Elementary School will join 2 million children across the country in listening to the popular storybook Otis provided to the school by Jumpstart, in conjunction with the Pearson Foundation and THINK Together. Continue reading→

Fitness and safety promoted at Walk-to-School Day on 10/2 at Sepulveda Elem.

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Entertainment, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Unified School District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 27, 2013

Contact: Deidra Powell, Chief Communications Officer, (714) 558-5555 Office, (714) 673-4995 Mobile

Media Advisory: Fitness and Safety Promoted at Walk-to-School Day – October 2, 2013, Sepulveda Elementary School

Event: Join the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) and its Healthy Eating Active Communities partners Orange County Health Care Agency along with the Santa Ana School Police and Santa Ana Police Department as they participate in the annual International Walk to School Day. Educators, parents, students, and community members will take part in this global event to bring awareness to the importance of practicing safe walking, biking, and traffic skills. In addition, participants will review ways to maintain secure routes before, during and after school hours throughout the city of Santa Ana, while promoting physical activity.

Who: Continue reading→

Did the SAUSD hire the right Superintendent in Dr. Rick Miller?

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Rick Miller, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Seniors 8 Comments

The Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) has finally settled on a new Superintendent, hiring a guy in his 60’s, Dr. Rick Miller, away from the smaller Riverside Unified School District.

So what do we know about Miller? According to his official bio, he only worked at the Riverside Unified School District since 2009. How long before he ditches the SAUSD – after forty years in education he is surely going to spike his pension at our expense! Keep in mind the fact that he ditched the Oxnard School District after only four years too, according to his LinkedIn Page. And he only lasted two years at the Kelseyville Unified School District! Continue reading→

The SAUSD hires a new Superintendent from Riverside

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Rick Miller, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rick Miller, Ph.D. New Superintendent of Santa Ana USD

SANTA ANA, CA – September 24, 2013 – After conducting a nationwide search, the Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education has appointed Rick Miller, Ph.D., as its new superintendent. “Our community demanded that this Board find a proven leader that would have a genuine commitment to the success of the students and families of Santa Ana. I believe that we have delivered with the appointment of Dr. Miller,” said Board President José Alfredo Hernández, J.D.

Dr. Miller brings 40 years of educational experience to Santa Ana, including twenty-two years as a superintendent in both California and Idaho. For the past five years, he has served as superintendent for the Riverside Unified School District. He holds four academic degrees including a Ph.D. in education; Ed. Sp. (Education Specialist) in educational administration; M.Ed. (Masters in Education) in educational administration and higher education; and a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He has also authored several articles and presented at state and national conferences. Continue reading→

Will the SAUSD School Board hire a new District Superintendent on Tuesday?

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Entertainment, SAUSD Leave a comment

Riverside Unified School District Superintendent Rick Miller

The Board of the Santa Ana Unified School District may announce the appointment of a new superintendent at its meeting on Tuesday, according to the O.C. Register.

The possible appointment is on the agenda for this Tuesday’s SAUSD School Board meeting, available here, as item #13: Appointment of SAUSD Superintendent of Schools and Approval of Employment Agreement. Continue reading→

Garfield Elementary School to celebrate opening of new building on 9/17

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Entertainment, Santa Ana, SAUSD 2 Comments

Garfield Elementary School Celebrates the Opening of State-of-the-Art 2 Story Classroom Building at Ribbon Cutting

THE EVENT: The Garfield Elementary School Community is celebrating the transformation of Garfield Elementary School to a world-class learning community with the opening of a state-of-the-art 2-story classroom building. Members of the Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education will be joined by district staff, community supporters, parents and students for a ribbon cutting ceremony. The classrooms became available at the start of the new school year. Students are already learning, excelling, and enjoying the new facility. Members of the media are invited to capture this special event. Continue reading→

Santa Ana teacher reunited with her sons, who were allegedly kidnapped

Posted on September 14, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Family and friends gathered at the airport Friday night to welcome home a Santa Ana Valley High School schoolteacher, Maricela Gonzales, and her two sons Friday night, more than a year after the boys were allegedly abducted by their father, James Gonzales, a former school SAUSD principal, according to CBS News.

The two boys, who were missing for a year, are known by Maricela as Pablito and R.J. They were allegedly kidnapped during a custody dispute by their father, who remains in custody in Colorado for multiple alleged crimes. Continue reading→

Santa Ana High School Alums to host a Mariachi Concert on 9/13

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Arts and Culture, Education, Entertainment, mexico, music, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Santa Ana High School Alums Host Mariachi Concert

THE EVENT: On Friday, September 13, the Salazar family will host and perform in an Alumni Benefit Concert to celebrate Mexican Independence Day and to help the choirs at Santa Ana High School. The Salazar’s are all Santa Ana High School graduates and former members of the school’s choir. It’s a family tradition! Continue reading→

The Philharmonic Society donates $10K of instruments to Carr Intermediate

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Arts and Culture, Education, Entertainment, music, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Santa Ana Unified School District, Press Release

Philharmonic Society Donating $10,000 Worth of Musical Instruments to Carr Intermediate Music Program

THE EVENT: The Orange County Philharmonic Society is donating musical instruments, music method books, and supplies worth $10,000 to Carr Intermediate School’s music program. The event will kick off with a few musical selections by the Valley High School Band followed by a presentation of the instruments from the Philharmonic Society. Budding student musicians will have an opportunity to test out the brand new instruments that they will utilize in their music programs. Continue reading→

Santiago Elementary School students to hold a 9-11 memorial event

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Entertainment, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Santa Ana Unified School District, Press Release

Santiago Elementary School Students to hold 9-11 Memorial Event

THE EVENT: On Wednesday, September 11, the Santiago School community will gather in a school wide memorial – “Remembering 9-11” – in honor of the many lives lost during the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Continue reading→

Rethinking Think Together

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD 15 Comments

Randy Barth, the Think Together CEO, pictured on the right

The Santa Ana Unified School District’s best public schools are those that operate as “fundamental schools.” The parents of kids at these schools promise to be involved with their kids and to make sure they study and do their homework. The kids have a strict dress code and they typically perform better than kids at other SAUSD schools – most of which are not doing well and in fact have not done well for some time. Only 13 out of 56 SAUSD schools have met the state’s API minimum in the past year.

There are a few negatives with regard to fundamental schools. They don’t bus kids in or out. And they don’t offer much in the way of after school care. That is a problem since these typically are not neighborhood schools so kids cannot really be expected to walk home after school.

There is a non-profit called Think Together that operates after school programs at several SAUSD schools. The YMCA used to offer similar programs but I don’t think they are active at many if any Santa Ana schools now. My wife says they were very expensive. Continue reading→

SAUSD Police Department launches “OC Campus Crime Stoppers”

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Education, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Unified School District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MEDIA ADVISORY

SAUSD Police Department Launches “OC Campus Crime Stoppers”

SANTA ANA, CA – August 30, 2013 – The Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department continues to be a leader in school safety by becoming the only school district in Orange County to join a cadre of other police departments as part of a new component of the Orange County Crime Stoppers, an organization aimed to promote community safety through awareness and an anonymous public crime tip line. In partnership and collaboration with OC Crime Stoppers and Crime Survivors Inc., the Santa Ana School Police Department has launched “Orange County CAMPUS Crime Stoppers” within the school district that serves over 57,000 students, the largest in Orange County. Continue reading→

Four SAUSD High Schools to compete to increase breakfast participation

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Entertainment, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

GOT MILK? BREAKFAST CHALLENGE

Santa Ana High Schools Battle It Out For $3,000

THE EVENT: GOT MILK? KICKS OFF BREAKFAST COMPETITION AMONG FOUR SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS

Just in time for the new school year, the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) – the creator of GOT MILK? – is partnering with the Santa Ana Unified School District to challenge high school students to start the day off right with a nutritious breakfast with dairy milk for better academic performance and overall health. Continue reading→

Melendez gets a new job in L.A. that will pay $140K and boost her pension

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, SAUSD, Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana 2 Comments

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti plans to appoint veteran school district administrator Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana as his new education deputy, according to KPCC.

The arrangement came to light in documents for L.A. Unified’s Tuesday school board meeting. A “reimbursement agreements” section included a request by the City of Los Angeles to hire an LA Unified employee.

Vivian Ekchian, L.A. Unified’s Chief of Human Resources, said that item refers to Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, who was hired by the school district at a $140,000-a-year salary. Continue reading→