11-24-08 CF - School Improvement Bonds Final
11-14-08 Larry Layton treatise about the First Amendment issues
11-13-08 Ron Bird's response to Distaso's tirade
11-11-08
The biggest bully in Acton is Mark Distaso
11-10-08 Personal trumped up complaint against Ron Bird.
11-10-08 Poor school system in Acton substantially reduces your home value
11-08-08 Here is a story on the district Distaso wants us to merge with
10-31-08 Reading the full bond text
confirms this in the Gym Bond
10-28-08 the sports groupies
screwed the educational program again
10-29-08 Larry Layton Yes on CF
10-29-08 Ron Bird No on CF
10-13-08 Another example of the sports mentality at Vasquez High
School.
10-1-08 Another bait and switch Bond.
9-18-08 Good news about Vasquez Students.
8-24-08
Here is a success story about a class at Vasquez.
8-15-08 State Star Exam shows the dismal failure of our school
board in running our high school
8-14-04 Letter from a parent of an ex-student of Vasquez High School.
8-08-08 Larry H. Layton comments on the 7-31-08 bond story.
Bond CF full text
7-31-08 Distaso
Brighter Group school board has voted for a fifth version of the Vasquez Sports
Bond
7-31-08 School Board Bond Meeting
7-30-08 Here is a letter that was sent to the School Board members on 7-30-08
July 30, 2008
7-17-08 What does it take
to get the community to support our kids
7-10-08 The
Distaso-Brighter group goes for a world record of failure after failing four
bonds in a row
6-29-08 Here is another a failure of Vasquez High
Vasquez had a dismal grade of only 9% passing the English exam.
5-21-08 No surprise that
Vasquez just continues its established pattern of failure. Here is the 2007 API
3-15-08 Looking at the test scores for Vasquez will you as it shows it is an
unmitigated failure of the school board
2-8-08 We are not against the kids having a decent educational facility.
To Index
2007 Stories
Full text bond V
1-10-07 Do buildings make the difference in learning??
To Index
2006 Stories
12-18-06 Even with
the abysmal and dismal performance of the high school, the school board decided
to go for a fourth bond issue
9-2-06
Board opts to appoint replacement
9-1-06 The Star
Exams results for 2006
8-23-06 The academic
staff led by Marty Young again failed the community at Vasquez
high school
8-23-06
Apparently Cindi Oberhansley snuck out of the community like a
thief in the night on August 10.
8-1-06 Mr. Steve
Lorenze quits as principal of the Agua Dulce School.
7-26-06 Marty Young
quits as principal of Vasquez High.
5-19-06 There Is No Free
Lunch To All Concerned About Our Schools by Ron Bird
5-10-06 Is our AADUSD
School Board on the right financial tract?
5-08-06 this is to
publish Distaso ravings and how he claims by extending the COPs
for another 11 years
5-7-06 DIstaso adding
1.3 million in non- voter approved debt
5-5-06 And here is what the students think about Vasquez HS from myspace.com
5-5-06 Here's an
opinion piece by Larry Layton and Eleanor Braun
8-31-06 Principals OK'd for Vasquez, Agua Dulce
9-1-06 The Star
Exams results for 2006
8-23-06 The academic
staff led by Marty Young again failed the community at Vasquez
high school
8-23-06
Apparently Cindi Oberhansley snuck out of the community like a
thief in the night on August 10.
8-1-06 Mr. Steve
Lorenze quits as principal of the Agua Dulce School.
7-26-06 Marty Young
quits as principal of Vasquez High.
5-19-06 There Is No Free
Lunch To All Concerned About Our Schools by Ron Bird
5-10-06 Is our AADUSD
School Board on the right financial tract?
5-08-06 this is to
publish Distaso ravings and how he claims by extending the COPs
for another 11 years
5-7-06 DIstaso adding
1.3 million in non- voter approved debt
5-5-06 And here is what the students think about Vasquez HS from myspace.com
5-5-06 Here's an
opinion piece by Larry Layton and Eleanor Braun
7-13-06 Marty's wet dreams about the
Vasquez High School. issued days before he left.
9-1-06 The Star
Exams results for 2006
8-23-06 The academic
staff led by Marty Young again failed the community at Vasquez
high school
8-23-06
Apparently Cindi Oberhansley snuck out of the community like a
thief in the night on August 10.
8-1-06 Mr. Steve
Lorenze quits as principal of the Agua Dulce School.
7-26-06 Marty Young
quits as principal of Vasquez High.
5-19-06 There Is No Free
Lunch To All Concerned About Our Schools by Ron Bird
5-10-06 Is our AADUSD
School Board on the right financial tract?
5-08-06 this is to
publish Distaso ravings and how he claims by extending the COPs
for another 11 years
5-7-06 DIstaso adding
1.3 million in non- voter approved debt
5-5-06 And here is what the students think about Vasquez HS from myspace.com
5-5-06 Here's an
opinion piece by Larry Layton and Eleanor Braun
5-24-06 Agua Dulce Teachers are at Impasse
9-1-06 The Star
Exams results for 2006
8-23-06 The academic
staff led by Marty Young again failed the community at Vasquez
high school
8-23-06
Apparently Cindi Oberhansley snuck out of the community like a
thief in the night on August 10.
8-1-06 Mr. Steve
Lorenze quits as principal of the Agua Dulce School.
7-26-06 Marty Young
quits as principal of Vasquez High.
5-19-06 There Is No Free
Lunch To All Concerned About Our Schools by Ron Bird
5-10-06 Is our AADUSD
School Board on the right financial tract?
5-08-06 this is to
publish Distaso ravings and how he claims by extending the COPs
for another 11 years
5-7-06 DIstaso adding
1.3 million in non- voter approved debt
5-5-06 And here is what the students think about Vasquez HS from myspace.com
5-5-06 Here's an
opinion piece by Larry Layton and Eleanor Braun
5-21-06 Western Association of Schools and Colleges Midterm committee report
5-8-06 this is to publish Distaso ravings
4-10-06 The failure of
the master plan survey. The Kathy Howald controlled so-called
master plan committee met today. They as usual refused to provide
this newspaper with an agenda or minutes of their meetings. This
is in violation of the Brown act.
3-28-06 Superintendent
and the Kathy's clowns school board agree to put a 4th bond
on the November election
3-21-06 Here are the API
test results were 04-05 showing the continual failure of Vasquez
high school
3-18-06 Failure of
the hardship grant and The good news about Meadowlark
3-17-06 The good
news about Meadowlark
2-21-06
“MYSPACE.COM” concerns! This website has been lately
in the news on sexual criminal issues. Predators are looking for
teenage girls and boys. I have been navigating this site for
months at the request of some parents. I'm shocked.
2-8-06 The Kathy
Howell political action committee
2-8-06 Acton and Agua
Dulce have a 50+ history of living with animals and nature.
1-24-06 The school board has
established
committees to advise them on the decisions.
To Index
2005 Stories
12-19-05 Handbell choir
is chosen for honor
11-10-05 The
election is over We can now come together to fix the school
district
10-28-05 Vasquez High
School fails to meet the 2004-05 Academic Performance Index (API)
School Growth requirement
10-26-05 Hardship
Application
10-21-05 the secret
operations of the education and creative funding committees
violate the Brown act
10-19-05. The Acton
Women’s Club first announced the forum in a letter only to
Lillian Smith at the Country Journal. It invited the public to
come to a School Board Election Candidates’ Forum to ask
the candidates questions. What they didn’t say was that the
Acton Women’s Club would select the questions which
Committee would ask only of selected candidates.
10-13-05 I
would suggest the following rule changes for the independent
committees based on flaws in you proposed rules. The changes are
identified in the attached text I recommend your add paragraph
numbers. Presented by Charles Brink to Acton-Agua Dulce School
Board for item 12.1 on October 13, 2005
9-23-05 We’ve Got
a Superintendent!. the school board scheduled a special meeting,
with only 24-hour notice.
9-23-05 This letter is
to call your attention to what I believe was a substantial
violation of a central provision of the Ralph M. Brown Act,
9-22-05 Another
Wagner Failure. At her last board meeting, Superintendent Wagner
pulled another disaster out of the continuing problems at Vasquez
High
9-13-05 Secret meeting
and replacement procedures for a superintendent
9-9-05 The
resignation of Linda Wagner superintendent of the Acton-Agua
Dulce Unified School District did not come as surprise
9-8-05 At 9:53 PM Dr.
Wagner submitted her notice of resignation to the school board by
e-mail.
9-6-05 When a number of
the community members raised questions about what the policies
said, after numerous complaints, they were given copies of the
new policies that are based on CSBA templates with changes made
in secret and invisible in the final version by Dr. Wagner
8-31-05 The API test
scores are out for 2005. It shows the continuing abysmal
performance of Vasquez High and the poor performance of the
entire district.
8-31-05 The 2004 to
2006 Certified (teachers) union contract. The Superintend still
refuses to disclose the salary steps and columns and the stipends
paid in addition to their wages.
8-22-05 Raise
Developer Fees and Build Permanent Restrooms
8-15-05 Growth
forecast at valley schools remodeling provides elbow room
8-14-15 2004-Star Exams
8-08-05 Letter sent by this paper to
the school to receive public notice as required by the State law.
7-15-05 Coach buying
used equipment to fire up fans, team
6-30-05 There are 2
gross errors in the budget concerning Fund 25, Capital
Facilities.
6-28-05 The proposed
2005-2006 budget is a disaster, filled with illogical
assumptions
6-28-05 Comments to
the Budget Committee .
6-23-05 Rejection -
Rejection -Rejection Based on the 2000 census and projected
growth, the district has over 3,600 students. and parents have
rejected the school district by pulling about half of the
students out of the district.
6-23-05 Dr Wagner admits
if she can not cut $600,000 from the 2005-2006 budget the county
will take over the School.
6-23-05 How to save the
District $152,000 a year and help the kids
6-23-05 I would suggest
the following rule changes for the independent committees:
6-9-05 I am again
formally requesting notices of Regular, Special and Emergency
meetings of the Acton-Agua Dulce School Board and all committees
established by the Board, as required by and authorized by the
Brown Act and the Public Records Act.
6-9-05 Pursuant to my
rights under the California Public Records Act (Government Code
Section 6250 et seq.), I ask to (inspect and obtain a copy of, if
I so choose) the following records, which I understand to be held
by your agency. no records were ever
provided
5-31-05 Board Study
Session Meadowlark MPR Important meeting about our schools come
and speak your mind
5-28-05 Dr. Wagner
manipulates parents and teachers. It all started with a vast
distribution of the District's February 05 Newsletter.
5-26-05 The Budget
Advisory Committee Preliminary Report and Initial Recommendations
to: the Acton/Agua Dulce Unified School District, Board of
Trustees. Presented at the May 26, 2005 Regular Board Meeting
5-26-05 Facilities
Committee Review of Budget Committee Request and Recommendations
to: the Acton/Agua Dulce Unified School District, Board of
Trustees. Presented at the May 26, 2005 Regular Board Meeting
5-24-05 Health careers
get booster
5-13-05 Vasquez High
official quits over scuffle
5-5-05 Union leader
demands the board not listen to community members
4-26-05 Musical Modulars
The Acton-Agua Dulce School District has played "Musical
Modulars" all too often. These moving costs do nothing to
educate kids or build permanent classrooms or schools.
4-20-05 Possible
School Reconfiguration To provide the optimum utilization for
existing classrooms, we propose moving children instead of
classrooms.
3-1-05 On Friday
afternoon, February 25, 2005, an electrical fire occurred at
Vasquez High
3-1-05 School Facility Fee Justification Reoprt
3-1-05 The Board voted
to create committees to advise to Board.
2005 Cahse Exam results
2-24-05 Wagner makes another
big mistake. We are in the red this year and were probably in the
black last year.
2-24-05 In reviewing
this service agreement, you remember that I objected to this
contract because the board policies and the documents and sources
used to devise these policies, while being paid for by the
taxpayers of the community, were kept secret from the community
on a password protected server controlled by CSBA.
2-21-05 Poor planning
on modulars defeated again
2-18-05 Wagner Pimping
for the Airport with a Ground school and an assembly
2-13-05 Vasquez pilot
program Aviation lessons at school
2-10-05 Parents want
their schools back! By Bernard Schwab
2-8-05 Town Hall
School Meeting
2-3-05 Comments made by
Charles Brink at the 2-3-05 Community input board meeting
1-13-05 Why buy when you
can rent
1-11-05 We were just
notified the Acton Schools will be OPEN 1-12-05
1-9-05 Dirty Work at the
Crossroads or Tempted, Tried and True VHS play productions winter
2005 offering
1-3-05 Is there HOPE for
our Kids?
1-1-05 Pinky the
great
To Index
2004 Stories
12-21-04 Vasquez High
principal 'reassigned'
12-19-04 Vasquez High
works to change state rules
12-16-04 Vasquez beset
with staffing, permit woes
12-14-04 A School
Trustee’s Duty
12-14-04 School board agenda
for 12-14-04
12-12-04 From the AV Press
Vasquez High: School without a home
12-01-04
Barofsky's final act is to insult the community
11-30-04 Ex-trustee
Martin Barofsky confesses!
11-23-04 Charting a
new [school] course?
11-18-04 Massive
errors in Superintendent's report
11-17-04 School
break-in theft nets $9,000 in property
11-16-04 The "we
only made some paperwork errors" board
11-15-04 By Wagner
This morning, Max Duran, Steve Pinkston, Tim Ballard of Osborne
Architects and I met with state architect representatives. The
purpose of the meeting was to determine “next steps”
at Vasquez. (nothing was done)
11-15-04 Lower the
bar...yet again? Haven't we sunk low enough?
11-11-04 Puzzling school board decisions
11-5-04 The School
District allowed a package promoting three candidates for the
Town Council election to be distributed to students during
classes in direct violation of state law.
11-04 Superintendent’s
Message by Linda Wagner
10-25-04 School Board
meeting moved without legal notice again
11-2-04 We
last
communicated before you met with Dr. Wagner last week. We
have since recovered an original copy of their approved Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND). We have digitalized the County approved Drainage Plan along with
the environmental portion of the report.
2004 API
scores as released by the State Department of Education.
10-6-04 This is an
email exchange between Linda Harbeson, wife of Steve Harbeson,
school board president and Bernie Schwab about the Gym
10-5-04 This letter
issued 2 years before Linda Wagner unilaterally closed the Gym at
Vasquez. This letter clearly shows ALL the Buildings as Vasquez
to be unapproved. Question Why only close the GYM when the
district and the Board members knew for the last four years all
buildings had not been approved - Not just the Gym.
10-4-04 The Full story of
the Gym
9-30-04 The School
has enough toilets to flush down a million dollars but not enough
to meet the state requirements for Meadowlark and Vasquez.
9-27-04 A letter From
Wagner announcing her unilateral decision, without board approval
and without any independent facts, to close the Vasquez gym
tosell a another bond vote that will be
rejected just like the last three
Quick
report on 9-21-04
school board meeting
9-20-04 A Dumb board for
a Dumb district
9-20-04 The Board has
violated the Brown Act - again
9-17-04 Ron Bird - After
the closing of Acton School.
9-16-04 Here is an
E-mail exchange between Fred Heslep and Bernie Schwab
9-15-04 -
Request by Surplus Property committee to present their report at
the 9-21-04 School Board meeting
9-14-04 -
Locked out. As scheduled and posted, the 7/11 surplus committee
met on Monday the 13th of September at Meadowlark campus
9-12-04 Acton API scores
increases (8%) continue to fall below LA County's 13% and the
entire states increase of 10%
9-10-04 Vasquez High School
fails No Child Left Behind Act
9-7-04 Cars all over
the place at Meadowlark on 9-7-04. Read what the school claimed
on the original Meadowlark Environmental
documents
9-8-04 Your constantly
repeated position that the Surplus Property Committee
automatically terminates when the membership drops below 7
members is not supported by Education Code
9-4-04 - LA County
confirms on 8-24-04 that the School district violated both
California and LA County Law and illegally graded without
permit.
To Index
8-30-04 - Vasquez fails
the college bound student
8-29-04 - Kill an AP
program and keep Acton School open for Behavior (expelled etal)
for our district and others?
8-27-04 - Here is
the School's response, 37 days after the Natural History Club
letter was sent. It dismisses the group's concerns expressed
as " great umbrage in the fact that much native
flood-retaining vegetation, including hundreds of years old
Junipers" as just "landscaping and grading".
It's hard for someone from Palmdale to understand our
communities' concern with our environment.
8-26-04 The Math at
Vasquez Just Does Not Add Up
8-08-04 Here is my
response to an E-mail as to whither I would support ther
recall
8-5-04 Report on
8-5-04 school board meeting.
8-5-04 The School Board
meeting on 8-5-04 will have a
bunch of important items.
8-2-04 - Ron Bird
made a formal presentation to the Acton Town Council concerning
the illegal grading and the lack of notice to the community about
the project by the school
7-31-04 Information
on the school's illegal grading
7-26-04 This letter was
sent to various LA County agencies to report the continuation of
illegal grading after the School received a formal stop work
order on their illegal grading
7-5-04 Deaf mom says
district violated disabled act
6-30-04 The Acton-Agua
Dulce Unified School District is offering a reward of $1,000 for
information on the destruction of school property at Vasquez High
School on 6-9-04
6-28-04 Wagner refuses
to comply with public records act and demand cash instead
6-25-04 4 million
down the drain at Vasquez
6-17-04 Acton Elementary
– An Opportunity Waiting to Happen. The Community Education
Committee’s Proposal to keep Acton School open and save 2
million dollars
6-15-04 The Last 3rd to 6th
grade graduation class for the Acton School. The Schools future
will be decided by the school board.
6-8-04 An open letter
to the School Board to work with the community
6-7-04 School board moves
6-10-04 meeting to 6-17-04 without public notice
6-4-04 An open letter to the School Board about open meetings
6-3-04 Acton
Elementary – An Opportunity Waiting to Happen By Ron Bird
and Charles Brink.
5-25-04 Hardship
Hardships for Acton – Agua Dulce Unified
5-20-04 Vasquez High
School Play Production presents "She Loves Me"
5-11-04
The Bird’s Eye View: The K-8 Option How Acton Can Close a
School without Moving Boundaries or Portables
4-24-04 From the AV press
Parents protest closing Acton school
4-27-04 The school board has
started to listen to the people of Acton and Agua Dulce
School
measure fails yet again
4-12-04 LACOE review of
the Acton-Agua Dulce District Second Interim Report
3-11-04 Issues for the
school board to consider to improve the schools and to bring the
schools into greater acceptance by the community.
3-3-04 School measure
fails yet again Officials cite demographics, in-home
education
2-16-04 This Survey by
Bernard Schwab
2-16-04 This is
the results of a survey by Bernard Schwab, a grand parent and
local activist for a better Education (He is not affiliated with
any Educational Group or District)
2-13-04 The School
Board of Trustees voted unanimously to terminate the contract of
Superintendent Don Banderas.
1-22-04 Please provide
the actual shortfall for the 2004-2005 year,
1-22-04 I am making a
formal request for a copy. Ignored
again!
1-15-04 I am making a
formal request for a copy. ignored!
To Index
2003 Stories
12-12-03 Acton School
kids to ring in Christmas Eve on TV
|
11-7-03 The
California Highway patrol confirmed that at 10:45 am a vehicle traveling
northbound (actual east toward Palmdale) on 14 veered from the road and
crashed down the embankment toward the school playing field. Several
reports state the vehicle came to rest in the field. No confirmation from
CHP or the School. |
The most important issue that no one at the school was
injured.
But look at the risk, the photo shows a double
gas tanker on the freeway with just a light guardrail would only
slow down the vehicle on its way onto the badly
situated school site.
11-5-03 Vasquez
High School re-labeled as Trailer Trash High School. School
claims it was done by vandals at night behind several locked
gates under their bright "security lights". You be the
judge.
To Index
2002 Stories
11-1-02 Here is the whole sorted story of how the school board wanted bond
Q to
raise our taxes to pay off the COP's to raise
the union teachers salaries.
To Index
2000 Stories
11-1-00 Ritalin: Better Living Through Chemistry?
9-8-00 Home
schoolers tagged as truants
1-19-00 Further
Adventures of Dumbing Down the District
To Index
1999 Stories
11-4-99 What if you had
an election and nobody cared?
11-4-99 Acton Schools have
High Crime rate
LA County 99 API High
School Rating List
9-28-99 Dr. Banderas,
We are trying to do a story with precise information concerning
the new high school. We would like to know the answers to the
following questions....:
5-26-99 We would like to
see enrollment information for the last twenty-four months,
3-16-99 99 Star exam
2 -2-99
"Firing" of the High School Principal at Vasquez
To Index
1998 Stories
9-8-98 Tom Brown Former
Acton-Agua Dulce School District Superintendent died today
2-21-98 Union has
received a huge raise that will nearly bankrupt the Acton
Agua-Dulce District without added
taxes.
2-5-98 A Bridge to a
new property tax by the School District
2-3-98 Crawford fired and
Don Bandaras made acting superintendent
1-24-98 Dr. Crawford
states that the Union’s unreasonable demands has set back
the opening of Vasquez High, at least on it’s permanent
site for one or two years.
To Index
1997 Stories
12-12-97 Comments concerning Environmental Impact Assessment Vasquez High
12-12-97 Phony
Environmental Impact assessment For The "New High
School.
11-14-97 Report on the
November 14, 1997 meeting. The board ignored the public input at
the 11-7-96 hearing and those speaking against Duzsick's
choice of an Urban High School with virtually no fields, located
directly next to the freeway.
11-8-97 Board
Elections
UpFront Editorial
:We know who thinks they run (or is that ruin) the schools, its
the Union. This Union represents the highest or nearly highest
paid teachers in the County depending on how you rank them.
11-7-97 Stacy Nickels
letter to the community
10-19-97 Secret actions taken by the
board
10-7-97 Facilities and
site committees page
7-8-97 Dear Dr. Crawford, As it is
quite apparent whose side you are on in the community
10-2-97 We lost a lot
of good and caring teachers. By Eleanor Braun, Acton Resident
6-24-97 1997 High Desert
Graduating class.
5-9-97 Tibbals about traffic safety
1997 Vasquez Graduating
class.
4-24-97 Read about the
million dollar raise to the teachers union.
4-15-97 High School
property size A urban school with 4 times the area proposed by
the board
4-10-97 High School Pot
den. See one parent's comments about the High School
4-10-97 Useless
motion passed by the board
3-13-97 Traffic
Safety issues. The board and the Town Council does nothing make a
motion.
3-7-97 Letter to the
community Written by a 3rd grade teacher. "Once
again I am writing because I am appalled at my third grade class
size" .The board never responded to the letter.
2-13-97 Secret
actions taken by the board.
2-7-97 Violence prone public parks
located at our Schools.
1-24-97 Dr. Crawford states
that the Union’s unreasonable
demands has set back the opening of Vasquez High, at least on it’s permanent
site for one or two years.
1-14-97 Agua Dulce school is lit up
like an urban strip mall after the Booster Cub spent $6,000 on
this "improvement".
To Index
1996 Stories
11-8-96 Drive By Shooters High School and other issues
11-7-96 Report on the 11-7-96
special meeting for a public hearing to get community input on
High School sites.
10-22-96 Proposed
School Tax A petition to require the school to use a real
election instead of a mail in election to add a new school
tax.
10-19-96 Letter to Dr.
Crawford confirming the $950,000. Dr. Crawford was told by
Duzsick that Brink lied and there was no $950,000 entitlement for
the school. Here are the facts.
To Index
1989 Stories
4-26-89 Elementary School
Sites
2005 Election
Data
Board Agendas, minutes
Superintendent's Report, and "Old Bell
musings", The district did not provided copies of the
Agendas and minutes between 2001 and 2004.
Bonds A loss of Four out of Four
Charter School and
Educational
Foundation
Community Education Committee
This has become a private club that became the recall committee
and when that failed became the political committee for a better
vision to elect a slate of Candidates in the November 2005
election.
School Data Data obtained
from public sources
Environmental, Public Records
Act and Brown Act issues
Surplus Property
Committee
Surplus property comments,
Reconfiguration, Facilities and Site committees
Unification. Here is
some history about Unification. Acton Schools have High
Crime rate according to
State
report
Even more interesting, Battery and ADW at the Acton-Agua
district is higher on a per student basis than the average for
all of LA County. The crime of battery is even higher than in the
AV District which is Only high school students. Dusick and
his union cronies have succeeded in destroying our school system
and our community groups.
To Index
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