Dissenting Opinions

Anyone who has dropped by a local school board meeting knows that--probably sooner than later--someone will stand up and start shouting about textbooks, teachers, test scores or . . . the superintendent.

It goes with the territory.

Parents with “gifted” children, representatives of ethnic groups and employees unions--all have their own brand of ax. And they are happy to grind it, often to the point of being annoying. But annoying or not, it doesn’t take a civics teacher to know that the U.S. Constitution protects their rights to do so--no matter how uncomfortable it makes educators.

Just how uncomfortable is made starkly clear in a survey conducted this past school year by the Assn. of California School Administrators that asked its members about “disruptive” people or groups.

In an extraordinary summary of the responses obtained by The Times, officials in 42 districts not only vent their frustrations over those who question their performance but in many cases name their antagonists. When parent activists recently got a copy of the document, they had their own name for it: an “enemies list.”

Enemies list or not, it spotlights the hostility between administrators in some communities and a few of the people they serve.

One Riverside County superintendent accuses two local activists--by name--of going so far as to threaten his life.

“These people are dangerous,” the summary of his remarks states. “I have received death threats through the mail and by phone at my home and office. I have had my car vandalized and have been followed and harassed at night after meetings.”

A Fresno County superintendent as much as charges another activist with extortion.

His “major goal is to get publicity for himself,” the superintendent said. “He also offers to make your problems go away if you hire him as a consultant.”

Most of the administrators, though, are rankled by activities that seem anything but nefarious. Those they see as opponents “act as advocates for Mexican American students.” Or they oppose the now-defunct state CLAS test and whole language, the controversial method of teaching children to read. Another “disruptive” group merely complained to the state Department of Education “that we are not properly complying with state laws in the ways that we set up our parent advisory groups.”

The head of the Scotts Valley Union Elementary district, south of San Jose, is quoted as reporting that one nervy couple “speaks out at board meetings” against him and sends a “constant barrage of letters requesting information and letters to the editor.”

“[The association] needs to get involved!” pleads the superintendent, although it’s not clear how.

Recognizing the volatility of such remarks, many superintendents quoted in the report declined to explain their views publicly. But leaders of the statewide group, embarrassed by the appearance that they might be seeking to quash dissent, emphasized that they have no plans to use the information in the document against any of those identified.

They also insisted that the survey demonstrates that political turmoil is not widespread, noting that the group got only 42 responses to 1,000 questionnaires.

The association’s executive director, Tom Giugni, a former superintendent, sent them out in December with a cover letter that specifically sought reports on the Mexican American Political Assn. and a more radical splinter group, the Mexican Political Assn.

“Several districts have been targeted by political activists” from the latter group, Giugni noted. “[The association] has been asked to assist some of these districts to determine . . . if some of these groups are working together or have the same goals or mission statement.”

What the survey found was that superintendents are unhappy with groups and individuals representing a broad political spectrum--from the ACLU to religious conservatives such as the Christian Coalition. Some consider members of their own school boards or the California Teachers Assn. to be disruptive. And, yes, 15 superintendents affirmed having problems with the two Latino groups named in Giugni’s letter.

Some of those people who are identified in the survey are proud to be considered enemies.

“What we do is make school districts accountable to the community and it rubs them the wrong way,” said Gil Navarro, a Riverside “education advocate” who is a regional representative for the Mexican American Political Assn.

Navarro said he has helped 500 parents understand their rights when students faced suspension or worse--a role that earned him a mention as a disruptive force in three Inland Empire districts.

According to the survey, Karen Harshman, Fontana’s superintendent, said Navarro questioned “curriculum, instruction, suspensions, expulsions and all discipline matters, special education placement and services for Hispanic students.”

Harshman did not return calls seeking comment. Neither did Del Alberti, superintendent of Lodi Unified School District.

Lester Patrick, a Lodi telecommunications specialist and parent activist, was saddened that officials consider him an opponent.

Patrick got involved when he discovered two years ago that 60% of the African American students there had D averages. Rather than simply complain, he and other parents formed a committee that met with the NAACP, an African American teachers association and other groups--as well as the school district--to develop a six-point plan to improve students’ performance.

The district is starting to implement the plan. But according to a summary of his response to the survey, Alberti criticized Patrick’s group for being “not willing to compromise or find common ground in meeting their goals” and requesting special treatment for black students.

Patrick said he was “terribly disappointed that they would pretend to work with us yet consider us an enemy. We thought . . . they were sincere.”

The survey comes as many parents are expressing concern about the poor performance of California students, while others fear federal influence over education.

Although administrators may not welcome criticism, courts have ruled that they cannot be insulated from it. Last August, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Timlin in Riverside issued an injunction against the Moreno Valley Unified School District, ruling that it could not prohibit a parent, Victoria Baca, from criticizing school district officials by name at a public meeting. Baca, the president of the Mexican Political Action group, was named by four superintendents in the survey.

Earlier this month, a federal judge in San Diego, Ted Moskowitz, issued a similar order against the Vista Unified School District. There, two parent activists sued the district after being “gaveled down” when they questioned the performance of the superintendent.

“When people accept public employment at public expense, one of the things they have to expect is public discussions of how they perform their jobs,” said Guylyn R. Cummins, a San Diego ACLU attorney who sued the school district. “It would be interesting if President Clinton tried to pass a ban on criticism.”

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‘Disruptive’ Groups

Here are excerpts from the survey of “disruptive’ groups by the Assn. of California School Administrators:

Selma Unified School District, Fresno County:

Mexican American Political Action “is a constant thorn in the side of many districts. Parents/students love to threaten districts with MAPA.’

Taft Union High School District, Kern County:

The Kern County Human Relations Commission “mediates on behalf of employees who have unresolvedissues with their employer. Find evidence of discrimination/mistreatment and expose the abuser by using media smears.’

Ventura County Office of Education:

The Christian Coalition et al. attacks “all decisions made by educators, especially those that would change public education. Our county board is dominated by sympathizers. Our local ring-leader was resoundingly defeated in her bid for reelection in November 1996 to the county board.’

Chualar Union Elementary School District, Monterey County:

“MPA, a very small group. Don’t make them out to be any superpower. . . that’s what they want, yours and everybody else’s attention. Just don’t give them a public forum . they’ll go away when nobody is there to stroke them, their egos just go flat.’

Madera Unified School District:

MAPA appears “at board meetings to spring “surprise’ attacks; videotaping audience . presumably to ‘keep them in line,’ news conferences in front of central office and school, recruitment of students to join their cause.’

Traver Joint Elementary District, Tulare County:

“Periodic pressure from 1 or 2 parents on minute points. It is done to be an irritant. Insinuate that ‘somebody’ will be called if necessary action is not taken. The ‘somebody’ is believed to be MAPA..’