Misinformation Is Driving the Recall of Orange School Trustees

Traditionally, a recall is called by citizens after malfeasance or criminal activity by public officials. In the Orange Unified School District, the three board members subject to recall--Martin Jacobson, Linda Davis and me--are not being accused of malfeasance or criminal activity, not even impropriety or a misdemeanor. Our crimes are much worse: putting the children and parents of the district ahead of union demands.

Union collective bargaining legislation became law in 1975 after being defeated when former Gov. Ronald Reagan was in charge of the state but passed while former Gov. Jerry Brown was at the helm. It is now a California institution that can be complex, confusing, unpredictable and, most certainly, an opportunity to play political games with taxpayers’ money. When people in leadership roles put personal agendas, however subtle, above the good of the organization, deceit and disruption are inevitable.

Leadership starts from within. One needs to have the essential principles of responsibility, integrity, compassion, respect and courage to bring change and progress. This board has made difficult and courageous decisions that have been beneficial to the children of the district, even though we have been targeted for recall. We have improved test scores, raised teachers’ salaries to $69,692 without raising taxes, and opposed wasteful spending (such as the $150,000, or more, that this recall is costing taxpayers). Our focus has been on the students and our ever-climbing test scores are proof of our steadfast dedication and commitment to the children of the community.

Our collective bargaining process has been riddled with manufactured chaos and confusion. The Orange Unified Teachers Assn., the teachers union, has initiated many lawsuits against the district as a political strategy designed to blame the board.

I’m afraid that I’ve experienced a mound of propaganda and half-truths in my tenure on this board. Although I understand that politics is a dirty game, it’s part of the job that is the most difficult for me, personally. The recall petition states that teacher salaries are noncompetitive and health benefits are inferior, but the truth is that the district offers a competitive compensation package including medical, dental, vision and life insurance to its employees at no cost and offers them family coverage at a charge of $300 a year. The board anticipates giving even more during this year’s negotiation process.

The recall petition states that since 1995, the district reported an average of $9.8 million of unrestricted funds in excess of a state-required surplus, but the truth is that a $9.8-million unrestricted reserve is nonexistent, and the current reserve is being used to increase certificated and classified salaries and benefits.

The petition also states that the district has a large number of emergency credentialed teachers, but the truth is that the district has about the same percentage of new teachers as neighboring schools. And as an example of our excellent teacher training programs and effective administrative leadership, Fairhaven Elementary School, which has the largest number of new teachers, recorded the highest test score improvement in the district (72 points). As a result of the improved academic achievement of most students, and the quality of instruction, 25 Orange Unified schools will share $1.8 million under the state’s Bonus Program. We are proud of the academic performance of our students and are pleased that many of our employees will be financially rewarded for their service.

But the recall activists negate the district’s remarkable achievements for students and teachers, and choose to manufacture and promote lies. They’re an easy tool to use, as long as no one finds out. Every endeavor that requires collaboration and trust is destroyed in the process. Life isn’t a game of “catch me if you can.” Integrity clearly defines who we are as a society and a community and, most important, it defines the kind of people we are.

Gisela Meiers, a recall organizer, wrote in a recent memo to other people involved in the effort, “Those of us who worked in the streets know how ignorant and apathetic the voters are. The vast majority of them are not paying close attention to what is going on. All we have to do is convince half of the people who signed the petitions to vote our way.”

I don’t believe the voters are ignorant or stupid; I believe they will demand accountability, integrity and truth at the ballot box on June 26. I believe they will vote “no” on the recall.