Carter Remains Superintendent

An emotional meeting wrapped up this evening with Capistrano Unified School District Superintendent A. Woodrow Carter still at the helm.

Trustees spent about an hour in closed session after dozens of public speakers urged them to support the superintendent, who listened from the dais as employees, parents and community leaders complimented his leadership and committment to his job.

Board President Ellen Addonizio said trustees support Carter, but noted the district has been going through a difficult time. She also pointed out the current board is the third group of elected officials in just the past few months.

The potential firing, she said, was just a rumor that spun out of control - even that it drew about 250 people to the meeting, including more than 40 who signed up to speak. Even Carter was convinced his job was over, delivering an impassioned speech to start the meeting. He was interupted by at least four standing ovations.

Fueling the rumors, of course, was the late addition to the agenda that included closed-session items to review him and a possible discipline/dismissal of a public employee. Even more serious: Addonizio yesterday delivered to Carter a formal notice that he faced charges or accusations. Those legally-required letters aren't typically handed out lightly, but Addonizio said it was routine.

Here's an observation: Trustee Larry Christensen provided late notice he couldn't attend today's meeting. Trustees Anna Bryson and Ken Maddox have previously supported Carter. That left Addonizio and Trustee Sue Palazzo, who reportedly tried to suspend Carter a few months ago, and new Trustee Mike Winsten, who is a member of the Recall Committee that openly called for Carter's firing months ago.

The swing vote: Trustee Jack Brick. IF there was move to fire Carter behind closed doors, Brick said he was going to support the Superintendent, so any vote would have failed 3-3 with Christensen absent.

On the record, Addonizio said after the meeting she just wants the district to move forward and that there's no reason folks shouldn't expect it to move forward with Carter at the helm.

Here's a link to the text of Carter's speech.

Here's a link to an earlier post that includes the discipline letter -- note that the letter states it will stay in Carter's file ... hardly seems "routine" to me.

Comments

[childrenfirst]

Can we please get back to educating the future generation and stop the cusd board soap opera.

[blackbeans]

...seems like a big waste of time of everyone; a routine employee matter blown up a community event... thanks to the dispatch! according to the speaker...

no shame? how about some analysis; no more speculations please...

...he obviously has such a poor relationship with the board president that he can't simply ask her what the agenda is about in advance... instead he fights over it rallies the troops and a speech that he will soon regret...

...too bad and failed his booster club...

...dead man walking indeed...

...thanks to the dispatch superintendent, we never get around the to the "workshop" to hear him lecturing the board about their roles...

pathetic leadership theater on display for public consumption... i could not turn away........

[Was there]

Sure Blackbeans, if you believe that, I have some swampland to sell you.

Recall Committee Blowhard Tom Russell publicly calls for Carter to be fired.

Recall Committee buys seven seats on the board.

Board President serves Carter with document legally required before he can be fired and puts item on agenda of meeting at last minute.

What do you really think was going to happen?

Thank goodness people turned out and thank goodness for the courage of trustees Maddox, Bryson and Brick.

You, Blackbean, sound like the sort who sees a copy standing out front of his house every day for a week and finally says "hey, why are you here, there hasn't been a single crime here for the past week."

We'll never know what would have happened if everyone would have shown up, but I'm very happy at the outcome, so it went exactly as it needed to, as far as I'm concerned.

So yes, Thank you Dispatch.

[capofirst]

Hey Blackheart, the reasons 300 people showed up was because they don't trust the "reform" board who appears to be trying to bankrupt the district with their lawsuits and who, it appeared, was trying to pull a fast one with a quickly scheduled "public" meeting at a time when it was difficult for the public to get there. Toss in the letter they put out and people who care about the district were concerned. If they had scheduled it in advance, there would have been many hundreds more of concerned parents, teachers, and students. The only thing pathetic is your twisted take.

Do you have any children going to school in the district?

Capofirst

[Buttercup]

I have one question to ask you Carter supporters; besides securing his contract, what has he accomplished for the district?

Carter's performance yesterday was not that of a leader. It was the action of a scared and pathetic little man. It suits him for the turmoil in the district to continue. If we faced smooth sailing, it would be obvious to all that he is an empty suit.

How many people who were at the meeting yesterday were on the CUSD clock? Where was the benefit to the students of CUSD? What shameful waste of resources Chicken Little orchestrated.

To those who think the meeting schedule was inappropriate, thank your "leader", he called it.

[A psychotherapist who knows.]

The entire CUSD board is filled with complete losers.

Big fish in the little pond mentality. So pathetic. Maybe some psychotherapy would do these people good - Try to pinpoint why you feel it is necessary to make other people's lives miserable to make up for your own failures, feeling of inadequacy and self loathing.
A little soul searching may do these people good. Why go through life as a loser?

[Hopeful Parent]

"Recall""Reform""Revenge" whatever you call yourselves. How come you NEVER talk about the kids or the education of our kids? Oh, that's right it's not about the kids!

The kids, parents and teachers are looking for some heros at the school district. Superintendent Carter, Sheree Smith, Trustees that supported the Superintendent and the reporters from the Dispatch - Thank you! Hopefully it's contagious.

[Curiouso Jorge]

Hey great question!

What has Carter done for the students of CUSD?

It ought to be easy to come up with a list, given all his admirers. Being "nice" doesn't count, though. For his salary, even I could be nice (though I admit it might take serious work) - for $300K+ a year, I could do it.

Why does everyone think Carter is great?

[capofirst]

Buttercup,
Do a little research before you demonstrate your ignorance. There's a letter on this site written by the board requesting Carter to appear.

One thing he has done for the district is go out to the schools and meet with students, parents, and teachers which is a welcome change. Have any board members done that? They couldn't care less about the people of the district. They only care about their political agenda which seems to be directed by someone else. Watching them fumble to explain anything or answer questions is pathetic and shows that they are puppets.

I doubt if any teachers on the clock were there. How would they leave the classroom, another ignorant statement. If people were there on the clock, do you blame them for caring about their jobs and the district.

Do you have any children in the district?

Capofirst

[This is Reform?????]

It looks like it won't be long before we have another recall! At least this one will be for legitimate reasons.