KEVIN ALFARO FOR SCHOOL BOARD
If elected to as a School Board Member in the St. Helena Unified School District, I will work tirelessly to make our schools the best that they can be for all of the children in our community. This is a long term commitment for me.
Recently, false statements have been made about my on going legal problems with the District. I feel compelled to set the record straight. 1) The District began legal proceedings against my family first. We were forced to hire an attorney to respond and protect our rights. 2) The District refused to mediate (they have admitted this in paperwork they filed with the court). 3) The District made a written settlement offer to us which we signed and promptly returned. The District then withdrew the offer and forced us all to participate in a long and expensive 10 day hearing. All we have ever wanted from the District is a fair and appropriate education for our children.
Being involved in litigation with the District has been very difficult for my entire family and we desperately want it to end. In fact, I continue to make overtures to the District to try to resolve things OUT of the court room WITHOUT lawyers, but the District refuses to do so.
Despite my problems with the District, be assured that my intentions for being on the School Board are not self-serving but are motivated by a desire to bring positive changes to our District.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Why Recall Is Justified
WHY RECALL IS JUSTIFIED
Monday, October 19, 2009
Editor: Recent letter writers have stated that, since the District Attorney determined that former superintendent Allan Gordon didn’t break the law by planning his own early retirement package, our school board must be doing a good job.
Is this how far the bar has been lowered for school board members? As long as no one has committed a crime under their watch then they’ve upheld their responsibilities?
Putting aside the fact that Mr. Gordon signed the document that awarded him almost $200,000 in early retirement benefits three months later, what seems to have been forgotten in these letters are the many other issues that started and reinforced the recall movement, which began long before the conflict of interest issue regarding Mr. Gordon came to light.
In April, community members spoke out against the board’s insistence on summarily offering Dr. Rob Haley the superintendent position. Ignoring pleas from the community to perform a search and offer Haley an interim contract, the board immediately appointed Haley and awarded him a contract with an automatic renewal provision that gives him virtually perpetual employment.
Subsequently, many in the community were alarmed to hear of the high salaries paid to Mr. Gordon (approximately $264,000/year) and our current superintendent (approximately $205,000/year), while teachers were told to be extremely conservative in ordering instructional materials for the 2009-2010 school year.
Then came the realization that our district, with approximately 1,300 students, greatly increased the number of administrative positions (coupled with lucrative salaries) to unnecessary levels.
Meanwhile, the district cut or severely limited valuable school programs, such as vocational and special education programs, and had to cancel the after-school tutoring program due to lack of funding. All the while, the district asked our community to donate money to our schools to pay for school field trips, teacher supplies, library books, computers, etc.
Instead of addressing these issues, the board took a “we know better than you” approach, dismissing community concerns.
These are the reasons that the recall is justified, regardless of whether anyone believes that Mr. Gordon committed a crime.
Tim Stel
Leslie Ellis
Kelly Rios
Kathy Zelazny
Gene & Denise Armstead
Tiny Boak
Molly Morales
Dan & Diane Beltrami
Joanne Yates
Alexandra Haslip
Gayle Davies
Lisa Pelosi
Cherie Melka
Pavi Lawson
Monday, October 19, 2009
Editor: Recent letter writers have stated that, since the District Attorney determined that former superintendent Allan Gordon didn’t break the law by planning his own early retirement package, our school board must be doing a good job.
Is this how far the bar has been lowered for school board members? As long as no one has committed a crime under their watch then they’ve upheld their responsibilities?
Putting aside the fact that Mr. Gordon signed the document that awarded him almost $200,000 in early retirement benefits three months later, what seems to have been forgotten in these letters are the many other issues that started and reinforced the recall movement, which began long before the conflict of interest issue regarding Mr. Gordon came to light.
In April, community members spoke out against the board’s insistence on summarily offering Dr. Rob Haley the superintendent position. Ignoring pleas from the community to perform a search and offer Haley an interim contract, the board immediately appointed Haley and awarded him a contract with an automatic renewal provision that gives him virtually perpetual employment.
Subsequently, many in the community were alarmed to hear of the high salaries paid to Mr. Gordon (approximately $264,000/year) and our current superintendent (approximately $205,000/year), while teachers were told to be extremely conservative in ordering instructional materials for the 2009-2010 school year.
Then came the realization that our district, with approximately 1,300 students, greatly increased the number of administrative positions (coupled with lucrative salaries) to unnecessary levels.
Meanwhile, the district cut or severely limited valuable school programs, such as vocational and special education programs, and had to cancel the after-school tutoring program due to lack of funding. All the while, the district asked our community to donate money to our schools to pay for school field trips, teacher supplies, library books, computers, etc.
Instead of addressing these issues, the board took a “we know better than you” approach, dismissing community concerns.
These are the reasons that the recall is justified, regardless of whether anyone believes that Mr. Gordon committed a crime.
Tim Stel
Leslie Ellis
Kelly Rios
Kathy Zelazny
Gene & Denise Armstead
Tiny Boak
Molly Morales
Dan & Diane Beltrami
Joanne Yates
Alexandra Haslip
Gayle Davies
Lisa Pelosi
Cherie Melka
Pavi Lawson
Reasons For Recall Are Offered
Four reasons for recall are offered
By Jeanne DeVincenzi
Monday, October 19, 2009
There has been talk recently by school board members and their supporters regarding the Napa County District Attorney’s press release addressing former Superintendent Allan Gordon’s actions with respect to the early retirement plan he put into place, and from which he shortly thereafter benefited.
These same individuals state that, if Mr. Gordon didn’t act illegally, then the recall is baseless, and the school board members have adequately lived up to their responsibilities to the district and the community.
What the board members and their supporters are ignoring is the fact that the recall movement is based on so many more issues than Mr. Gordon’s conflict of interest regarding the retirement plan. Whether you support the recall or not, it’s important to understand the goals of the recall and why more than one-third of the registered voters in our district signed petitions based on the belief that a recall election is necessary.
Fiscal responsibility
One of those goals is to bring more fiscal responsibility to the school district. Curbing the current excessive administrative spending in our district could free up hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be allocated to programs that develop all levels of education for all the students in our community.
Cutting back on unnecessary administrative positions, excessive administrative salaries, unnecessary legal fees and unwarranted early retirement benefits for select administrators would allow our district to fund the valuable programs that have been cut or curtailed in recent years by the district, and perhaps additional programs could be funded to provide our students with more tools that they will need to achieve their goals.
With the current economic situation, it is more important than ever to bring more fiscal responsibility to our district so that not a penny is wasted on unnecessary expenses. By making the right financial decisions now, we can ensure that our students will be able to participate in and enjoy valuable programs for many years to come.
More accountability
Another goal of the recall is to introduce more accountability and transparency to the school board. While closed session meetings of the board are important to maintain confidentiality with respect to school personnel, students and other private matters, discussions regarding issues that do not fall within those areas should take place out in the open.
The community needs a heads-up as to decisions the board intends to make. The public has the right to be timely and properly informed of all of the issues that the board will address at a meeting. Public trust is lost when board members call special meetings to correct their failure to properly inform the community of an issue that was discussed and decided at a previous meeting. The board members should also be able to adequately explain the reasoning behind their decisions.
Better relationships
Many people who support the recall do so with an objective of building a more collaborative relationship between the district and the community. An open dialogue between the board and parents, teachers, staff and other community members is crucial to building a culture of trust and respect in our schools and community.
It is important to have a school board that is willing to listen to, and take in, all points of view before making decisions. Eliminating any fear of retaliation for bringing concerns before the board and the administration is another critical step toward promoting trust and integrity in our district.
Independent thinking
Finally, recall supporters have advocated for a board that thinks and operates independently from the administration. Our school district deserves board members who are willing to dig deeper into issues and administrative recommendations instead of accepting them at face value.
Section 9000 of the board’s bylaws states that the board is “elected by the community to provide leadership and citizen oversight to the district.” How can a school board provide oversight if it doesn’t question proposals and information provided to it by the administration?
The recall effort started and has remained strong because the current SHUSD school board has failed to provide fiscal responsibility, accountability, transparency, open communication and independence to this district. Recall supporters believe that these goals shouldn’t be a wish list for our district, they should be a given.
This is why so many in this community have come together to bring a positive change to our school district. This is why the recall became and still is necessary.
(Jeanne DeVincenzi is an attorney who has lived and practiced law in St. Helena for 11 years. She is the president of the Elementary School Site Council, a member of the RLS School Site Council, on the board of directors of the St. Helena Public Schools Endowment Trust, and the immediate past Vice-President of the St. Helena Primary and Elementary Schools Parent Teacher Group.
Ms. DeVincenzi and her husband have three children who attend the schools in the SHUSD.)
By Jeanne DeVincenzi
Monday, October 19, 2009
There has been talk recently by school board members and their supporters regarding the Napa County District Attorney’s press release addressing former Superintendent Allan Gordon’s actions with respect to the early retirement plan he put into place, and from which he shortly thereafter benefited.
These same individuals state that, if Mr. Gordon didn’t act illegally, then the recall is baseless, and the school board members have adequately lived up to their responsibilities to the district and the community.
What the board members and their supporters are ignoring is the fact that the recall movement is based on so many more issues than Mr. Gordon’s conflict of interest regarding the retirement plan. Whether you support the recall or not, it’s important to understand the goals of the recall and why more than one-third of the registered voters in our district signed petitions based on the belief that a recall election is necessary.
Fiscal responsibility
One of those goals is to bring more fiscal responsibility to the school district. Curbing the current excessive administrative spending in our district could free up hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be allocated to programs that develop all levels of education for all the students in our community.
Cutting back on unnecessary administrative positions, excessive administrative salaries, unnecessary legal fees and unwarranted early retirement benefits for select administrators would allow our district to fund the valuable programs that have been cut or curtailed in recent years by the district, and perhaps additional programs could be funded to provide our students with more tools that they will need to achieve their goals.
With the current economic situation, it is more important than ever to bring more fiscal responsibility to our district so that not a penny is wasted on unnecessary expenses. By making the right financial decisions now, we can ensure that our students will be able to participate in and enjoy valuable programs for many years to come.
More accountability
Another goal of the recall is to introduce more accountability and transparency to the school board. While closed session meetings of the board are important to maintain confidentiality with respect to school personnel, students and other private matters, discussions regarding issues that do not fall within those areas should take place out in the open.
The community needs a heads-up as to decisions the board intends to make. The public has the right to be timely and properly informed of all of the issues that the board will address at a meeting. Public trust is lost when board members call special meetings to correct their failure to properly inform the community of an issue that was discussed and decided at a previous meeting. The board members should also be able to adequately explain the reasoning behind their decisions.
Better relationships
Many people who support the recall do so with an objective of building a more collaborative relationship between the district and the community. An open dialogue between the board and parents, teachers, staff and other community members is crucial to building a culture of trust and respect in our schools and community.
It is important to have a school board that is willing to listen to, and take in, all points of view before making decisions. Eliminating any fear of retaliation for bringing concerns before the board and the administration is another critical step toward promoting trust and integrity in our district.
Independent thinking
Finally, recall supporters have advocated for a board that thinks and operates independently from the administration. Our school district deserves board members who are willing to dig deeper into issues and administrative recommendations instead of accepting them at face value.
Section 9000 of the board’s bylaws states that the board is “elected by the community to provide leadership and citizen oversight to the district.” How can a school board provide oversight if it doesn’t question proposals and information provided to it by the administration?
The recall effort started and has remained strong because the current SHUSD school board has failed to provide fiscal responsibility, accountability, transparency, open communication and independence to this district. Recall supporters believe that these goals shouldn’t be a wish list for our district, they should be a given.
This is why so many in this community have come together to bring a positive change to our school district. This is why the recall became and still is necessary.
(Jeanne DeVincenzi is an attorney who has lived and practiced law in St. Helena for 11 years. She is the president of the Elementary School Site Council, a member of the RLS School Site Council, on the board of directors of the St. Helena Public Schools Endowment Trust, and the immediate past Vice-President of the St. Helena Primary and Elementary Schools Parent Teacher Group.
Ms. DeVincenzi and her husband have three children who attend the schools in the SHUSD.)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Ballots Have Been Mailed!
All registered voters within the St. Helena Unified School District should have received your mail- in ballot for the open seat for the St. Helena School Board.
We encourage you to vote early! As you know C4QE endorses Kevin Alfaro for this seat.
All ballots should be deposited in the mail by October 30th. Also, please be sure to sign the outside of the envelope too!
If you have not registered to vote you can still do so- the deadline is Monday, October 19th by 5pm.
Thank You for your support and for participating in the voting process.
We encourage you to vote early! As you know C4QE endorses Kevin Alfaro for this seat.
All ballots should be deposited in the mail by October 30th. Also, please be sure to sign the outside of the envelope too!
If you have not registered to vote you can still do so- the deadline is Monday, October 19th by 5pm.
Thank You for your support and for participating in the voting process.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
St. Helena Star's Editorial Board: Elect Kevin Alfaro
ELECT KEVIN ALFARO
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Star’s editorial board interviewed school board candidates Roger Adams and Kevin Alfaro this week seeking the candidate who can best serve children, parents and other taxpayers who expect their trustees to oversee a top-notch education for all students, at the best cost, while keeping the teachers, administrators and support staff working in harmony.
Ballots will be mailed to all district voters beginning Monday.
Although the two candidates have opposing views on this winter’s pending recall election — Adams is against the recall while Alfaro helped organize it — the editorial board focused instead on this special election, called to fill the seat vacated by Jim Haslip’s May resignation.
The board was looking for a candidate who can analyze budgets, improve communication between the district and the community, act diplomatically, lead the administration rather than follow, visualize school improvements despite fewer dollars, and make a commitment to stick around.
Although both candidates share a sincere interest in improving the school district, their approach to the job differs greatly.
Aside from tweaking the public comments policy at board meetings, Adams seems pleased with the district as it is.
While Adams said he would not seek re-election, basically becoming a lame duck upon his election, Alfaro said he would seek re-election in November 2010. He said he was planning to run next year even before Haslip resigned.
Although Adams offers years of experience as a former superintendent, principal and teacher, he lacks specific knowledge about St. Helena’s school district. Alfaro — a parent with three kids in the school system, seven years of experience as treasurer of the Boys and Girls Club and currently a member of the RLS Parent Group — has first-hand knowledge of the district’s workings.
Adams should be applauded for his willingness to serve the community in a time of turmoil, and he is sincere about wanting to do a good job for the children, teachers and principals of the district, but he admitted he lacks understanding of the International Baccalaureate program, the district’s administrative overhead or how to use computers.
Asked what he knows about the IB program, Adams replied, “I don’t have a good concept of that.” Asked about his use of computers, Adams said he doesn’t use e-mail because he prefers “face-to-face” discussions. Asked his assessment of district spending on administrators, Adams didn’t directly answer the question, but rather spoke about the need to preserve its television/audio-visual department.
Alfaro, on the other hand, had specific ideas about how to reduce spending in the event of further funding cuts. He said he would think twice before offering early-retirement payments to retirees. He said he would use his experience as a certified public accountant to help the board understand financial options. He said he would ask the board to take a hard look at reducing the administrative staff inside Vintage Hall.
Also, Alfaro said that, while Superintendent Rob Haley is a skilled administrator, he needs to work on improving communication, developing people skills and getting more involved in the St. Helena community.
“I’d rather be judged on my skill sets and merits — I know finance, I’m a parent and I’m open-minded,” Alfaro told the editorial board.
Alfaro demonstrates clear qualifications for this position. Despite his leadership in the recall and his involvement in litigation over special education, the editorial board was assured, based on Alfaro’s calm demeanor and diplomatic nature, that he will work to smooth relations between the school board and the community.
As he intends to seek re-election in November 2010, Alfaro should use his first year as a trustee to prove he has the temperament to play peacemaker and work to help the board focus on the business of running the district.
We recommend Kevin Alfaro to school district voters.
(Editor’s note: St. Helena native Tom Giugni participated in the Star editorial board interview with candidates Alfaro and Adams. Giugni, a former school superintendent who currently advises school districts throughout the state, served on the Star editorial board from 2006-2008.)
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Star’s editorial board interviewed school board candidates Roger Adams and Kevin Alfaro this week seeking the candidate who can best serve children, parents and other taxpayers who expect their trustees to oversee a top-notch education for all students, at the best cost, while keeping the teachers, administrators and support staff working in harmony.
Ballots will be mailed to all district voters beginning Monday.
Although the two candidates have opposing views on this winter’s pending recall election — Adams is against the recall while Alfaro helped organize it — the editorial board focused instead on this special election, called to fill the seat vacated by Jim Haslip’s May resignation.
The board was looking for a candidate who can analyze budgets, improve communication between the district and the community, act diplomatically, lead the administration rather than follow, visualize school improvements despite fewer dollars, and make a commitment to stick around.
Although both candidates share a sincere interest in improving the school district, their approach to the job differs greatly.
Aside from tweaking the public comments policy at board meetings, Adams seems pleased with the district as it is.
While Adams said he would not seek re-election, basically becoming a lame duck upon his election, Alfaro said he would seek re-election in November 2010. He said he was planning to run next year even before Haslip resigned.
Although Adams offers years of experience as a former superintendent, principal and teacher, he lacks specific knowledge about St. Helena’s school district. Alfaro — a parent with three kids in the school system, seven years of experience as treasurer of the Boys and Girls Club and currently a member of the RLS Parent Group — has first-hand knowledge of the district’s workings.
Adams should be applauded for his willingness to serve the community in a time of turmoil, and he is sincere about wanting to do a good job for the children, teachers and principals of the district, but he admitted he lacks understanding of the International Baccalaureate program, the district’s administrative overhead or how to use computers.
Asked what he knows about the IB program, Adams replied, “I don’t have a good concept of that.” Asked about his use of computers, Adams said he doesn’t use e-mail because he prefers “face-to-face” discussions. Asked his assessment of district spending on administrators, Adams didn’t directly answer the question, but rather spoke about the need to preserve its television/audio-visual department.
Alfaro, on the other hand, had specific ideas about how to reduce spending in the event of further funding cuts. He said he would think twice before offering early-retirement payments to retirees. He said he would use his experience as a certified public accountant to help the board understand financial options. He said he would ask the board to take a hard look at reducing the administrative staff inside Vintage Hall.
Also, Alfaro said that, while Superintendent Rob Haley is a skilled administrator, he needs to work on improving communication, developing people skills and getting more involved in the St. Helena community.
“I’d rather be judged on my skill sets and merits — I know finance, I’m a parent and I’m open-minded,” Alfaro told the editorial board.
Alfaro demonstrates clear qualifications for this position. Despite his leadership in the recall and his involvement in litigation over special education, the editorial board was assured, based on Alfaro’s calm demeanor and diplomatic nature, that he will work to smooth relations between the school board and the community.
As he intends to seek re-election in November 2010, Alfaro should use his first year as a trustee to prove he has the temperament to play peacemaker and work to help the board focus on the business of running the district.
We recommend Kevin Alfaro to school district voters.
(Editor’s note: St. Helena native Tom Giugni participated in the Star editorial board interview with candidates Alfaro and Adams. Giugni, a former school superintendent who currently advises school districts throughout the state, served on the Star editorial board from 2006-2008.)
C4QE Back Kevin Alfaro
RECALLERS BACK ALFARO
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Editor: The Citizens for Quality Education would like to take this opportunity to thank our supporters and to clarify the next steps related to the upcoming school board elections.
First, although we weren’t able to speak with all of the St. Helena Unified School District registered voters, we were able to meet with over a third of our district’s constituents. We thank you for giving us the time to present our reasons for the petitions, regardless of whether you signed or not, and we look forward to speaking to more of you in the coming months.
Those voters we did speak with understand that the recall is not meant as a personal attack against any board member. They know that our issues with the Board are related to fiscal accountability, transparency, trust and respect.
Secondly, within the next few weeks, you will be receiving a mail-in ballot to vote for a new school board member. This is NOT the recall election, but rather an election to fill the position left vacant when former board member Jim Haslip resigned.
Citizens for Quality Education endorses Kevin Alfaro for this election.
In January or February, the recall election will be held and voters can choose to either recall and select replacements, or to retain sitting members. There will be many opportunities to learn more about the new candidates later this year. Please visit our blog for upcoming events and news. (www.citizensforqualityed.blogspot.com.)
Finally, we sincerely appreciate the support we have received as we strive to continue to improve our schools, and in particular, their governance. We look forward to a time in the near future when the School Board will be truly responsive to all of us, the parents and citizens of the St. Helena Unified School District.
Denise and Gene Armstead
Dan and Diane Beltrami
Tiny Boak
Jeanne DeVincenzi
Alexandra and Jim Haslip
Molly Morales
Kelly Rios
Maria Stel
Joanne Yates
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Editor: The Citizens for Quality Education would like to take this opportunity to thank our supporters and to clarify the next steps related to the upcoming school board elections.
First, although we weren’t able to speak with all of the St. Helena Unified School District registered voters, we were able to meet with over a third of our district’s constituents. We thank you for giving us the time to present our reasons for the petitions, regardless of whether you signed or not, and we look forward to speaking to more of you in the coming months.
Those voters we did speak with understand that the recall is not meant as a personal attack against any board member. They know that our issues with the Board are related to fiscal accountability, transparency, trust and respect.
Secondly, within the next few weeks, you will be receiving a mail-in ballot to vote for a new school board member. This is NOT the recall election, but rather an election to fill the position left vacant when former board member Jim Haslip resigned.
Citizens for Quality Education endorses Kevin Alfaro for this election.
In January or February, the recall election will be held and voters can choose to either recall and select replacements, or to retain sitting members. There will be many opportunities to learn more about the new candidates later this year. Please visit our blog for upcoming events and news. (www.citizensforqualityed.blogspot.com.)
Finally, we sincerely appreciate the support we have received as we strive to continue to improve our schools, and in particular, their governance. We look forward to a time in the near future when the School Board will be truly responsive to all of us, the parents and citizens of the St. Helena Unified School District.
Denise and Gene Armstead
Dan and Diane Beltrami
Tiny Boak
Jeanne DeVincenzi
Alexandra and Jim Haslip
Molly Morales
Kelly Rios
Maria Stel
Joanne Yates
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