Curious wrote on Mar 15, 2006 4:41 AM:Perhaps someone can provide more details...why was she released from her contract in Redondo Beach after only 1 year? It says she was bought out of her contract after less than 12 months??? Sounds similar to Allmen. Did the teachers in Redondo Beach dislike her? If so, why???

Fair and balanced wrote on Mar 15, 2006 7:03 AM:Here we go. This obviously highly qualified educator has been on the job about an hour, and the union has already begun the smear campaign with "Curious" leading the charge. Let's give her a break and see if the union was truthful when they said it's really not "all about the money - we need a superintendent who is a people person". Now they have one. Will the complaining stop?

Temecula Taxpayer wrote on Mar 15, 2006 7:48 AM:She sounds extremely qualified for the job which explains why the Board will only use her for the interim - Barb would never want a Super that is smarter than her.

Still wondering wrote on Mar 15, 2006 8:26 AM:I'm still wondering why the board refuses to say why they placed Allmen on leave. Also wondering if Allmen will sue....wouldn't that be ironic? Found this on CA School news yesterday (Ventura County Star): A deeply divided Rio School District board voted 3-2 Monday night to settle a long-standing and bitter lawsuit with its former superintendent by paying her and her attorneys nearly $1.4 million. Benitez also filed another lawsuit, alleging the board had violated the state's open-meeting law — the Brown Act — when it placed her on administrative leave during a closed-door meeting months before she was fired. Hey Tooker.........does this sound familiar? Better check with the district's attorneys. Hey, maybe you can sue them for giving you bad advice?

Ron wrote on Mar 15, 2006 9:11 AM:See how common this is? Buying out contracts? And $700 a day? That's about $252,000 per year. Pretty good contract for a temp. And really, as a temp., what power to move this district forward does she really have? She's just occupying a slot, not directing the district, which is the job of a superintendent. Pure political cover by the board.

Mad max wrote on Mar 15, 2006 9:15 AM:So Tooker is paying ms.Leighty roughly $56000 (+ benifits & expenses) over the next 4 months,while still paying Allmen his full salary. Is this type of spending why the district has no money for its' teachers or an indication that the district is not as bad off as they want us to think? The schools continued to run while Allmen was golfing on district time & while he was "on leave". I bet we could survive without an interim superintendant. Probably without a superintendant at all.

$700 a day wrote on Mar 15, 2006 10:04 AM:Well, if you don't count weekends and give her 10 days of unpaid vacation, it would come out to $175,700 at $700 a day. Then there are benefits...

To Fair and Balanced wrote on Mar 15, 2006 1:21 PM:So, if this person is so "highly qualified", WHY was she released or bought out of her contract in Redondo Beach? I know you want to be fair and balnced, so can you or the board address that? I didn't see any mention of the reasons behind her departure from RBUSD in any of the press releases. As a taxpayer who will be paying her salary, I want to know. I have hired people in the "real world", and if someone was fired or released, I ALWAYS wanted a FULL explanation. You fault "Curious" for asking the question. Is this TVUSD board beyond reproach? I pay their salary, and I want some answers about this NEW and HIGHLY paid interim superintendent.

Wait & Watch wrote on Mar 15, 2006 6:38 PM:Dr. Leighty isn't on the job twenty-four hours and there are attacks. The school district has big problems. What can she do? Do you have any idea of all the issues that transpire behind the Superintendent door? The district must have a leader to deal with all the complaints, law suits, and much more. Yes, $700 is big bucks. You couldn't pay me enough to walk in her shoes. When you speak with her, she is an impressive woman. There are no other perks beyond the $700. Released from Redondo Beach? I would like to hear more, but you won't hear it. Give Dr. Leighty a break and let the lady do her job. Time will tell if she was worth the money. Did you vote for Mrs. Tooker? If you did you are responsible for what you disagree with. You run for school board! Didn't vote? Then next time show up at the polls! You don't like your current governing board then either run yourself or start a recall. Mud slinging is a waste of time and energy.

Fair and Balanced wrote on Mar 16, 2006 12:17 AM:With Temecula's highest paid teachers making over $400 a day and the lowest paid teachers making over $200 a day, it seems a person with a doctorate degree and 30+ years of experience is worth $700 a day. Every teacher in this district was free to apply for the interim superintendent position. So if teachers don't like it here they should stop whining and leave. Temecula will continue to have great teachers - applicants are lined up and ready to go to work. Parents like me would enjoy working at school with happy people for a change.

Temecula Parent wrote on Mar 16, 2006 8:25 AM:To those posting angry and accusatory questions about the new interim superintendent - instead of acting like spoiled children, why don't you just call the district office and make an appointment to meet with her? Teachers union members may be surprised to learn that many parents have already met her, and found her to be extremely qualified, personable, and engaging.

To Temecula parent... wrote on Mar 16, 2006 5:15 PM:"many parents have already met her" You have got to be kidding!! She has only been here less than 2 days and many parents have met her? BULL!!! Many employees haven't even met her. Please don't lie!!

Leighty info wrote on Mar 16, 2006 10:06 PM:Leighty apparently clashed with the board majority over employee contract negotiations and the slow pace of potential development of the district’s property at 200 N. Pacific Coast Highway as a revenue-generating assisted senior housing facility. Other matters of conflict have been an insistence by the RBTA that the superintendent apologize for enforcing a district policy that banned political signs on cars in school parking lots during the recent political campaigns – an issue that is the source of an impending civil rights lawsuit by the union – and the role Leighty purportedly had in forcing former Assistant Superintendent Sandy Clifton Bacon to step down from her position. A perception existed that Leighty directly subverted the will of the majority in these matters.

Leighty info wrote on Mar 16, 2006 10:07 PM:Her resignation was compelled by a board majority that cited “irreconcilable differences” in leadership direction and came in the face of broad public outcry, including the formation of a group calling itself “Rescue Redondo.” Leighty served 18 months as superintendent. The terms of her resignation agreement will pay her another 18 months in salary, or $240,000, in addition to health benefits.

Engineering 1 wrote on Mar 17, 2006 1:39 AM:It is fascinating how defensively uninformed people react when they realize they are indeed uninformed. How naive to assume Dr. Leighty accepted this important position without visiting the district. Those of us who have had the opportunity to meet her are delighted to have such a highly qualified and experienced educator working for the betterment of our children.

Redondo Parent wrote on Mar 17, 2006 8:14 AM:Dr. Leighty was "released" by an idiotic school board who had been on the job less than a year and are painfully uninformed. There are currently plans to recall all of these board members. She was immensely popular here. Do your research, call her up, she has nothing to hide.

Adrian wrote on Mar 17, 2006 10:42 AM:Since she was employeed by San Marcos, how much monies did the Temecula Valley Unified School District have to pay to buy out her contract inorder for us to hire her? Has anyone asked if the District had to buy her contract? Barbara Tooker, Stew Morris, Kenneth Ray, Bob Brown, and Rick Shafer wasted $51,000.00 of instructional General Fund Monies to fire Allmen, three months early. Now, we are spending $700.00 per day to hire Leighty? I noticed at the February Board Meeting red faces when Dave Allmen sat nodding his head yes to a Public Comment by a teacher: "That Mr. Allmen had met with some of the teachers and assured them that the District had 5 Million Dollars sat aside of the teachers monies." Was Allmen's early removal to "Shut him up"?

Adrian wrote on Mar 17, 2006 10:46 AM:Barbara Tooker mention at a previous School Board Meeting that some school districts were running their Districts without a superintendent. There are at least three or four Assistant Superintendents in the District Office. Why, for just weeks while the professional search is completed, did not one of the "most qualified" Assistant Superintendents run the District in order to save money for the TVUSD money strapped District?

late shifter wrote on Mar 17, 2006 11:23 PM:parents and this town are fed up with the annual teacher union mudsling for money. first they want the superintendant fired. then when the school board finally does something we hear more complaining from the teacher union. its plain to see the union is never happy and is only there to slam the school board no matter what they do. i and my neighbors and friends are fed up.teachers get a heck of alot of money for working 7 months a year. this is a great town, so if you don't like working here, go work in a different school.

late shift wrote on Mar 17, 2006 11:43 PM:we just looked up some information on pay scales for superintendants. the teacher union was screaming about David Allmen salary of $150,000. vista just hired a new superintendant at $227,000 a year and they have the same number of students as temecula 27,000. vistas highest teacher salary is $72,600. temeculas highest teacher salary is $78,800. temecula could justify to pay their new superintendant more than vista. will the teacher union agree? since they always compare their salary to other districts. shouldn't the superintendant have the same treatment? we can already hear the screaming.

To late shifter wrote on Mar 18, 2006 10:26 PM:In order to get into the last column on the TVUSD certificated scale, one must hold a master's degree. For VUSD, one never has to have one. The fact that the superintendent makes that much in Vista is an issue with that district. Regardless of these points you seem to miss, it's sad to know that some people of this community think school is in session for only seven months of the year.

Late Shifter wrote on Mar 19, 2006 2:17 PM:I'm thrilled that TVUSD has higher standards for educating our students than Vista and allows teachers to earn more by continuing their education. We need experienced and highly educated teachers. Like ones that could calculate that based on a normal 2080 hour work year, teachers working 6 hours a day for 185 days a year work an aggregate of 7.4 months.

Redondo resident & parent wrote on Mar 19, 2006 2:48 PM:Temecula is lucky to have Dr. Leighty. She guarded our district budget and preserved money for programs and supplies for the kids instead of caving to the teachers union's demands for higher and higher salaries. Parents and Redondo residents are so upset, we have begun recall proceedings against the 3 union-backed school board members who caused us to lose a great superintendent. Be thankful, Temecula. You've got a winner in Dr. Leighty who will put the needs of your children ahead of the union every time.

To late shifter... wrote on Mar 19, 2006 4:02 PM:The union had NOTHING to do with Allmen being fired!! He was quoted in the Californian months ago stating the board told him to "control his emotions" when addressing them and that he (Allman) could not "continue to work with the board" under it's current configuration! He has been trying to get bought out for a year and the board foolishly granted his selfish wish! Don't blame the teachers union for the another costly decision made by an inept school board led by Barbara Tooker!!

To Late Shifter wrote on Mar 20, 2006 11:43 AM:Your aggregate calculation is incorrect. Additionally, you are using the incorrect number of hours in a work day.

JIM wrote on Apr 27, 2006 1:27 PM:This all sounds so familiar. I am working with the Rio School District (Vuntura County, CA)Recall committee to recall 3 of our trustees for much the same reasons as Isee at your district. Sounds like you need to do a recall also. Our community is very much in favor of a recall. We easily gathered MORE THAN the required amount of signatures to put our recall on the ballot and get rid of these bandits. They paid one of our previous superintendents 1.4 MILLON dollars to settle a suit that never went to court!