When wrote on Jun 11, 2008 7:24 PM:It's perplexing as to why TVUSD has not rescinded more pink slips. It seems as if every district across California was able to protect their teachers and STUDENTS, by keeping the cuts away from the classroom. TVUSD seems to say all the right things, yet they do nothing!! They need to get their priorities straight and protect their students. Their is a huge distrust starting to form amongst parents and teachers towards the decision-making of TVUSD. Clarity is all we want in order to do what's best for our kids.

JD wrote on Jun 11, 2008 9:14 PM:Can we get a few more board members to step down? THAT will help the teachers more than anything.

Rambolito wrote on Jun 11, 2008 9:43 PM:OK....so we're no longer going to be Tooker Unified Valley USD. Glad the district is going to keep 3 positions open (unfilled.) Are they going to replace that with seven or eight teachers for our kids? Probably not. By ridding admin of several jobs, how does that equal ONLY one teaching position? It takes about four new teachers to make up one ass't supe. Throw in a director, and we're looking at maybe six teachers, combined. Are parents ready to get rid of class size reduction in fresh math/lang arts and primary grades? I want my kids to enjoy the benefits of the smaller class sizes that prior kids in TEM have already had. Calif. already has one of the worst student-teacher ratios. But, that is best saved for another post.

Go go go JD wrote on Jun 11, 2008 11:13 PM:JD hits the nail on the head. Thanks to a board member, teachers are no longer allowed to ask for supplies from parents for their kids. Some school teachers are only getting $50 to $75 start up budgets. How is that supposed to equip a class for 180 days? Should teachers have to spend $500 to buy supplies for all their students? Does Microsoft ask their employees to buy their own computers for work? Does Ford Motor Co. ask their employees to buy cylinder heads to put in the cars they make? Does the fire department make their firefighters buy their own hoses and water to put out fires? Do TVUSD board members have to buy their own supplies?

funny wrote on Jun 12, 2008 4:36 AM:Are the teachers going to get a 5% raise in these hard economic times like Mr. Ritter is? Seems like he could skip that when things are so bad, but admins cannot do that.

Good News Bad News wrote on Jun 12, 2008 6:07 AM:Good news - Glad to see Tooker is leaving, wish her the best. The district could some fresh ideas on the board. Bad news - Ritter is in line to take over Leighty's position. Had him as principal of Chaparral and GO. Wasn't impressed with his management skills. Never knew what was going on outside of his office. My opinion is that he's more a politician than educator or manager. Definitely has no concept of budgeting or educational needs of students. Only principal I know that started an IB program without having experienced, qualified teachers to teach the necessary 12th grade math and science courses for the kids wanting more than biology, Chemistry, basic physics. Glad my oldest kids have moved on to college and the youngest is in private school. Good luck to the rest of you.

US wrote on Jun 12, 2008 7:34 AM:G news B news. He is next in line. That does not mean that we as the voters can't put someone else on the boards who is of the opinion that you don't promote ineffective leadership. You replace it! There is an adage in Federal Gov't., mess up move up. Not here not now.

sd wrote on Jun 12, 2008 7:39 AM:I didn't know board membership was a monarchy!!! I thought it was called and ELECTION by the residents of Temecula and not a crowning by the current board member to a future one.

Raise wrote on Jun 12, 2008 7:57 AM:Teachers' responsibilities increase DAILY with class sizes and budget demands, but no cost of living increase is even given.

Well Rounded wrote on Jun 12, 2008 9:31 AM:Is there any talk about bringing back elementary music, PE, or computers? Are there any plans if the state provides a better budget than the May Revise or January doom and gloom? Does the public know elementary schools will have an early dismissal day every week? HS and MS will have late start day every week? Disconnect. Why are we keeping very low enrollment schools open but laying off teachers? Bricks and mortar are a greater priority than teachers.

Hey wrote on Jun 12, 2008 12:01 PM:Didn't Dick Glock do the job that 2 people have been doing, that now Ritter is going to do? and get a raise because he's doing it alone?

I knew it.. wrote on Jun 12, 2008 12:04 PM:I knew something was up with that Principal shift! I predict that Stewart and Aamodt will be the next sped and h/r directors and their schools will be closed.

oh really wrote on Jun 12, 2008 12:10 PM:Leighty said she still thinks the district needs the assistant superintendent and other eliminated positions.

"If we didn't have this budget problem, we wouldn't be doing this," she said.

Rambo wrote on Jun 12, 2008 4:55 PM:Let me try this again. I made my fortune selling hookah pipes on the mean streets of Gross Point, Michigan and I know the value of a finely-crafted piece of furniture. The loss of Barbara Tooker is akin to losing a finely-crafted piece of mahoghany furniture--there is simply no way to replace it. She was the one who provided the glue to keep this district stuck together. She was the one who saved tons of money by putting it into the classrooms and not in the hands of administrators and teachers who always want MORE! She was the one who brought in Sue Wells for a nominal fee to teach are teachers how to teach. She was the one who just yesterday decided to cut administrative fat so that more money would get to are kids. She was the one who came out with Late Start Mondays so that the teachers could finely-craft there art since it needed polishing. She was the one who used her skills as a parenting expert to help are parents become better parents. Her intellectual capacity and "make 'em earn there living" credo is what her legacy is and we thank you Mrs. Tooker!!

Jedi Knight wrote on Jun 12, 2008 5:04 PM:Glad to see that left wing exstreamist Barbara Tooker go!

To Hey wrote on Jun 12, 2008 5:40 PM:Yes, when Dick Glock left, Ritter was made Assist. Sup. of Ed Services & a new position (Assist. Sup. for Student Support Services) was created for Huntington. Now she's leaving & Ritter will be promoted to a brand new position (& be paid even MORE money).
What's really sad to see though is the monitary growth to the TVUSD's upper individual administrator's salaries compared to what's happened to what's actually spent in the classrooms (what the district spends, not what the teachers pay out of their own pockets).
When are the parents here going to wise up about that? Hopefully, it'll be before November.

To Rambo wrote on Jun 12, 2008 5:43 PM:Why don't you run for Tooker's spot?

The distrust is starting wrote on Jun 12, 2008 5:52 PM:No, the distrust has been around for quite some time. Everyone thought it would get better when Allmen left but what most didn't get was that Carol was hand picked, by the school board. And just WHO do you think has been running our school board? Tooker gave the "we must all be of like minds" to the last set of candidates, before the last election. She's been running the show, for quite some time here. Rambo's right, she dererves all of the "credit" for what's happened here.

To Rambo ........ wrote on Jun 12, 2008 5:55 PM:You forgot to mention that Tooker single handedly got rid of Big Wave
Dave in violation of the Brown Act as detailed in The Californian. She will be sorely missed.

To Rambo wrote on Jun 12, 2008 6:03 PM:I just couldn't resist!!! Are? or do you mean OUR? Meaning belonging to us.
Just thought it comical that you ARE so supportive of OUR board member, and yet you ARE making a simple 2nd grade grammatical error.

Aamodt Eeek wrote on Jun 12, 2008 8:22 PM:god help us if Aamodt gets the HR job. Can't believe these words are exiting my thoughts, but Cordner would be better. People who are not familiar with the tight knit good 'ol boy education network don't know but its true. The stage is being set for what those of you earlier alluded to. Scary.

I also predict wrote on Jun 12, 2008 11:10 PM:That Ritter will take the Superintendent job long before Leighty's contract runs out and that she will get a fat pay out.

adios wrote on Jun 13, 2008 4:17 AM:Ms. Tooker was an extremely polarizing board member. Except for Bob Brown, few will miss her. I think teachers and support staff welcome her departure!

Raise wrote on Jun 13, 2008 5:57 AM:Ritter a raise??? Isn't this the same Barbara Tooker who approved a $50,000 incentive for Ritter to stay a principal after he threatned to leave? This is the same Ritter who laughed and made jokes about his staff members, changed discipline files for some students and attendance flies for other students in order to graduate? Isn't this the same guy who had a STAR testing problem that they investigated and also allowed one of his teachers to harrass girls? I know this because I worked with him and he knows it is true. Ritter and Barbara are 2 peas in a pod. Boy is this district going to be a political animal favoring the Ritter diciples! There is a reason Ontario wanting nothing to do with him. We always welcome the rejects.

Hurray wrote on Jun 13, 2008 9:43 AM:Was part of the comments in "The Wizard of Oz", when the person of the North was silenced.
Oh, Toetoe, she's gone.....

Dear Barbara wrote on Jun 13, 2008 9:45 AM:Does this mean that the older schools still with mold...will be fixed faster and not have silent law suits filled that never get in the newspapers because you wait to settle right before it goes to court, and place a seal of silence as part of the pay offs?

To Raise.......... wrote on Jun 13, 2008 9:46 AM:I am surprised they put your comments in the blog. You know exactly what you are talking about. Spread the word......Ritter was still given the money, they just did it by giving him extra work days. If Tooker is gone, the board may be able to actually think on their own for once and perhaps replace Leighty with the most qualified candidate. We shall see. By the way, Morris needs go GO too!!!

to Raise wrote on Jun 13, 2008 9:48 AM:Sounds like we have another Allmen on our hands. I don't get it. Is the board that dumb? I understand that the school system is a cash cow for administrators, but what is the boards encentive? Seriously this school board should be turned upside down and given a really hard shake!

Macs asks Barbara a question wrote on Jun 13, 2008 9:49 AM:Will you remove the 12 percent raises from all of the Administrators before you go? Can't believe you have the ego to pink slip teachers while adding over eleven people to the DO, and add Director and Assistant Director Positions at the DO when no other Districts in the County have them.
Take our students' grant monies...and add to the intercircle at the DO? Hope this goes away when you leave.

Macs asks wrote on Jun 13, 2008 10:00 AM:Why aren't any of you seeing why the School District has not put up their July or August's first meetings?
Good job Tooker, for it shows all of the busy work you've been doing to the mello roos INFRASTRUCTURE taxation by boundaries, etc. onto all of the CFD Community Facility Districts. Three are in the City of Temecula, and Five are in the French Valley/Winchester areas.
Oops, guess no one is supposed to know?

HOLY MOLELY wrote on Jun 13, 2008 10:08 AM:Prayers are ANSWERED!

Ritter is the crown prince wrote on Jun 13, 2008 12:29 PM:That's the "plan."

If you don't like or agree with this "plan" let them know that when you vote for our school board members (Morris' position is up then too) in November.

Those who don't approve of what has or what is happening here have the opportunity to make a difference by changing the make up of our school board. Those who are satisfied can choose to re-elect incumbents.

Dear Ritter is the crown prince wrote on Jun 13, 2008 4:06 PM:Rambo, you're chaning names, again.
The public over 108,000 barley votes. Mostly its the teachers, DO people and those who look at the architecture, and vote yes for the Board Member...due to they make the District Look Good.
Parents are ill-informed.
DO takes your students' money and use it unwisely.

wait a minute wrote on Jun 13, 2008 9:36 PM:Is Cordner gone? Why do we need a director of hr? Isn't that his job? Are they creating yet another administrative position at the already top heavy DO for Aamodt?

stop the plan wrote on Jun 13, 2008 9:42 PM:to stop this plan it would take more than a few informed parents. I don't think it could be done. I do know that sped parents are going to be in it deep with either Aamodt or Stewart.

Thank You Barbara wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:05 PM:You made our 1989 General Obligation Bond of 25 years for $65,000,000.00 turn into Gold!
The $65 million dollar Voter Approved Taxation became $140.5 million. Tooker is a "wizard" with other people's moneies!
She approved $75.5 million dollars taxation and and extension to the 25 year bond for an additional 19 years.
She [allegedly] voted herself the right to retax us four more times.
This illegal process WITHOUT Voter Approval is called Cash-out REFUNDING.
Thank you for adding to our tax base.

Want Barbie wants Barbie Gets wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:10 PM:Who will be able to fill your shoes? First Ken left the Board, then Mary.
Who will lead the pack and leverage on our CFD mello roos properties?
Thank you for adding 100's of millions of dollars to our homes' taxation.
The City of Temecula makes a mello roos Infrastructure taxation for everything BUT the Schools. They gave their authority to Barbara.
You didn't know both the city and the county gave our School Board Trustees their leveraging taxation authority? You wish that they had not...if you investigate the eight CFD Community Facility Districts the Board Governs.

Dear Barbara wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:12 PM:Employees will miss you coming onto their job sites and [allegedly] threating them.

Dearest Barbara wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:13 PM:Will you ever tell the children and parents of Wolfe Creek you're sorry you gave them a Sinking Mandatory Clause for their 2007 Christmas present?

Power release is hard to give up wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:16 PM:Barbara making Ritter a Deputy Superintendent?...Giving all of them besides the 12% raises and Leighty's $28,000.00 raise for this year...NOW, in July you plan to give them all an additional 5 Percent Raise in July.
Making your last actions memorable as usual.
Laying off teachers, and giving raises, again, to Administration puppets?
Thank you, for being consistent to THE END.

This is not a surprise your retiring Barbara wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:19 PM:When you took the lecturing jobs away from District Psychologist and others, and are running the Propostion 98 Classes through the library, and getting paid for it, I just KNEW you must be on a launch for a new career and possible canidate for county or state positions.

New Canidates for School Board Will Miss Your Classic QuoteLecture Barb. wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:21 PM:If you are running for School Board because you care about kids, you need to leave.
A School Board Member's job is to rule.

Before you leave wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:22 PM:Barbara tell us about all of the money you spent on your Georgia trip, and charged to the District...Please.

Macs says wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:27 PM:Thanks for the memories of you coming onto my job and [allegedly] threating me while I was working at the TMS Libary....that IF I did not become quiet about what you and other Board Members were doing and the Administration.
I descibed that October date in 2005 in my letter of resignation into retirement.
You're a "peach", Barbie.
By the way I do know that if I had filled out a police report, you would have become "history" a whole lot sooner.

Gee Barbara wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:31 PM:By appointing Ritter to be the future Superintendent as the Deputy Superintendent...you may have given us someone who will spend more money from the classroom and our kids on his own.
A 5% percent raise on his new salary of $145,000.00 as Director of Circulation, now a future chief?
You're pink slipping, remember.

Barb wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:34 PM:Can you tell us where to send thanks for the memories?
Can you tell us how Dave Allmen is these days?
You do know that you [allegedly] broke the Brown Act by firing him first, then getting your Board Members to agree with you?

Oh Dear wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:35 PM:Who will write Dr. Leighty's speeches for her when you are gone?

Barbara tells us where all our districts monies have gone wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:45 PM:When will you ask Barbara and her Gang why the unpaid $11,800,000.00 tax advancement went undiscussed in public forum, but was only mentioned at the January 2007 Board Meetings 90 page document called, the 2005-2006 Finalized Yearly Financial Audit Report? They defeased their 2005-2006 TRANS TRUST NOTE unpaid balances' debt into the future with also unpaid fines, penalties and unpaid agents' fees. But, did not write a news press release to tell us WHY?
When will you give newspaper statements to print that for the last three or more years you go over your budget. Then, get extra money from the County Superintendents of schools, was Dr. Dave Long, and now is Kenneth Young.
You do not keep a budget. BUT, ALL OF YOU certainly do take our students grant monies by acts of appropriation for the last five years!
Parents........We need a 100 per cent STATE/FEDERAL audit...BEFORE Barbara leaves US ALL.
The State Dept. of ED will only refer you back to the Riverside Superintendent of Schools. And, if you did not know, Dr. Dave Long is NOW the Secretary of the State Dept. of Ed. So, he'll only support what he's already allowed Barb and gang to do to us.
Barbara, what will you do will the Supply Budget monies of $12 million since you froze any spending?

Dear Barbara wrote on Jun 13, 2008 11:48 PM:Please help Jeff Okun add. You've all been told you would get less money in July. Yet, you printed in the newspaper that this years' monies of $209 million will be replaced with the 2008-09 Budget of $222 million.
Why then, are teachers being laid off and now in your June meeting Cordner and you approved that New Quality Teachers are needed in the District?

way back when... wrote on Jun 14, 2008 8:10 AM:SS told me she didn't have room for another kid with autism (mine) at her school. She'll be a great sped director.

TOP heavy TVUSD wrote on Jun 14, 2008 9:47 AM:This really cracks me up:

Leighty said she still thinks the district needs the assistant superintendent and other eliminated positions.

"If we didn't have this budget problem, we wouldn't be doing this," she said.

Cordner is still here but who knows what he'll do now that one of his directors is gone. That's right folks, not only was there an Asst. Sup for HR, there were also TWO directors (one for classifieds & one for certified positions).

To way back when; SS also didn't seem to think it was a problem to NOT have an RSP at YBES for most of the year (as long as they had Learning Centers). Perhaps that's because it doesn't really matter what's written in those IEPs, the district will do whatever they want anyway because it's not like anyone's going to make then follow the law (remember that joke of a verification review the state did?). I think SS would be a good fit for SpED director in Temecula. Perhaps she can prepare for that as asst. director of SpED since that position is being vacated (LA will be director in another district).

Hey Barb wrote on Jun 14, 2008 10:43 AM:Are you going to train someone how to operate Bob and Stew before you go?

Hey Barb wrote on Jun 14, 2008 3:31 PM:I forgot about Rick, but he never does anything anyway. Does he even speak or just hold up a sign that says "me too"?

testing wrote on Jun 14, 2008 6:26 PM:hello nct..are you there?? Where's my blog?

Roberto wrote on Jun 15, 2008 10:35 PM:Democracy is a joke...this is just another example of an incumbent deciding when its time to go.

Dear Barb wrote on Jun 15, 2008 10:38 PM:Please take Stew, Bob, and Rick with you, too.
That way, our CFD's and General Obligation Bonds will be safe from Refunding and leveraging.

Dearest Barbara wrote on Jun 15, 2008 10:41 PM:Is it true you've never had a CA Teachering Degree?
You taught at school and took your toddler with you in class?
Whow.......can't compare you to our TVUSD's teachers. They've never asked to be paid for baby sitting and teaching at the same time.

Bye Barbara wrote on Jun 18, 2008 5:31 PM:Barbara--we will miss you an dthat wonderful smile and concern for our children. You taught us what responsible govenment means. I am aghast at all the negative comments here when all you did was to help our kids. You are BIGGER than life in my eyes and this chool district will never be the same without your keen sense of justice and the American way! Sayonara Barbara

Barbara wont be there any more wrote on Jun 19, 2008 4:50 AM:to Stewart Morris "forget" to call public speakers to speak who sign up to give questions or opinions,,,then say, oh, we forgot to call you...twice in one evening.

Does Barb ask wrote on Jun 19, 2008 4:56 AM:for Full Agendas in the past not to be at all schools?......Yes, she did. There are thirty school sites, and only four had the Agendas for the public to read.
Wonder why Barb and the gang are withholding the July 2007 and July 7th 2007th Board Meetings from the public online?...Probably don't want the public to know they TAX them. The City of Temecula and the County gave their Legislative Authority to Barb and her friends. They've retaxed/leveraged the CFD Infrastructure monies given for specified amounts and time limitations some as many as three or four times?
Lovely, Barbara.
Guys, July and first of August and last meetings in June...are where they give raises, and do the leveraging upon our General Obligation Bond without Voter approval....The full paper work shown, but not past July....when they rewrite our CFD's and motion on them later in the year.
Smooth.

wrote on Jun 19, 2008 7:00 AM:You mean they take money from us when we're not looking? Isn't that called STEALING?

Dear You Mean wrote on Jun 19, 2008 9:45 PM:Some might call it an Administrative style of Philosophy.

I Know Better wrote on Jun 24, 2008 4:54 PM:Wow, Barbara, are you surprised about all the negative comments about you and your tenure as a school board member? You shouldn't be. You deserve that and more. Your politcal and personal agenda's won't be missed. Your behind the door tactics wont be missed either. You should have been impeached years ago and runned out of town. Temecula should be ashamed to have you as a resident. I sure hope that you don't seek public office again. There is so much more to tell and make the public aware of your indecent actions. Do the probationary teachers that got pink slipped know that you kept on a defunct high school principal for a 120,000 + salary in the district office? That is smart money management. He was subbing as a middle school assistant principal making that kind of money??? That same person will be a middle school teacher in the fall, taking a job that a "real" teacher should have. Shame on you barbara. Please let all your family members read these blogs in order to see how cherished you were. Better yet, print them out for your grandchildren to read. They will be proud. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. If the door is big enough. Leighty you should be ashamed of your self too. A puppet at best.

Information King wrote on Jun 24, 2008 9:01 PM:Ritter, our next superintendent? Tim, I would think twice about taking that high profile position. You have made a lot of enemies in your tenure. You wouldn't want anything from your past coming out, would you? Have you ever heard of the saying, what comes around, goes around? People out there know too much about your dishonest dealings. You need to do what Glock did. Get the bleep out of Dodge. Remember you were best friends with Glock, when you needed him. People will really get to know the real Tim Ritter in the next coming years.

To Bye Barbara wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:14 AM:Another relative of Tookers with those kind words. Parents and teachers need to wise up and storm the board and demand change all the way around. Get rid of Leighty, Ritter, Cordner and all the board members. Including the new one who is a man puppet for Tooker ...

Tell us more King wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:16 AM:Why wait? Let's run him out now!