Poway Unified board members need to start fixing the district

In a recent editorial titled, “Poway Unified’s Arrogance Problem,” The San Diego Union-Tribune criticized Superintendent John Collins for personally editing a critical report from educational consultant Bob Moore before releasing it to the public, and for urging board members not to discuss the

findings “outside of the governance team.” Coupling this with Collins’ behavior surrounding the 2012 billion dollar bond debacle, the editorial criticized Collins and district leaders for possessing a streak of arrogance that will undermine community support for the district if not remedied. Although accurate in its portrayal of events, the U-T editorial falls short in addressing the full breadth and scope of the district’s problems.

The editorial mistakenly accepts Collins’ premise that PUSD enjoys “extraordinary support” from the community. Many individual schools receive extraordinary support from involved parents. Many fine teachers receive tremendous support they well deserve. However, the district as a whole does not benefit from extraordinary community support.

Communities express their support at the ballot box. Rather than show support in recent elections, the PUSD community has clearly shown it seeks significant change. Four of five board members have been replaced in the last two elections. The fifth, Andy Patapow, will not survive the next election. This can hardly be described as “extraordinary support.”

Citizens in the school district, along with many dedicated teachers, know that the billion dollar bond fiasco was merely the tip of the iceberg in regard to ongoing district leadership problems. Decision making at the highest levels of the district is not only “extreme and chaotic” as described in the Moore report, it is often simply just bad, poorly managed and wrong. Mistakes extend from issues such as re-writing history (to leave the Indians out of Thanksgiving), to creating a system of individual school foundations that virtually guarantees unequal opportunity for learning throughout the district. Inferior problem solving, bad staffing decisions and poor communication permeate the top levels of district leadership.

Although the voter’s call for change was aimed the entire board and Mr. Collins, the four new board members were elected specifically to change the district’s style and direction of leadership. They have failed. It is past time for board members Kimberley Beatty, Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff, T.J. Zane and Charles Sellers to address the concerns they were elected to remedy.

Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff and T.J. Zane have been particular disappointing. Although both campaigned on platforms of fiscal responsibility and reform, neither has done a thing in either area. Almost immediately after taking office they both cozied up to Collins and have been drinking the Kool-Aid ever since. As a long-time political activist and current executive director of the Republican Party, it appears clear that Zane is nothing more than a political tourist who intends to use his trustee role as a stepping stone to higher office. His goal appears to be to curry the support of the teachers union through Collins so he can accumulate political capital as he moves up the line. It appears that O’Connor-Ratcliff simply isn’t wise enough or experienced enough to understand she is being manipulated to serve the bureaucracy rather than the community at large.

Collins’ greatest strength is in having others take the wrap for him. It is fascinating to speak to former school board members who still support him, even though he duped them into overlooking his inadequacies as a problem solver, public communicator and executive. The current school board is allowing history to repeat itself. Our students, our teachers and our community deserve better. It is time our elected school board members respond to the demands of the community.