SAVE RODRIGUEZ AND CASCELLA!! STUDENTS AND PARENTS DEMAND THAT THE BOARD REINSTATES TWO TOP TEACHERS AT VALLEY HIGH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 15, 2013
Contact: Brayan Cruz, 714.574.4944, brayan557xb@yahoo.com
SANTA ANA, CA-‐-‐On July 23rd, 2013, students, parents, and community organizations will pack the Santa Ana School Board meeting to demand that the Board reinstate Mike Rodriguez and Kate Cascella for the next school year. (Click here to see the flier about this protest).
Both teachers were non-‐re-elected by the Santa Ana Unified School District this year. Non-‐reelection means that they will not be allowed to teach in a Santa Ana school this coming year, and the district did not give any reason whatsoever for their dismissal.
Although both teachers were awarded outstanding evaluations by Valley High School administrators, improved their students’ test scores, and have been pillars in the Santa Ana community, they have been deemed not a “good fit” to teach in the Santa Ana Unified School District.
Since May, students and parents have been attending Board meetings to demand reasons that Rodriguez and Cascella are not being retained to no avail.
In previous weeks, the campaign has grown exponentially, as many more students, parents, and community organizations are calling for the Board and the school district to reinstate these teachers.
Blanca Martinez, a senior at Valley and one of the key organizers of the campaign, has created the “Save Cascella and Rodriguez” page on Facebook, and Miguel Prado, a sophomore, created an online petition.
The petition has garnered almost 300 signatures since it was established two weeks ago.
“We think Ms. Cascella and Mr. Rodriguez are the types of teachers that Valley High School needs. This is a test to see how much the school district really cares about student and parent voice,” states Blanca.
She continues, “Mark McKinney, the new Superintendent of Human Resources, recently proclaimed that he is passionate in doing what is best for students, staff, and parents in Santa Ana.
Well, now is a good time for him, as well as the School Board, to show it,” she implores.
The Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013, at 6 pm, at the Santa Ana School Board Room on 1601 E. Chestnut Ave., in Santa Ana, CA. Click here to read a flier about the protest set to take place at that meeting.
Students, parents and various community organizations throughout greater Santa Ana will not stop until they see Cascella and Rodriguez, and other teachers of their high caliber, fill the classrooms at Valley High School. They are in the process of starting a community organization to address issues that affect the education at their school.
Two teachers are non-reelect….hmmmm. Could it be the work of Mr. Patrick for these two teachers to be dismissed! Mr. Patrick non-reelected three teachers and forced one out of 30+ years with the district from Carr Intermediate school. Also, a school counselor was also not invited back. All of these events occurred in the 2010-2011 school year! I think we see a pattern going on. CTC must investigate these practices!!! Parents, raise hell at the board meeting and address your concerns at Mr. Patrick. 99% of all principals have the ultimate say of who comes back. You demand answers!!! Valley students address your concerns as well!!!
The district is flying all of the teaching positions as temporary this year. Every teaching position. That means the new teachers can work every after school program, be on every committee for a few years and then get a big thank you from the district; a non- reelect letter. These administrators a can non- reelect you just because they are having a bad day. Hmmmm or are they acting on behalf of the district as a cost cutting measure. Stop the temporary contracts. Valley students you rock.
Dear Editor,
Please don’t stop this story. Please help the parents of Santa Ana understand of how disgusting these administrators can be by creating a “revolving door” system just to save district’s cost! Great teachers get hired then fired because of the temporary contracts!!! Then they look for new prey, hire them on temporary contracts and then fire them!!! This BS practice needs to stop! Parents, put an email blast against the Valley’s school principal and demand answers! I hear that the principal likes to say to students and parents that he has no hair on his tongue but says it Spanish, which means he doesn’t stay quiet on issues. Well, don’t let him quiet you in these issues. You parents deserve transparency!
Editor, go and interview the principal at Valley. Advocate for the parents!!!
I seriously doubt that the district will rehired these two teachers and if they do, it will have nothing to do with a petition. There is a chance that there will be a few temporary positions available again this year but this will continue to happen to anyone who takes a job in Santa Ana for a long time. There are not going to be any permanent positions available in this district or very many others. Teaching is a dead end job with absolutely no job security and no increases in pay. It wasn’t always this way but it is now. I would advise both of them to either go to another state (although teaching is probably worse in other states but at least there are some jobs) or find a new career. Even many permanent teachers were reassigned this year involuntarily due to increases in class size that the district plans.
Editor,
Have your interviewed the Principal at Valley? Don’t hide behind the curtains and demand answers for the people. It’s easy to post a story but interviews need to be done!
What goes around comes around! Mr. Disgrace Patrick has been non-reelected as an administrator! Why? Because he’s narcissistic! There’s no room for idiots like Patrick in SAUSD! He’s probably kicking his own a** for the terrible things he has done as an admin. Just horrible! Fired great teachers and a counselor. This is one nasty administrator that needed to be squashed by the superintendent! Kudos to the new superintendent for not putting up with crap!