\doc\web\99\14\geob1014.txt Geobop School Board Update, October 14, 1999 Press Releases Nordstroms of Education Al Jones: Alcoholic? Calling All Bounty Hunters! Battlefield Stats Press Releases Well, I figured it was time to turn up the heat, so I sent out two especially provocative news releases. The first blew the whistle on a strikingly biased and unprofessional Seattle Times reporter, the second alerting the public to the possibility that the Seattle School Board might have hired pedophiles who are now roaming Seattle schools. My guess is the media will ignore both. If they address the second, they may criticize me of carelessness in spreading inflammatory rumors and unduly exciting the public. But, when you look at Al Jones and Clint Webb, you've got to admit that anything's possible. Nordstroms of Education In "Parents can't lose choices in Seattle public schools" (Seattle Times, October 14, 1999), Susan Nielsen discusses the complex and touchy issue of middle school assignments. My favorite paragraph: "Choice creates a curious but healthy dynamic in public schools. Some products like Eckstein get hyped, and others like Hamilton get left behind. The district needs this input to react more like a good business - or as board member Nancy Waldman says, 'the Nordstrom of school districts.'" The Nordstrom of school districts? Is she thinking of Nordstroms Garage, of which school board candidate Mary Jean Ryan has been described as the "chief architect"? Gee, Nancy's such a dirty campaigner! Al Jones: Alcoholic? The latest update on the unraveling Al Jones saga appears in "Garfield High principal's past raises some questions" (Linda Shaw, Roberto Sanchez, and Christine Clarridge, The Seattle Times, October 14, 1999). The first thing I noticed is that Lynne Varner didn't help write this one. Have they pulled her off the beat even before I got my press release out? According to the authors, "His attorney says it's a complaint from the father of a Garfield student, but rules out rumors it involved a sexual relationship with a student." But, in the style of Bill Clinton, that doesn't rule out oral sex. Or perhaps it was more innocent; maybe they were just dating, or perhaps he wanted to be the first to ask her to the prom. Do you suppose he was dating a rich student in hopes that she might help him catch up on the rent? I'm not really pleased with the way the article seems to smooth over Jones' performance at Richmond, Virginia: "He was fired from his last job as superintendent in Richmond, Va., for reasons that may have had more to do with politics than anything. Before his dismissal, he was investigated - and cleared - of wrongdoing after a police probe into his outside consulting contracts and his use of the school credit card to make personal purchases. The School Board also ruled Jones did not break district policy. "At the time, Jones was quoted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch as saying he should have made timely credit-card payments, and the fact he swapped consulting contracts with the superintendent of District of Columbia schools 'appeared questionable.' "Meda Lane, a board member at the time, said yesterday that Jones served the district well, and that his firing had to do with 'administrative types of things.' "'There were some differences of opinion . . . about what the board wanted and what the superintendent wanted. It had very little to do with education,' Lane said. Nice try, but I don't buy it. I think the crew at the Times are just trying to let the Seattle School Board off the hook. It doesn't sound so bad if they merely hired a victim of dirty politics (who was also in trouble with the IRS, a bad tenant, and perhaps an alcoholic). "Jones also has had legal problems. In 1996, the IRS filed a tax lien for $66,000 against Jones and his former wife for unpaid back taxes, according to court records. In 1997, the owners of a Mercer Island rental home fought to have Jones evicted after he got behind in the rent. "The homeowner claims Jones owes him and his partners more than $15,000 for rent and legal costs, which they hope to collect by garnisheeing Jones' wages. "In September 1998, Jones was arrested just after midnight by a Port of Seattle officer southeast of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for investigation of driving while under the influence of alcohol." Well, a teacher who worked with Jones during his first stint in Seattle told me she thought he was an alcoholic back then. She also thought he left Seattle after he got a student pregnant. So far, the rumor about the alcohol seems to check out, and we know his current problem isn't related to improper credit card use. Jones' attorney, Frank Morrison, Jr., "also indirectly criticized School Board member Ellen Roe for publicly saying she expressed concern last year when she heard the district was thinking about hiring Jones. "'I think it's inappropriate for a School Board member, when a matter is pending, to have made comments.'" I couldn't agree more. Roe should have made comments when the district hired Jones. "Roe said yesterday she knew the nature of the complaint against Jones, and also said the Richmond matter and her other concerns about him 'have nothing to do with what's going on now.'" So what are "her other concerns" about Jones? Richmond pretty much rules out improper use of school funds and shady consulting practices. Is she concerned about Albert's late rent payments? I wonder if the establishment is putting the squeeze on Ellen, threatening to somehow punish her if she doesn't cooperate in helping them smooth this sad affair over. Jones' work history is of some interest: "Roe knew Jones when he worked in the district - he started as a teacher in 1967 and worked his way up into district administration. He left in 1986 to be assistant superintendent in Wichita, Kan., then returned after working in Richmond for two years. He first worked as a consultant, including part-time work with the Center of Educational Renewal at the University of Washington from 1991 to mid- 1994." Center of Educational Renewal? Gee, is that related to the UW's Center for Reinventing Education, or the new K-12 Institute, which is supposed to star New York City Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew? I've already told you about some of the skeletons in Crew's closet. Brace yourselves. Calling All Bounty Hunters! I asked the following question of Laura Gauntlett's attorney: "Could a group of private citizens file a class-action lawsuit against Kenneth Camper, or against Seattle Schools in general for ripping off tax dollars, promoting administrative tyrants, lying, and generally screwing the public?" And here's the response: "The most likely option is a qui tam action. See, http://www.taf.org/ "Welcome to Taxpayers Against Fraud." "Federal money was involved in the SPICE program, and if you can prove federal money was stolen there is a bounty for its recovery. I looked at it, but frankly, I don't have the time to follow it up." Battlefield Stats (New Feature!) War is hell, and it's going to take a war to liberate Seattle Schools from our local education mafia. Here's an updated list of casualties. Body Count Garfield High School Principal Albert Jones Nina Shapiro Lynne Varner Laura Gauntlett Wounded in Action Mary Jean Ryan Nancy Waldman David Blomstrom Ellen Roe & Michael Preston - These school board members admitted they knew that Seattle Schools was hiring a man with a criminal record in Al Jones. 5 Other Idiots on the School Board - They never even protested Al Jones' hiring. Roger Erskine (SEA Executive Director) - Pushed out by Seattle Educators Caucus Seattle Educators Caucus - Relinquished power to the office of the executive director in a counterattack probably masterminded by Roger Erskine Kenneth Camper Cheryl Chow - Seattle's most famous half-time principal is at it again.