Santa Ana Unified School District

Angel Rojas, School Janitor, Gets 9 mos. in Jail for Hiding Camera in Girls Restroom: Update

See Update No. 2 at the end of this post on Angel Rojas Jr. being sentenced to 270 days in jail and the other punishment he received. See Update No. 1 on the next page on the Corona man being convicted of locking the doors of several elementary school restrooms to direct girls to use one where he ha ... More >>

Massive Hiring-Spending Freeze Put on Santa Ana Unified School District to Battle Budget Limbo

I have a lot of friends who work at the Santa Ana Unified School District, and I'm friendly with new-ish superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, but the goings-on of the district remind me more and more of Springfield Elementary in The Simpsons, what with lettuce being tossed out, wacky teacher ... More >>

Joseph Manuel Orduna, NFL Player-Turned-Teacher, Has Child Annoyance Case Dismissed

Two days after a jury deadlocked 8-4 in favor of acquittal, a judge dismissed the misdemeanor child annoyance case against Joseph Manuel Orduna, the former NFL running back who was teaching at Godinez Fundamental High School in Santa Ana at the time of his arrest in February.Orange County Superior C ... More >>

Charles Best, DonorsChoose.org CEO, Explains How To Feel Good About Paying for Gasoline

The way gas prices have yo-yo'd recently, it's time to fill up as they're down--as I type this, anyway, before the Hurricane Sandy excuse hits the West Coast, as to the last excuse when California's prices were higher than everyone else's because, uh, California refineries are so damn close to us. W ... More >>

The Five Least-Deserving, Non-Incumbent Winners in Orange County Elections Last Night

SO...while a lot of good happened in Orange County politics last night, so did a lot of evil. Not just did a bunch of former councilmembers who have nothing else to do with their sorry lives except run for offices in which they were termed out years ago win last night (Lucille Kring in Anaheim, Mike ... More >>

Did Santa Ana Unified Serve Students Peanut Butter Sandwiches Possibly Contaminated With Salmonella Despite Company Recall?

Coming on the heels of a Weekly exposé documenting how officials at the Santa Ana Unified School District let lettuce rot, then threw it away comes rumors that workers served peanut butter sandwich to students that was the subject of a recall due to possible salmonella contamination--this despite d ... More >>

[UPDATED W/DISTRICT RESPONSE W/PHOTOS] Sources: Santa Ana Unified School District Letting Food Rot, Throwing Out Pallets of Lettuce

Updated, with new info on the bottom...ORIGINAL POST, OCT. 16, 11 A.M.: One glorious day--when I'm done with all my Taco USA shilling (have you bought your copy yet?), when we finish some projects 'round here, when things settle down with my backyard--one glorious day, I'm going to start doing a bit ... More >>

[UPDATED with Child Endangerment Count:] Nadia Maria Davis Lockyer Faces Meth and Child Abuse Charges

See Update No. 2 at the end of this post about DA getting child abuse count added, Ms. Lockyer's statement.See Update No. 1 about today's postponed court hearing.ORIGINAL POST, SEPT. 5, 6:44 P.M.: Nadia Maria Davis Lockyer, the former Alameda County supervisor, estranged wife of state Treasurer Bill ... More >>

Angel Rojas Jr., Baby-Faced School Janitor, Accused of Being Illegal Restroom Fellini

A Martin Elementary School janitor, whose baby face make him appear not much older than a sixth grader, has been arrested on suspicion of planting a video camera inside a bathroom of the Santa Ana campus. Angel Rojas Jr., 24, has worked as a substitute custodian at the Whittier Avenue school since ... More >>

Bill Lockyer and Nadia Maria Davis Lockyer, California Democratic Power Couple, Split Up

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer has reportedly filed for divorce from his wife Nadia Maria Davis Lockyer, formerly an Alameda County supervisor, Santa Ana Unified School District trustee and rising star in the California Democratic Party.The veteran 71-year-old politician cited "irreconcilable differen ... More >>

Cast of Clowns, Including Former Santa Ana Unified Head Al Mijares/SOCCCD Chancellor Raghu Mathur, Apply for OC Department of Ed. Head Role

Earlier this month, Superintendent of Schools at Orange County Department of Education Bill Habermehl resigned after a decade of doing shit other than promoting the Republican view of history by brainwashing kiddies. His departure from the elected position means the Orange County Board of Education ... More >>

The Five Stupidest Things Nativo Lopez Ever Said

All of Orange County engaged in a simultaneous shrug of indifference when longtime Aztlanista Nativo Lopez announced earlier this week he was retiring from public life and becoming a mere private citizen...where he would continue to agitate for the hot Mexican cause of the month. Huh? It was a fitti ... More >>

[UPDATED with District Reaction:] Alex Bassinne, Ex-Santa Ana Teacher, Accused of Molesting Teen Girls, Possessing Child Porn

UPDATE, MAY 4, 12:39 P.M.: The Santa Ana Unified School District has released a statement regarding the charges pending against former district math teacher Alex Bassinne for alleged child pornography possession and, while working at Santa Ana High School and Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediat ... More >>

Nadia Maria Davis Lockyer Tied Up in Sex-Drugs-Cheatin'-Beatin'-Pornin' Scandal

​The Bay Area has its own political Falcon Crest soap opera going on presently involving a former Santa Ana Unified School District board member-turned-Alameda County supervisor, who is also the daughter of a renowned immigrant-rights lawyer in Orange County. She's Nadia Lockyer, California Trea ... More >>

[UPDATED with SAUSD Responses:] Joseph Manuel Orduna, Former Pro Football Player-Turned-High School Teacher, Allegedly Touched Girl Students Inappropriately

​UPDATE, FEB. 29, 10:31 A.M.: The Santa Ana Unified School District has posted on its website a response to the arrest of Joseph Manuel Orduna, who is now referred to as a "former teacher" in the headline, although the body copy mentions the Irvine 63-year-old was placed on administrative leave.Th ... More >>

John Rodriguez, Serial Penis Flasher, Gets Year in Jail, 5 Years Probation, Lifetime Sex Offender Rap

​John Rodriguez, tried for stroking his penis at girls walking to school and grabbing one of them, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges today and was sentenced to a year in jail, five years of probation and lifetime registration as a sex offender.The 6-foot-1, 350-pound, 20-year-old dental assist ... More >>

When is Exposing a Disabled Student's Breasts not Exposing a Disabled Student's Breasts?

Saddleback High​When Alonso Manuel Gonzalez says so.You'll remember Gonzalez as the former special-education assistant at Saddleback High in SanTana who pleaded guilty to abusing a 17-year-old girl suffering from cerebral palsy and with the mental capacity of a seven-year-old, abuse his former emp ... More >>

Santa Ana Teacher Begs Congress for Her Job

​Teachers were on Capitol Hill Wednesday and Thursday reminding members of Congress who are yammering about creating jobs not to forget endangered public education positions.Among them was Clarissa Barragan, a native Santa Anan who attended schools there, became the first member of her family to f ... More >>

Santa Ana Unified School District Blames Disabled Student for Her Molestation by School Worker, Demands She Pay Their Legal Bills!

Saddleback High​Remember the Alonso Manuel Gonzalez case? The teacher's aide at Saddleback High School in SanTana who molested a special-ed student in late 2008, a molestation that administrators tried to cover up? The pervert who pleaded guilty to child abuse and endangerment in 2009? Turns out t ... More >>

[UPDATED:] 3 MORE Santa Ana Schools Among California's Worst

UPDATE: Three more Santa Ana schools have been added the list of the worst of the worst schools in California (details below) . . . Valley High School blogFreshmen engineering students at Valley High School put the pieces together.​Valley High, Century High and Willard Intermediate schools, which ... More >>

Santa Ana Teachers Protest Funding Shift in State Budget

​Teachers from the Santa Ana Unified School District are among educators from 13 low-income school systems protesting at the Capitol in Sacramento right now over funding that may be lost with the enactment of the 2009-2010 state budget.The Quality Education and Investment Act was established in 20 ... More >>

SAUSD's Lowered Expect-tay-ay-tions...

At the top of the Santa Ana Unified School District home page:Welcome to SAUSDFAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE! SUCCESS IS THE STANDARD...IT'S UP TO US ALL!Mission:The Santa Ana Unified School District is dedicated to high academic achievement, in a scholarly and supportive environment, ensuring that all stu ... More >>

No Need To Hide, SAUSD

Thank God for screen grabs. Without them, and without Orange Juice Blog's muckraking, we wouldn't be able to share the (tricky) little hide-and-seek game Santa Ana Unified School District played with its constituents yesterday. Art Pedroza, over at Orange Juice, caught the district in hideout mode w ... More >>

This Week in the OC Weekly

In "Good Medicine" Daffodil J. Altan interviews Mary Jo Frawley of Doctors Without Borders, who may live in Sunset Beach, but her head and hart are in Sri Lanka, Somalia, Mexico, Angola . . . News has Daffodil J. Altan explaining how Santa Ana Unified School District offers a lesson in upgrading and ... More >>

Santa Ana Unified School District Offers a Lesson in How to Upgrade and Downsize at the Same Time

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

This Week in the OC Weekly

Does Santa Ana Unified School District Have the Money to Save the Hundreds of Jobs It Cut?

Santa Ana School Employees Steaming at Sneaky District Turning Full-Time Jobs Into Part-Time Ones

The Renaissance Blob

A guide to Santa Ana's ambitious, conflict-of-interest-y downtown-redevelopment plan

Wednesday's Headlines

More immigrants than ever: Bilingual folks ain't so special anymore. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly one in five people living in the United States speaks a language other than English. The number of immigrants in the country is at an all time high at 37.5 million, according to 2006 data ... More >>

Wednesday's Headlines

Rove's Tricked-Out Ride: Some folks at the White House apparently have a sense of humor. Karl Rove made the mistake of leaving his Jaguar on the private driveway next to the West Wing when he took off for Texas with le President. Now his car's covered in plastic wrap, post-it notes, stuffed animals ... More >>

Letters

'Im over 40 and I look pretty damn good. Ill dress the way I want to. Bite me.'

Chuck Not Amuck

Register ignores Assemblyman DeVores payola scandal, trashes Nativo for his four years later

Now With Less Edward James Olmos!

Independent Latino filmmakers invade Surf City

Scoring the Quiz

The Breakfast Club

Notes From the Banana Republic: Lawsuit alleges Christian cabal eats at Dennys, controls Santa Ana schools

Schools Out Forever

A Year in the Banana Republic of Santa Ana

Who Stole Christmas?

Grinch and bear it

Notes from the Banana Republic of Santa Ana

Abstain From This

Brainwashing Santa Ana schoolkids is part of the Game Plan

The Liberator of Santa Ana Unified

Tim Whitacre speaks of victory, urges vigilance in the face of the Nativo Menace

Chicken Scratcher

School trustees illegible campaign reports raise questions

Old School Politics

In Santa Ana, school construction takes a backseat to aggressive campaign fund-raising

Letters

El Dia de Nuestro Senor Nativo

The faithful worship Lopez

Diary of a Mad County

Labors New Face

Linda Sanchez becomes first Latina to head OC labor movement

Loathe Thy Enemy

County school board trustee Ken Williams joins the Reverend Lou Sheldon for good, old-fashioned gay-baiting