New Developments and Comments

John Schwebke will not run for reelection to the Board. That leaves an open field. Bonnie Votaw, former LCPS administrator, has said she will run for that seat. Bonnie retired from LCPS, worked in Utah and came back to LCPS and worked part-time under a grant. Larry Garcia has also said he will run for Schwebke's seat. He was an appointee of this Board after the recall of two Board members.

Sharon Wooden has one declared opponent, Connie Phillips, a parent. We would like to know more about Mrs. Phillips.

Diaz will fight her dismissal, of course. Her attorney said she has "wide-spread" support. That would be the Sun-News, her friends who enjoyed her generosity with district funds and ??

Comments

I Believe that Billie Taylor would be excellent for John's position. She has years of experience in education, a dedicated volunteer to the community and good common sense.
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I am very opposed to Liz remaing in her position. She was an excellenet principal but needs time at central office to learn the position she was assigned as Director of Elementary Education. Dr. Patton was very good at listening, focused on school improvement and staying calm when she was taking cruel and unreasinable potshots from the board. She is experienced and has the support of the majority of staff in the district. Board humble yourself, apologize and do the right thing by returning her to Academic Chief. It would say agreat deal to the community about your willingness to improve, stay out of personnel issues, and stick to the job the voters intended when they elected you. This type of decision takes courage and your character is at stake.
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As I have read the comments posted here over the past few weeks, what comes to mind as being desperately needed in LCPS is top-to-bottom training in principle-based leadership. Even though it is sometimes mocked, the essential messages of Stephan Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" are incredibly simple, reasonable and true, and many school systems around the country have found a way to include it in their ongoing training programs. Basically they are as follows: be proactive and work towards mastering your own demons as a means to being an authentic person; begin with the end in mind and know what principles you are trying to accomplish; put first things first and work towards fulfilling those principles in everything you do; think win-win and try to make each outcome for a situation mututally beneficial; listen to others before you impose any of your own will on them by seeking first to understand, then be understood; come together in mutual collaboration and creativity; take time to re-energize and develop your resources and skills. When everyone, from the board and super, to the EA's is working under a commonly assumed set of ethical rules, it makes it harder to justify bizzare leadership practices like we saw occur under Martinez and Diaz. It would also make it easier to hold leaders publicly accountable to some standard besides their own narcissitic need for power. I really think that if the Board would look into investing in this kind of program just a tiny amount of the money they have wasted in hiring un-principled leaders, they would find that the savings in money would be second to the increased productivity, health and success of our educational system.
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"He who attempts to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity and capacity to love, will not have anything to give others. He will communicate to them nothing but the contagion of his own obsessions, his aggressiveness, his ego-centered ambitions, his delusions about ends and means, his doctrinaire prejudices and ideas," - Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action, University of Notre Dame Press.
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OK Las Cruces, let's work together for our students, teachers and school administrators. The school board obviously needs to go, but in reality only 2 members will be replaced this winter. Can this make a difference? I think it can. Show up at Board meetings, work with your children's schools. This is OUR community and our future. BTW, I bet everyone reading this either has a family member or close friend as a student or employee of LCPS.
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Just a word of caution, people may be hesitant in running for the open positions on the board due to the fact that their name will be run through the mud as they will be associated with the remaining members. Who can afford their integrity to be dumped in a pile of mud?
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On the Diane Patterson/East Picacho issue:1. Check parent opinion and positive interaction with parents. Even the kids have picked up on the tension at East Picacho. My experience is that parents who ask difficult questions are seen as the enemy and will be shut out of any communication or input. 2. Check the amount of staff turnover the past few years. Check staff morale which is very low.3. Check with parents and volunteers in the school.4. Check and see who her sister is as to why complaints to Central office may have been swept under the rug.
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I went to work for Liz Marrufo last year and I can tell you that a better candidate for superintendent does not exist! I have worked for a few principals in LCPS and Liz is the most professional administrator I have ever worked for. She is dedicated to not only the students of Las Cruces, but to the faculty and staff. She is constantly researching and educating herself on current best practices. Liz is currently carrying the load of about four jobs and doesn't complain one bit. She may have to make hard decisions sometimes that not everyone agrees with. They won't always be the most popular, but it will always be what she truly knows is right for kids. I only hope to be half the administrator she is someday.
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I find it ludicrous that Liz Marrufo, who has had no previous Central Office experience PRIOR to her APPOINTMENT by the ex Superintendent to be an interim anything. This, once again, demonstrates the Boards lack of credibility and intelligence. Liz Marrufo is cut from the same cloth as Dr. Diaz and does not have the respect of the staff that the Board apparently thinks she has. Tonights performance highlights their complete ineptitude!
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Many may not be aware that district/state requirements mandate that administrators must complete a minimum of 45 hours of training every two years. Also, administrator trainings facilitate informed supervision, management of programs, and promotion of research-based program adoption and implementation. Like teachers, administrators must have their travel approved by their supervisors.
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PDTs (not PLTs) are not funded by Title I. You need to do your homework before you type incorrect information.
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Enough about Ogas! My child was a good student with no problems and good grades, yet was treated most poorly by Mr. Ogas as were friends of his, and I was witness to this, as were other parents. It seems students got better treatment or help, if needed, if they were football, pom, etc. students. Ogas was a "good old boy" and it worked up til a few years ago. Many of us did not speak up during the "leavetaking" of Mr. Ogas because we were so quickly put down for voicing opinion against him. He had his favorites, and his faults, like many others.Let's concentrate now on getting some true leadership in place and taking our students forward and repairing damaged morale within the district. Let's think about where or how we can help bring this about. Three superintendents in such a small number of years? Seems like our board has a problem making good choices for us as parents, educators, and our students in terms of what is best overall. Also, let's be more proactive in asking where the money is, or where it went. We should know how our tax money is being used within our schools, and who is using it.