http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/apr/23/1sz23janney212657-sweetwater-ends-contract-longtim/?uniontrib
Sweetwater ends contract with longtime educator
2:00 a.m. April 23, 2009
CHULA VISTA — Sweetwater Union High School District has terminated the contract of Assistant Superintendent Karen Janney, ending a 31-year career in South County public schools for the former state principal of the year.
Last month, Sweetwater's school board demoted Janney to a post as National City Middle School principal. She refused the position as well as a teaching job.
Sweetwater Superintendent Jesus Gandara would not comment on why Janney was demoted. Nor would Janney comment, other than to say, “I declined the position. Since they terminated my contract, then that means I'm no longer working for the district.”
Janney's contract calls for a payout of six months' salary if the district terminates it. Her annual salary was $156,789.96. But the payout is $108,675 because it also calls for health benefits and cashed out vacation days.
Janney had worked for Sweetwater since 1978. She started as a physical education teacher and later served as dropout-prevention specialist, assistant principal, principal and, for the past four years, assistant superintendent.
She and former assistant superintendent Dianna Carberry, who also was demoted last month, were the district's highest-ranking instructional leaders after the superintendent.
In 2004, the Association of California School Administrators named Janney the state's high school principal of the year for her work at Montgomery High in Otay Mesa.
Also that year, Montgomery received a California Award for Performance Excellence from the state Council for Excellence. The award recognizes education organizations for leadership, management, planning, focus on students and stakeholders, and results.
The entrance to Chula Vista High's School of Creative and Performing Arts has a brick with her name and her motto: “Make it a great day. The choice is yours.”
Janney's backers protested her demotion and circulated a petition with more than 500 signatures calling for her reinstatement. They also have started a blog, a Support Karen Janney Facebook page, written letters to the editor and spoken on her behalf at board meetings.
Gandara said county Office of Education consultants had recently recommended that Sweetwater review its instructional program. Janney led the district's middle and high schools that were under federal sanctions for subpar performance.
Gandara said he would be supervising the principals who had reported to Janney and would do so probably for the next four to six months until he finds successors to Carberry and Janney.
Chris Moran: (619) 498-6637; chris.moran@uniontrib.com
4 comments:
Getting rid of Gandara will cost us too much money - we need to recall the entire school board. It's being done in other places: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/10/local/me-groveland10
Why are we not pursuing this option? Do we not trust the voters in CV to do what's right? Do we really want THIS board to choose Gandara's replacement if by chance we are successful??
I agree. When are they up for re-election? and how about some west-side representation?
These are comments on the newspaper article on the san diego union tribune sign-on san diego web page
I just copied and pasted them.
Go to the link if you don't believe me.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/apr/23/1sz23janney212657-sweetwater-ends-contract-longtim/
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GoAwayGandara Yesterday 10:45 PM
Let's be fair, maybe Dr.Gandara didn't know how great the former state principal of the year, Karen Janney was, which is why he couldn't really appreciate her. Either he didn't know this, or his wallet was feeling light. Or maybe he felt intimidated by a woman? As for me, I'll be happy when Karen takes this to court and gandara runs back to Texas with his tail between his legs. Please just do us a favor Dr.Evil, GO AWAY!!! ...and leave every penny you stole from us, unless being a snake and a coward is in your job description. And boardmembers, shame on you for allowing this to happen, you're just as guilty. Where is the accountability? Kids First!!!
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standforsomething Yesterday 09:55 PM
You are not JustaTeacher – you are a very insightful one. We do need the Jaime Mercados, who care about our community and students, back on the Board to rein in Gandara’s reckless abuse of power. His reprehensible actions will more than likely cost the district and the tax payers a hefty amount in litigation. The community does need to wake up to the reality of the mess Gandara and his Board has gotten the school district in. If Gandara has his way, in a buyout of his contract, he will have the last laugh as he meanders his way back to Texas with his pockets full of cash.
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AnotherTeacher Yesterday 07:53 PM
Dr. Gandara has not been to my site in several months and has never been in my classroom. He appears to be completely unaware of the problems at my site where Ms. Janney worked effectively to improve our school . Dr. Gandara's willingness to put district office politics ahead of school improvement has become legendary as teachers from other sites share their experiences that suggest an absence of confidence and a growing sense of misdirection from Sweetwater Union High School District's district office.
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JustaTeacher Yesterday 07:29 PM
Gandara is completely out of control but the public takes some responsibility for this as the only one who would stand up to him was Jaime Mercado and he was voted out of his position. Gandara has made sure his board is full of yes "men" and those who bow to the men in order to get by. SUHSD has for years been promoting latino males (and the token female) regardless of skill or results. When one questions this they are accused of being racist and reprimanded - by the Latino males in charge. The district is more diverse than most realize and having principals east of 805 who can barely speak English is an embarrassment. A petition will soon be completed showing no-confidence in Gandara but it needs to go beyond that and board members need to be recalled. This is every voters right, but voters then must think before they vote and put people like Mercado back on the board if our schools are going to prosper and our students are going to be successful. If we don't want to spend the money to buy out Gandara (which is obviously what he wants) then recall the board members and get an anti-Gandara board and with no cost to the district we can retake control. Remember Gandara has no ties to our community - his family doesn't live here, his car isn't registered here, he is making over a quarter million a year and yet renting a condo for 1500 a month, he has no longer term commitments to our community or long term plans to stay. It's time for the board to regain control. He is only as strong as his board lets him be.
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reva702 Yesterday 03:45 PM
Well, the district has done it again. One of Dr. Brand's first actions as superintendent was to demote a significant number of female administrators. Our most recent victims, Ms. Janney, Ms. Lawlor, and Dr. Carberry are at the very least in very good company. Dr. Brand then began a hiring spree of predominantly hispanic men--many of whom made weighty contributions to the campaign funds of Dr. Brand's favored board members. The practice became so common place that aspiring administrators who wanted an AP slot were advised to attend campaign parties and to contribute freely. Doing some research into this matter revealed that one such individual contributed over $3000 to the campaign of one of our current board members. This practice of dazzling board members with campaign monies continues today with contributions from the Seville Group who is now, not surprisingly, our new manager for the bond-funded building projects. So, wonderful! We now have the best board and administrators that money can buy. Never mind that there are dozens if not hundreds of eligible professionals in SUHSD and elsewhere who can't stomach the politics, are tired of being told that they are of the incorrect gender or ethnicity, and that they speak the incorrect language. Those with skill and knowledge and a proven track record need not apply at Sweetwater.
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chandra262 Yesterday 01:22 PM
As a person that has worked with Karen Janney, I think they really made the wrong call here. Actually when I say "they", I really mean Dr. Gandara. I do not believe that County Office of Education made that call. She has never had a bad evaluation and was not given any reason to believe she wasn't fulfilling 100% of her job. Something very political is going on in Sweetwater and once again the students will pay the price for these poor decisions. Why is the Board of Education allowing this to happen? I thought they were a checks and balances system.
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inspiredaily Yesterday 12:02 PM
Karen Janney is a woman that has been clearly ascending to the heights of the educational profession until she was derailed by Gandara and the Sweetwater Union High School District Board members. She is a tremendous motivator and charismatic leader that, even in her absence, continues to inspire countless teaching professionals in the district to do more than what is expected to prepare students for the challenges that lie ahead in life. The events that have transpired in the district over the course of the past several months are an absolute travesty. Many educators and staff members in the district are upset and disillusioned with the promises of better days ahead that Gandara made when he accepted the position as superintendent 3 years ago.
Gandara is not a man to be feared, rather a man to be pitied because of his obvious inability to work with other professionals that dare to have an intelligent opposing viewpoint, wear a skirt, and be Caucasian (White, not of Hispanic decent). News flash: Sweetwater Union High School District has work to do in terms of racial and gender equity given the stark under-representation of minorities in its Hispanic majority district.
His fear monger tactics have finally reached a crescendo of epic proportions. Gandara has come to realize the unbridled power the Sweetwater Union High School District Board has bestowed upon him. The school district needs Karen Janney and Dr. Dianna Carberry’s curriculum leadership as it continues the struggle to escape California Program Improvement status. Parents need to pay attention because ultimately these decisions are going to affect their children’s lives.
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ehsmadhatter Yesterday 10:35 AM
Pure politics is at play here. The district administration is more concerned with the advancement of paid cronies over the education of our children. How can you demote/fire a California principal of the year? This is all retribution for the support of the 4x4 system that she worked to create and that the district wants to remove from Montgomery high school. Those of you at the UT need to do some real investigative reporting, instead of advancing administrative comments and positions.
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justmeokay Yesterday 07:43 AM
You failed to mention what really happen. Dr. Gandara blindsided Karen Janney and Dr. Dianna Carberry. He called them in his office two hours before the board meeting to tell them they would be demoted to principals that night. There was no reason just his reason. This was clearly an act of retaliation from the superintendent to these ladies. You need to investigate why he did this. I would bet it has to do with them not agreeing with him on the laying off of teachers or classified employees. Or could it be the fact that they are both white women? The union needs to find out why so many management employees at the district in the years that Dr. Gandara has been there have either resigned or retired because of him and usually with the minimum of notice. He uses intimation on his management it is either his way or the high way. Most of Sweetwater’s management team walks in fear of him. He doesn’t even follow district policies. Find out why the union keeps calling him on the carpet with his tactics. Sweetwater employee morale is at an all time low. Why can Dr. Gandara break his contract by seeking employment and interviewing for it in Texas and not be accountable for it. Why did he call all the employees at home asking them to take a 2% pay cut which is against the law? Why does he hire consultants to audit the books when they have in house auditors? Why does he hire consultants then allow them to write up their job description and then turn around and hire them? This superintendent is destroying the district one employee at a time. And the sad part is the board that we voted in is allowing it.
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GoAwayGandara Yesterday 10:45 PM
Let's be fair, maybe Dr.Gandara didn't know how great the former state principal of the year, Karen Janney was, which is why he couldn't really appreciate her. Either he didn't know this, or his wallet was feeling light. Or maybe he felt intimidated by a woman? As for me, I'll be happy when Karen takes this to court and gandara runs back to Texas with his tail between his legs. Please just do us a favor Dr.Evil, GO AWAY!!! ...and leave every penny you stole from us, unless being a snake and a coward is in your job description. And boardmembers, shame on you for allowing this to happen, you're just as guilty. Where is the accountability? Kids First!!!
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standforsomething Yesterday 09:55 PM
You are not JustaTeacher – you are a very insightful one. We do need the Jaime Mercados, who care about our community and students, back on the Board to rein in Gandara’s reckless abuse of power. His reprehensible actions will more than likely cost the district and the tax payers a hefty amount in litigation. The community does need to wake up to the reality of the mess Gandara and his Board has gotten the school district in. If Gandara has his way, in a buyout of his contract, he will have the last laugh as he meanders his way back to Texas with his pockets full of cash.
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AnotherTeacher Yesterday 07:53 PM
Dr. Gandara has not been to my site in several months and has never been in my classroom. He appears to be completely unaware of the problems at my site where Ms. Janney worked effectively to improve our school . Dr. Gandara's willingness to put district office politics ahead of school improvement has become legendary as teachers from other sites share their experiences that suggest an absence of confidence and a growing sense of misdirection from Sweetwater Union High School District's district office.
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JustaTeacher Yesterday 07:29 PM
Gandara is completely out of control but the public takes some responsibility for this as the only one who would stand up to him was Jaime Mercado and he was voted out of his position. Gandara has made sure his board is full of yes "men" and those who bow to the men in order to get by. SUHSD has for years been promoting latino males (and the token female) regardless of skill or results. When one questions this they are accused of being racist and reprimanded - by the Latino males in charge. The district is more diverse than most realize and having principals east of 805 who can barely speak English is an embarrassment. A petition will soon be completed showing no-confidence in Gandara but it needs to go beyond that and board members need to be recalled. This is every voters right, but voters then must think before they vote and put people like Mercado back on the board if our schools are going to prosper and our students are going to be successful. If we don't want to spend the money to buy out Gandara (which is obviously what he wants) then recall the board members and get an anti-Gandara board and with no cost to the district we can retake control. Remember Gandara has no ties to our community - his family doesn't live here, his car isn't registered here, he is making over a quarter million a year and yet renting a condo for 1500 a month, he has no longer term commitments to our community or long term plans to stay. It's time for the board to regain control. He is only as strong as his board lets him be.
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reva702 Yesterday 03:45 PM
Well, the district has done it again. One of Dr. Brand's first actions as superintendent was to demote a significant number of female administrators. Our most recent victims, Ms. Janney, Ms. Lawlor, and Dr. Carberry are at the very least in very good company. Dr. Brand then began a hiring spree of predominantly hispanic men--many of whom made weighty contributions to the campaign funds of Dr. Brand's favored board members. The practice became so common place that aspiring administrators who wanted an AP slot were advised to attend campaign parties and to contribute freely. Doing some research into this matter revealed that one such individual contributed over $3000 to the campaign of one of our current board members. This practice of dazzling board members with campaign monies continues today with contributions from the Seville Group who is now, not surprisingly, our new manager for the bond-funded building projects. So, wonderful! We now have the best board and administrators that money can buy. Never mind that there are dozens if not hundreds of eligible professionals in SUHSD and elsewhere who can't stomach the politics, are tired of being told that they are of the incorrect gender or ethnicity, and that they speak the incorrect language. Those with skill and knowledge and a proven track record need not apply at Sweetwater.
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chandra262 Yesterday 01:22 PM
As a person that has worked with Karen Janney, I think they really made the wrong call here. Actually when I say "they", I really mean Dr. Gandara. I do not believe that County Office of Education made that call. She has never had a bad evaluation and was not given any reason to believe she wasn't fulfilling 100% of her job. Something very political is going on in Sweetwater and once again the students will pay the price for these poor decisions. Why is the Board of Education allowing this to happen? I thought they were a checks and balances system.
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inspiredaily Yesterday 12:02 PM
Karen Janney is a woman that has been clearly ascending to the heights of the educational profession until she was derailed by Gandara and the Sweetwater Union High School District Board members. She is a tremendous motivator and charismatic leader that, even in her absence, continues to inspire countless teaching professionals in the district to do more than what is expected to prepare students for the challenges that lie ahead in life. The events that have transpired in the district over the course of the past several months are an absolute travesty. Many educators and staff members in the district are upset and disillusioned with the promises of better days ahead that Gandara made when he accepted the position as superintendent 3 years ago.
Gandara is not a man to be feared, rather a man to be pitied because of his obvious inability to work with other professionals that dare to have an intelligent opposing viewpoint, wear a skirt, and be Caucasian (White, not of Hispanic decent). News flash: Sweetwater Union High School District has work to do in terms of racial and gender equity given the stark under-representation of minorities in its Hispanic majority district.
His fear monger tactics have finally reached a crescendo of epic proportions. Gandara has come to realize the unbridled power the Sweetwater Union High School District Board has bestowed upon him. The school district needs Karen Janney and Dr. Dianna Carberry’s curriculum leadership as it continues the struggle to escape California Program Improvement status. Parents need to pay attention because ultimately these decisions are going to affect their children’s lives.
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ehsmadhatter Yesterday 10:35 AM
Pure politics is at play here. The district administration is more concerned with the advancement of paid cronies over the education of our children. How can you demote/fire a California principal of the year? This is all retribution for the support of the 4x4 system that she worked to create and that the district wants to remove from Montgomery high school. Those of you at the UT need to do some real investigative reporting, instead of advancing administrative comments and positions.
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justmeokay Yesterday 07:43 AM
You failed to mention what really happen. Dr. Gandara blindsided Karen Janney and Dr. Dianna Carberry. He called them in his office two hours before the board meeting to tell them they would be demoted to principals that night. There was no reason just his reason. This was clearly an act of retaliation from the superintendent to these ladies. You need to investigate why he did this. I would bet it has to do with them not agreeing with him on the laying off of teachers or classified employees. Or could it be the fact that they are both white women? The union needs to find out why so many management employees at the district in the years that Dr. Gandara has been there have either resigned or retired because of him and usually with the minimum of notice. He uses intimation on his management it is either his way or the high way. Most of Sweetwater’s management team walks in fear of him. He doesn’t even follow district policies. Find out why the union keeps calling him on the carpet with his tactics. Sweetwater employee morale is at an all time low. Why can Dr. Gandara break his contract by seeking employment and interviewing for it in Texas and not be accountable for it. Why did he call all the employees at home asking them to take a 2% pay cut which is against the law? Why does he hire consultants to audit the books when they have in house auditors? Why does he hire consultants then allow them to write up their job description and then turn around and hire them? This superintendent is destroying the district one employee at a time. And the sad part is the board that we voted in is allowing it.
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Comment one and two here have the right idea that I have been trying to say to people... It's not the Superentendent so much, its the board that is letting him/working with him to make it so.
Who hired Dr. Gandara? The SCHOOL BOARD!
Who said yes to RIF's? THE SCHOOL BOARD
Who said yes to demoting, and now letting Janney, and Carrbery go? THE SCHOOL BOARD
Who has said yes to the promotions of some and no of others? THE SCHOOL BOARD
WHO HAS THE REAL POWER? It's not Gandara. It's the SCHOOL BOARD...THEY are the final yes and no to things here not Gandara, they are the ones that have oversight power over EVERYTHING.
They could have easily said no to all the things they have said yes to...or told the superentendent find another option, but NO they did not. Why?
I am glad the blinders are coming off a bit...but they are not off all the way. It's the SCHOOL BOARD you want to FIRE, not JUST THE SUPERENTENDENT!
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