Author: Clint Paulson

The document at the link found here was prepared by a group of local advocates and provides a recent analysis with regard to the effectiveness of the Optimized Street Sweeping Program. Torrance had effectively suspended the ticketing aspect of the Program in the last several months prior to the election, but is expected to resume enforcement via tickets in the coming months.

Torrance Ticketing to Tonnage Analysis

At its regular meeting this evening, the TUSD School Board is expected to approve an increase in the salary for the Director of the TUSD Personnel Commission. The increase will raise the salary of the Director to $136,056. The increase is a 5% raise from last year and represents a 14.67% increase from the 2016-17 school year when the Director’s salary was $118,653. The Director is also entitled to employee benefits the value of which was not specifically enumerated in the proposed budget.

As part of the proposed budget, the secretaries and clerks that support the Director will also receive a pay increase. Their collective increase, however, is a more modest 2.3% from last year.

Terry Furey, spouse of current Mayor Pat Furey, is the current Chair of the Personnel Commission. She joined the Commission after replacing her son, Patrick Furey, Jr., who resigned after his position on the Commission had come under fire due to his role in a political scandal involving illegal campaign contributions to his father’s 2014 mayoral campaign that led to a $35,000 fine by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). Furey Jr. served as his father’s campaign manager during that election campaign.

Terry was appointed to the Commission by the California School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter #845. At the time of her appointment, she was listed on CSEA’s website as its First Vice President. The Personnel Commission was established to ensure favoritism and nepotism are kept out of the District’s hiring practices and that employees are hired based only upon demonstrated ability and not on who they know.

The total cost for the Personnel Commission was $518,265 in 2016-17. The proposed budget increases that figure to $584,682. This increase is proposed despite unverified rumors that the District has recently been hiring personnel through a private employment agency instead of utilizing the Commission. In a recent thread on the social media site Nextdoor dated 26 April 2018, one commentator identified as Danielle Zuliani claimed that:

TUSD has been hiring these [paraeducators] through a staffing agency “ Staff Rehab” even though they have a Personnel Commission that is supposed to be doing the hiring of classified staff … The new contracted paraeducator staff were offered 35 hr/ per week plus benefits compared to TUSD employed paraeducators who cannot get that many hours, saves $ on paying benefits, towards retirement, etc…but its the same job that the TUSD employed paraeducators do.

The budget increase for the Personnel Commission comes at a time of heightened tension between the School Board and the teachers union as negotiations for a new labor contract have stalled. The initial deal provided by the School Board offered teachers a 1% raise. That proposal fell through last October when it was not ratified by the TTA membership.

Message to Students from National School Walkout Organizers

Another national school walkout is planned for this Friday. The walkout coincides with the anniversary of the Columbine shooting. The organizers of the event are asking students across the nation to walkout of classrooms in support of reform to existing gun control laws.

TUSD supported a similar walkout that occurred on March 14, 2018. On that day, Congressman Ted Lieu spoke at South High while students at other schools participated in a variety of organized protest events. During that walkout students could remain in their classrooms or join the planned walkout events without consequence.

This time organizers are calling for an all day walkout beginning at 10:00 am versus only a 17 minute demonstration. For the upcoming walkout, it appears TUSD plans to allow each school site to handle the event as they deem necessary. Students leaving class, however, will be marked absent unless they are attending an event sponsored by the local school site.

TUSD Superintendent Dr. George Mannon referred an inquiry on the subject to Kati Krumpe, the Chief Academic Officer.  She responded as follows:

Q. Does TUSD plan to hold classes that day as usual?

Q. Will any accommodations be made for those that choose to participate in the walkout or will there be any organized events like there was for the prior walkout a few weeks ago?

A. Our site administrators will ensure that any student(s) wishing to participate in a walk-out be given a safe place to protest and speak. While there may be organized events at our local campuses (they will let us know by Thursday but I didn’t want to delay getting back to you), this is a site by site decision based on student interest. We do not advocate for students leaving the campus where we cannot safely supervise them. Our schools had peaceful protests on March 14th and we anticipate the same for Friday.

Q. How will local sites determine student interest for April 20th?  How was student interest determined on March 14th?

A. Site teachers and administrators worked with their student groups (student council, clubs, interested students) to determine the activities and events that occurred on March 14th and are doing the same regarding April 20th … We have found our students to be quite cooperative when events are co-planned with site help. Students have appreciated the opportunity to have a voice with teachers and administrators supporting their first amendment right.

Q. Will kids be marked as either absent or truant or be penalized in any other fashion if they leave class and refuse to attend for the remainder of the day?

A. By law, we have to mark students absent if they are not in class. If they left school without permission, the absence would be unexcused. This would reference students that did not participate in whatever activities that the site provided. Our intent is not to create a discipline issue with our students but to have good dialogue with them.