Candidate Mike Winsten offers sensible solutions to improve transparency and restore public trust in their school district
Oct 26, 2008 Filed in: Public
Statements | Reform Campaign
4Q08
Mike Winsten addresses parent concerns over the lack of transparency at CUSD and proposes solutions for the benefit of parents and taxpayers
Winsten is the reform candidate for CUSD Trustee Area 3
CUSD can do a lot to improve its transparency. Here are just a few of the ideas I have:
Constituents Bill of Rights Draft and adopt a Constituents Bill of Rights requiring the Administration to pledge to conduct themselves openly, neutrally and transparently, by setting standards of conduct and ethics that are greater than current state law, but in fact raise the bar to the highest standards of openness, honesty, integrity and accountability;
Conflict of Interest Code Draft and adopt a more stringent Conflict of Interest Code that sets standards far greater than the sham standards set by state law, that ensures there are no more cozy hidden relationships involving sole source contracts for years and decades, between CUSD vendors and Administrators, like we have heard about in the recent past;
Create an Ombudsmen Office Create an Ombudsmen
Office directly answerable only to the CUSD Board,
not the Superintendent or anyone else in the
Administration, whose mission will be to act as
advocates on behalf of parents, taxpayers and voters
to facilitate the flow of information from within
CUSD to these constituents;
Eliminate Most Closed Session Board Meetings Eliminate Closed Session Board meetings except when and if required by law, not just when allowed by law. What happens behind those closed doors with attorneys, consultants and staff is allowed to occur in closed session, but that does not mean it is required to be handled in closed session. This one proposal alone can go a long way towards increasing transparency and restoring the public’s trust in how CUSD in being administered;
Release Board Agendas Earlier Stop the practice of releasing Board agendas and supporting materials online only a minimum of 72 hours before Board meetings. Require the Administration to do its homework for Board meetings further ahead of time so Board agendas and supporting materials can be posted online a minimum of 1 week ahead of time, allowing the public more time to study these materials and participate. Much of what causes controversy in CUSD is the last minute disclosure of issues known to the Administration for months or longer, but which are endlessly brought to the Board as ‘emergencies’ leaving insufficient time for public debate and rumination;
Televise Board Meetings Broadcast CUSD Board meetings on Cox Cable like most City Councils and the South Orange County Community College District, so interested parents, taxpayers and voters can watch the meetings at home or on recorded replays, so those who cannot attend Board meetings can stay informed;
Improve Financial Disclosures Post CUSD’s general ledger, current contracts, bills and check requests online in real time to the public can scrutinize the flow of money through CUSD;
Disclose Support Documentation Require all online check requests to be accompanied by supporting documentation, including contracts, invoices and check request approvals;
Improve Bond Disclosures For each separate Mello Roos bond, and the Measure A bond, post real time account statements, specific use of money histories showing specific location and project where the money was spent, remaining balances, etc. online; and
Term Limits Study the adoption of some form of trustee term limits and whether to convert the election of Trustees from at-large Board seats to elections by geographic areas to facilitate greater public participation and diversity in the composition of the CUSD Board over time.
As announced several times over the last few years by the Orange County District Attorney and Grand Jury, CUSD has clearly failed its transparency obligations over the last decade. I’ve been an advocate at the front of fight for greater transparency over the last several years. Your vote for me will allow me continue to shed light on the inner workings of CUSD on your behalf where I can do the greatest good. For more information, please visit www.cusdrecall.com or you can contact me at mike@cusd.us. Thank you for taking the time to make an educated vote for our public schools.
– Mike Winsten
Eliminate Most Closed Session Board Meetings Eliminate Closed Session Board meetings except when and if required by law, not just when allowed by law. What happens behind those closed doors with attorneys, consultants and staff is allowed to occur in closed session, but that does not mean it is required to be handled in closed session. This one proposal alone can go a long way towards increasing transparency and restoring the public’s trust in how CUSD in being administered;
Release Board Agendas Earlier Stop the practice of releasing Board agendas and supporting materials online only a minimum of 72 hours before Board meetings. Require the Administration to do its homework for Board meetings further ahead of time so Board agendas and supporting materials can be posted online a minimum of 1 week ahead of time, allowing the public more time to study these materials and participate. Much of what causes controversy in CUSD is the last minute disclosure of issues known to the Administration for months or longer, but which are endlessly brought to the Board as ‘emergencies’ leaving insufficient time for public debate and rumination;
Televise Board Meetings Broadcast CUSD Board meetings on Cox Cable like most City Councils and the South Orange County Community College District, so interested parents, taxpayers and voters can watch the meetings at home or on recorded replays, so those who cannot attend Board meetings can stay informed;
Improve Financial Disclosures Post CUSD’s general ledger, current contracts, bills and check requests online in real time to the public can scrutinize the flow of money through CUSD;
Disclose Support Documentation Require all online check requests to be accompanied by supporting documentation, including contracts, invoices and check request approvals;
Improve Bond Disclosures For each separate Mello Roos bond, and the Measure A bond, post real time account statements, specific use of money histories showing specific location and project where the money was spent, remaining balances, etc. online; and
Term Limits Study the adoption of some form of trustee term limits and whether to convert the election of Trustees from at-large Board seats to elections by geographic areas to facilitate greater public participation and diversity in the composition of the CUSD Board over time.
As announced several times over the last few years by the Orange County District Attorney and Grand Jury, CUSD has clearly failed its transparency obligations over the last decade. I’ve been an advocate at the front of fight for greater transparency over the last several years. Your vote for me will allow me continue to shed light on the inner workings of CUSD on your behalf where I can do the greatest good. For more information, please visit www.cusdrecall.com or you can contact me at mike@cusd.us. Thank you for taking the time to make an educated vote for our public schools.
– Mike Winsten
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