Fleming-era trustees can't be trusted in closed meetings, especially in judgment of children with zero tolerance policies they would never apply to themselves

Oct 22, 2007

Tom Russell, CUSD Board of Trustees Meeting "With what we know now, it is outrageous to expect CUSD parents to entrust their children’s futures to such ethically challenged trustees. After demonstrating that you cannot be trusted, especially in secret meetings, it is audacious for you to assume you are worthy to sit in judgment of children behind closed doors, applying zero-tolerance policies that could scar them -- and have scarred some of them -- for life. If these same zero-tolerance policies had been applied to you, you would have been booted from this district long ago. Talk about hypocrisy."

Russell made these remarks during Public Comments. Russell is the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall COmmittee.

Recall Committee calls for Fleming-era trustees to resign or face recall

Jun 01, 2007

Tom Russell, The Trabuco Canyon News “Today’s indictments are also an indictment of the four remaining Fleming-era Trustees. For years, they chose to ignore Fleming’s wrongdoings. We call upon Trustees Marlene Draper, Shelia Benecke, Duane Stiff and Mike Darnold to resign immediately. If they fail to do so, we will be left with no choice but to commence a recall campaign to remove them from office.”

Russell is a CUSD parent and spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee and the Committee to Reform CUSD.

Recall Committee hoped to work with Smith and held comments pending meeting that was cancelled when he resigned

May 31, 2007

Tom Russell, The Orange County Register “We had purposely held back on making any statements about Smith. We wanted to give the guy a fair chance. We absolutely and 100 percent support the idea of moving on. We, however, require that it be done correctly – with true accountability.”

See Transcript of CUSD Recall Committee speech delivered to Dennis Smith and the Trustees at the May 7, 2007 board meeting. Russell is a CUSD parent and spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee and the Committee to Reform CUSD.

Recall advocates said decision to lease showed that building the admin building was wrong, other options should be considered

May 09, 2007

Tom Russell, The Los Angeles Times "This absolutely shows that the recall reform advocates were right, that this building was not necessary."

District critics called the construction of the three-building complex unnecessary and extravagant. Reform advocates pointed out the false dilemma presented by the district - the old administrative facilities vs. the extravagant new Taj Mahal, without any consideration of alternatives like those modeled by other, more prudent school districts. The excesses of the new administration building are now clear - it is both extravagant and physically excessive. The district should call for a thorough, independent feasibility study to consider alternatives that are more prudent and fair to everyone, such as a sale/leaseback arrangement or a sale and relocation of operations to unused or under-utilized facilities in the district (a sensible option chosen by other award-winning, but more prudent Orange County school districts). Russell is the spokesman for the CUSD Recall Committee.

Tags: Administration Building

Arroyo Vista PTA should tell CUSD to fix P.E. facilities deficiencies on school site, leave community park alone

Apr 20, 2007

Tom Russell, Rancho Santa Margarita News “They should advise CUSD to fix the problem rather than take a private park. The solution is for CUSD to fix it on their current property.”

School use of Arroyo Vista Park became an issue in 2002, when CUSD announced that it intended to cram facilities for 1,500 students on the adjacent, 8-acre Arroyo Vista School site. Despite widespread community opposition and promises by CUSD to honor an agreement with the City of Rancho Santa Margarita to cap the student population at 1,050, CUSD stubbornly proceeded to build facilities for 1,500 students, anyway. This created an overbuilt, under-utilized facility that has covered most of the children's playgrounds and sports fields. See Going Going Gone Feature.

Citizens for a Safe Rancho Santa Margarita (CSRSM), a local citizen action group, warned the community and CUSD about this very problem, but CSRSM’s arguments were rejected by CUSD and the current leaders of the Arroyo Vista PTA. CUSD stated in its EIR that adequate P.E. programs would be provided at Arroyo Vista without any need for the park, and children of parents who weren’t satisfied with P.E. or other educational programs at Arroyo Vista were given dual enrollment with the option of transferring to Las Flores Middle School. But rather than taking advantage of the dual enrollment option provided by the district, or working with CUSD to remove under-utilized facilities to make room for the children, these same PTA leaders are trying to solve the problem they helped to create by dishonestly campaigning to grab the adjacent, privately-owned community park, which will adversely affect residents who use the park to walk, walk their dogs and exercise daily.

CUSD's misplaced priorities have created this facilities planning disaster, dividing the local community in bitter, protracted controversy, wasting millions in taxpayer funds on under-utilized facilities and creating serious inequities for neglected and overcrowded campuses like Newhart Middle School in Mission Viejo. This waste and inequity could be mitigated if CUSD would relocate the under-utilized facilities to Newhart, which desperately needs them. Ironically, Mission Viejo taxpayers bore the cost of the Measure A bond funds used to expand Arroyo Vista, but Arroyo Vista parents were not subject to Measure A taxes. They just received the benefit without the burden, effectively giving Arroyo Vista more than they needed while denying even the basics to substandard schools in Mission Viejo. Russell is a member of CSRSM and the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.

Recall leader reacts to Waldrip report

Jan 09, 2007

Tom Russell, The Los Angeles Times "The reality is there was clearly, clearly a scheme of activities which were unethical and probably illegal."

Russell, a recall backer who helped bring many allegations to light, dismissed the Waldrip report as tainted, noting that Waldrip once worked for the same law firm as the district's longtime counsel.

Recall leader doubts Waldrip's impartiality due to association with CUSD counsel

Jan 09, 2007

Tom Russell, The Orange County Register "Whatever Judge Waldrip comes up with, there will always be a shadow of doubt that he did a complete and thorough job."

Comments to reporter Sam Miller by Tom Russell, spokesman for CUSD Recall Committee, prior to the release of the Waldrip investigation report.

Fleming trustees remain only because they weren't on the ballot

Jan 02, 2007

Tom Russell, The Capistrano Dispatch “The only reason those four incumbents remain on the board is because they weren’t on the ballot. If they use their four-member majority to frustrate the voters’ demand for reform, I believe the voters will remove them from office as well.”

Russell is the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee. He made this statement after being asked whether the four incumbent Trustees posed an obstacle to achieving reform in the scandal-ridden school district.

Tags: ABC Reform Campaign

Voters understood need for reform; Fleming trustees in denial

Jan 02, 2007

Tom Russell, The Capistrano Dispatch “The CUSD incumbents have been in denial about the need for reform – they just didn’t get it – but the voters did.”

Russell is the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee. The ABC Reform Slate candidates ran with the financial backing, endorsement and volunteer support of the CUSD Recall Committee. The previous year, the CUSD Recall Committee gathered more than 177,000 signatures in an effort to recall all seven members of the CUSD Board of Trustees.

Tags: ABC Reform Campaign

Recall Committee pays tribute Kevin Murphy; Committee will continue to lead reform campaign

Jan 01, 2006

Tom Russell, The Capistrano Dispatch "The people of South Orange County owe Kevin Murphy a debt of gratitude for having the courage to start the recall campaign and we wish him well. However, the problems remain and the CUSD Recall Committee will continue to lead the reform campaign."

Russell is the official spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.

Recall Committee says, "This battle is not over"

Jan 01, 2006

Tom Russell, Trabuco Canyon News “This battle is not over – not by a long shot! ... The CUSD Recall has already been a tremendous success. The peoples' eyes have been opened. The serious issues we have raised are real and will not disappear. Never more should the people of South Orange County tolerate the deception that has come to define the current CUSD administration.”

Russell, the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee, reacts to the Registrar's December 22, 2005 announcement that the recall petition campaign had failed.

Murphy resigned, but Recall Committee will continue to lead reform campaign

Dec 29, 2005

Tom Russell, Capistrano Valley News "The only thing that has changed is that Kevin [Murphy] has elected to resign ... The main thing we’re going to do is to make certain we keep the awareness we brought to the issues ... There is always more than one way to skin a cat.”

Russell, spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee, explained that the group will plan new strategies as it continues to lead the campaign to reform CUSD.

CUSD Recall Committee: teachers good, administration bad, no oversight by trustees

Jun 12, 2005

Tom Russell, The Orange County Register "The teachers and education are good. The problem is a wretched administration and a 7-0 board of trustees that doesn't oversee them."

Russell is the spokesperson for the CUSD Recall Committee.

Recall Committee spokesperson emphasizes "wretched administration" as reason for recall