Seaside Courier:
As if to celebrate their fleecing of taxpayers with the school site sale, school board members the first week in August gathered at the posh La Quinta Resort in the Palm Springs area—part of the Waldorf Astoria family—for a three-day “educational retreat” that may have cost taxpayers another $20,000 or so.An EUSD parent writes:
According to the flier produced by the school board, the retreat kicked off on Wednesday, Aug. 6, with a “Welcome Happy Hour at Tim’s Suite,” Tim being Superintendent Tim Baird. (Incidentally, in October 2011, Baird sued the City of Encinitas because the council at the time wouldn’t upzone the Pacific View site to allow high-density condos—a move that would have allowed the district to maximize profits from any future sale.)
After happy hour came dinner at the Adobe Grill, the resort’s onsite Mexican restaurant that one Open Table reviewer called “undeservingly pricey.”
The first day of the “educational retreat” ended with “evening libations in ‘The Suite’ or ‘TWENTY6.’” The next day, according to the agenda, a breakfast buffet on the Waterfall Patio was followed by a four-hour “management retreat.” That must have been grueling because the rest of the day was remarkably light: lunch, then “Relaxation and Reflection,” “Happy Hour at Tim’s Suite,” “Dinner off-property at The Grill on Main” and more “evening libations.”
A notice at the bottom of the flier urged school board members to “bring laptops, iPads, sunscreen, swimsuits, hats and any other desert survival items.”
I have never heard of such an excessive retreat at a time when class sizes are going up, and parents are expected to fund hundreds of dollars worth of supplies and services.Agenda for the boozefest here.
It's time for the school district property owners to take over. Forget the $10 million sale of Pacific View. School district trustees need to cancel that sale and retrofit Pacific View back to a school and to take the increased number of students from the already overcrowded other schools in the district.
ReplyDeleteEr, that IS any opinion piece in the Courier, by the always unreliable (And Carlsbad Resident) TK Arnold. He's either bucking to get a byline again or something, he already failed at public office.
ReplyDeleteThat said, bad idea by the school board to do this. Money should go towards education, and that's it.
-MGJ
Perhaps this actually WAS an effort to improve education? Have you ever worked in a large organization?? Offsite retreats are sometimes what it takes to build relationships and spark new ideas.
DeleteGrinding teachers and administrators to sand isn't how to make a school system effective. EUSD isn't running a chicken processing plant, though the way the frightened oldsters in Encinitas talk, many won't be satisfied until the schools are privatized and squeezed for every penny that can be legally stolen from the next generation. But we know that running government well has never been a right wing goal, ever.
Personally, I blame Reagan, but I will gladly spread my disdain to you "I've got mine, screw you and your children " NIMBYs any day.
Gotta laugh at that: like Jim Kydd, butt boy for Pam Slater Price, who just admitted culpability and pled GUILTY in consciously misleading the voters of Encinitas is a 'character' reference for curious readers. Bruce and Jim: FPPC Poster Boys!!! Can we get autographs?
DeleteWait until his ability to be the recipient of all the City's legal advertising is taken away from him because of the 'good' citizenship clause in the state law he has profited from that has allowed him alone to gain from city business. Whoops! Didn't think that thru, did we?
Then he can sit on the beach and use Pam Slater Price's hot flashes to melt his S'Mores. Whadda chump! Don't forget the wipes, you know Brucie doesn't like to get anything on him.
Watch for more 'free' advertising in the Coast News for Julie and Sheila. Anyone who knows him knows Jim does not learn from his mistakes. Plus, Bruce and Everett have $400K to spend on Sheila's campaign in their non-profit bank account. What, its illegal for them to spend it on politics? When that ever stop anybody?
8:46 am -- Got idle time on your hands down at Starbucks at the Lumberyard, Mikey? Sore about getting fired by Jim? Angry that the complaint to the FPPC by Eiler and Moser didn't yield big bucks? A thousand bucks is chump change and went to the FPPC. Nice if you would stay in Oceanside..
Delete
ReplyDeleteFragrant abuse of taxpayers' money for personal vacations under the guise of "work retreats". The arrogance is so extreme as to flaunt it, realizing that the public is clueless and there will be no repercussions. Tim Baird is another Dalager - only worse. He needs to be recalled. When will the electorate wake up and realize that unethical people like Baird are at the helm? Pacific View is part of the public domain - city council invoke imminent domain of public property!! .
Baird's appointed by the EUSD Board of Trustees. He isn't elected, so cannot be "recalled." Vote all Board of Trustee incumbents out of office.
DeleteOnly Mo Muir stood against Tim Baird's bad faith as superintendent. And Mo's not running this year; she's up for re-election in 2016. I'll be voting for her, then.
Fragrant use? So it doesn't pass the smell test?
DeleteI think his contract is up next week? There should be an investigation before we extend.
DeleteThe abuse must have been fragrant because each suite had floral bouquets. As each attendee opened his/her suite door, smelling the fragrance was imminent.
ReplyDeleteFlagrant
DeleteApparently Mo Muir refused to attend and called her colleagues decision a poor choice, in light of educational priorities and financial challenges.
ReplyDeleteOh big deal that Mo Muir did not attend. That's because she was out of town eating hearty with her husband in another city. I'm sure she had a lavish retreat as well. She is as bad as the rest of them.
DeleteNo, she isn't. She wasn't eating at a retreat paid for by the taxpayers aupporting Encinitas Union School District.
DeleteI'm sure she was eating quite well (retreat or not). She is a Board member and just as bad as the rest of them. Just because she voted NO on PV does not equate to HERO. Her voice didn't matter did it? She and her husband are lone voters and they may as well stay at home because they don't seem to make a difference. They just collect more pension. Nice gig!
DeleteEach Mainstreet association in Enc does the same. " retreat" nonsense . They do this to get away from the " distractions " of being at home/enc. Not one of the Mainstreet presidents knows how to run a meeting, so every year off they go to some exotic locale to " brainstorm ". Another waste of taxpayer money.
ReplyDelete7:09- no value at all just a fake reason to get away on someone else's dime.
DeleteAnybody running against these clowns in the upcoming election, if so, we need to support them!
ReplyDeleteIncumbents Running
DeleteMarla Strich
Emily Andrade
Gregg Sonken
Challenger
Jen Hamler
Jen Hamler has my vote!!!
Thanks - Hamler it is!
DeleteAndrade is well-known as the biggest liar in the history of EUSD. She lives in Lakeside and recently was President of their Rotary there. Stritch is to Skiljan what Lenny is to George in Of Mice and Men. You should check out her garage. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
DeleteEUSD deserves some credit, they used to go to New Orleans for a week and later after they gutted the district of arts programs, had a three hour art class for principals with cookies billed at $10 bucks a pop, er, per bite!
As soon as the $10 mil check from the City clears, they have another $30 mil bond issue to plop down on taxpayer's backs, can hardly wait until Mo Muir is no longer restrained by Ed Code confidentiality and she can inform the parents about their jaded board of trustees. Go Mo!
8:35 Mo is part of them. Don't be fooled. She is just as sneaky as her damn husband on council.
DeleteIf ignorance is bliss, you must have a smile pasted on your face 24/7 3:59.
Delete4:19 I suggest you take your blinders off.
DeleteWhy does a Board member serving in this district live in Lakeside?
DeleteIt it just wonderful that these Board members use OUR money to lavish themselves with expensive rooms, expensive meals, expensive spas, etc. while WE have to continue to pay extra dollars to help fund programs at the schools that should be afforded by the district. WE should not be expected to keep paying more and more every year while this kind of thing is going on.
ReplyDeleteNice going city council that you have given them the opportunity to waste more of our money. Yes, cancel the deal on Pacific View. This is outrageous.
More champagne!!! I'm having an educational catharsis!!!
Delete"Hi Tony,
ReplyDeletePalm Springs is great.
Wish you were here.
Thanks again for everything!
- Tim"
TIm-
DeleteHaving a great time with Scott Chatty Chatfield and Teresa, Lisa and Catherine. Getting ready for an election year photo shoot for the Save Pacific View mailing list then meeting Marco at Union before heading to Shelter for some bottle service-
See you soon
Tony
Funny, but sadly reflects the truth.
DeleteTony-
DeleteGlad to see you living large at the Union, give my best to Marco and enjoy the bottle service at Shelter (comped I hope, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, lol, jk :-) )
Good luck on the Save PV photo shoot with Catherine and Lisa. Next step is rezoning the Liechtag plot by converting 80% to residential at 45 units and acre and 20% to agricultural farming and tying it into the qail garden and school farming acreas- it's all part of the master plan- Infill opportunities my friend, Infill- the whole Ag land for development deals was genious- thanks to Cat and Shaffer
See you when I get back, we'll throw a few back at D street before plotting your Mayors run
Cheers,
Tim
Jen Hamler has my vote. The incumbents are stooges.
ReplyDelete''From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August.'' - Andy Card on why, if the war in Iraq was so essential, they didn't start talking about the threat from Iraq until after labor day.
ReplyDeleteAnyone with a brain knew all along that this sham newspaper/propaganda rag was part of a pro-development, privatize- and monetize everything blitzkreig from the San Diego County 1%. Trash the North County with free "news," lure in the rubes with coupons and racial/class pandeering, then BAM, election season arrives.
6:41-
ReplyDeleteKeep you greedy hands of my tax dollars ! I pay money to support our kids - not TIm Baird and greedy EUSD Board members
Baird just bullied $10M and now Shaffer-KRanz want to raise taxes- meanwhile Baird's budget is full of holes-
but these kleptocrats are living off the backs of taxpayers- disgusting -
6:41-thanks Tim! But Jen Hamler has my vote
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jenniferhamler.com/
Delete6:41 AM
ReplyDeleteDon't you get it? Why would the trustees even consider going? it is a waste of spending taxpayers money whether the hotel is 5 or 1 star. Power corrupts and the yahoos on the board have been there too long.
A summertime trip to La Quinta, CA is corruption? You need to get out more often.
DeleteP.S., Your third "sentence" is almost unintelligible. Maybe you should call Tim's office to see about some remedial help in English?
6:48- No comment on the fleecing of taxpayers? No comment on the shennanigans of PV? You must work the government
Delete6:48 Why so critical of those who make comments that are not up to your standards in the grammar department? Try reading something else that meets your testing. This blog is beneath you.
DeleteThis "discussion" ostensibly involves the cost and quality of elementary education in our district. Were there any substance to their arguments, it might be possible to engage some of the posters here in a civil debate. Instead, we see nothing more than character assassination and insinuations of malfeasance. Poorly written insinuations, at that.
DeleteIf these borderline illiterates can't be bothered to run spell check, why should they get a pass criticizing Tim Baird?
Isn't "Tipsy Tim's" contract up next week?
ReplyDeleteTequila Tim's contract is agendized for Monday. Something they forgot to do for the taxpayer get away. This was a tax payer nightmare and it was illegal. All 4 board members broke the law.
ReplyDeleteThey should release the detailed itemized invoices (if they haven't been shredded) for this meeting; saunas and massages included maybe? Fancy dinners and libations make them more efficient?
DeleteAs long as there are no repercussions, persons in civic service will feel as though they have free license to plunder the system.
Baird needs to be replaced.
Where is Bonnie Dumanis?? O yea, she is accepting bribes.....
DeleteNever mind............
Dalager wants to know how to join that party! They get away with it!
DeleteInteresting that Mo Muir is the only one who didn't attend and is the only one who has kids in the District. She has skin in this game.
ReplyDeleteMy vote is for Hamler!!! (3 kids in the District)
I wonder if Mo Muir's child goes to an air-conditioned school. Does she care about the kids who are sweltering in hot classrooms? Do any Board members care? Does Big Tim care?
DeleteOnly if it was their child would be my answer.
Mo Muir's single dissenting voice is not enough to compete with the 4 stooges. But Parent's have had enough. Their voices are starting to be heard and now one is running for the Board to make a difference.
DeleteHamler has my vote!
Like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, made a donation and requested a bumper sticker and house sign.
4:41 Exactly why Muir is not effective as a Board member. Thanks for stressing my point.
DeleteLet's let the Robber Barons continue their fleecing of Encinitas then. These Board members have counted on people giving up and allow them to do what they want. What else have they gotten away with?
DeleteTipsy, were you thinking about the kids at PEC- while you were sucking down your drinks- that could have paid for air conditioners.. our kids are in a 50 year old sweatbox.
ReplyDeleteDid they do the conga train and skits about StarTrek?
ReplyDelete6:41 AM
ReplyDeleteThe trustees, Baird, and any other school district employee could have stayed at Motel 6 in Death Valley instead of La Quinta. It was wrong, wrong to use taxpayer money no matter where they stayed and partied.
There are plenty of rooms available at the any of the schools to hold a meeting of the Board. They can put their heads together in a setting like that just as well as they can any other place. And, guess what, it wouldn't have cost the taxpayers any money. What a novel idea that is.
ReplyDeleteThis leader (Tim) and the Board need some redoing. Some have been on this Board way too long. We need new people. Let's get rid of the waste and STOP USING OUR TAX MONEY FOR YOUR SELFISH BENEFITS.
All the expenses for this trip must be made available to the public, it's tax payer money being used. File a request with the school district.
ReplyDeleteAren't these meetings supposed to be open to the public? and have detailed agendas and minutes?
DeleteNo wonder EUSD scored so low on transparency. Check the webpage. Last Board notes were from a year ago.
The "Board Briefs" are from a year ago.
Delete"The Encinitas Union School District's Board Breifs are summaries of the Board of Trustees' monthly meetings"
Apparently, they don't want anyone to know what they're discussing. Now we know why.
Why couldn't they hold this retreat in Encinitas, supporting local businesses? I mean, the fact that they have their own Board Room at the District Office obviously is not enough space.
ReplyDelete12:20,
ReplyDeleteThey could work on flat rocks out in the sun, too.
Maybe they could let every neanderthal in the county micromanage their budgets to save a few bucks as well?
7:20, maybe you should budget for some typing lessons and grammar software? Either that or let Tim oversee your children's education. From your message, it's obvious that you lack the qualifications to judge the quality of any education system.
ReplyDelete6:31,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
How dare the serfs question me? Negotiating with Tony Kranz is hard work and I deserve to party hardy!
6:33 Try getting a life. You contribute NOTHING to the conversation.
ReplyDeleteTim told reporter 4 board members went
ReplyDeleteEmily Andrade
Greg Sonken
Marla Strich
Carol Skiljan
Did any of you feel any twinges of guilt? You slapped 30 year bond on this city. What were you discussing- giving Tim a raise? He is one of the highest paid in the county- now I know why
Thank you so much Jen for stepping up for our kids.
ReplyDeleteThe shameful behavior by the four board members and their pied piper stooge should have them all be gone but here is hoping Marla Strich will be the first one to be dumped. Her dismissive and holier than thou treatment of parents and kids last winter at the public meeting about PV was despicable. It was like 'how dare you question anything this board does'.
That she also treated Mo the way she did as the lone voice of reason was as condescending as it comes.
This bunch of dinosaurs are finished here and when the time comes they will all be outed and justifiably so.
If we had a couple more candidates to replace the other two up for election this fall there would be a real cleansing of this school board.
Thanks Jen for your willingness to usher in a new day for EUSD.
Update: Notice how "may have cost taxpayers another $20,000 or so" was downwardly revised to $8000 ($76 dollare/day per person) by the time Mo Muir's outrage made it to 10 News?
ReplyDeleteThomas K. Arnold is a hack and a shill for the 1%.
Tomorrow, monday, all who can, please try to show up at the EUSD school board meeting. They want to award baird a raise in pay among other issues. If that doesn't pack the house, nothing else will.
ReplyDeleteThis is the publics chance to let this bunch of dinosaurs receive all the kudos they have so ungratefully earned.
If any of these board members had any integrity they would step down and go peacefully into the night and hope they could find some peace of their own.
They will not find that peace as long as they remain on the EUSD board.
Come on out monday for our kids, parents, and this community.
Standards of behavior have been squandered by this crew.
Our schools deserve better than what we have been given and sadly, this reflects on our community at large.
It is long past time when such actions by an elected few are held accountable.
We can show that we care by attending this meeting with overwhelming numbers like we did back in the winter when the doors and windows were all open and the premises were overflowing to the outside of the chambers.
I remember clearly that cool evening when the chambers AC was blowing full blast and, transparently, the board was trying to freeze out the public and make them as uncomfortable as they could until I spoke out and asked the ac to be turned down.
One of their attendants did pretend to adjust the controls but it still blasted cold air on the publics seating area.
I can see why they were so sensitive to the heat being shown by the students, parents, and the public in attendance. It was a cooker for them up there on the dais while those of us in the publics seating area were being blasted by their AC.
You can bet they will try to do this again tomorrow so everyone bring an extra piece of clothing so no amount of AC blasted on the public will cool our fire.