Category archives for: Education

The Boonville Schools & Their $15+ Million

by Mark Scaramella

The Boonville Schools & Their $15+ Million

Proposition 39 was approved by California’s voters in 2000. It was called the “School Facilities. 55% Local Vote. Bonds, Taxes, Accountability Requirements.” It passed statewide 53% to 47% but failed in Mendocino County, 51.5% to 48.5%. Proposition 39′s fine print says that a school district which intends to propose a school facilities bond measure “must [...]

Richard Blum: Godzilla Regent

by Will Parrish

Current and former campus workers from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Santa Cruz — joined by several student sup porters — were on hand to challenge Richard Blum on the poverty he promotes in his capacity as a UC Regent. Blum, who fashions himself as a global anti-poverty crusader by way of his Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Berkeley, has had a primary hand in shaping the policies that have led to deep pay cuts and widespread employee layoffs at UC campuses. Moreover, as a leading finance capitalist and political influence peddler on a global scale, he and his ilk have played a strong role in causing the ongoing global economic meltdown — and the various financial austerity measures it is leading to.

A Lesson from California’s Students: ‘WE Make The Crisis’

by Will Parrish

A Lesson from California’s Students: ‘WE Make The Crisis’

Part Three of Will Parish and Darwin Bond-Graham’s series on disaster capitalism, UC style.

Disaster Capitalist University

by Will Parrish

Part Two of Will Parish’s and Darwin Bond-Graham’s series on disaster capitalism, UC-style.

Who Really Won The Murray Case?

by Mark Scaramella

Who Really Won The Murray Case?

Guest Commentary by Susan Rush, Manchester There was no surprise, on my part, by the article which appeared in the Independent Coast Observer (ICO) by D. Glenn O’Hara on February 4, 2010, in which he states Point Arena Superintendent Mark Iacuaniello was “cleared” in the civil suit filed by former Point Arena Elementary Principal Matt [...]

Murrays Lose, Point Arena Loses Bigger

by Mark Scaramella

Murrays Lose, Point Arena Loses Bigger

Paula Patterson was appointed interim principal at Point Arena Elementary in November of 2006 by Point Arena Superintendent Mark Iacuaniello. Iacuaniello and his lockstep school board had just fired Matt Murray although Point Arena Elementary’s test scores, discipline, campus safety and parent support had dramatically improved during Murray’s tenure. Murray had been hired to drag [...]

Richard Blum: The Man Behind California’s “Developing Economy”

by Will Parrish

On April 17, 2009, with the edifice of the global economy rotting under an architecture of monumen­tal greed, war deficits, and official hubris, the Univer­sity of California, Berkeley conducted a ground­breaking ceremony for its Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies.

The Superintendent Does Not Recall

by Mark Scaramella

The Superintendent Does Not Recall

Testimony continues in the civil trial of Point Arena School Superintendent Mark Iacuaniello, who’s accused of “fraudulent inducement” — hiring principal Matt Murray to improve Point Arena’s troubled elementary school then firing Murray after he’d successfully lifted the school from what amounted to state probation.

Don’t Cry For Me, Point Arena

by Mark Scaramella

Don’t Cry For Me, Point Arena

The trial continues of former Point Arena Elementary principal Matt Murray, who lifted the troubled school from probation and was fired behind closed doors.

Murray Case Goes to Trial

by Mark Scaramella

Murray Case Goes to Trial

Former Point Arena Elementary Principal Murray had successfully lifted the historically troubled Point Arena from state probation. Then he was fired. Behind closed doors.

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