One-sided Pasadena Star-News story on AUSD
the below story, by Cortney Fielding of PSN, is incomplete and biased.
although ms. fielding attended the mentioned ATC Ed Comm meeting on Jan 24, she did not ask the committee members for quotes, documents, clarification, or information. the only person interviewed for this story was shirlee smith, apparently.
ms. fielding did the same thing for the last story she did on AUSD, dated Dec. 4, 2006.
there are various inaccuracies throughout:
"Altadena school activists criticized
By Cortney Fielding, Staff Writer
Pasadena Star-News
Article launched: 1/26/2007, 9:25:17pm PST
ALTADENA- A leader in this community's movement to secede from the Pasadena Unified School District is calling for two of his fellow activists to step down.
During a meeting of the Altadena Town Council's education subcommittee earlier this week, member Jerry Rhoads said two of the Altadenans for Quality Education's three chief petitioners - responsible for overseeing the collection of 7,000 signatures needed to spark a county feasibility study - should be dismissed.
Rhoads said local children's advocate and cable television host Shirlee Smith, who writes a Pasadena Star-News column, and Bruce Wasson have continuously refused calls from the committee to report their progress. Rhoads also said Wasson has refused for months to turn over petitions to the sheriff's Altadena station, which has agreed to hold them for safekeeping.
'They have been completely unresponsive,' said Rhoads, recommending the pair be replaced with 'civil leaders,' such as members of the town council.
'Let's make this a civic movement, not a private one,' he said.
The group of Altadena residents exploring PUSD secession said it has collected 2,500 of the signatures needed to begin a Los Angeles County Board of Education study that would examine the feasibility of breaking away from the Pasadena Unified School District.
The study would be the first step toward creating an Altadena Unified School District.
After learning of Rhoads' remarks Friday, Smith said his charges against her and Wasson were completely unfounded.
'My parents cautioned me about nonsense in life,' she said. 'Need I say more?'
She said she was busy working the night of the committee meeting and said that it saddened her that Rhoads was devoting 'so much energy on nonsense.'
'Seven thousand signatures are needed,' she said. 'In the end, it doesn't make any difference who the chief petitioners are. I could care less whether I'm one, or none.'
Rhoads made his comments during a committee discussion on the possibility of requesting the Town Council to officially endorse the AUSD movement. He said he could not vote for the plan unless his conditions were met.
'It's the only way I can see doing it,' he said.
The committee meeting was also planned as a public forum to allow community members to voice their feelings about an Altadena school district. But only six members of the public attended. Committee members siad the open forum had not been adequately publicized, and rescheduled it for next month.
Discussion on Rhoads' proposition and voting were tabled until after that meeting."
cortney.fielding@sgvn.com
626-578-6300 ext. 4494
mahalo,
justin
although ms. fielding attended the mentioned ATC Ed Comm meeting on Jan 24, she did not ask the committee members for quotes, documents, clarification, or information. the only person interviewed for this story was shirlee smith, apparently.
ms. fielding did the same thing for the last story she did on AUSD, dated Dec. 4, 2006.
there are various inaccuracies throughout:
"Altadena school activists criticized
By Cortney Fielding, Staff Writer
Pasadena Star-News
Article launched: 1/26/2007, 9:25:17pm PST
ALTADENA- A leader in this community's movement to secede from the Pasadena Unified School District is calling for two of his fellow activists to step down.
During a meeting of the Altadena Town Council's education subcommittee earlier this week, member Jerry Rhoads said two of the Altadenans for Quality Education's three chief petitioners - responsible for overseeing the collection of 7,000 signatures needed to spark a county feasibility study - should be dismissed.
Rhoads said local children's advocate and cable television host Shirlee Smith, who writes a Pasadena Star-News column, and Bruce Wasson have continuously refused calls from the committee to report their progress. Rhoads also said Wasson has refused for months to turn over petitions to the sheriff's Altadena station, which has agreed to hold them for safekeeping.
'They have been completely unresponsive,' said Rhoads, recommending the pair be replaced with 'civil leaders,' such as members of the town council.
'Let's make this a civic movement, not a private one,' he said.
The group of Altadena residents exploring PUSD secession said it has collected 2,500 of the signatures needed to begin a Los Angeles County Board of Education study that would examine the feasibility of breaking away from the Pasadena Unified School District.
The study would be the first step toward creating an Altadena Unified School District.
After learning of Rhoads' remarks Friday, Smith said his charges against her and Wasson were completely unfounded.
'My parents cautioned me about nonsense in life,' she said. 'Need I say more?'
She said she was busy working the night of the committee meeting and said that it saddened her that Rhoads was devoting 'so much energy on nonsense.'
'Seven thousand signatures are needed,' she said. 'In the end, it doesn't make any difference who the chief petitioners are. I could care less whether I'm one, or none.'
Rhoads made his comments during a committee discussion on the possibility of requesting the Town Council to officially endorse the AUSD movement. He said he could not vote for the plan unless his conditions were met.
'It's the only way I can see doing it,' he said.
The committee meeting was also planned as a public forum to allow community members to voice their feelings about an Altadena school district. But only six members of the public attended. Committee members siad the open forum had not been adequately publicized, and rescheduled it for next month.
Discussion on Rhoads' proposition and voting were tabled until after that meeting."
cortney.fielding@sgvn.com
626-578-6300 ext. 4494
mahalo,
justin
posted by Justin Chapman at 10:44 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home