Whistleblowers: Will TUSD’s Trujillo finally drain HT’s swamp at 1010?

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Open 57th Open Letter From: Whistleblowers– Comprised of a Large Group of Extremely Concerned TUSD Administrators, Teachers, Retired

From: Whistleblowers– Comprised of a Large Group of Extremely Concerned TUSD Administrators, Teachers, Retired Administrators and Parents, Grandparents

Subject: The End of the School Year is the End of the HT Sanchez Era! Dr. Gabriel Trujillo, Let the Overhauling Begin!

HT Sanchez has no class. We first learned this when he insisted on being considered the sole final candidate for superintendent when he interviewed for the position in 2013. The other top candidate was left in the dust even though she was much more qualified than HT. He did not want to compete with anyone else and we guess he knew that if his competition went into the final leg of the process, he would have lost out. As an only child, in his household, his parents did not teach him to play or get along with other children. He could never handle competition. He was the center of his mother’s universe and he is proud of being a mama’s boy, always getting his way. He is socially and politically immature and he allows himself to be driven by his enormous, but very fragile ego. His ego has always dictated his decisions, most of which were meant to serve HIM and not others, such as students.

His over-blown ego showed up at two TUSD graduations in May: University High School and Mary Meredith. This was an effort to thumb his nose at Board members other than those who continue to worship the ground he walks on (Kristel Ann Foster and Adelita Shirley Grijalva). His attendance at the graduations provided another unwanted look into the man’s deep seeded pathologies: narcissism and pseudologia fantastica and mythomania (compulsive lying). His lack of class came through once again. He must not understand how desperate he appeared to be in his return to TUSD. He must not comprehend how tacky and tasteless his actions were on graduation day. He does what serves him; what makes him feel important; and what calls attention to him. HT is a man who lives in a physical stature which has always felt uncomfortable (at a height of about 5’5” he compensates for his petite frame with one attention-getting gesture after another). He knows the desperation of needing his ego stroked and has learned from this weakness how to stroke the egos of others who are also weak, such as Kristel and Adelita and the principals of UHS and Meredith. Weak women, with their own flawed personalities, were used to empower this man while he assumed the role of TUSD’s king.

Kristel was ecstatic about being able to be anywhere near HT once again. Her extreme fascination with him is repulsively obvious and she is constantly defending him. She could have cared less about the graduation ceremony and the students accepting their diplomas. Her focus and her vision was only HT. To be in his presence is her enchantment. It is where her delusion is fed. After the graduations, she could not wait to post pictures of the “team” (HT, Adelita, Cam Juarez and herself) and proudly say that it was the best team TUSD has ever had and that they had accomplished so much. (Really; what exactly?) How can she possibly compare the team from Hell to any team prior to her being on the Board? The single reason she ran was to bring MAS back. She failed and has never given credit to those who were able to pull off what she couldn’t. She had no other cause, but MAS. Few have ever noted her failure to deliver. She had no historical reference of TUSD. Her narrow knowledge of TUSD is from the time she began her first term. That’s it. Her knowledge base is limited and ignorant- filled with all the lies HT poured into her. Delusion fed is dangerous and in her own inept way, Kristel is very dangerous. She is vindictive and she is mean and as a single middle-aged woman she invests most of her time into plotting, politicking (not the good kind) and punishing HT, Kristel, Adelita, and Cam have done more damage to TUSD than any Board and any Superintendent within our collective living memory.

Sanchez created a terrible work and educational culture within TUSD during his four years. He caused massive division; he played favorites with Board members, administrators, and schools (for example UHS vs. Utterback); he was brutal to people who did not agree with his ideas (many of his ideas were stupid and not well thought out); he lied with great ease; he went backwards in dealing with the desegregation court order; he added to the already porked-out 1010 administration; in dealing with two defunct organizations (TEA and ELI) he establish a quid pro quo of a power exchange; and he spent large sums of tax-based dollars without Board authorization. Adelita Grijalva, who served as the Board President and Kristel Foster, who served as clerk for the same amount of time that Sanchez was Supt. enabled all of his bad and corrupt deeds. One was (is) so in love with the man, that she would have signed her house over to him if he had asked and the other was (is) so lazy, she just left all the decisions up to him, never having to lift a finger. Cam was either too stupid or lazy to do anything but go along with Sanchez and Adelita. He and his enablers created a dysfunctional institution. The turnover rate for administrators and teachers has been the highest under what Kristel referred to as the best team. Delusional! Enrollment decreased. Achievement is a disgrace. HT’s catastrophe day care centers have failed. His 27:1 student-teacher ratio never happened. (What happened to all of the Title I money that was supposed to make this a reality?)

HT’s removal from TUSD is likened to cutting out a cancerous tumor and follow-up treatment is needed to ensure that any remaining cancer cells are destroyed. HT has left behind many who he put in place who are poor performers; collecting dust and their paychecks every two weeks. HT appointed and promoted based on patronage and personal loyalty- NOT loyalty to TUSD or to any level of morality. His circle of young inexperienced men and those who have sold their souls (and perhaps other parts of their being) to keep their contracts have gained their positions without merit. Now were are stuck with several incompetent Sanchez left-overs. Here are a few of HT Sanchez’ major hiring/promotion mistakes:

The Ochoa principal, who HT appointed, took up with another principal’s (Safford Principal- also appointed by HT) wife who worked at Ochoa (both guys were part of HT’s clique) so he (the Ochoa guy) had to leave the District for fear of being exposed and terminated. Both schools are no longer magnet schools. The Safford Principal is a broken mess and incapable of leading the school. He has failed for three years running.

While Mark Alvarez was Director of the Language Acquisition Department he began chumming around with HT. They became fast and furious buddies. Then it was discovered that Mark Alvarez was doing a HORRIBLE job in administering the Language Acquisition Department, which was revealed through an audit of the Department. Of course, HT being a man of NO integrity decided that he had to rescue one of his buds. HT decided to abandon the Language Acquisition Department and appointed Mark as interim Asst. Supt. of Elementary and K-8 which left the Language Acquisition Department without a director for over a year. Would anyone in their right mind think that dual language is of any importance to Mark Alvarez or HT Sanchez? To rescue one of his guys, HT simply moved bodies around. Meanwhile, very little has been done to address the problems found in the Language Acquisition Department Audit. HT didn’t care about the impact on students while making these appointments or in juggling his buddy around to save him from having to deal with the Audit. This is known at patronage. Interestingly enough, this is supposed to be Kristel Foster’s professional area of expertise, yet for a year she has sat back and watched the Language Acquisition Department sink lower than prior to the audit that exposed mega weaknesses. You can read about the Audit: http://tucson.com/news/local/education/audit-tusd-s-dual-language-program-too-weak-to-promote/article_1cf17151-549d-5414-b4a3-7e0ff2d2b1dc.html

Dr. Gabriel Trujillo has actually opened the Asst. Supt. position up as a competitive process. We hope that he appoints someone who actually brings expertise to the District in elementary and K-8 curriculum and leadership. As principals at the schools, we do not need good old boys showing up at our doors. We need expert support.

Anyone who knows anything about human resources and budget/finance knows that Anna Maiden and Karla Soto are incompetent. They both did whatever HT told them to do, including some mighty shady (legally) acts. Anna turned a blind eye in hiring Adelita Grijalva’s mom-in-law. HT had her convinced to hire his wife, Mary but one of HT only strong administrators fought him on this. Of course, she was punished for it. Both Anna and Karla caved in giving bonuses and raises to administrators without going through the proper Board process.

And Abel Morado has been called a company man but we believe that the term is wrong. He is not loyal to the organization/company. He is loyal to the head guy. Not to students. Not to teachers. Not to parents. His loyalty is expressed by being the hatchet man; the liar; the one who covers up; the bull-shitter.

We have already said how WORTHLESS Karen Kopec has been for almost a full year of a wasted deputy position. HT hired her as a friend from Texas. Good riddance Karen. You have brought no value to our District.

Stephanie Boe is another HT loyalist who sold her soul to please him. She always had the cameras and video rolling to glamorize HT in any way that she could. In the process, she forgot to prop the schools up. She forgot to sell TUSD for what it does- educate students. She forgot that her position was not to be HT personal publicist. She forgot that the way to build trust as a PR professional does NOT include getting favors to hire your husband; which she did. He is on an emergency teaching certificate at PV and her priorities were made very clear when she used her influence to finance her husband on TUSD’s dollar. She forgot that it is about the schools and students and not HT and not employing her family members.

Sam Brown is a cowardly “yes” man, without integrity and without an understanding of our schools. He sits in his 1010 office and makes decisions that impact our schools in awful ways. He never bothers to visit schools or talk to principals, much less teachers. His ideas and actions in the area of desegregation have been tragic, especially in the area of discipline. Really tragic. He desperately wants to be seen as a great legal mind but his lack of integrity and understanding of education make him a lousy attorney. We hear he is frothing at the mouth to get the Chief Counsel position. We hope that Dr. Trujillo and the Board do not make the mistake of promoting someone who has brought zero value to TUSD. Sam is a coward. He blows whichever way the superintendent wind is blowing. He is not a principled person.

Matt Munger, another very good friend of HT’s was rewarded for his friendship and he was wrongly promoted from Sabino H.S. Principal to Director of Secondary Leadership. Most of us at the high school principal and assistant principal level have more experience and knowledge than he does, yet we are expected to take his uninformed direction. Munger is nothing but incompetent and many from Sabino can recite example after example of his failures while he was principal of the school. He was known as “the Nazi”, which says all that really needs to be said.

Clarice Clash is another administrator who HT rescued but not because of any loyalty she had shown to him. Several employees complained about her while she was the principal at Tucson High. See: https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/too-little-too-late/Content?oid=4007406

Clash in turn, sought support from those within the African American community with influence -Daisy Jenkins and Gloria Copeland- and they each strong-armed Sanchez into saving her employment. In fact Daisy attended a meeting with Sanchez and Clash, which should have been a private administrative meeting. He caved and moved Clash into her current position although she had no substantive expertise in the area of curriculum.

Of course, Auggie Romero has survived only because of HT Sanchez and his partrona, Adelita Grijalva. In any other organization he would have been dismissed. Auggie is all talk and no action. He lies, he cheats, he has a hot temper and he does not care because, so far, he has gotten away with it. The grade change violation that he pulled off should have resulted in some type of disciplinary action, yet, as far as we can tell, nothing happened. His loss of Pueblo’s master keys has caused millions of dollars. Still nothing.

Stuart Duncan should be under investigation for several District violations. Why is he being protected? We haven’t figured it out- yet.

Richard Foster was the epitome of a “yes” man. His vocabulary just does not stretch far beyond this single word. He has few original thoughts but does as he is told without question.

We can’t blame HT for Mary Alice Wallace, although, he did charm her and convince her of where her loyalties needed to be with individual Board members. She shows favoritism and is extremely unprofessional in the manner that she treats those on the Board she does not like. The Board needs to move her out of the Board office. Long ago when the job was being filled, it should have gone to Bridget A. instead of Mary Ann. Those of us who know Bridget all agree about this!

Is it any wonder that the District is faltering at every turn with so many in-epts in place?

We hope that Dr. Trujillo takes a look at what each of these individuals has contributed (or rather, not contributed) to TUSD over the last few years and that he begins to examine each person’s output. Some are leaving- but what messes are they leaving behind and who can immediately remedy the problems? For those who stay, we hope that each will be held accountable from now on. With the exception of Mary Alice Wallace, Dr. Trujillo is able to do a great deal to being to deal with the personal patronage baggage that is weighing central administration down.

We are happy that HT is gone but the damage he has done will be with us until there is admission that damage has been done and solutions are put in place.

Thanks to Three Sonorans for publishing every single one of our letters and to Arizona Daily Independent for publishing some of our letters and referencing them from time to time.

Originally published at TSON News.