Letter to the Editor -- Kent S. Moore

This is regarding the interview of Judy Franco, president of the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Trustees (Q&A; with Judy

Franco, “Leading the schools’ charge,” Feb. 17).

I find some of Franco’s public relations-laced comments regarding

community involvement after the bankruptcy absolutely fascinating to

read. Take, for instance, her comments about the community saying, “We’re

here. We want to help. Let us help. Let us work together. Let us be part

of the team.” Then she says, “And that is what we did.” Oh, really?

If this is so, why doesn’t the Daily Pilot ask Franco to explain to

them and the community why recommendations made by their Community

Involvement Task Force, after meeting for months during the evening, were

summarily “shelved” by the district, never to be heard of again? And, of

course, this was after Supt. Mac Bernd had told the committee that he

felt that this task force might have very well been the most important

group assembled by the governing board to “bring the community and the

district back together.” And what were these mysterious recommendations

the new superintendent, Robert Barbot, promised to revisit?

I urge Daily Pilot readers and concerned citizens to contact Barbot

and Franco and question them about the task force’s recommendations. Ask

them why they have never been implemented. Afterward, I believe that many

readers will come to the same conclusions drawn by a number of task force

members -- it’s still “business as usual” at Newport-Mesa despite the

smoke and mirrors.

KENT S. MOORE

Corona del Mar

EDITOR’S NOTE: Kent S. Moore is a former member of the school

district’s Community Involvement task Force.