Concern Parent wrote on Mar 23, 2009 10:21 PM:

" Let the investigation continue and please focus and investigate Mary Good and Nick Schuerman. How can Nick Schuerman be in a school when he is not certified in the state of Arizona? Why did he get hired on? All he has done is make RBMS a very uncomfortable place to visit and work at. He goes around spreading rummors about staff members and sitting in his office spying on people as he looks at them in the cameras. Mr. Hoyack, Mr. Rivera and Mrs. Lopez, question the staff and students at RBMS and find out as to what a jerk and horrible person Nick Schuerman is. His own assistant is affraid of him. "




Amen wrote on Mar 23, 2009 7:38 PM:

" It's about time that some positive comments were made. Hopefully all you negative people will read these, and realize there's a truth to be told.
Thanks for making me a proud Douglasonian again!! Let's move on, and put the kids first, once again. "




to Cup-o-Joe wrote on Mar 23, 2009 7:14 PM:

" totally agree with you! we are DUSD employees who had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Simmons last week. what a huge difference from what we heard from Mr. Pettit last fall. what a terribly long year it has been; quite difficult to work under a dictatorship rather than together as a district. to Bulldog, please let the board do their job. next time there is an election for members, knock yourself out (you and wonderful news) but until then, either work together with those of us who want to have a great district once again or just give it a rest. find yourself a different hobby or maybe even a job if you do not have one! "




to Mr. Rivera Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Hoyack wrote on Mar 23, 2009 7:05 PM:

" thank you for not being intimidated by Mr. Pettit and his band of troublemakers. no matter who the associate administrator would have been, Mr. Pettit's people would not have approved unless one of their own was offered the position; what good would that have done (apple does not fall far from the apple tree). many of us appreciate all your efforts in getting to the bottom of this terrible situation that Mr. Pettit has caused for the district. we are certain that when all is said and done, many critics that have nothing but bad things to say about you will be trying to worm their way back into your good graces. don't trust them! Thank you again! "




to involved parent wrote on Mar 23, 2009 6:35 PM:

" you deserve a huge pat on the back for your comments; well said! a reminder to all who blame stevenson for the current situation - when earl pettit met with the stevenson parents regarding the reconfiguration/rezoning, they are the ones who pointed out to him that it was not right for him to be presenting info to them that by his own admission, he had not presented to the parents at the other schools. the stevenson parents felt ALL parents from ALL schools should receive the same info from earl pettit. dusd has a lot of parents who work odd hours and more than one job but if your childs' education is important to you, make the time to attend meetings; make your voice heard; call board members and express to them your concerns if you cannot make the meetings. be an active parent no matter what! "




Bottom Line wrote on Mar 23, 2009 5:42 PM:

" Make Stevenson a charter school. They can make their decisions, they can have total control of what they want and no one will have a problem. Let the Board members finish their terms, more than likely they will be so sick of all this they can go out in disability. Focus on the middle schools, those kids are failing. Put the central administrators in those schools and make them right.Put in a Superintendent that has no bias and credentials. Unfortunately Dr. Simmons answers to Hoyack and please don't be upset, it is true. You will see as time goes by he has to agree with him in all he does because Hoyack put him there. Simmons is better off not playing politics and being where he better serves kids and not politicians.In the end the state will come in and take over anyway because it's too late for some schools. In fact we better worry if we'll even have schools the way the budget is looking in the state. "




Wonderful News wrote on Mar 23, 2009 5:26 PM:

" In answer to several of you yes I do have time on my hands. I am a retired administrator. There are respectable old timers that are worried with all that has gone on. I am not a Pettit supporter as you suggested because I do not know him only what I have read. But what I do know is I have never seen the community so torn as now.It is the subject when we meet and we are not the kkk as one of you stated. We are taxpayers, citzens and hope that our city will not be known for the hate many of you write. The current Board members have disgraced the good name of Douglas. Whoever they support does it matter? Look at how they act. They do not deserve to be on the Board because they have not conducted themselves in a business-like manner, the business of education. If three people feel they want to come forward and recall the current members more power to them. You are right where were they before? Sometimes it takes seeing how bad things are to realize enough is enough. And no they aren't puppets just successful individuals who still care about the future. As for Mr. Simmons, I would have faith if someone totally out of the current administration had come in to complete the term. Otherwise it still smells of arranged deals no matter how you slice it up! "




Parent disgusted wrote on Mar 23, 2009 6:38 AM:

" Everyone has been having horrible issues and experiences this school year. Those that have spoken out about their observations and other situations have been put into a situation that they are being watched this year. People have investigations being done on them. Do you think this has an effect on the kids? What about putting attention onto trying to get them to attend school and help them succeed. I am a parent that sees that there is too much about employees and not enough about kids. Let's focus on the kids. "




xoxo wrote on Mar 22, 2009 9:42 PM:

" Bring back Rafael Ortiz!!!!!!!!!!he's great principal!!!!!!!!and fire PETTIT worthless piece of cheese!!!!!!!!!!! "




dusd employee wrote on Mar 21, 2009 11:36 PM:

" why not support the board as the investigation into the dusd problems takes place. Dr. Simmons, please pay no mind to all the negative comments. the board has faith in you so that is all that matters. be careful with mr. pettit's administrators - they will be nice to your face but are talking bad behind your back (and online). mr. pettit is still directing his people from home. board members, thank you for taking the problems seriously. a thorough investigation will reveal so much. residents of douglas, you have no idea what has been going on within dusd all because of mr. pettit. "




to wonderful news wrote on Mar 21, 2009 11:28 PM:

" sounds like you have way too much time on your hands. you write that 'meetings have been taking place' - what the heck, sounds like the kkk is alive and well in douglas! these 3 people you refer to 'have agreed' you say - does that mean they will do as you and your group of pettit supporters tell them?

it is obvious that earl pettit has a personal vendetta against stevenson and anyone with ties to it and his supporters have a personal vendetta against mr. hoyack. the craziest thing of all is that the douglas community was such a tight-knit group. now some of mr. pettit't fans are two-faced hypocrites. remember, before he came into town, you respected and worked with board members in some capacity or another. some of you may have counted on their expertise to help you out with whatever you may have been working on. remember that now when all you do is badmouth them. "




be careful wrote on Mar 21, 2009 10:56 PM:

" sounds like many of you have made the dusd situation your priority. last I checked, there were 5 board members. at the end of 2008, there were 3 vacancies and only 3 citizens expressed an interest. by the sounds of all your comments, at least half of douglas will be running for school board next time. you people are ridiculous. you all know that when it gets down to crunch time, you are all talk.

some of you are making comments that sound like you spend time criticizing every move the board members make, even noticing bumper stickers on vehicles. sounds like some of you are stalking board members and attempting to ruin them no matter what. you may be opening yourselves up to lawsuits. are you prepare for that? have you heard of defamation of character, slander, libel? give the board members a break and let them do their job! remember, they have to become knowledgeable of a lot of policies in order to enforce them within the district. if no action had been taken against earl pettit, the board would have been criticized also. a lie is a lie no matter what. you seem to forget that earl pettit brought this on himself. The board did not GET HIM in trouble; he GOT HIMSELF in trouble. "




another concernd parent and employee wrote on Mar 21, 2009 10:35 PM:

" It is very obvious who Mr. Pettit's friens are. They are the ones always at the board meetings, no matter how late they end; they are the ones he looks at when making sarcastic faces or rolling his eyes during the board meetings; (remember, you are on the internet); they are the ones who take notes during board meetings (isn't that Miss Elias' job?) Now that Mr. Pettit is at home, you still cannot leave well enough alone, can you? Now you are complaining about Mr. Earl Simmons. It is common knowledge that you all had high hopes of Leanne Marston replacing Mr. Pettit. What a joke that would have been. You people are not happy with the choice mad because Mr. Simmons is not one of Mr. Pettit's administrators. A word of advice to any of you who have been involved with any wrongdoings along with Mr. Pettit, you may want to come clean and admit to anything you know; it may go easier on you in the longrun. "




former resident wrote on Mar 21, 2009 10:25 PM:

" I am a proud resident of Douglas and 'proud to be a bulldog'. I no longer live in Douglas but keep up with all the goings on; thank goodness for the internet. I am appalled at how one person has managed to attract so many to join him in his destruction (for lack of a better word) of a wonderful community. I cannot believe Douglas residents have fallen for what have proven to be nothing but lies. While you all are bickering and causing so many problems for your very own friends, I have researched Earl Pettit. Maybe if you all did that, you would realize what some already know - he is nothing but trouble. Why don't you all contact his former employer; people do not resign if not guilty of something - to save face, Earl Pettit resigned instead of being fired. And what is the deal with the Human Resources person? Coincidence that she also was employd by Whiteriver Unified School District and ended up in Douglas at the same time as Earl? Quite a difference in her job titles from principal to human resources director. Guess the old cliche of 'not what you know but who you know' is true in this case. Is it really necessary to pay administrators to travel out of state to job fairs? (There are so many great teachers in DUSD who have returned to their hometown after receiving their education. This was by choice.) They wanted to return home.

By the way, Earl Pettit spent time in Washington State. Not surprising, that is where your RBMS Nick Schuerman is from! Residents of my beloved town, why allow Earl Pettit to continue his mission, now thru the works of his friends in his administration. Let the board do their job; I have no doubt that their decisions are difficult ones to make but they are made on the facts and physical evidence if you will. Kind of hard to dispute something in writing, (such as the correspondence Earl Pettit sent each school), don't you think? Kind of hard to dispute an investigation as opposed to a monitoring visit when the department of ed person is actually explaining how the entire process works.

I hope Douglas returns to the great community I miss. I remember everyone always being there for one another but now it is sad to see so many friendships lost, so many mean and rude comments written about good people - Douglas is full of good people. I do not like the reputations and character of so many wonderful citizens of Douglas that have done so much for the community being ruined. Ease up people. The truth will come out as to the true intentions of Earl Pettit and anyone else who may be involved. I look forward to Douglas once again being the friendly community I dearly miss.

(Think of your children and what they think of all your actions and hurtful words) "




Concerned Voter wrote on Mar 21, 2009 4:30 PM:

" To Wonderful News: please insure that these three professionals are not 'clones'of the present and past board members who had his personal agenda when it came to making decisions which would affect the district. "




To You dont know wrote on Mar 21, 2009 12:06 PM:

" Perhaps if you did your job instead of complaining all the time........Also, you are not there for people to greet you, you are there to work with your students. You are the reason that problems exist because you have too much time on your hands to worry about yourself. The principal isn't there for you, he is there for everyone and multiple problems exist at all times. He came into a mess that was allowed to exist over a period of years and needed to make some changes. You need to work with the students and do your job. Maybe you don't and that is why you feel this way. "




another douglas citizen wrote on Mar 21, 2009 11:20 AM:

" enough from all the critics! we all know that there is very little interest in becoming a board member. all of a sudden, everyone wants to be one! come on people - let the board do their job; we are not all going to be happy with what comes out in the investigation(s) or with any other issues that may come up as a result but let the board deal with it along with any outside agencies if necessary. you should all be thankful that many exercised their freedom of speech and voiced their concerns to the board which resulted in the actions necessary. would you all rather things continued as they were - people being threatened and intimidated, etc.?
to all of you constantly criticizing mr. hoyack every time he says anything -he is the board president, so in essence, he runs the meetings....just like pettit does when he meets with his 'staff'/'administrators'. to those criticizing mr. rivera for his questions, good for him - the only dumb questions are the ones that are not asked.
unless you have anything that needs to be investigated regarding the situation, please let the board get their work done! "




parent and employee wrote on Mar 21, 2009 10:59 AM:

" NOW is the time to speak up. I encourage parents and dusd staff, along with any students or community members who have had any kind of problems or know of any problems involving earl pettit, leanne marston, carrie toland, mary good, nick schuerman, mr. muecke, dara logan, or anyone else employed by dusd to contact the board members. We all know many have had to deal with various types of problems/behaviors with some of these people. None of us should be subjected to that. Please talk to the board members - discussing these problems amongst yourselves will not get anything resolved. These people (via earl pettit) have managed to divide our community; let's fix that problem. "




to wonderful news wrote on Mar 21, 2009 10:47 AM:

" referring to your statement that 3 awesome people have agreed to be candidates...obviously you mean you & your so-called group (wild guess - pettit supporters) have found 3 people that you can manipulate into continuing pettit's destruction of dusd and the community. you should be ashamed of yourselves - why don't you all mind your own business, concentrate on your jobs and families and let the investigation show whatever is out there instead of bashing the board members everytime they say or do something. the only reason you are not admitting to having an interest on being a board member is because you are more than likely a DUSD employee (or not) and considered one of pettit's administrators. ease up and give it a rest! "




Won does ask about wrote on Mar 21, 2009 12:26 AM:

" One should ask about this wonderful news. What the blank? Are you high? Do you think you are the answer? You must be high! All you people who think a new board will do the job are just fooling yourself, because you are letting someone lead you around like the anti-christ, and not questioning a thing. Aren't you smarter than that? "




Enough is Enough wrote on Mar 21, 2009 12:14 AM:

" When will enough be enough? Our district needs experienced, quality teachers and administrators...period. Do you want "yes" people that will only do what a board member wants (?), or his wife (?), or a particular school(???). The DUSD and academic success of our children are under the watchful eye of federal NCLB, AZ LEARNS, and state law; i.e. ELD (ring a bell ?) Many of these comments are not relevant. It"s the typical, "someone did somebody wrong song and dance". God help the person who has the integrity to hold those accountable. Especially if it is in the face of a school that actually thinks they are above any ADE mandate and state law. Mr. Pettit, or any of the administrators didn't do anything wrong, with the exception of one. Shame on Mr. Hoyack, Mr, Rivera and Mrs. Lopez. You don't think that your true self and personal agenda's are visible through broadcast? Don't forget that we are watching the meetings LIVE., yes Mr. Rivera LIVE!!!. Mr. Hoyack, you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool everyone. "




Students First wrote on Mar 20, 2009 10:33 PM:

" Having been away from Douglas for a while, I feel that I can be somewhat objective regarding the current situation. First, the current issues and the very top-heavy central administrative staff (including the OSI) were created during Gail Zamar's term as superintendent; she made many changes that now do not appear to be in the best interest of the children nor the community. Since it took a while to create the current chaos, it obviously will take time to find solutions. DUSD would be well-served to eliminate many of the unnecessary positions at the Central Office, put more money into teachers' salaries so as to recruit the best teachers available as well as retain the high quality educators already in Douglas (many of whom are forced to leave in order to support their families) and return the OSI staff to the classroom where they can best serve the students by reducing class size. In addition, I am disappointed that the Board did not learn from the Tom Morgan era that hiring an individual with an "all change is good/my way or the highway" mentality is unwise as is allowing a new superintendent, who is a virtual unknown entity, to bring in his own administrators. How soon people forget! Moreover, I would encourage the Board to look to those closest to the situation--the employees and the students themselves--for advice as to what really needs to be done to improve DUSD. Perhaps some well-qualified, respected individuals who worked for DUSD in the past could provide some insight as to what might be done to help with the current situation. DUSD has done an excellent job of educating its students in the past; the current students deserve no less. "




sick and tired wrote on Mar 20, 2009 8:03 PM:

" Ok, wonderful news, NOT! You're just as bad as Pettit with the threats. Do you think that's what we need now, is more B.S. from people like you? We need to get back to normal. It's been a rough year. Do you really think Pettit had the interest of our kids at heart? I don't think so. Get a life! People like you are so ignorant.
And you,Choice are also an arogant, egotistical person. You don't even know what's going on.
God Bless the Angry Student! I really feel for all the angry students. This has been a tough year. Does anybody care about all the stress this has caused all the students? We need normalcy...Give me a break! Let's stop all this badmouthing,(which I know I am doing now, but I feel I should say something), and blaming...Let's just let it go, and try to heal. This is ridiculous! "




move on wrote on Mar 20, 2009 7:28 PM:

" PLEASE give it a rest people. Give Dr. Simmon a chance; let's hope that Mr. Pettit's groupies do not influence him. Everyone needs to realize that no matter what, it is human nature for us to NOT all be happy with any outcome. Let the investigation(s) take place; if dusd employees have had issues with anyone, NOW is the time to speak up. ALL board members need to be made aware of problems....NOT ONLY the ones we think will do anything about it or not. To those of you who blame Mr. Hoyack for everything, remember, there are 5 members! "




just saying to why wrote on Mar 20, 2009 7:20 PM:

" might you be referring to 'Bulldog'? "




agree with opinionated wrote on Mar 20, 2009 7:18 PM:

" You are so right. those who think pettit walks on water refuse to admit that pettit himself continues to turn the attention to Stevenson. For whatever reason, he has targeted Stevenson and those with ties to it. Why doesn't EVERYONE see that? To 'Who cares about the rest of the kids': ALL parents were surveyed about the rezoning/reconfiguration issue; (NOT JUST STEVENSON) the PUBLIC was invited to the forums to voice their concerns, issues, etc.; (NOT JUST STEVENSON) employees of MANY schools (NOT JUST STEVENSON) are concerned about pettit and his administration; they fear retaliation so they decide to say nothing. Stevenson does not rule all the schools; the reason the last meeting was held there is because Stevenson (not OTHER schools) is being targeted by pettit. I am sure Stevenson would rather not have the attention. "




To wonderful news wrote on Mar 20, 2009 5:52 PM:

" Hey first of all those three people should have ran when it was the time. Not now when there is no election! If you look at the blog alone most of the comments are in support of Mr. Hoyack, Mrs. Lopez, and Mr. Rivera. Just because someone makes one decision you don't like, it doesn't give you a right to try to recall them. I would bet if you think there is negative words being exchanged wait till you try to do that! That is the wrong decision to make. This district has gone through enough with out people trying to take out the school board. They did what any school borad would have done after being put in the position Mr. Petit put them. He lied multiple times and tried to hurt others. I found it very interesting that you didn't state the three people's names. Who are they? If they want to be on the board tell them to run at the next elections. "




4 hours of language wrote on Mar 20, 2009 4:35 PM:

" ELL English Language Learner
ELD English Language Development

The state requires students that have another language spoken at home take the AZELLA test (language test).
If the student qualifies, they are placed into a classroom with 4 hours of English language instruction.

1 hour reading comprehension
1 hour writing/oral language development
1 hour grammar
1 hour vocabulary

It does in fact include spelling and phonics!

I had a friend whose daughter was labeled ELL and there was no Spanish spoken at home. It was spoken at the babysitters! The kid didn't know any
Spanish!!!

Get over it people and move on!!! "




Involved parent wrote on Mar 20, 2009 4:18 PM:

" to "Who cares about the rest of the Kids".... are you kidding me! you wrote "the parents of the 300 plus students at Stevenson can somehow control the education of our entire district" and "Why hasn't anyone asked what the parents of other schools want or does Stevenson rule all the school?" I was at all of the PUBLIC forums with the school board, they were not Stevenson School Forums, although judging by the number of parents from Stevenson and almost NONE from any other school it might as well have been a Stevenson problem only. I have talked to many parents who have children in other schools and they have always been too busy or just didn't feel they needed to attend the meetings. But all of the meeting have been open to the public and it has been my experience that the majority of parents were Stevenson parents. So if you feel your are not being heard, then show up to the meetings, bring more parents. Let "our" school board and the administrators hear everyone. Stop blaming the Stevenson school parents for actually taking the time and standing up to have our voices heard. (btw..I'm a single mom working a full time job and I made it a point to attend the meetings because I felt it was important for the future of my kids education) "




FROM M wrote on Mar 20, 2009 10:34 AM:

" ELL IS TO LEARN ENGLISH NOT TO LEARN HOW TO SPELL, YOU IDIOT! I NEVER HAD THE ELL SERVICES BUT IF I NEEDED THEM I WOULD HAVE USED THEM. MAYBE I JUST NEED A SPELL CHECKER!!! #$%(*&@ "




You dont know wrote on Mar 20, 2009 2:24 AM:

" To all that have stated "this is an unnecessary attack on administrators" until you have worked in a chaotic environment where you feel it is not only unfriendly but downright frustrating. The way you are told one thing and then the next day, week, month you are told that administrators forgot telling you or claims they never did makes you feel unsure. Not unsure of yourself when helping teaching, but of the fact that you may be lied to again! Have you ever spoken to ta's or other staff about how it is there? When you come into the school and see the Principal, and have him have seen you but not say one thing. To not say hello, have a good day, or even not say good morning sometimes after you have said hello to him first. The sad thing is that parents whose child I work with sometimes has even commented on the behavior of some at the school that they have seen while picking up/ dropping off their child. The problem is many staff has been and will be abused, until he is put on leave and investigated for this and other things, by someone not friends with him. I agree that any persons making remarks that are unsure or if it's a rumor they should not put it. But at this time this is the only way for the staff to have a way to let others know what is going on. Until the fear of retaliation has been minimized even more, know one feels safe enough to talk to anyone. I hope the board reads the thoughts of the citizens, parents and staff of this district. Please don't try to minimize what the staff has been through this school year. If anything you should try to empathize with them and be extra supportive! We have to stand behind each other and tell each other that we are there for one another! Until you have been in the heels/shoes of the person you are judging, support them and try to help make them more comfortable, not basically telling them to shut up. We all are here for the betterment of the kids! "




WHY wrote on Mar 19, 2009 10:00 PM:

" Why weren't any of our well known Principals who have served the District well not considered for Petitt's position. I don't know this Simmons person but I know excellent Principals who have been here for years. Bonnie Lopez DHS, Claudia Leon Faras, Andrea Overman Clawson. These women have proven themselves and are great educational leaders. Why weren't they even considered? Is it because they cannot be puppets? "




Wonderful News wrote on Mar 19, 2009 9:49 PM:

" The Recall process will begin. Three awesome people who are professionals and not beholding to any current Board members have agreed to be candidates with a successful Recall. Meetings have been taking place because we are tired of the path Hoyack has taken our community all based on personal reasons.This committee will work and collect all the necessary signatures to get the RECALL done. Hoyack, Rivera and Lopez you are out of here! Finally we will bring DUSD stability and respect back and not be the laughing stock of Arizona. Thanks to Hoyack's horrible reign we need to work hard to restore our credibility. Simmons you're wet behind the ears, it's obvious who will be telling you what to do. The fact that Hoyack nominated you and carried it through even though you are not qualified speakes volumes. VOTE RECALL Hoyack,Rivera, Lopez! "




Choice wrote on Mar 19, 2009 5:28 PM:

" It is obvious Simmons is in because he is Hoyack's choice. No more needs to be said. Yes, Stevenson you got your way again regardless of how much you deny it. Simmons knows how to shake hands, be charming as the Board stated but he is not the experienced leader we need. If you are grooming him to take over definitely you will have a huge problem on your hands. We want a REAL superintendent not a token for Hoyack to dictate to, but someone who has the courage to stand up to the Board. Yes Simmons you are a token everyone knows how this played out. We are not fooled, too bad you you didn't have the courage to admit you were not a qualified candidate.You are a nice man but that's not enough. "




DUSD wrote on Mar 19, 2009 3:54 PM:

" I word for DUSD and seeing everything first hand, most of these "arguments" are nothing but personal strikes against people. DUSD is a place of business where personal agenda should be set aside so our kids may succeed. I work at RBMS and the enviroment there is 100% better then it has been in the past few years. Change is happening where it has been needed for so long. "




To M wrote on Mar 19, 2009 3:46 PM:

" I think you need to go back to the ELL classes and learn how to spell. People like you are the EXACT reason we need these classes. "




opinionated... wrote on Mar 19, 2009 3:40 PM:

" If Pettit's main goal was re-zoning in the first place, then WHY (please explain why!) was Stevenson such a big name on his hit-list??
People don't know or don't care that he made that school into some kind of a personal vendetta.. How in the world is that good for our district!? Does the public know that he called Stevenson staff "snobs"? Does the public know that he banned the PTSO president!? Now, tell me THAT wasn't a personal attack to Mr. Hoyack. Tell me, honestly, that a restraining order was necessary. (come ON)
No, I do NOT think the world revolves around one school, but attention has been drawn to this place imparticularly and why?
People in Douglas have the right to speak, as well as people in the DUSD. It's not like $$ is what keeps teachers here...as far as teachers being under- qualified...that was rude. teachers work their butts off-for nothing other than good-will.
I do agree with Hoyack when he stated that DUSD needs to "wash the laundry and get everything cleaned up."
Douglas has been crooked for far too long. I hope this DOES come out in TIME Magazine, maybe THEY can get the info correct! "




student wrote on Mar 19, 2009 2:11 PM:

" it is sad to see so-called adults insulting each other. it is my understanding that the superintendent answers to the board; it was pretty obvious that the superintendent lied so it was to be expected that the board take action. he also did not provide true facts about his proposed changes so of course, why vote for something that does not have all the necessary data. the superintendent does not seem to know why anything happens yet he is behind this entire mess. when are you all, as teachers, parents, staff, residents of Douglas, going to allow the board members to do their job? sounds like there are a lot of problems within the school system and hopefully the board will get to the bottom of it and correct all situations. instead of criticizing, be glad they chose not to look the other way. if there are problems you know about, let them know so they can deal with them. "




another dusd employee wrote on Mar 19, 2009 1:49 PM:

" listen to mr. pettit's story you write....we have and it all turned out to be nothing but lies! are you people ignorant or just avid supporters of those who lie? mr. pettit brought this on himself; guess he thought he was not going to get caught. congratulations Mrs. Lopez, Mr. Hoyack, and Mr. Rivera for your decision - obviously based on facts. Come on people, Dr. Simmons a chance! "




why wrote on Mar 19, 2009 1:46 PM:

" why is a specific female considered part of Mr. Pettit's administration when in fact, she is not even a dusd employee? this person is privvy to all dusd/pettit info; many of us want to know why. perhaps an investigation into this should be next! "




What wrote on Mar 19, 2009 7:00 AM:

" In response to TeacherDUSD who wrote "Dr. Simmons has shown his mettle and experience as an administrator at Douglas High School in the past few years. He is, without a doubt, a well-educated,positive, passionate, and concerned administrator who cares about the students first, 100% all of the time." You are exactly right on! He is a terrific assistant principal and works well under the guidance of a far more experienced leader in Mrs. Lopez. Dr. Simmons has only a couple of years experience as a low-level school leader and absolutely ZERO as a district leader.

DUSD governing board members should have appointed an individual with experience and the necessary qualifications to repair the damage done during Pettit's reign. There were certified candidates in the community who could have stepped in without a conflict of interest - one of them should have been asked to help.

This blog is mean, vicious and rude to all those administrators who are simply working to serve children (they sure ain't doing for the money in Douglas!) Do you agree with everything your boss does? I am sure they didn't either, but he was the boss. Give these poor people a break. "




Concerned wrote on Mar 18, 2009 9:20 PM:

" WOW!! that is all I can say about this. These are the people entrusted to teach and help our children through school???? If this is happening to our Superintendant what is going to happen to our new football coach when he comes and shakes a few leaves??? No wonder we dont get good qualified teachers. By the way what reputation does the middle school coach have? I have a child in middle school - should I not let him travel? Did you forget middle school does not get the privledges Steven gets..... "




Finally some Truth wrote on Mar 18, 2009 7:21 PM:

" This for Parent that wrote on 3/17 and to Confused 3/17 -
Good for you and it's so true....maybe Mr. Hoyack should take your advise resign ...and take responsibilty for all the problems that he's caused after all aren't you Mr. Hoyack the one that get's all the information regarding DUSD first????? "




Also a DUSD Employee wrote on Mar 18, 2009 5:15 PM:

" As a DUSD employee I am hoping that all this drama and person vendetta against Mr. Pettit and other Administrators will go away and that Mr. Pettit will be able to come back to the office. People should mind their own business and listen to the whole story before making mean comments and accusations. Mrs. Marston and her staff have been working hard and effectively to provide the necessary resources needed to provide our children and teachers with the best education possible. Don't get me wrong, Dr. Simmons is a great Administrator, but the board hired Mr. Pettit and now that he wants to make change for the better, everyone has something nasty to say. Think before you speak you are ruining people's reputations. "




TeacherDUSD wrote on Mar 18, 2009 3:11 PM:

" I have the greatest hope that DUSD #27 will prosper under Dr. Earl Simmons' leadership and guidance. Dr. Simmons has shown his mettle and experience as an administrator at Douglas High School in the past few years. He is, without a doubt, a well-educated,positive, passionate, and concerned administrator who cares about the students first, 100% all of the time. Positive results from the leadership changes will happen. Please give Dr. Simmons the benefit of the doubt, and some time to get his feet on the ground running before you attack him as a Stevenson favorite (by the way, he worked at DHS, thank you very much). As an educator in the district and as a Stevenson parent to boot, I believe in our students, our teachers and staff, and Dr.Simmons as our interim Superintendent. "




to against Give Me a Break wrote on Mar 18, 2009 12:22 PM:

" You obviously didn't read the fine print. Wake up and start educating the students. Stop blaming the administration. As one blogger expressed, if policies and procedures are not placed by the board, then no one but the school board is responsible for the failures. If the school board members knew what was expected of them, this wouldn't be happening. Instead, they blame others for the faults they have overseen. The ultimate responsibility falls on the school board members, the Superintendent follows the directive of the School Board Members, that is if they have any set policies and procedures. Anyone can find out the laws and regulations by googling education and policies and procedures. As for your assumption that I am uneducated, LOL. I am proud to be highly educated and make a positive impact in the student's education throughout the United States. If I review the news, is because it is public information and my roots are from Douglas. The ignorance in the comments prove the lack of education that so many missed. Not everyone, as many of us had the right head to continue for a better life.
Good luck to you all, the DUSD really needs it. "




Where were you wrote on Mar 17, 2009 11:45 PM:

" For all of you "citizens" who complain about the board, where were you when it was time to run for a seat on the board? No one on the board for the three seats had to run because no one else ran against them. Say what you want but the next time there is a board seat open I would hope there are more to people who want to make a difference and run rather then let others get appointed. Talk is cheap if you cant back it up. "




Rivera is no gentleman wrote on Mar 17, 2009 9:27 PM:

" Mr. Rivera, how could you state in a board meeting that "all people are innocent until proven guilty" when you chastized Mr. Pettit and eluded to the possible guilt of Mrs. Marston? When did you become judge and jury? That's being a hypocrite. If everyone is innocent until proven guilty then you, as our educational leader, should not cast the proverbial stone. "




Who Cares About the Rest of the Kids wrote on Mar 17, 2009 9:21 PM:

" It's amazing that the parents of the 300 plus students at Stevenson can somehow control the education of our entire district. Who cares about the rest of our kids? It's not the majority of the school board. If they cared, they would get down to business and think about all the children and their education. Why hasn't anyone asked what the parents of other schools want or does Stevenson rule all the schools? "




WHY STOP wrote on Mar 17, 2009 9:16 PM:

" why stop with the investigation of newcomers. a thorough background check should be made on locals as well. we have coaches in the middle school that are not certified, alone with kids on trips. half the town knows the reputation of one of these coaches. we have a male that was busted at the border for possession many years ago teaching and coaching. who cares if he got off on a technicality or a plea. so EVERYONE should be looked at. this is a clique oriented school district and until these cliques are broken nothing will change. "




Very Sad wrote on Mar 17, 2009 9:10 PM:

" I am shocked at the hatred and horrible comments in this blog. Ortiz and Petitt are being investigated. There will be answers for us all to see, which is good. People were appalled at how Ortiz was sent home, but were willing to attack a man at Stevenson. That was a low-class show of abuse of power. People are so ignorant! Pettit didn't hire Marston, Zamar did. She stepped in a did a great job helping Huber when there was a crisis. Everyone in DUSD worked with Pettit-do you jackals want to fire everyone? Where is the goodness of our community? This is all so shameful! "




angrystudent wrote on Mar 17, 2009 7:43 PM:

" To Discusted Tax Payer:
Are you upset because three board members made the right decision?
You say Mrs.Lopez dosen't not have a mind of her own and that Mr.Hoyack speaks for her. Well let me tell you, the most intelligent words that came out of her mouth was to motion to reassign Mr.Pettit!I UNDERSTOOD VERY WELL! I applaud her, Mr.Hoyack and Mr.Rivera. If there is anyone that needs to be recalled because they cannot understand a lie when it is being told is Mr.Ramos and Ms.Kramer. As for you get all your FACTS! Are you positive you were at the correct board meeting? One more thing thanks for your kind support to the board memebers,students,teachers and community. At least now we can concentrate on our studies. Again thank you Mr.Hoyack,Mr.Rivera and Mrs.Lopez "




former teacher wrote on Mar 17, 2009 7:06 PM:

" Kudos to Hoyack, Lopez, and Rivera! It's a tough job and through your leadership, integrity, and dedication, the district will get through this. Many employees support you and Dr. Simmons. "




parent wrote on Mar 17, 2009 3:41 PM:

" hoyack be the man you claim to be and take responsibility for your actions also. best thing you can do is reassign yourself off the board "




confused wrote on Mar 17, 2009 3:38 PM:

" hmmm. hoyack sure spends a lot of time micro managing DUSD business. isnt he on the college payroll? maybe he should be investigated also. check his college emails see how much time he spends on personal business during college work time. "




Experience wrote on Mar 17, 2009 2:35 PM:

" The best person to lead this district is Ray Borane. He has his Superintendent certificate, experience and respected. Simmons is inexperienced no certificate and clearly the Stevenson favorite..another clique. Get someone who is not involved with this mess so we can end the year as we should or else it will continue forever. An experienced leader not part of the current administration is a must! "




Concerned and Worried wrote on Mar 17, 2009 2:25 PM:

" Cut me a break people … this is NOT about Administration or a Popularity contest … it’s about the STUDENTS!!!!
What was suppose to be making things better … yes, change is hard … but sometimes it can make a BIG difference! All I’ve heard and read is how everything that has been suggested … was a big inconvenience! And somehow a principal was being singled out, it’s only human to protect the people we care about but sometimes we need to stand up for the TRUTH. How can you cover up, what all this is about ... your CHILDREN!!! Lynch Mobs…are alive and well in Douglas,get all the FACTS!!! Maybe the Board Members should be from out of the area, so if family/friends are in question where will be no influences. Don’t turn things around to suit your needs … ask, have an open mind and most importantly LISTEN. Our students are our future…what they are seeing and hearing…regarding all this … is not what they need. They are suffering and their education is being jeopardized. It’s not too late to STOP all this and focus on what really is important Your Children and getting the BEST EDUCATION THEY DESERVE!!!!!!! "




Parent wrote on Mar 17, 2009 1:41 PM:

" I think that in the end of all of this what everyone does/did not realize is that all of these changes that were proposed was to help the students. Not administrators, not the teachers but the students. How conducive is it for a student whether they are in the ELL program or NOT to be sitting in a classroom with over 28 students. People do not realize that affects their children, their grandchildren, nieces, nephews etc.... We need to stop playing the blame game and TAKE A STEP BACK and think about what is the best for the STUDENTS!!! Not anyone else but them. "




So the saga continues wrote on Mar 17, 2009 11:15 AM:

" As a former DUSD student, I applaud the actions of the school board. Mr. Petit has once again shown his true colors of being a sorry excused for a Superintendent. If anybody out there takes the time to do research, they will see that Mr. Petit has a lengthly file of complaints with the State Board of Education. It is scarey that Leanne Marston would be considered Interim Superintendant when she has a close relationship with Mr. Petit. One would lie and the other would swear it is the truth. Dr. Simmons is the clear choice to get this district back on track. "




how can you not see wrote on Mar 16, 2009 11:17 PM:

" who is responsible for Stevenson school once again being the talk of the town? earl pettit. how can you all not see that this guy continues to focus on this one particular school. for whatever reason, many months ago he made it quite clear that he was after this school and all associated with it. he has managed to take attention away from the rezoning/reconfiguration/unqualified teachers/underperforming middle school issues and has the entire town in an uproar about something else. he is very devious; susan and mario, what has he threatened you with? you two have no business claiming to represent the best interests of the district. a blind person can see that you are either scared of pettit or that you really believe him when he tells you that he will take action against you if you are not on his side. the man is a compulsive liar yet you are ok with that. the entire osi department along with other administrators are all in cahoots with pettit; by the looks of it, kramer and ramos are now part of that group. don't you realize that pettit will not go down alone. let's hope the new interim superintendent/administrator does not fall for any of pettit & co.'s intimidation tactics. dusd, get rid of pettit, marston, toland, good, schuerman, ramos, kramer, doctor, logan, and several others who work for dusd but believe pettit walks on water. he has made you all for fools! pettit, you work for the school board, not the other way around. "




RoperB wrote on Mar 16, 2009 11:08 PM:

" As a local resident, and previously licensed ADE Administrator: Principal and Superintendent, the biggest issue within the Douglas School system is Board Policy... what does it say or not say? Is it direct enough to cover these areas of public protest? If not, then the board cannot hold the Principal and Superintendent liable for the board's failure to act, the board's failure to have a policy in place. The superintendent's job is not to read minds; to guess what will upset local parents, generate protest and upset the board to a 3-2 vote. If there is no policy for this issue, then the Douglas School District, and the parents need a School Board that is organized, has stated goals, procedures, and measures for operations, and to hold administrators accountable. If policy was broken... then the die is cast- and the outcome predictable. Why any investigation at all? If policy was not broken, then what is the board up to?
Please know, that Douglas students do deserve the best quality education that is available, and with an action oriented board, all this hoop-la would end. I have seen the district from Kindergarten to the senior class as a substitute teacher, and know that the students are very capable. Is the School Board as well? "




Recall wrote on Mar 16, 2009 10:08 PM:

" My husband and I have written comments and they are never posted.I don't understand why. They are intelligent opinions and legitmate concerns yet you choose to put on the blog what you want which is often idiotic and nonsenible. You are a newspaper that is untruthful and very discriminating and I will write a letter to the editor saying so but my guess is that won't be printed either. Perhaps a PAID advertisement will do the trick! "




Give me a break 2 wrote on Mar 16, 2009 9:28 AM:

" To: Give me a break 2


AMEN!!!! You are so right! "




to The Watcher wrote on Mar 16, 2009 2:49 AM:

" might that be the same principal who coincidentally has lost two employees the last couple of months? dusd employees beware....are you willing to say nothing about the problems in the district? would you rather continue to be intimidated and feel threatened or are you willing to speak up? contact the board members and discuss the problems. your fear is understandable but now is the time to point out how earl, nick, leanne, rob, mary, dara, carrie, and possibly others have treated employees and staff not to mention how they have conducted themselves as far as their positions with the district. it is about time they all get caught. the ironic thing is they have their leader, earl himself, to thank for blowing this wide open. "




also concerned wrote on Mar 16, 2009 2:33 AM:

" Mrs. Lopez, Mr. Rivera, and Mr. Hoyack, THANK YOU for the meeting on March 10th. You listened to the people who voiced concerns, you listened to the rep from the department of ed (though she was obviously not too thrilled about being in Douglas), and you listened to earl pettit attempt to defend himself. It quickly became apparent that his only defense was ignorance. He had no clue how everyone in the district knew about the situation at stevenson; he had no clue how all the info related to that made it to the newspaper; he had no clue why schools in the district sent care packages to the staff at stevenson; he had no clue why rob doctor was suddenly the principal at stevenson; he had no clue why ptso members were denied access to school equipment at stevenson. Apparently the man not only lies, he is clueless! it was unbelievable to listen to him lie about everything. Thank you for taking all the information provided that night along with correspondence he provided to you into consideration when making your decision to conduct an investigation and to reassign him to home. You have shown us that you take your responsibilities as board members seriously and that you feel earl pettit should be accountable for his actions. I trust you will be thorough in your investigation. Do not be surprised at what will surface during this time. Earl Pettit has no one to blame but himself for his current situation. Others are involved with his intent to destroy the district; it is quite obvious who they are. Shame on Miss Kramer and Mr. Ramos for their lack of integrity. Are you intimidated by Earl or just feel sorry for him? Consider the facts and make your decisions based on that. That is your responsibility. "




concerned employee wrote on Mar 16, 2009 1:15 AM:

" board members, please look into this entire situation. earl pettit is the reason for so many problems within the district. why were his administrators made aware of the issue at Stevenson and told to share that with their employees? that information should have remained confidential and I hope those administrators (principals and leanne marston) are held accountable. leanne marston and nick schuerman spoke to the ray borane middle school employees about the situation. why didn't mr. schuerman share that bit of info with you last week when he told you he has meetings every wednesday? the principal at sarah marley and faras shared the info with her employees. looks like pettit and his people all cover themselves with the same blanket. board members, there is way more to this than meets the eye. the sad thing is that a lot of people are intimidated by pettit's administrators and some of his staff members who are not administrators. I do not know what mr. pettit has promised these people or maybe he has threatened them. of course it is a well-known fact he has told DEA they will get a raise so that is why they support him. dusd does not need any more problems. on the contrary, we need to provide our children their education via respected professionals, be it administrators, teachers, or staff. earl pettit has done nothing but create turmoil. please talk to employees; get their information. we have been living a nightmare since earl pettit was hired. thank you. "




former educator wrote on Mar 16, 2009 12:35 AM:

" Segregating is not right. The ELD program segregates the kids from their peers. It is not right for the state to label children because they speak Spanish at home. Last I checked, parents were still responsible for making decisions affecting their children - that decision should not be made by anyone else. Susan Kramer and Mario Ramos ought to be ashamed of themselves for wanting the superintendent to continue in that capacity even though he outright lied at the meeting last week. (Not to mention lying about the reconfiguration/rezoning issue.) Mr. Pettit has opened himself up to a lot of legal problems by releasing all the information that he did regarding the ELD program at Stevenson. The nerve of him in blaming Mr. Blaskey for the very long and informative article in the Dispatch on February 28. Heck of a 'comment' Mr. Pettit. What happened to 'no comment' due to the pending investigation? Word of caution to the Pettit groupies: he is a dangerous guy; vindictive and malicious; be careful-he probably will not go down by himself. "




just saying... wrote on Mar 15, 2009 11:20 PM:

" let's hope no one from osi office is appointed as asst./interim superintendent. oh wait, kramer and ramos will probably want that! hope to be proven wrong but that is a prediction. if that happens, things will not change for the better. it will be the same as having pettit there since he will be telling this person what to do. without a doubt, anyone from osi would be a conflict of interest...especially marston. she is just as bad as ol' earl himself. "




hey bulldog wrote on Mar 15, 2009 10:48 PM:

" ADE Arizona Department of Education!!!!!!!!not DEA "




Pettit Fan wrote on Mar 15, 2009 10:00 PM:

" Hang in there Mr. Pettit. You have way more supporters than you think! Remember, out of the 100+ ELL parents that withdrew their kids, only a 3 or 4 spoke up at the Stevenson Board Meeting.

Keep up the good work, the students in D.U.S.D. NEED YOU!!!! "




Discusted Tax Payer wrote on Mar 15, 2009 9:56 PM:

" Since we are in the buisness of taking cheap shots at leadership within the district, when is someone going to look at the top and hold our board accountable? Who do they report to anyway? Mr. Hoyak and Mrs. Lopez break policy over and over agian. When are they going to be re-assigned? What policy has Mr. Pettit broke? And when is this independant invesitgation regarding Stevenson ELL going to take place and is Hoyak and Hoyak going to keep their noses out of it? Did anyone else watch the board meeting live when Mr. Rivera openely admitted he didn't read any of the material recieved for the meeting because he wanted to have his weekend. What's he doing on the board anyway besides questioning everything that he doesn't take the time to research in the first place? Does Mrs. Lopez have a thought to herself? I've never heard anything intelligent come out of her mouth! All she ever does is make motions and she can't even get that right! It's hard to hear watching via internest but wasn't Hoyak finishing her sentences for her? When is the sneaky, manipulative, behind the scene, personal agenda crap from the board going to stop? They might be able to redeem themselves for a very short amount of time by NOT appointing Leanne Marston as Interm sup. She's crazier than anyone! "




Proud Douglasonian wrote on Mar 15, 2009 8:40 PM:

" I am so proud that there are people willing to take a stand against such a power-hungry egotistical man like Pettit. So many of you that write, don't even know what's going on! Get involved, and you'd know. Now we need to heal as a community, and hopefully come together, becoming United/Unified once again. "




m wrote on Mar 15, 2009 2:37 PM:

" I AM ONE OF THE PARENTS THAT WITHDREW MY CHILD FROM THE ELL PROGRAM. I THINK IT IS VERY DUMN FOR CHILDREN TO BE GIVEN THE AZELLA TEST TO SEE WHERE THEY STAND AS FAR A LANGUAGE. IF ANYONE TAKES A LOOK AT THIS TEST YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT IT IS NONSENSE. IT IS LIKE A GRADE PLACEMENT TEST. "




Douglas Citizen wrote on Mar 15, 2009 8:58 AM:

" Citizens of Douglas: I just so happened to have found myself behind a vehicle being driven by DUSD School Board President, Mr. Hoyack. I couldn't help but notice the "Obama for President" bumper sticker. Does anyone else notice the irony of that? President Obama campaigned on a theme of hope and change.

I, for one, actually thought that after the district's exhaustive and very expensive recruitment of a new superinendent that we may have been getting a hope for some change and a new directioin for DUSD. Mr. Pettit was chosen for this position and he was faced with many issues, such as disproportionate classroom sizes, under performing schools (particularly middle schools)low teacher morale, teacher hiring and retention problems, understaffed schools, children requiring special services and not receiving them, budget concerns and the list could go on. To his credit, he attempted to address many of these matters, what he had been hired to do one would presume.
To my chagrin, he was met with the same resistance that most people are met with by our DUSD Board when real change is required. The rationale is weak and lo and behold the exact same issues that he attempted to address are the same today as they were for what now seems forever.
It should be noted that Mr. Hoyack has been on the Board for the majority of the years these problems have existed and a rational person would think that he more than any of the junior members would embrace some form of change. A wise person once said that the definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing over and over and expect different results.
I would encourage our newest board members along with Ms Lopez to start to think of DUSD in new terms. In terms of dealing with the real issues and not the personalities. Distance yourselves from the status quo and consider what you were elected and sworn to uphold---children, faculty & staff, and the taxpayers of Douglas. Become advocates of change and move this district forward
in a positive and progressive manner which you are all capable of. "




could not believe wrote on Mar 15, 2009 2:27 AM:

" i could not believe what i witnessed at the school board meeting on March 12. susan kramer complaining about having to be at that meeting and again on March 16 and mario ramos asking if the board can communicate with the assigned-to-home earl pettit. what is wrong with these two? i also cannot believe the unprofessional and negative attitude of both susan and mario at the meeting on March 10. mario had no interest in what was going on (he made that very obvious) and susan was almost argumentative at times. you two chose to become board members; show that you care please! do you have any morals? it is very upsetting to know that you are accepting of having a liar as a superintendent. "




very concerned wrote on Mar 15, 2009 1:56 AM:

" earl pettit has opened up a big can of worms. marston, schuerman, good, logan, toland, doctor. these are people worth looking at. when all is said and done,they should all end up reassigned to home or better yet, fired! board members, please look into all of earl pettit's so-called circle of friends. what you find may surprise you but then again, you are already on the right track. thank you for your work; dusd needs to get back on the right track and most importantly, the attention needs to go back to our children. "




to douglas citizen wrote on Mar 15, 2009 1:25 AM:

" Considering all the problems earl pettit has caused for the district, do you honestly think the budget, contracts, or underperforming schools are his priority? obviously you and mario ramos and susan kramer would rather have an egotistical, manipulative, intimidating liar as superintendent instead of an honest professional who is proud of the district he serves. you mention the budget; why should dusd pay for pettit and his band of no-good so-called administrators to travel out of state looking for teachers? guess they are hoping to hire even more outsiders who will do nothing but complain about douglas and its residents. there are plenty of proud douglas residents who would love to teach our children. "




concerned wrote on Mar 15, 2009 1:11 AM:

" to earl pettit; when are you going to stop? why do you continue to lie? how did it feel when leanne gilbreath, the person you said was representing one of the agencies conducting an investigation into the eld program at stevenson said it was a monitoring visit, not an investigation? how did you feel when so many employees said they had been read the letter from you by their respective principals; the letter you denied having sent? how do you live with yourself? what kind of an example have you set for not only the children of our community but your very own children. you should move on before any of your administrators realize that it is in their best interest to come clean. your own people may end up hurting you more than helping you out once they come to their senses. way too much conflict of interest. "




Concerned wrote on Mar 14, 2009 11:00 PM:

" Hey Give me a Break.. you say "as you read", so that makes you an expert on what is going on in the "town" you left 17 years ago? Are you in education? If so then you can comment but if not, then you are just as bad as the so-called uneducated people you refer to from your Hometown. Pettit may have some good ideas but his approach is way over the top. "




Thanks from many of us wrote on Mar 14, 2009 9:18 PM:

" Thank you school board for allowing parents, staff, and the public to listen to the report from the state regarding the so-called investigation. This was the perfect opportunity for Mr. Pettit to confirm what so many of us already know: he is nothing but a liar. For those of us watching the meeting via the internet, it was insulting to watch Leanne Gilbreath roll her eyes and make faces when the public was asking her questions. Very unprofessional. Although he has dug quite a hole for himself, Earl Pettit still had the nerve to sit there with a smirk on his face. He continues to ridicule DUSD and the community of Douglas. Although this entire situation has taken up so much time Susan Kramer and Mario Ramos, it is your responsibility as board members to INVESTIGATE! Everyone associated with OSI should be looked at...oh, and please do not forget Ms. Good, HR director; serious conflict of interest! "




Concerned Employee wrote on Mar 14, 2009 8:21 PM:

" Thank you board members for initiating steps to get to the bottom of this. I do not know what it will take for Miss Kramer and Mr. Ramos to see Earl Pettit for what he is. Has he intimidated them also or do they just feel sorry for him? The man is a liar; Leann Gilbreath confirmed that. Earl Pettit lied (AGAIN) to all in attendance at the meeting last week. Miss Kramer and Mr. Ramos, you should be ashamed of yourselves for falling for him. You are just as bad as he is. Congratulations to DUSD employees who addressed Earl Pettit last week. You all had the courage to basically contradict what he said. I encourage parents and DUSD employees who have had issues with Earl Pettit, Leanne Marston, Nick Schuerman, Rob Doctor, Carrie Toland, Dara Logan, Mary Good, or any staff member of any of these people to PLEASE talk to the board members. They need to know your situation. We all know there is more to this than what has come to their attention so far. Remember, Earl Pettit does not act alone. We all know there is dirt on each of the named employees/administrators. We need to make it public! "




to Give me a Break wrote on Mar 14, 2009 8:09 PM:

" Sounds like you need to get a life! You write that you left Douglas 17 years ago and that it was one of the best moves of your life. So why do you continue to keep up with what goes on in Douglas?! Why don't you stick your nose in the business of wherever you live? For your information, what Pettit (and others in his administration) have done is continually lie about everything they have been involved with! If anyone questions them about it, they get in trouble. What kind of a way is that to run a school district? Unless you know all the facts, I suggest you keep your comments to yourself! "




to Bulldog wrote on Mar 14, 2009 4:41 PM:

" If a parent has the option to withdraw their child from the ELD program, that is NOT against the law. You honestly think DEA has any power over anyone in DUSD? The only reason DEA is backing up Pettit is because he promised everyone a raise. There are way too many people out there who believe all the lies Pettit has told you. This guy is on a power trip so be warned: he definitely will not go down by himself so all of you fans of his better be careful! "




Shocked wrote on Mar 14, 2009 4:37 PM:

" I am appalled at the fact that Kramer & Ramos voted to NOT reassign Pettit to home even though he LIED about the so-called investigations by the Department of Ed and Auditor General's office. You two would rather have a manipulative liar continue as superintendent than to have an investigation...a thorough one I hope. Good thing Kramer & Ramos were not voted in; hope they do not run for re-election; they are as worthless as Pettit! What is it going to take for these two to realize that Pettit is NO GOOD! You two need to see the facts as they are presented. The fact that so many educators in the community told you publicly that they were read a letter regarding the situation at Stevenson - a letter Pettit denied any knowledge about....is that not good enough for you? What more proof do you need? My goodness....are you both blind? What kind of an example are you setting for our children? That it is OK to lie? Ms. Kramer, is this something you want your daughter to learn from you? It is ok to be a liar; there will be no consequences to that? It would be nice if you two showed the community some respect in your roles as board members! "




Concerned too wrote on Mar 14, 2009 3:49 PM:

" I am in complete agreement with "Concerned". I too am a district employee who is part of the silent majority that has seen Pettit's conniving moves and paranoic behavior. We are dedicated to the district and our students, our silence is out of professionalism and, at times, out of fear of retaliation. He is capable of that and more. (fellow employees...watch your emails...he reads all)We are bound by a duty to report and receive training every year...isn't the supt bound by that duty also? Sounds like do as I say, not as I do...I smell a rat! "




Concerned Parent wrote on Mar 14, 2009 3:09 PM:

" Finally!!! Mr. Hoyack, Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Rivera, hats off to all of you. You have all done such a wonderful job with our district. Unfortunatly we have people like Mr. Pettit, Mrs. Good, Mr. Schuerman, Ms. Kramer and Mr. Ramos who are no good to our district and community. It's about time that an inverstigation take place on Mr. Pettit. As a parent, I hope that Mrs. Good, and especially Mr. Nick Shuerman also get investigated. Mr. Schuerman has done so much harm to RBMS and to the staff. I was also at the Board Meeting on March 3rd, and Mr. Schuerman lied to all of you when he said that he goes up to 3 times to monitor in-house. All he does is sit in his office behind closed doors. Get a life Nick Schuerman and let's see what you do with out Mr. Pettit. Ms. Kramer, you should be ashamed of yourself. How can the district have a lier as a leader? Are you actually okay with Nick Schuerman not being certified and haveing him as the Principal at RBMS? Remember, you once worked there, would you like to work with someone who is not certified? Once again, keep up the great job Mr. Hoyack, Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Rivera. Mr. Ramos and Ms. Kramer, get out!!! "




DEA wrote on Mar 14, 2009 12:23 PM:

" Checks and balances by DEA? Do you really think they have that much power? This is a right to work state meaning the ony power they have is what the district gives them. They do not even have to be considered. Give me a break, especially when the president is on Pettit's payroll. "




Recall wrote on Mar 13, 2009 9:51 PM:

" I say recall all Board members. They have done a terrible job all year. Regardless of their views they do not know how to lead. They most definitely know how to create chaos and most of the time they do not even know what is going on (Rivera who doesn't read his material is an example)and the confidence of the public is not there for them. RECALL all of them and elect people who care about our students and the educational future of our city.In fact I will be looking into the Recall process, enough is enough! "




Amazing wrote on Mar 13, 2009 9:42 PM:

" How on earth will we attract people to come to Douglas with all this behavior?We have District employees at all levels that work very hard to make our schools the best best places for our children. All these horrible comments are written by people who have small minds and personal gripes. We have some great leadership, just look at our school administrators. Even the schools that are not up to par have leaders that work very hard to bring the best education possible with all the challenges before them.It is sad the Board chooses to use their positions to advance personal issues.What now? It is close to the end of the year and all this disruption does not make for an atmosphere of learning for all who work in the schools. Mr. Hoyack, Mr. Rivera, Mrs. Lopez are clearly not in support of Pettit no matter what he does. Yet wasn't it some of these member who hired him? Mr. Ramos and Mrs. Kramer are the only ones who think clearly and put children first. Let's get one thing straight, none of these member have a mandate. Some are there because no one else ran aginst them, others have personal gripes and will use this Board to get even,and still other failed to get any kind of majority vote from the community. We are to blame, we got what we paid for. There is no doubt we have our problems but we are not the first District to do so. Look around two years ago TUSD had major issues and upheaval, Bisbee is having problems it's just par for the course. But what is really sad is the arrogant, pompous attitude of people from one side of town who think they are better because they live five minutes from the "poor side" of town to dictate their interest and show the ugly side of prejudice. That's what it all comes down to pure hypocrity and Mr. Hoyack honors that thought as does Rivera. Think of the example we are setting as parents, teachers, and administrators. How can we ask our children to build a better world when we are guilty of these negative actions and destroying the world they know now. In the end ALL our kids end up together at the High School and the last I saw there was a "Performing Plus" sign out in front.That tells DHS is doing right by all our children. Seems to me we better start thinking as a community and not a as lynching mob. "




Watch wait... wrote on Mar 13, 2009 8:15 PM:

" The wonders of technology have allowed access to meetings in which I have been able to observe several things. Mr. Pettit's own contradictions lead me to believe that there is more underneath the surface. As for concerns by some on the board that this is a bad time of year, DUSD sure has competent directors who will carry on the work - they have been all along. Did City services come to a screeching halt when an interim city manager was in place? No...DUSD is no different. Mr. Pettit's timeline illustrated the fact that he knew last year that there was a potential problem yet did NOTHING to fulfill his duty & responsibility to DUSD. Begs the question...how many other things has he hidden? "




t wrote on Mar 13, 2009 7:26 PM:

" At the meeting, questions regarding the status of Mrs Hoyack arose. Mr Hoyack graciously stepped up and stated that the situation regarding Mrs Hoyack was not on the agenda and would not be addressed. He does not have any problem seperating his personal life with the needs of the district. Mr Pettit during the entire meeting sat there smug with a look of contempt towards all and out right lied regarding many matters and he was called out on them by others. He often stated " I do not recall" or " I was not aware of that situation". And then later on admitted having knowledge of many of the situations that the questions were about. He also stated that he knew nothing about Mrs Hoyack not being allowed at Stevenson for PTSO. Another lie? Where did that directive come from then? I personally don't care about the Hoyacks or Pettit, but I know a lie when I hear it and a skunk when I smell it and Pettit is both. If there is that much information that he can't recall, perhaps he has early stages of dementia and should be removed as Superintendent for health reasons. And how about the letter home to parents informing of the ELL investigation? Why was that sent out if there really was no investigation according to Leann Gilbreath, who is in charge of that division? It was seemingly done to ruin the reputation of Ortiz. What is the personal agenda here? "




David wrote on Mar 13, 2009 7:00 PM:

" It's sad when the leadership of the District has no intergity, morals and attempt to cover up their wrong doings, how is this teaching our children to be responsible and model citizens. Petit and his staff needs to be removed and also face criminal charges. Don't blame the school board for the short comings, as this problem has been going on thanks to ZAMAR but for some reason noone is pointing the finger at her, she is the main cause for this! We entrusted the Board to do their duties so quit complaing and lets band together and quit blaiming them and come up with a solution to the problem and move forward. Start a new search for a superintendant and
hold the middle school personell accountable because they are at the root of this whole situation. We should unite and find a solution for the welfare of our kids so they may have a better future. "




Disgusted wrote on Mar 13, 2009 6:38 PM:

" Three people should resign. Hoyack, Ortiz, and Petitt. Everyone and everything else seems to be working toward making positive changes for our children's education except these people! With all this conflict, drama, pride, and unwillingness to work together, everyone will suffer, especially the students. These three men are like selfish children, each demanding their own way. If our children behaved so poorly, we would send them all home and put the toys away. However, education is no toy, and it is beig destroyed minute by minute. Shame on their selfishness! "




What Happened wrote on Mar 13, 2009 6:00 PM:

" I must admit our district has had issues in the past, but what is going on! Not only are questions being raised about the ell program, but a middle school principal and one of the teachers there are not certified?! On top of that the principal doesn't have fingerprint clearance to be with our kids! How do we know who he is? He could have a criminal record! Ms. Good should have known long ago, unless she looked the other way because they’re friends. It seems like everyone that came in with Mr. Petit should go out with him! Is everyone that Mr. Petit brought in as corrupt as he has been? Things did not become a mess until they came to town! The board needs to investigate! Until it is figured out who this principal is, and until both of them are certified they should be on leave! They tried to beat the system by not getting the certifications needed, are they to good for Arizona? To me that seems very dishonest. What else have they done or not done?! I agree with “thank you this is just the beginning,” the board should go into the questionable schools and speak with teachers and classified staff. Now that Petit is on leave they will speak without fear of retaliation. We need more investigations!! I know the board has other careers but this needs much attention! Please help get our schools back in order! Our kids require a better environment! "




Troubled with Leaders wrote on Mar 13, 2009 5:35 PM:

" Kudos to the the board members that have made the necessary changes and took the bull by the horns, so to speak.
My understanding from speaking with multiple employees from multiple sites is that the principals indeed met with their staff and that Leanne Marston spoke at at least a couple of the sites along with the principal.
One principal, who may or may not have a certificate and fingerprint clearance card, often tells his staff members way too much information regarding staff, students, etc. and needs to be studied as he was brought here by Mr. Petit. Much of what he tells staff is confidential and should not be shared. Does he have a certificate for AZ and fingerprint clearance? My husband noticed he doesn't have AZ plates. He works at multiple sites and talks with the staff at several schools. Many people have been unhappy with a lot of things. Please visit the schools and talk to the staff. Classified and Certified staff are equally unhappy with new people in leadership roles that run things like they are untouchable.
Please board members take a look at all people in leadership roles as there is a lot of stink and unhappy staff.
Again thank you Mr. Hoyack, Ms. Lopez, and Mr. Rivera for having the guts to question and make changes when things needed to be. "




Concerned 2 wrote on Mar 13, 2009 3:51 PM:

" Give me a Break wrote on Mar 13, 2009 1:04 PM: " The School Board Members really need to get a life.

Get a life? Three of them have by removing a leader who is not a leader. yes they hired this man, for god knows what reasons. This man has single handedly destroyed moral. He is a person that is not about kids. Maybe the board waited too long to do this but it is done. Let's start thinking about the kids. To the person who left Douglas 17 years ago - Unless you live here and know everything that is going on, you have no right to comment on these things. "




t wrote on Mar 13, 2009 1:27 PM:

" It seems obvious to me that students who were pulled out of the program and had not been pulled out in prior years, were pulled because the program had changed so dramatically from the prior years. Parents do not want their children segregated for that many hours out of the school day. Why would Pettit continue to create problems that really don't exist by providing false information and allegations? He certainly has a smug ego that leads him to believe that parents and teachers will blindly follow him. He has not taken the time to learn our community very well! "




Give me a Break wrote on Mar 13, 2009 1:04 PM:

" The School Board Members really need to get a life. The are too personally involved in all of this and really don't look out for what is best for the community. I left Douglas 17 years ago and it has been one of the best moves in my life. People in Douglas are too one-sided and only look out for their own interest. As I read what Mr. Pettit has done, he has wanted to make the drastic and necessary change that is needed in the Douglas town. Face it, education is minimal and students from Mexico have nothing to do with this. There are US citizens born and raised in Douglas who cannot read, write nor do mathematics. The school system has failed for many, many years, I would say at least for 20 and no one cares enough to make the appropriate changes. Think about the future of Douglas, it is the way it is now because no one who has stayed has cared enough to ensure that their children would be well educated and stay to make a difference in the town. There is so much potential but the greedy and political figures have failed the children, thus you get what you have now. Wake up board members, Mr. Pettit didn't cause the failure, you all have for the past 20 years. One year will not clean up the past mess!!!! Hoping for a better future for Douglas, we need young and new Board Members!! "




now what wrote on Mar 13, 2009 10:42 AM:

" hoyack you ought to be ashamed of yourself for allowing these situations to be paraded and made a mockery out of. you as board president have the authority. instead you allow personal feelings get in the way of doing a job for the overall good of the district. "




The Watcher wrote on Mar 13, 2009 9:20 AM:

" Wait until they figure out they have a Principal with no fingerprint clearance and no certificate..... "




Thank you this is just the beginning wrote on Mar 12, 2009 11:00 PM:

" Thank you school board for taking the time to address this. Thank you for allowing the community to have their say as well. Now please board members visit all the schools, spend time there, talk to the staff, allow the staff to talk to you, and I guarantee that there are other people that will need to be assigned to home. Please consider all the people that were brought here from out-of-town. There is a lot of conflict of interest. "




Concerned wrote on Mar 12, 2009 10:49 PM:

" I am very ashamed to say I work for this district. Mr. Pettit has now been shown not only as someone who intimidates but also is a liar. Mr. Hoyack, I would respectfully disagree with you in regards to him knowing. He knew since June, as well as Leanne Marston. I agree their needs to be leadership but is it going to be Pettit's "clique"? That means Marston, Doctor, Good and others or someone willing to re-ignite the morale and have all staff come together, as well as board members for the good of our kids. They are, after all is said and done the reason we are here. Pettit's temporary reassignment needs to become permanent so as to not hurt the district anymore then he has. Shame on a former teacher for voting to keep this person as the leader in this district. His is a dictator, not a leader. "




Bulldog wrote on Mar 12, 2009 9:51 PM:

" I think it is time for DEA to step in and put some check and balances on this inept school board. I think all those of Mr. Pettit should show their support and show their support in force. I hope DEA will take the necessary steps possible to make this happen. Again Mr. Hoyack should never have been involved in this meeting since his wife is the PTSO president who is not being alowed to be on Stevenson's Elementary school grounds. He has way too much personal involvement in this. I don't think his judgement is very valid. Again Stevenson Elementary has broken the law by not providing their ELL students the services they require. All of our parents and teachers from around the district need to unite and voice their opinions!!!!!!!!! "




Douglas Citizen wrote on Mar 12, 2009 7:40 PM:

" To the three members of the board that voted to reassign MR. Pettitt, your shortsighted, self serving actions have done nothing to better serve the children, faculty, and taxpayers that you were elected and sworn to represent. I cam appallled at the timing of this decision with all the uncertainty surrounding the budget, teacher, contracts, schools performing, and state budget cuts. How short sighted you all are. I trust your proud of your power victory at the expense of others !! "




Changes need to be made wrote on Mar 12, 2009 6:28 PM:

" I hope that Mr. Petit is not only investigated for his dealings in the ELL program but also the times that he has broken other district policies and procedures. Not only do I think the findings would be interesting, but I think it would open up possible investigations into a middle school administrator, and possibly others that worked closely with Mr. Petit. As for the letter that Mr. Petit doesn’t know how it got into the hands of multiple administrators and then subsequently the staff at most if not all of the Douglas schools. I found it very interesting that a middle school principal stated at the meeting Thursday night that he did not give it to his staff or have a meeting about it. My sister teaches at that school, she not only received a copy but Leanne Marston personally spoke along with their principal, as to Stevenson school and released information that should not have been released. Since Mr. Petit claims he didn’t organize these mass meetings, where did the administrators get the information! Also why did Mrs. Marston speak at the meetings? I have seen this district go downhill and I pray that someone has the guts to look in to the multiple problems that we have. "

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