to class wrote on Mar 27, 2009 10:21 PM:

" The District went downhill under the former administration, bless her heart. Look at the schools that are in trouble. These schools have not met AYP/AZ Learns for about 6 years, why? What did she do? Nothing!!!

Mr. Pettit walked into a mess. At least Dr. Simmons is encouraging people to be part of the solution and is taking on the responsiblilty of making desperately needed changes.

Furthermore, if you use someone's name, especially in the way you did with Mr. Nava why don't you put yours out there too. That would show "class." "




Class wrote on Mar 26, 2009 10:46 PM:

" All I know is that when Mrs.Zamar was superintendent we had a district working together to provide our kids with a meaningful education at every level. She brought alot of class to this district. She was steady and intelligent. A leader to be proud of who had nuts like Mike Nava harrassing her continuously and through it all she made wise decisions inspite of Nava's crazy letters to the paper and non stop accusations. She was above that garbage.But then again she was a Superintendent that was qualified. Sorry I don't see Earl Simmons in that same league. More than likely he will give in to the crazy Nava's. "




Regardless wrote on Mar 26, 2009 10:32 PM:

" Regardless of all the dirty politics the Board has chosen to play we the public are to blame. We have stood by and allowed this by not participating. Historically the Douglas School Board used to be comprised of educated well meaning people who knew what their job was. Now you have fools like Rivera who was not respected by the people he used to work with for his indifference and incompetent skills. Hoyack who has chosen to destroy a district to get even, Paty Lopez who is a bump on a log, Kramer who at times sounds like she knows what she says but was a terrible teacher herself. Ramaos we we don't know much about him other than he's learning on the job. There would have been a time where selection of a superintendent would NOT have accepted someone less than prepared and certified. But what can you expect? People defending the annointing of Earl Simmons because they do not understand the critical path we are headed. The requirement to keep this district from falling apart calls for an experienced person who can fight the battles and not just a PR approach to solving problems. Get real people those who are for and against Pettit, we need a Superintendent not a hand picked replacement regardless of how sweet he is. That won't cut it. "




Proud Parent wrote on Mar 25, 2009 11:58 AM:

" I am very sad to see Dr.Simmons go to the main office. He cares a lot for our kids. He never gave up on my son when he went to the credit recovery program. And I am very grateful for that. My son graduated last year and is now attending Cochise College. Whenever Dr. Simmons sees me he stil asks about my son. And I am happy to say (he is doing great and is attending college).
Maybe he will fix all the problems that we have in the District. Give him a chance. He is a very good man. "




coffeeman wrote on Mar 24, 2009 7:37 PM:

" I've known Dr. Simmons for many years, he's honest and fair. As for his position as asst. superintendent he will do an excellant job. This position is on the books, its just that Mr. Pettie choose not to have anybody assigned to the position. The minimum requirement for this job is to have been an asst. principal or principal. Dr. Simmons has a PhD in Education and he is/was an administrator at a school, so him not having any experience is "BS" how do you get experience you get put in the position and learn. The other 2 choices already have had the experience of being a superintendent. The other 2 candidates chose not to take the position. SO EVERYONE LIGHTEN UP, STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT DR. SIMMONS and look at Mr. Pettie's covering his butt about the ELL program and also look at some of the compliants on Ray Borane's principal Mr. Schuerman that was brought up to the board in February's board meeting. "




Enough is enough wrote on Mar 24, 2009 3:00 PM:

" The citizens of Douglas need to get a life and let the Board do what is best for the District. Mr. Hoyack is one member of a 5 person board. Other board members have been involved in the decision making process. Had anybody else been Board President and had a child or children as students in the district, would the public's reaction have been the same? People need to realize that the board members have or had children attending these schools. AS PARENTS it is their responsibility to keep their children's education first and to ask questions and speak their minds when it comes to district happenings. I firmly believe that these board members are capable of keeping their personal lives outs of the school board meetings.

Maybe these people complaining should run for school board next time since they feel they are better qualified than the current board. "




DHS employee wrote on Mar 23, 2009 11:20 PM:

" We are very happy for Dr. Simmons the board did pick the best person for the job. Enough does not know what he is talking about we at DHS are not complaining. We have more concerns than the board does about the well being of our students. Ms. Lopez, Mr Bates and Dr. Simmons work excellent together and their main concern is the education of the students. Dr. Simmons leaving has left a lot of unfinished business and we the team will pick up and do what we have to do for the sake of the students. Every student at DHS has every right to worry the board hasn't made not one educated decision in the last three months and to take Dr. Simmons this late in the game they feel like once again the board is not thinking about the students(not at DHS anyways).The board has just opened a can of worms I just hope and pray that nothing bad happens at our school because it does take 3 administrators to run DHS and remember if and when something does go wrong they the board did this to DHS and to our students.
No need to worry because Mrs. Lopez would never let anything go wrong at her school I guess the board knows that. Who hired Mr. Pettit anyways??? anyways???? "




To Doug Knox wrote on Mar 23, 2009 10:40 PM:

" DO you not think that the counselors (who are in charge of scholarships) and the other administrators cannot handle it? There are others at the school who can help the kids with all of these "issues". "




dusd employee and parent wrote on Mar 23, 2009 7:21 PM:

" thank you Dr. Simmons for accepting the offer of associate administrator. you will be missed at the high school. the board made an excellent choice!
to the critics....how can you continue to support your dear earl pettit? remember, there is much to be investigated so why not concentrate your efforts on hoping mr. pettit did not implicate you in any of his shenanigans? watch your back! "




to Bulldog wrote on Mar 23, 2009 6:54 PM:

" what in the heck is the reason for your obsession with mr. hoyack? you are as bad as one particular person in town who spends an awful lot of time personally attacking mr. hoyack (maybe you are one and the same).
what exactly do you mean by the timing of all this is terrible - is there a good time to lie and get caught as opposed to a bad time to lie and get caught? fact of the matter is your boy pettit LIED!!!! he has lied quite a bit during his time in douglas not to mention all the other things he has done. luckily he got caught and thankfully, some board members were not intimidated by his scare tactics and took action to get to the bottom of this. nothing wrong with that, in fact, that is what is expected any time there is wrongdoing anywhere.
Remember, the walls have eyes & ears....we know when someone is two-faced - you probably are nice to Dr. Simmons to his face yet write nothing but negative things about him - same as so many do with the board members.
by the way, morals, respect, ethics, integrity, character, personality,honesty, professionalism - pettit and his group lack all of that! "




To Cup of Joe wrote on Mar 23, 2009 2:34 PM:

" Mrs. Herbert was NOT running the District, Mrs. Zamar was and she did have a certificae.As for Mr. Simmons not being a "yes man" wake up and smell the coffee Joe, he is the ultimate "yes man." Proof is in how this was all handeled. Wish him luck, yes he will need it because there is no doubt that he is not prepared.Poor man he got in over his head. "




Dont Worry wrote on Mar 23, 2009 2:25 PM:

" The High School is alive and well...We have TWO Administrators that work hard and will continue to do so even though the load has doubled for them. We work together and if Mr. Simmons feels he needs to be where there is power so be it.Scholarships, credit recovery (which by the way was a grant written by Leanne Marsten) will continue to help our kids. DHS will support Dan Bates and Bonnie Lopez and help them any way we can. Dr. Simmons can continue to be make Hoyack happy. "




To everyone from someone wrote on Mar 23, 2009 2:18 PM:

" You miss the point. Simmons is a man that was PICKED. I don't care how gracious he is he's there because of a backroom deal. Understand he is being pulled by the nose by Hoyack. Of course we were there when it was said he did not have a certificate that's because Hoyack had already made the deal and wanted to make sure Simmons would be in the mix. It should have been opened to everyone. As for telling students they should learn from these events you are right. Learn how these political games are played because it's proof, it's not what you know (or even qualified) it's WHO you know that pays off.Like it did for Simmons. "




Doug Knox wrote on Mar 23, 2009 9:01 AM:

" It's a shame that Mr. Simmons is now at the district...

How are the students at the high school going to get help with scholarships, credit recovery, etc.? "




Bulldog wrote on Mar 22, 2009 2:08 AM:

" If teachers and principals have to be certified in order to be highly qualified shouldn't our superintendent also be held to the same standard? What in the world is going on with our school board? I hope Mr. Hoyack gets recalled for this blunder. The timing of all this is terrible. I am sure teachers and students across our district don't appreciate all this hoopla. Dr. Simmons is nice ,but being nice isn't highly qualified!!!!!!!!! "




to everyone wrote on Mar 21, 2009 9:46 PM:

" You would have complained about anyone else that was interviewed for this position had they been offered the job. As was stated at the meeting where Mr. ramos asked that potential candidates be interviewed, Dr. Simmons does not have his superintendent certificate so it was not a secret. To DHS students, learn by what you are witnessing: adults criticizing every move the board makes instead of being appreciative that action was taken to get to the bottom of this. True, Dr. Simmons is great at DHS as are Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Bates. For now, this is the solution. Why doesn't everyone give Dr. Simmons a chance; students, give him your support; maybe the adults in the community will learn something from you. "




ENOUGH wrote on Mar 21, 2009 7:24 PM:

" PLEASE STOP! There is just no pleasing anyone, right? My guess is that some of the above comments were made by ADULTS who are unhappy because Earl Pettit is sitting at home these days. Come on people, give it a rest already. Comments have been made as to why Bonnie Lopez is not the interim/acting/current/substitute/
whatever superintendent. If she or Dan Bates was, or if any of the other candidates were in this position, would you all still be complaining? My guess is that you would. This entire situation has gotten way out of control. Many of us are sick and tired of you badmouthing the board members, Remember, it is a board - that means 5 members not one! The night of the meeting when Earl Pettit plead ignorance to everything, several names were mentioned as far as who would be the superintendent (or whatever) in Earl Pettit's absence. Would any of you had been happy with any of those people - except of course Leanne Marston - she is just as bad - you put her in there, you may as well have left Pettit himself! It is hard to imagine the mentality of so many who comment - so many of you who claim to be professionals interested in the education of our children. You are all a joke! You do not care about anything other than what your title is and how much your paycheck is...it is a well-known fact Earl Pettit had promised raises! Nobody OWES anyone ANYTHNG! Let's give Earl Simmons a chance - get back to worrying about your own lives and those of your children; be thankful you have a job and your health. If any of you are involved with any wrongdoings that have to do with Earl Pettit, you should worry about that coming out in the investigation.That is what you should worry about rather than criticizing every move the board makes. "




Thanks to you all and good luck Dr. Simmons wrote on Mar 21, 2009 12:01 PM:

" Congratulations to Dr. Simmons. Thank you school board for selecting such an intelligent and gracious man. I think this is just what our district needed after what everyone has been through this year. It is my hope that now we can get back to the focus of the schools, students, and the reason we are there. Please let's stop all the negativity. This man is very positive and fresh. The little time that he has been in the district he has added new programs and dignity to the administrative level. Maybe the schools will finally receive the attention that they need. Good luck Dr. Simmons and don't let these negative comments upset everyone. Those that needed to make the decisions that needed to be made, thank you again. "




DHS Parent wrote on Mar 20, 2009 11:27 PM:

" My daughter is sad to know that Mr. Simmons left. I am too. I can tell you I never have been so informed as to how my child is doing as I am now. Middle school was a disaster but High School has been a positive experience. The DHS Administrators take care of you and will meet with you at anytime. They are strict but fair, They nurture our kids. Mr. Simmons always encouraged my child to do her best and was interested in her progress. Mrs. Lopez always has time to say nice things and discuss her future or yes sometimes scold her if she violates the dress code but that is ok because they are preparing our kids. Mr. Bates has taught my child to be involved in community work through the charity the kids help in. You parents who have so much anger are responsible for hurting DHS. You the school board members have made a bad decision and upset what good work is being done at Douglas High School. "




Bulldogs 4 Ever wrote on Mar 20, 2009 11:09 PM:

" DHS is a cool place to be. Even though we have principals that keep after us to work hard,be on time and don't miss school, grow up, dress right and learn all we can it is appreciated by alot of us students. But it is wrong to bring problems from other schools and make our school suffer. We will miss Dr. Simmons and he belongs here. Please Mr. Bates and Mrs. Lopez don't leave because even though we complain about rules and stuff we need you to keep our school together. "




Cup-o-Joe wrote on Mar 20, 2009 4:19 PM:

" By the way, Dr. Simmons is an associate administrator. The title wasn't made up just for him. Mrs. Herbert carried the same title when she worked in the district office with Mrs. Zamar.

keep informed! "




Cup-o-Joe wrote on Mar 20, 2009 4:17 PM:

" I may not know much about Dr. Simmons but I do know second hand that he is an honest, profesional kind of man and if anyone in this district is more qualified to fill in, he is. He is not a "yes" man for the board and he is not connected with any of the problems at Stevenson school.

Dr. Simmons is very educated and very respected. It is sad to see him on another assignment but it is temporary. So, don't critisize him, don't be upset that he is not helping at the high school. Instead of saying nasty things you should be asking how you can help.

I can't believe the rude nasty things people say about eachother. It's amazing to see these same folks sitting next to me in God's house. they should be ashamed of themselves. "




Correction wrote on Mar 20, 2009 3:36 PM:

" Mr. Simmons is NOT an assistant superintendent. He does not have his certificate. That's why they made up a title for him. You know how it goes, Hoyack wanted to make sure he got Simmons in so he made up the title. Now Simmons owes Hoyack. "




Bulldog class of 2009 wrote on Mar 20, 2009 3:32 PM:

" I am very sorry that Dr. Simmons chose to leave us at DHS. He could have said no. But I guess he wanted power. We needed him here. I will miss him because I liked him and how he worked with us. Poor Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Bates they have alot more work. Dr. Simmons you gave us hope many times but I guess that's not important to you anymore.High School is the last step of our education and it's critical to have opportunities and rememmber those who made a difference. I hope Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Bates don't abandon us too! "




Sad wrote on Mar 20, 2009 3:22 PM:

" Why did the Board mess with the High School? It is a wonderful campus with great things going on for our students. The administration worked great together. Bonnie Lopez principal, Dan Bates assistant principal and Earl Simmons assistant principal worked as a team to build DHS up to it's "Performing Plus" status. The High School now has TWO administrators for close to 1,300 kids. That is a set up for problems. The Board was so quick to assign Simmons so who will be helping DHS? No one thought of how this impacts DHS.The Board should have thought of students first and politics second. How very sad. "




Token wrote on Mar 20, 2009 3:16 PM:

" What a joke! This was a sleazy backroom deal. In other words a "fixed" assignment. Come on now everyone knows Hoyack has Mr. Simmons controlled. The man (Simmons) is a nice guy but he has given in to the politics. He will be the yes-man the Board supports. Very sad! "




Dhs Student wrote on Mar 20, 2009 10:18 AM:

" I applaud the choice they made for interim superintendent. Dr. Simmons has been a real great help here at the high school, and I believe he will be a great superintendent. "

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