No Notice.
No Cause.
No Plan.
RECALL RICK LEDESMA’S OUSD BOARD MAJORITY
MISMANAGEMENT
Our superintendent was fired without explanation or warning in January 2023, ignoring her successful track record and achievements, with no plan for a permanent replacement.
WASTEFUL SPENDING
The Board approved over half a million dollars for the fired superintendent’s contract payout and the interim superintendent’s unnecessary travel and lodging.
A STAFF EXODUS
Teachers and staff including 25% of our principals are fleeing the district, creating a negative impact on our students’ education. The chaos created by the Board will make it hard to find quality replacements.
LOWERED PROPERTY VALUES
The chaos in our district will harm the quality of our public schools and lower the property values of our neighborhoods.
The Ledesma Majority was willing to waste $1 million
without transparency to parents
What are we so angry about?
NO NOTICE:
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Ledesma’s Board Majority fired our Superintendent in a complete blindside.
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The meeting was called within 24 hours during Winter Break, before their first meeting of the year as the new OUSD Board.
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Both Superintendents were out of town at the time.
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The majority members had never mentioned their intent during their campaigns, surprising voters of all stripes.
NO CAUSE:
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Ledesma’s Majority did not give any reason for the firing.​
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They admit that Hansen had done nothing wrong.
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Hansen was appointed in OUSD by a conservative board and has worked well with conservative boards for years.
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Hansen has many accolades from Rick himself: “Her leadership team delivered a positive audit report to continue the stellar OUSD fiscal reputation. Dr. Hansen is a highly regarded visionary who will take OUSD to the next level. She is dedicated to the Orange community, committed long-term, and the Board of Education has great confidence in her abilities.”
NO PLAN:
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Three months passed before Ledesma's Majority interviewed Superintendent search firms and NEVER HIRED ONE, we still do not have a superintendent and are not looking for a replacement.
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They installed crony Edward Velasquez as an “Interim” Superintendent who is not from OUSD.
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OUSD paid for Velasquez’ travel/lodging expenses for his commute to and from Idaho.
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They set a vague “academic audit” goal that went undefined and unachieved.
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Interim Supt. Velasquez unilaterally blocked an online library, causing chaos for students.
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Ledesma failed to put Active Shooter Training on the agenda in January, essentially cancelling the March training. After public outcry the board scheduled a training for August leaving our kids at risk.
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Just 5 weeks into his contract, Velasquez quit with 1 day's notice.
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Interim Supt. Velasquez' $70,000 price tag added zero value to our district.
HOW MUCH MORE DAMAGE WILL THEY DO?
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