Not mentioned in this puff piece as an obstacle Stefan Bean overcame to become OC Superintendent of schools: He lost the election for the position in 2022! newsroom.ocde.us/qa-dr-stefan-b…

Orange County school board election preview: with two more days for candidates to file for the Nov election, I count: - 70 eligible seats - 109 candidates - 71 candidates qualified for ballot All 28 districts have eligible seats

Orange County School Board election by the numbers (Post 8/9 filing deadline) I count: -71 eligible seats -118 qualified candidates (125 submitted) -51 incumbents running (based on ballot statements) -21 seats with 1 qualified candidate -2 seats with 0 qualified

Irvine Intl Acad charter school board member Felipe Delgado is a candidate for Irvine mayor. Previous IIA candidates include M. Scott (Riverside Co. supt), board member D. Husen (Corona city council and school board) and S. Bean (OC Supt). All lost their elections.

OCBE 08/07/24 board mtg notes: Much of the focus on OCBE involves culture wars, but this month board encourages OCDE and districts to use mental health screening tool provided by Williams crony, which he's been advocating for since at least 2022.

OC Charter School Leadership Shuffle: New Exec Director at Irvine Intl Acad (replacing appointed county Supt Stefan Bean) is former director at Oxford Prep Acad. She was fired during an OPA board mtg in Dec 2023. Interim OPA replacement also applied to be County Supt.

2 retired Rancho Santiago CCD employees have deep moorings in ASCIP risk pool dlvr.it/TCydKy

Thank you Sara Cardine for excellent reporting

New OC Dept. Of Ed general counsel charged taxpayers $1.3M since 2022 while representing the OCBE (per public comment at 8/7 board mtg). He was hired by board previously because they said Dept’s counsel couldn’t represent both board and dept w/o conflict newsroom.ocde.us/orange-county-…

OC School District Election Party Endorsements: I count 16 from OCGOP, 20 on-ballot from DPOC (6 endorsed for races not on ballot). Only 6 races pitting party-endorsed candidates against each other: Ocean View, Newport-Mesa (3,6), Capo (3,5), Tustin (1)

Congrats to appointed OC Supt of Instruction, Stefan Bean, on receving a 2% raise retroactive to July 1, less than two weeks after receiving the appointment on June 18 (p. 50 of OCBE 10/9/24 board meeting agenda). He's still getting by on the same $12K annual car allowance.

OC School Board elections party endorsements: OCGOP has endorsed 17 candidates DPOC 27 candidates (6 not contested and off ballot). Head-to-head match ups in Capo (districts 3,5), Newport Mesa (1,3,6), Ocean View (at large), Tustin (1).

The indefatigable OCBE critic Judge (ret) Lynne Riddle mentioned the costs and opaqueness of Greg Rolen (now OCDE general counsel) and trustee Sparks April 2023 DC junket during 10/9/2024 board meeting public comment on Item #13

The Pequod has set sail for the blue butterfly. Find OC school board post-election results breakdowns at Herman Melville and the Blue Notes.bsky.social

OC Reg recently published a column by Will Swaim touting CA Dashboard results for OCBE-authorized charter school Orange County Classical Academy. Over at 🦋(where you can find me at bluemellville.bsky.social) I explain why his claims are questionable.

You might think an editorial in the OC Register would mention the single parent trigger charter in OC. Cal Policy Center was hyping it 10 yrs ago. But enrollment at Palm Lane Elementary in Anaheim Elem SD dropped by more than half after charter conversion and has never increased.

OC Election integrity watch: candidate fraud not voter fraud!