The Andrew Hill - Ramirez Focus Group Meeting

May 4, 2004

A focus group meeting was scheduled between faculty and staff representatives of Andrew Hill High School and board member Juanita Ramirez in April 04. Ramirez was a no-show. 20 teachers attended, waiting for Ramirez to either show up or excuse herself since it was she who picked the date and time. This resulted in a flurry of emails, and a rescheduling of the meeting, which was eventually held on May 4.

The meeting was attended by 15 - 20 representatives. An accurate count cannot be made since a number of them came in and out due to normal classroom/work commitments.

The meeting started amiably enough, but it was clear from the beginning that Ramirez was in a "posturing" mode. She gave a glowing endorsement of Zendejas and brushed aside comments regarding the wisdom of hiring someone who has a questionable track record (Indiana) and at a salary that eclipses any other superindendent, not to mention a costly home loan guarantee.

One of the points of contention at the meeting was the question of the status of Filipino teachers whose visas were not being renewed by the district, even though 20 new teachers were being recruited in Mexico.

It is important to clarify the exchange pertaining to the Filipino issue because that is the source of the heated exchange that eventually resulted in Ramirez' outburst at a later Board meeting:

1. When the Filipino question first came up, Ramirez stated that it was up to the individual principals to recommend these teachers for rehire. This appeared to be an effort at deflection.
2. Some time later in the meeting, the Filipino question was raised again. This time, Ramirez denied that they were being let go arbitrarily, again referring to her previous assertion that principals were ultimately responsible. She denied that they were being "exchanged" for Hispanic teachers (those being recruited in Mexico).
3. Toward the end of the meeting, the question again surfaced. Ramirez appeared to ignore one member's accusation that the Filipino teachers were being traded for Hispanics. She, instead, addressed her comments to the group near her table.

She said: ". . . Perhaps it is because the superintendent has received complaints from students that they could not understand them [the Filipino teachers] due to their heavy accents. They also have culture issues.They don't fit in culturally."

The Board Meeting

At the May 8th board meeting, the Filipino issue came to a head. Several members of the Filipino community spoke during the public commentary portion of the meeting. They expressed their concern over comments she had made at the focus group, and hoped that these "rumors" were unfounded.

After their comments, Ramirez, in an unprecedented outburst, denied making such statements, and accused certain individuals [from Andrew Hill] of lying and setting her up: "I know who they are. . . I will never attend such a meeting again." She also called for an investigation.

Her outburst was unprecedented because it is a rule that board members may not respond to public commentaries.

The Investigation

The following week, the principal of Andrew Hill called in each individual who attended the focus group meeting when the disputed comments were made. Meanwhile, it should be noted that attendees were warned not to speak about the meeting without a union attorney present. Dr. Shimizu was directed by the district to ask whether we were willing to talk to the district's attorney regarding the focus meeting.

So far, no further investigation has been pursued. There is speculation that an investigation was never intended, that the ruse of interviewing meeting attendees was merely to verify their identities.