A Week of Bobbie Gutierrez' Emails

SFR put in an open records request for all emails to and from Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez' SFPS account for Feb. 10 to Feb. 17, 2011. --- Highlights include Santa Fe New Mexican editorial page editor Inez Russell's sympathizing with Gutierrez over Board of Education member Glenn Wikle's letter to the editor, and former Assoc. Superintendent Melville "Mel" Morgan's thoughts on transparency. Spelling and punctuation have not been changed.

Feb. 11, 2011

Wikle to Gutierrez:

When could we have a one-on-one meeting?...An extension of your contract has a wide range of implications for you, for the board, and for the district. I believe it's worth having a conversation about that before it comes up for vote.

Gutierrez to Wikle:

In terms of my contract extension, Glenn, I believe you need to direct your concerns to the current board members.

Feb. 13

Wikle to Gutierrez:

I would prefer to be telling you this in the one-on-one meeting I requested. Given that we are not having that meeting I'm delivering it in writing...I oppose the extension of your contract by the lame-duck board. The motivation for extending the contract at this time is to make life convenient for adults, not to make schools better for children...By accepting an extension from a lame-duck board you would be passing on the opportunity to accept a considerably more meaningful extension of your contract from the new board. It would compromise our relationship with you.

Gutierrez to Wikle:

Please understand that I have never made any secret of my desire to have a long-term relationship with the Santa Fe Public Schools. In that regard, I am not inclined to interfere with the board's assessment of this issue...If they conclude that they want to review this issue now, I am not going to short-circuit that process, and I will listen to and consider whatever options they want discuss.

Wikle to Gutierrez:

Frankly, I don't believe continuing down the current path with the board increases your chance of having a long-term relationship with Santa Fe Public Schools. I'm concerned that it would have the opposite effect.

The passion that swept Steve and I into office will not go away overnight. We can all draw on this new energy in our community to support sensible improvements in our district. People expect there to be changes.

The current board no longer has the level of credibility which allows the public to trust them to make the right decision about your contract. The legitimacy of that contract would continue to be questioned for years. It would be the legacy of an unpopular school board. It would reflect poorly on all of us: more so on [then-BoE member Barbara Gudwin], [then-BoE member Frank Montaño] and you.

I have to emphasize that I'm not inventing this public perception. It's real, it's strong, and it will last.

What if we didn't start out with that baggage? Think about the possibilities.

Then-BoE member Mary Ellen Gonzales to Gutierrez:

And, of course, we are spending lots of time about our lowest performing students. Guess we have to. But it does mean that our highest performing students are left out in the cold. I remember being in the top classes. I know why it is illegal; but it does make things difficult for top performers...I know my niece was told that her children were in AP classes in 6th grade!!! In Colorado Springs. Probably was "Pre-AP", but the parents were soooo proud! I think some administrators lie to parents to make them feel good about the education their children are getting. Maybe be should start that... (ellipses Gonzales')

Feb. 14

New Mexico Public Education Department Public Information Officer Beverly Friedman to Gutierrez:

Hope you are well and the Board will act on your contract before new group comes in.

Love you,

Bev

Wikle to Gutierrez:

As I'm not seeing any motion on this issue,  we'll bring our frank opinions to the board meeting. The new board members come with a mandate to make changes. If you want to fuel the fire that's your option.

Gonzales to Gutierrez:

Question: if the new board does buy you out, will the new superintendent continue with the plans for Ramirez Thomas?...

Question: if the school does not show substantial improvement (what is that?), are there any sanctions? Put another way, I know that the federal government has put a lot of money into that school. What expectations do the feds have? If those expectations are not met, what are the ramifications?

Gutierrez to Gonzales:

(Re: first question) I would hope so, but I guess there are no guarantees. A new superintendent could return the federal funds.

(Re: the second question) There are no ramifications other than the school would not be eligible for future SIG funds, but we would still receive entitlement grant funds.

Wood Gormley Parent Teacher Coalition president Dan Baker to Wood Gormley Principal Linda Besett, then forwarded to Assistant Superintendent Denise Johnston, on to Gutierrez and then to Morgan:

Contrary to what you may have read in the New Mexican, there is no precedent or reason for this 11th-hour mid-year contract extension except political maneuvering.

Personally I am somewhat shocked that an outgoing BOE member, especially one who rarely attended meetings, would dream of disrespecting Constituents that have been asking for change, and subverting the primary responsibility of the new board in managing the Superintendent's direction and contract, and perhaps even violate New Mexico law by extending the contract beyond their term.

The outgoing board is also attempting to ram through the real estate contract to give Kaune School to Desert Academy, and possibly other huge decisions that probably should wait for the new Board...(ellipses Baker's)

Wikle to Gonzales and Gudwin:

If Bobbie's contract were to be extended this week, the contract extension would be like an unfunded mandate: something the new board would be legally required to carry through, one way or another, even though the majority of us had essentially no say in how it came about. And, as such, our hearts are not behind it. This sentiment extends to the majority of the record number of voters who put us into office. Yes, it's your prerogative to extend the contract. And your reasons for wanting to do so, if that is what you want, surely reflect good intent and the desire to reward Bobbie for her hard work.

My feeling is that extending her contract this week is likely to fuel additional resentment of the board (both the old board and the new board).

Meanwhile, I have great faith in Bobbie and believe that she will receive the highest ratings on her performance reviews with the new board. With a good performance review, if she wants to continue on with the district beyond June of 2012, we would be pleased to give her another two years to execute our longer term goals for the district.

Gonzales to Gutierrez:

It would be enormously helpful if I could see what you have prepared for your evaluation before the meeting starts on Thrusday. I would be happy to stop by 610 to pick up a hard copy if one were to be made available.

Feb. 16

Morgan to Gutierrez:

Transparency transparency ug ug ug. Give me a lighter.

SFPS Human Resources Director Tracie Oliver to Gutierrez:

I don't know if you looked online at these today. I don't want to upset you but the first 2 letters are about you and one is from GW. GW's letter implies a buy-out? The comment that starts at the bottom of page 2 is about the subject that you advised us about in a confidential email this morning.

This is so ugly.

Gutierrez to Oliver:

Inez [Russell] sent them to me this morning...It is too small to read on my BB; can you do a cut and paste on the piece about the schools?

Oliver to Gutierrez:

We tried and the site won't let us, thus the scan...I have typed it in below...There was a second comment by 1jacklopez1 which states:

If the current board gives Gutierrez a new contract, it will just show the spiteful arrogance on Montano and Gonzalez, not to mention that of Gutierrez if she accepts.

--

I am so sad you are the target of all this.

Russell to Gutierrez:

Now a letter to the editor; seems to me, Mr. Wikle is unnecessarily confrontational. I had thought how smart he was to keep his mouth shut. Plus, why take a personal shot at you? I am getting really depressed about the next few years!!!

Gutierrez to Russell:

Is it in today's paper? I am in Denver at this Labor Relations conference we were selected to attend for the US DOE.

Russell to Gutierrez:

here you go. it's the second one...

In its final meeting, the lame-duck school board is poised to commit one last act of mismanagement...Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez wants an extension of her contract. Rather than asking the newly elected board, she's going behind our backs...What price will be paid? For starters, if the new board decides that Santa Fe is better served by a new superintendent, we lose up to $300,000 of public money that could otherwise go to classroom education. The board is poised to leave a legacy of waste and mismanagement.

Santa Fe Reporter