FOR EFFECTIVE ACTIVISTS ONLY: How to Figure Out What a School District Superintendent is Really Up To
Anyone anywhere can do this
Public records laws make all documents created by government entirely accessible to you with very few exceptions. Those on the outside of an institution are always going to have a hard time knowing what happens behind the public front. Public records laws are a very effective tools in seeing behind that front.
Below is an effective first step for any activist to use public records laws to pierce that veil. In doing such a request you both 1.) get substantial and useful documents and you 2.) get your feet wet in how to use these laws as a reliable and effective tool.
The four steps below take less that half an hour and will make you more knowledgeable than almost any member of the public in your community on these specific topics. They are an effective shortcut to advanced learning that might take others years to learn.
Step 1: Ask
Time required: less than 5 minutes
Send this email to the school district you are interested in knowing more about.
Subject: Records request
Dear Sir or Madam,
Under public records laws, I request the following information:
1.) the superintendent’s contract
2.) the assistant superintendent’s contract
Thank you.
Your name
It’s that simple. That tiny email will do the job in most states. Just send that to someone at the school district to get the process underway.
Step 2: Read
Time required: less than 15 minutes
I received the superintendent’s and assistant superintendent’s contracts back in response and read them.
Step 3: Take notes
Time required: less than 15 minutes (contemporarily performed with the previous step)
As I read the superintendent’s contract I saw there are organizations such as the chamber of commerce to which the superintendent is a member and paid for by the district. He has his own credit card (a credit card statement and it’s receipts are very telling documents). That indicates there are other credit cards as well being used. He has a private car paid for or partly paid for by district. Those car documents may be accessible through a records search. He must have valid and appropriate credentials for his job. He requires permission to do outside work. His negative performance reviews are public information as stated in his contract.
As you take notes, keep in mind that the purpose of the notes are not just for general knowledge but are done with intent and are for making the following request. With each paragraph you read in the contract, ask yourself “What telling documents might have been created by the district and held in their possession in response to this paragraph in the contract?”
Step 4: Ask for more
Time required: Less than 5 minutes
This is really just the first step all over again. The whole process is this: ask, read, take notes, and ask again.
Ask for more useful information based on your reading from the first request. Do thus by copying and pasting notes from the previous request. Step by step you get deeper insight into what is happening inside the organization.
This was my follow up to the above contract. This was submitted as a new public records request. It is good to get in a habit of doing this right after reading a document.
Subject: Records request
Dear Sir or Madam,
Under public records laws, I request the following information:
1.) All 2022 statements for the Superintendent’s District Cal Card credit card.
2.) All 2022 receipts for the Superintendent’s District Cal Card credit card.
3.) All October 2022 District Cal Card credit card statements for any Cal Card credit cards at the district.
4.) All October 2022 Statements for any other district credit card.
5.) All 2022 expense reimbursements presented to the district by the superintendent.
6) The superintendent’s valid and appropriate credential issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to act as an administrator in the District.
7.) Communications from superintendent to board requesting permission to do consultative work, speaking, writing, lecturing, and other professional duties or obligations submitted at any time since the superintendent began his role.
8.) Responses to those communications.
9.) Communications from Ms Gaviola to board requesting permission to do consultative work, speaking, writing, lecturing, and other professional duties or obligations submitted at any time since the assistant superintendent began her role.
10.) Responses to those communications.
11.) The report of 2022 days absent by the superintendent.
12.) Communications from the superintendent to the president requesting absence.
13.) Responses to those requests.
14.) Any comments from board members of the unsatisfactory performance of the superintendent since he began in his roll.
15.) All emails mentioning the organizations the superintendent belongs to.
16.) all receipts indicating what organizations the superintendent belongs to that are paid for by the district since the beginning of his tenure.
17.) Vehicle registration for the vehicles used by the superintendent as part of his transportation stipend.
18.) October 2022 receipts for products used by the superintendent as part of his technology stipend.
19.) All emails and all attachments sent or received by the superintendent on February 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24, 2022.
20.) All emails and all attachments sent or received by Ms. Gaviola on February 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24, 2022.
Please acknowledge receipt.
Thank you.
Allan Stevo
My request to you, because it works: Please share this with every school board activist that you know, because it works. Please do that now. These requests are a game changer that will quickly make their activism more effective.
Allan Stevo
Good work, Allan. Thank you.
Excellent advice. Works with most public employees. Here in New York there is a charge for preparing the report; generally $2 - $4 per page, so prepare for LOTS of pages.