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Assistant superintendent resigns during school board meeting
George Landon tenders resignation during public comment period
Personnel decisions are usually not discussed in open session in school board, park board or city council meetings. But Monday night, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services George Landon stood up during the public comment portion of the Hesperia Unified School District school board meeting, and announced that he was quitting.
Landon, who marks his four-year anniversary with the HUSD on July 1, read a letter addressed to Superintendent Mark McKinney and the assembled school board members.
"I have developed many lasting professional relationships and friendships here at Hesperia Unified School District who I will truly miss working with on a daily basis," his letter reads in part. "It is with great anxiety, and with mixed emotions, that I submit my letter of resignation this evening. I will be resigning in order to maintain my integrity and morals. I can no longer be associated with a district where differing views, opinions and issues are not discussed and respected. Lack of respect has been shown to my fellow colleagues, as well as a lack of trust for staff to perform their responsibilities. Directions have been given by individuals who have not involved all necessary stakeholders in order to gain a full understanding of the issues in order to make an informed decision."
Landon had signed a three-year contract with the HUSD on March 10, which takes effect on July 1. He would have received $156,012, plus benefits, for his work in the 2008-2009 school year.
"I don't think there was necessarily a change since then," Landon said Thursday. He has a new job lined up, but did not offer any details. "I think it's probably just been a culmination of things, some things that I can't really discuss."
Landon's public resignation comes 11 months after Kingston Elementary School principal David Long did something similar. Long's open letter to the board was shared with local newspapers, and blasted school board members Hardy Black, Robert Kirk and Lee Rogers for allegedly governing through "fear and suspicion" and accused the trio of declaring "war upon all administrators in Hesperia."
But whereas Long was free to leave the July 23, 2007 school board meeting after his letter was read, Monday's school board meeting was a more than five hour affair, and the public comment period during which Landon announced his resignation occurred before the half-way mark. So after reading his letter, Landon sat back down to continue advising the school board on business decisions, for one last meeting.
"I was deeply saddened to hear about George's resignation. I was surprised," McKinney said Thursday. "George has been a great business guy. He really knows his stuff. It will be a great loss for the district."
Landon's resignation becomes effective on July 4. He and his family will remain Hesperia residents, he said.
"My fellow cabinet members and staff hate to see me go," Landon said, "but they can also understand why, too."
The next meeting of the Hesperia Unified School District school board will be held on July 14 at the Hesperia Administration and Educational Support Center, 15576 Main Street.
Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com.
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| guess your magic underwear cant save you this time can it, and as for finding a job you have one your a lawyer you screw people everyday just like you did on the board and in the district so no hard feeling here. Did you just grow a concentrated heart or did the church tell you not to tell the truth about what you really know. well at least you made it easy for Kirks kid to get the seat faster thanks alot for nothing. Sometimes I guess a heart attack just does nothing for someone when you have to do it the hard way. You have other lives to ruin anyways. Glad I dont have to look at you anymore. good riddins to bad rubbish. |
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| gee minton - Aug 05, 2008 11:14:12 AM | Remove Comment |
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| There's two seats open in November. Let's keep out the Kirk's choice, Anthony Riley, a failed charter school proponent. If Chris Bentley runs, you'll know the Kirks made good on their promise to support his run financially, as he can't do it himself, and he's not going to get $60K at a fundraiser like Mark Kirk. |
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| Hesperian - Jul 16, 2008 05:30:38 PM | Remove Comment |
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| How do teachers stop Jim Pace when so many don't even know of his tricks? I know for a fact the the union president from Tustin, where Mr. Bray went, had to tell Pace repeatedly to stop calling to bad mouth Bray. Apparently, that district has a decent relationship with the union because the union supported the hiring of Mr. Bray. It is simply horrifying that someone can have so much hatred for an administrator that, even though he wants him gone from our district, he would seek to keep him from getting a job elsewhere. |
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| help - Jul 11, 2008 09:46:35 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Hesperians have so much to say. Look at the pages of comments on this article only. Community members, parents, and HUSD employees, you MUST make your voice heard at the HUSD board meetings. It is crucial that these elected officials know what their constituents think. They should be making policy for what YOU want, not their own desires. You need to let them know what you want. I realize it is difficult for the employees to speak up, even it they are Hesperians and parents, due to the fear for their job. Somehow the voice needs to be heard, loud and clear. Next Board Meeting - July 14th 6 pm. |
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| Plenty to say - Jul 10, 2008 10:26:26 AM | Remove Comment |
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| How can you blame the old board for all the money the new board has wasted? Quit trying to put a spin on what we all know is really happening. This board wastes money like there's no tomorrow. |
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| Fed up with waste - Jul 09, 2008 06:03:23 PM | Remove Comment |
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| I have no problem going into debt to get the funding from the state to build Oak Hills and all the other various projects. I just hope that the board doesn't decide to do their own thing and then turn around and blame Landon. He MAY have been many things, but he knew what he was doing when it came to the business matters of the district. |
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| In Debt - Jul 09, 2008 11:51:16 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Look at the minutes from the old board
too, I think that process started or at least continued with them too. |
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| old board too - Jul 08, 2008 07:27:56 PM | Remove Comment |
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| The new board purposefully put the district in dept to make sure they qualified to do projects. I love how Kirk makes mistakes and claims he's tired of cleaning up someone elses? Every dedicated and good employee that's been treated badly and left is a mistake and a mess he's made, and it's getting deeper. There will soon be only toadies and those who are scrambling to replace those who were managing the most important aspects of running a school dist. Good luck, Mr. McKinney, you'll need it. |
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| Hesperian - Jul 08, 2008 03:51:23 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Hesperian, it is actually possible. Its called a restraining order and a lawsuit for defemation of character. But Landon would have to prove Pace did indeed call and then prove he was financially hurt. Pace is a snake and would probably call the union leader for whatever district Landon was going too. |
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| No Pace - Jul 08, 2008 11:38:51 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Also, to claim the three ran is speculation. It is possible, just like the previous board, that they put a plan in place and the three killed it without knowing the consequences. One only has to look at 6th grade schools. The previous board had a plan in place to have all 6th graders in 6th grade schools. The three stopped the plan and then claimed that not all 6th graders could attend, how unfair. Time will tell, unfortunately the kids will pay. |
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| If True - Jul 08, 2008 09:48:57 AM | Remove Comment |
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| IF, and thats a big IF true. Then it just goes to show that Bray, Richardson, and Landon were all smarter than the three combined. Again, IF true, ten they were smart enough to know when to cut and run. Speaking from experience, smart people can't stand working for stupid people with egos. |
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| If True - Jul 08, 2008 09:43:12 AM | Remove Comment |
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| It looks like Landon fled the scene just before something hits the fan. HUSD has a cash flow problem payments on the $105,000,000 loan are due to begin and the half baked borrowing scheme HUSD concocted more than 3 years ago may very well collapse. Bray, Richardson and Landon will be no where to be found if it happens. The current Board has been scrambling to cut fat for the last year and a half, but the State budget crisis may very well collapse HUSD anyway. At least George can enjoy his pay raise at Chino Valley Unified. |
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| Good luck you Bums - Jul 07, 2008 10:55:02 PM | Remove Comment |
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| I am concerned that Jim Pace, President of the Teachers' Union, is out trying to discredit Mr. Landon due to his use of truth in his resignation. Perhaps it would be possible to prevent Mr. Pace from calling future employers of people with whom he disagrees. The teachers would have to care enough to stop him, though. |
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| Hesperian - Jul 07, 2008 11:45:22 AM | Remove Comment |
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| What grade are you in? The use of a period, which is allowed by this site, is proof that you have a higher intelligence. Claim, claims, claims and no fact in that last post. If the mormons were really trying to take over the district in some hidden agenda then Black would not have run with Kirk he would have joined forces with Ellen Richardson. McKinney would not have been appointed Sup because the secret society of mormons in the district would have put in a mormon. How about names rather than there was a person who. Give some fact. |
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| Paranoid - Jul 02, 2008 12:26:24 PM | Remove Comment |
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| there bolting because now they have messed up the district so bad they cant fix it so why not leave before they get caught in something like everyone else like stealing money? And they just dont want that so there running like Forest Gump and it is going to be as much a LDS district as they can make it there power hungry they always have that place has always wanted to run the show they push it on our kids and push it on anyone they can even the employees it has been done so mush it make everyone sick. I remember when a former employee decided her did not want to be in the church anymore and they fired her that was for no reason they were mad at her and threw him out of a house of theres tell me that was not sick? and made things real hard for her and her kids. they would not even talk to her again because she was not LDS if your not part of them, your not them. thats the bottom line its a cult. and always has been. there is only one lord and they think they own him. And everyone is entitled to there right to pray there way, but they wont have it. |
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| messed up! - Jul 02, 2008 12:07:10 PM | Remove Comment |
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| As a mormon, I cannot support Black. It is painfully clear that his agenda is Union first. I can't support someone who was elected by the voters to serve the kids and voters first. I know a lot of mormons who also feel the same way. Shame, because before he got on the school board he had a good reputation with mormons. |
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| A Mormon - Jul 02, 2008 06:37:56 AM | Remove Comment |
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| We know what's up, you wouldn't know what's up if it slammed you in the face. Mormon district? Kirk, Ella lee, McKinney, Yankaskus, are not Mormon. The Mormons like Minton, Helen Rogers and Landon are getting out because they actually have a conscience and can't be associated with the corruption that has gone on since the three got elected. What have you been drinking? |
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| wake up - Jul 01, 2008 07:08:21 PM | Remove Comment |
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| What difference does it make what church one chooses to attend? Obviously, with these three religious affiliation has little, if any, affect on their behavior. |
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| Of Mormons and Others - Jul 01, 2008 07:02:48 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Kirk, Lee Rogers, McKinney, Yankaskas are NOT mormon. Helen Rogers and Bruce Minton are and I have heard it from them that they are not going to rerun for election. How is that trying to take over the school board and district? Can we stop with the mormon bashing? |
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| A Mormon - Jul 01, 2008 07:09:46 AM | Remove Comment |
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| They want a all Mormon district so they are getting rid of everyone they do not want that is not in there church, well its not going to happen we are not going to leave intimidated and do what we believe in and that is that. Lds is not going to win. Kirk and your board is wrong and you know it. You and them need to step down and let others run it right before you destroy it all together like you already have you have no more power and we do not believe in you anymore. And take all the others with you and let the fresh air in. I still can't believe you did not publicly say you were sorry to the CSEA president for what you said to her that shows you have no compassion and are not a man and have no feelings. It is just sicking shame on all of you. |
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| we know what is up - Jul 01, 2008 04:12:10 AM | Remove Comment |
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