I am so pleased that the parents of CUSD took control of their district last year by voting you off of the school board Mr. Lopez. Apparently they found fault with your way of running the schools.

It seems disingenuous of you, Mr. Lopez, to be commenting on the role of parents and schools when you stood firmly in between them when you were on the school board, back when your name was Maddox, just prior to when it was Lopez-Maddox.

Ken - You've changed your name - again!

The former Ken Maddox changed to Ken Lopez-Maddox and now - drum roll.................the newest version is Ken LOPEZ. What a transition!!

Ken - you are posting to The Patch on taxpayer time! You are a state employee and working for the State Board of Equalization. Did you write this during the first six minutes of your lunch break! You were recalled by over 62% of the voters and you didn't win ONE precinct in your "home town". I used "home town" loosely since you have addresses in Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Rolling Hills and Sacramento.

The voters have asked you to go away. Over 62% of us asked you to stay out of CUSD education policy. As a "policy analyst" your positions have been rejected. You are a state employee, in the pension system and with a history of being endorsed by The Teamsters and other unions.

Julianna from The Patch - Is Ken really a bonifide "analyst"? Does he really live in Aliso Viejo?

Ken, the person who replaced you in the 2010 election has consistently voted in favor of choice and charters. Gary Pritchard has a 100% pro-parent choice voting record. Best of all - Gary has his daughter enrolled in an Aliso Viejo public school. Is your son still enrolled in a private school?

The irony of your resurfacing is hilarious

I see the evil trolls have come out of hiding to attack Mr. Maddox, I think patch should delete any post that name call and do not stick to the issue of the article.

I am glad to see the charter expanding and enjoy having my child on a campus with wonderful non-union teachers, such a improved environment .

Thank you Ken for your service to the board when you left the district was in sound financial shape with a solid finanical future, can not say that today. The district has had to borrow over 105 million dollars and needs to cut over 40 million in the next two years and just last night gave a golden handshake to the union with no contract or knowledge of the cost. Watching the 5 board members was amusing, Alpay the contract lawyer approved the deal with no contract...........

Sharon. I was at last night's meeting. Were you? There are seven trustees not five. Maddox or lopez or whatever name he uses now is part of the reason cusd has a budget problem Remember is was first elected in an inecessary 800k special election and opposed every effort the community proposed to save money. It is hypocritical to ask for posts to be removed and in the next sentence call people trolls. The current trustees are putting cusd and children ahead of outside agendas. Maddox, lopez, fill in the blank isn't an expert on public education. He is a career politician on the taxpayer dole.

This artilce is about charters and school choice. The current board has repeatedly shown they are in favor of parental choice. They are also trying tockean up the mess left by Ken and others. I voted with the 62% that wanted Ken removed. That makes me an "evil troll" according to you? I hope the kids and parents at OPA are mature in their communication.

Hard to type sometimes on an I phone so please excuse the typos. My last sentence in my last post was to recognize that, based upon what I observed last night, the parents at OPA are teaching their kids to express differing opinions without calling people "trolls". Pritchard, Alpay, and Hatton have their kids in cusd schools and they live here too. The politics of Ken Maddox were rejected. I don't think the voters of cusd have changed their mind on that.

Mr. Lopez,
In the U.S.A. we educate all of our children. And in the U.S.A, we are the government. We voted to allow charter schools. It is hard to find a one size fits all. Schools or the government cannot pick and choose who are allowed in public schools. The schools must educate special needs, ESL, low, middle, accelerated learners, homeless children, children who live in poverty and come from broken homes. abused children, children who come from stable homes, and from parents who are educated, children who live in upscale homes, etc. Public schools cannot discriminate. The government has control because we, the government, have voted and chose this to be the law of the land. Charter schools allow parents to have another choice. Charter schools are still under the control of the government. So when you state, "The rise of charter schools might just be one more example of people wresting control from the government." who do you define as the government?

So a public school has been closed to its community to make room for a private school education to a selective constituency who can discriminate against the low income children, special needs, ESL, low, middle, accelerated learners, homeless children, children who live in poverty and come from broken homes, abused children, and children who come from stable homes. It’s interesting to see how you see “empowering.” Maybe the powerful should pay for their own schools instead of robbing from CUSD’s coffers while we do the job of providing an education to all God’s children.

Actually Doug, OPA is a public charter school and can't select their students. They must take anyone who applies. If there are too many applications then a lottery must be held to determine who is admitted. They are prohibited from discriminating for any reason. But it is true that a neighborhood school has been closed to make room for the charter school to expand next year and this seems unfair to the neighborhood school. The empowerment in this case went to the newer charter school over the long standing neighborhood school.

I hear the charter school is doing well, but the public school that is being pushed out was excellent too. I still feel that our nation should have public schools and that we should do everything to make these public schools outstanding. Changing public to private charter doesn't cut it in my book. I know, the public voted for the charter concept - but that's not the way I voted. Also - why does CUSD have to provide the buildings for the charter school?

Watched the video. Two thumbs up.

I decided this year to send my children to one of the AV charter schools, and I am more than happy with that decision. I would have loved to keep my children at Don Juan Avila. Unfortunately, the culture at that school has taken a turn for the worse. It is saying a lot when over 120 students from DJA is on the waiting list for the Community Roots Charter school.