The Scoop 
This is central list of the latest news.  It is a time-line of community contributed articles and source material relating to Mike and the students issues caused by the Superintendent Kirstem M Vital and the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) Trustees in descending order.   The orange text has hyper-links to the source text, audio or video.  An easy way to help Mike and the students is to comment on the news media articles.  Doing so keeps the media involved and draws more attention to the underlying issues that caused this.  If you have a some helpful information about the CUSD issues send them to leads@bringmikeback.org.  For information not specifically relating to Mike visit the supporters page for a list of sources.

June 23, 2015
Article: Newport-Mesa school district makes Mike Halt's move to Estancia High official.  Source: OC Register.
June 21, 2015
Article: Seniors bestow award on ousted principal at graduation. Source: OC Register.
June 19, 2015
June 18, 2015
  • Breaking News:  Mike is being allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony today and congratulate the students.  It seems that because of the disingenuous offer, from Superintendent Kirsten M Vital and Trustees, Mike had no choice but to turn it down.  It is believed that the offer required Mike to hold the district legally harmless for all the damages Vital caused.  The only way Mike could be there for the students graduation, without subjecting his family to further mistreatment by Superintendent Kirsten M. Vital, was to reject the offer.  Like a True American Hero Mike took a bullet for the students today. 
  • Letter:  Message to SCHS Seniors and Staff.  Source:  Email from Superintendent Kirsten M. Vital.
June 17, 2015
Article: Parents lobby for Michael Halt to preside at San Clemente High's graduation.  Source OC Register.
June 11, 2015
Article: Halt, Who Goes Where? People Continue to Press for Reinstatement of Former Principal.  Source SC Times.
June 5, 2015
Article: Despite new job offer, San Clemente parents still see principal's return.  Be sure to add your comments.  Source: OC Register.
June 4, 2015
Video of Mike expressing his gratitude to the community
June 3, 2015
  • Tonight during senior awards a Mike Halt scholarship was snuck in. The announcement got the whole building on its feet cheering loudly for 7 minutes. it was by far the loudest cheering of the night.  Eddie Molina was the recipient.  
  • Among all those that were honored were 109 valedictorians.
June 1, 2015
Article: Ousted San Clemente High Principal receives more support.  Source: OC Register.
May 30, 2015
Letter:  Senior Class invites the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. to shake their hands at Graduation in Mike's place if the Trustee's continue to ignore the community and San Clemente Trustee's request for a full reinstatement of Mike.  Click here to read the letter.
May 29, 2015
Letter: Copy of letter received from an anonymous district employee addressed to Mike Halt talking about formally withdrawing information from his personnel file.  Source: iLikeMikeHalt on Facebook.
May 28, 2015
Article: San Clemente Times Letter to the Editor - To: Capistrano Unified Board of Trustees
May 27, 2015 - CUSD Meeting
May 26, 2015
Article: OC Register published an article referencing a letter signed by 75 faculty and staff citing Mike as being "perhaps the finest Principal" in the schools 50-year history.  Source:  Halt can't discuss dismissal in OC Register.  
May 25, 2015 - Memorial Day
May 21, 2015 - CUSD Special Meeting
May 20, 2015
CUSD as again changed meeting times.  Now the closed session will begin at 4:30p
May 19, 2015 
CUSD to Hold Early Special Meeting to Consider Investigation into SCHS Principal in two days with no parental notification.  Public session set for 7p with the prior closed board session starting at 5:30p.  Source San Clemente Times.  Then they changed the meeting with little notice again to 4:30p  
May 15, 2015 
May 14, 2015 
  • Article: Thanks to Mike Halt the U.S. News ranks San Clemente High School (SCHS) 804 out of more than 21,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. SCHS ranked 153 out of 2,199 High Schools statewide. 
  • Peg Regan, Mike's former Supervisor at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School "The evaluation of Principal Michael Halt and all documentation of his professional goals for growth and assistance provided him by the superintendent under his “probationary” period should be uncovered. Under the Freedom of Information Act and with Mike’s permission this performance data must be revealed. As Mike’s supervisor at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, he never missed an opportunity to grow. His integrity and professional character is being impugned in silence and obfuscation by the school district. In the name of Transparency let’s see what communication there was between Mike and his supervisor these past two years. I suspect these documents will shed more light on the evaluators than Mike himself. In any case, it will reveal some much-needed truth!", source  comment on San Clemente times.
  • Letter: Wendy Shrove - Parents look forward to a truly independent and transparent investigation.  Hoping that CUSD has better information record management practices than the IRS does. 
May 13, 2015 - School District Board Meeting
Update from tonight's Board Meeting:  
May 12, 2015
May 8, 2015 
  • Video: CUSD Superintendent Vital attempts to talk to San Clemente at Cafe Calypso,  source YouTube
  • Article: Trustee John Alpay: Superintendent Vital: Be Like Mike, San Clemente Times.
  • San Clemente CUSD School Board representative John Alpay "As indicated in the Wednesday press release, the Board of Trustees voted a number of months ago to end Michael Halt’s employment at the end of the school year."  The whole board (less Reardon) rubber stamped Vitals recommendation.
  • Kimberly Kennedy Alameda School District "As a survivor of Kirsten Vital’s reign of terror as the Superintendent of the Alameda Unified School District from 2009-2014, I have to forewarn you that this is only the beginning. Vital and her cronies successfully drove out almost 25% of my school’s teaching staff, including administrators and intimidated our School Board members into compliance. Teachers that spoke up were fired, one walked off, and others were suddenly removed. It was like we were being ambushed, and nobody was safe. We had over 60 grievances, that Ms. Vital considered “baseless”, and she decimated many of our outstanding academic programs and services. I wish that the Capistrano School District had contacted AUSD before even interviewing her. We would have clearly told you the truth. She is going to be a difficult siren to behead."
  • Alameda teacher "I am a teacher in Alameda where Ms. Vital use to be the superintendent. We saw way too often if someone disagreed with her, they were soon dismissed. I can only guess that Michael Hall must have publicly disagreed with her. She also went after teachers relentlessly until they retired or left the profession. A colleague in my school was the victim of her ire. She did not have a good relationship with the teachers union either. We were glad to be rid of her."
May 6, 2015 
May 1, 2015 - Start of National Military Appreciation Month 
United States Marine Colonel Principal Michael Halt is directed to surrender his keys and leave without explanation to Students, Parents, Teachers or San Clemente residents during AP testing week.  A direct contradiction to CUSD board claims from their statements at April board meeting where they stated they want to "help students excel further in AP testing."  
April 22, 2015 
Audio: CUSD Public Hearing audio file. Advance the audio in link above to the 1:00:50 time  to hear the CUSD board members disregard community issues about moving the school year without surveying parents or obtaining their consensus.  Claiming that is the other districts are doing meanwhile Saddleback School District starts a week later on August 31st.  The members listed below  voted to to cut speaker's time. 
February 25, 2015 
CUSD Meeting Minutes Agenda Item #3 BS -Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release
Yes from Trustees Alpay, Hanacek, Hatton-Hodson, Jones, McNicholas, and Pritchard on recommendation from Vital and her staff to terminate Mike.   There were no nays and Trustee Reardon was absent.
November 2014 
Encyclopedia:  Seems like Vital's bond skills worked to increase the debt and the expense of taxpayers in Alameda just after her departure.  CUSD may be looking to put these skills to work down here.  Taxpayers beware of voting for anything without having it approved by parents and spelled out very clearly.
July 24, 2014 
Article: Flight to Capistrano Hard to "Swallow", Alameda Sun
June 19, 2014 
Article: Capistrano district hires Alameda superintendent as schools chief CUSD President (then) John Alpay stated Vital comes with a "demonstrated track record of success", OC Register
May 2013  
Testimonials:  Posts from Martha's Vineyard School District after the announcement that Michael Halt is coming to San Clemente
  • Rick Travers, Edgartown "He is a class act and it is a great loss to Martha's Vineyard."
  • Nancy Gardella, Vineyard Haven "Michael Halt is a stellar person, a terrific teacher and administrator, and a loyal friend.  He was so helpful in my son's upbringing and guided my boy's eventual choice to join the Marine Corps.  I cannot imagine the island without him, his talented and caring wife, Laurie, and there three fabulous children.  Take us with you!"
  • Gina Hayes, Cape Cod, MA.  "California's gain is certainly the Vineyard's loss!  What a wonderful addition to the California educational system!"
                                 and the list goes on...