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.
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.
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
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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.
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.
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.
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
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Video of Mike expressing his gratitude to the community
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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.
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.
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.
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
Article: San Clemente Times Letter to the Editor - To: Capistrano Unified Board of Trustees
May 27, 2015 - CUSD Meeting
- Trustee Jim Reardon motioned to defer agenda item 10a about the independent investigation and all Trustees, less one of San Clemente's Trustee's (Alpay), agreed. Source: San Clemente Times article. Be sure to give comments a quick read.
- To heard the audio click here and fast-forward to 1:09:00 and you'll get to hear all the back-and-forth on item 10A before it gets moved to the June 4th 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.
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
- The City of San Clemente had a very touching Memorial Day service at the Community Center.
- Later that night CUSD Trustee Alpay called for a full reinstatement of Mike Halt as Principal on Facebook.
May 21, 2015 - CUSD Special Meeting
- The board listened to speakers starting at 4:30p and then adjourned from just before 6p until 10p and then returned to indicate they have scheduled a special meeting on June 4th to continue discussing this. Click here and fast-forward to 3:30 to hear comments from the public before the board goes into closed session.
- Network News: Click here to see Stacey Butler's KCAL9 news team coverage - Parents Demand To Know Why Beloved Principal Was Fired From San Clemente High School
May 20, 2015
CUSD as again changed meeting times. Now the closed session will begin at 4:30p
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
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
- Students stand in the rain to have a SIT IN to support Mike
- Letter: Former Mike Halt Superior Peg Regan - "discharging Mike in this manner, they have impugned his character in a way that demands further investigation of the district-level personnel. This sort of professional blow is personal." Click here to read the full letter including her praise for Michael Halt.
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
- Insider: Source within the district shares very disturbing CUSD insights on iLikeMikeHalt facebook page.
- The School Board IGNORED repeated requests to reinstate Mike at the Weds, May 13th meeting.
- After members of the community pleaded for reinstatement the board trustees spoke as if no one had even brought up Mike at all.
- Their body language demonstrated a complete disrespect and disregard for the people of San Clemente.
- Video: Click here to watch the message that Victoria Mendez (student) gave at the CUSD board meeting.
- Network News: Click here to see Stacey Butler's KCAL9 news team coverage of the meeting - Angry Students, Parents Rally In Support Of Terminated San Clemente High Principal
- Video: One of the San Clemente School Board Trustees which met with Mike privately stated "I also wonder if the board was provided with all the information necessary to make a full and informed decision or instead we were provided with a narrative to support a hidden agenda." Click here to see the shortened video or here for the full video clip
- It was proposed that a special meeting be scheduled sooner than normal upcoming board meeting to address reinstatement (potentially in time for graduation) but NONE of the board members would provide the necessary 2nd vote needed.
- Audio: Click here and fast-forward to 13:21 to hear comments from the public asking to make Mike Halt an agenda item.
May 12, 2015
- Article: Alameda District Trustee Barbara Kahn said "she could not support a $180 million bond measure to fund school renovations because she did not trust Vital and other district staff. Vital and other administrators routinely withhold information from the board", Kahn also said "she questions whether they would spend bond money the way the trustees would intend."
- Letter: Truth about the registration debacle at the beginning of this school year exposed. It is believed CUSD will try to pin this on Mike Halt because he apologized for the situation and took ownership until it got fixed. Mike's involvement "was limited to cleaning-up the mess Todd Amon left behind. By the way, I understand that Dr. Le Patner handpicked Todd Amon as SCHS AP of Guidance -- without any input from Principal Halt -- due to his remarkable computer registration skills."
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
- Press Release: CUSD Announces appointments of New Principals at Aliso Niguel and San Clemente High Schools
- Article: Principal Michael Halt issues statement, see bottom of this San Clemente Times article
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."
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.
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.
- Amy Hanacek (rep for Shorecliffs Middle School, Las Palmas & Palisades Elementary School Dana Point)
- Gila Jones (non-San Clemente Schools)
- Lynn Hatton-Hodson (non-San Clemente Schools)
- Martha McNicholas (non-San Clemente Schools)
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.
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.
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
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
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
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!"