If contract signed, Ramirez will bring questionable history to Douglas County

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County School Board is scheduled to offer a contract to John Ramirez, Jr. to sign during their next meeting on February 13. Ramirez is the person the majority of members selected to become their next superintendent, even though three of its seven members and much of the public have asked the board to expand its superintendent search, slow down the process, and fully vet all candidates.

The school board has been surrounded by controversy since the November 2022 election, and if they offer the contract to Ramirez, the controversy could continue to keep a cloud over those in charge of the future of education in Douglas County.

Ramirez isn't coming to the district free of baggage, and it started with his application.

On his application, several items were missing or found to be untrue. The application shows Ramirez's acknowledgment that all stated is accurate and true.

For starters, the portion of the application concerned with licenses, Ramirez's answer was incomplete on licensing: He said "no" to possessing a "National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification." He did not answer the question about holding or possessing a Nevada license, nor was there an answer on the anticipated completion of one. He said "no" to ever holding a "Highly Qualified Status" from another district. Do you hold a current out-of-state license? He said yes, but left the license type, number, and expiration date blank, and placed a "C" for the state. On a search of the California Commission on Teaching website, no valid teaching or school administration certificates could be found. An "Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate" expired on 3/1/2016.

Ramirez was arrested for a DUI in Stockton on August 25, 2022, with a .225 blood alcohol level and was given three years probation. On the Douglas County application, there was the question "Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation?" He answered "no" and when asked during his interview, he said it was an "oversight" to not answer "yes."

Other glaring issues are the recent San Joaquin County Grand Jury Report and the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team Extraordinary Audit, listed below.

REVERSE TIMELINE

February 2023: Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) Extraordinary Audit. In February 2022, the San Joaquin County Office of Education and FCMAT agreed for FCMAT to conduct an Assembly Bill 139 extraordinary audit of the Stockton Unified School District to determine if fraud, misappropriation of funds, or other illegal fiscal practices may have occurred. It began with a $7.2M award to IAQ Distribution, Inc. for indoor air quality monitoring and disinfection devices without going through an RFP process.

"During interviews, staff expressed frustration and concern regarding Superintendent Ramirez’s and board members’ tendency to micromanage operational issues," stated to FCMAT audit. "Information obtained during interviews and a review of transactions indicate that the superintendent and board members have used their positions of power to influence certain business transactions by deliberately overriding staff recommendations and
board policies related to the procurement of UV purification units from IAQ and to the award of contracts for legal services."

Superintendent Ramirez, CBO Battle, and the governing board failed to perform their fiduciary duty because they failed to perform due diligence, ignored established internal controls, bypassed established policies and procedures, and did not hold themselves to a standard of conduct commensurate with their positions, according to the audit.

Because of the audit and two grand jury reports, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's office started its on investigation in April 2023 along with the FBI and Department of Justice. A call into the DA's office has not been returned and the status of that investigation is unknown at this time.

February 2023: Stockton Unified Board of Trustees has terminated John Ramirez Jr.’s superintendent emeritus contract with the school district. Two of the seven board members voted to keep him on, one of whom supplied a letter of recommendation for his Douglas County job.

February 2021-February 2023: Stockton Unified School District, Superintendent

- August 25, 2022: DUI arrest in Stockton. .224% BAC.

- June 2022 - 2021-2022 San Joaquin Grand Jury Report: A Failing Grade in Public Trust. Ramirez submitted his resignation, citing he was going to take care of his aging parents. The board moves him to emeritus status at the same salary.

- 20-21 San Joaquin County Grand Jury Report on Stockton Unified School District. Ramirez was interim superintendent on 2/23/21, then superintendent starting 5/11/21. Much of the Grand Jury focus was on the "revolving door" of superintendents with a combative school board that started before his hiring. Report: The current SUSD board’s attorney also worked at Alisal Union School District with Ramirez. The board did not follow its own rules in hiring Ramirez and instead took a major shortcut, producing confusion and mistrust among the board, the staff, and the public.

The report revealed that Ramirez sent the district’s former Chief Business Official Susanne Montoya a “hostile and threatening letter” after she expressed concerns about the appearance of the district manipulating the request for proposals process, according to Recordnet.com in Stockton.

June 2020-2021: Ramirez's company, Equity In US, LLC of Visalia. It is recommended that the Stockton Unified School District Governing Board approve the Agreement to Furnish Consultant Services between Mr. John Ramirez, Jr., Consultant, EquityIn US to provide consultant services for the Interim Superintendent, Interim Deputy Superintendent, Executive Cabinet, and the Board of Education in Stockton

- Provided consulting services to an independent charter school, Vision Quest & Career Pathway, before starting a superintendent consulting contract. Vision Quest & Career Pathway operated as an independent charter school for formerly incarcerated adults. On January 7, 2020, the charter was approved by the Stockton Unified School Board. After four months Vision Quest & Career Pathway charter school closed.

August 2019 - December 2019: Four months at Nevada State High School in Henderson according to his application. It is currently a private charter school with nine charter school campuses throughout Nevada, with a total enrollment of under 1,000 students. A call to school administration has not been returned, but a search of all NSHS board minutes during that time did not show Ramirez's name.

2018-2019: Eureka Inclusive Charter School, founding executive director. 6/17/19 - Santa Clara Board of Education denies the petition for the establishment of Eureka! Inclusive.

July 2016-July 2018: The Foundation for Hispanic Education, Executive Vice President

March 2010 - June 2016: Alisal Union School District (K-6 grades)

- June 2016: He applied at Santa Maria-Bonita School District for a superintendent job. The Santa Maria Elementary Education Association asked the board not to hire Ramirez and had a protest.
- June 2014: Finalist for Salinas City School District superintendent
- February 2014: Two women who were employed by the Alisal Union School District accuse Superintendent John Ramirez Jr. of sexual harassment
- 2013: Votes of no confidence on behalf of two employee unions
- March 2013: He was the focus of an investigation into possible inappropriate use of school district credit cards. While he did use the cards for personal use for dozens of restaurant meals and holiday shopping, he repaid the district for what he spent, according to a report by the Monterey County Office of Education.

2008-2010: Visalia Unified School District - Area Administrator - VUSD Alternative Education/CTE/ROP Director

2006-08: Sequoia High School, Visalia Unified School District principal

2005-06: Alisal High School, Salinas Union High School District principal

2000-05: El Sausal Middle School, Salinas Union High School District Principal

- 2004: Ramirez pleaded no contest to a hit-and-run incident. As a result, he was publicly censured for misconduct by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

1997-2000: Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District principal/vice principal