MEET YOUR FRIEND, BOB NUNEZ: CHIEF OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Most people who meet Bob Nunez for the first time think he’s a nice guy. Sure, he was booed after introducing unannounced administrative changes at a number of school sites, but when the anger subsided, some reconsidered their shooting of the district’s messenger. And yes, that is his name at the bottom of your pink slip letter, your request for an accusation form, your rescission letter, your declaration of defense, and the multitude of papers in your notice of accusation packet, for those of you lucky to receive one—on time. Even though he’s laid low over the past couple of weeks, some do claim he’s tried to put the “human” element back into “human” resources in his short time in the district. Unruly Advocate readers and Team Unruly members have spotted him purchasing grande lattes at no less than four Starbucks locations within district boundaries. And even though he was in the middle of negotiating a sticky situation with Phil Zamora, president of CSEA (the classified staff union), he and Phil carpooled down to Southern California over the holidays, in spite of what some called a glaring and questionable conflict of interest.

Bob Nunez travels down south a lot. That’s because he is still a resident of Riverside, where his wife and family continue to live. Some say he only works three and a half to four days a week. Go to the district website and you’ll discover info on Bob’s background, which includes a longstanding gig as the Chief of Human Resources for the Riverside County Office of Education.

Team Unruly never felt compelled to research the background of a cabinet member. That is, until we saw his signatures on our pink slips.

Someone on the East Side’s administrative cabinet came up with the idea to RIF over 2/3’s of the district’s teaching staff. Who? More importantly, why? Was Zendejas sending up a flare to get the Board to buyout her contract? That’s a rumor circulating around campuses. Did Zendejas conspire with like-minded cabinet members to come up with strategies to “soften up” the union prior to bargaining? It’s a form of bad faith negotiating that happens from time to time in unscrupulous districts: fire all the employees to make them think the budget won’t allow for benefits or COLA language. Or maybe it was a faux pax. Is the level of incompetence so rampant at the district office that sending out 935 unnecessary pink slips was considered a wise policy prior to March 15? That’s a sad probability. Even sadder, it might have been a board directive.

The Unruly Advocate wanted some concrete answers, and there’s no better place for answers than on-line newspaper archives. Put down that coffee cup! The most recent article on Bob Nunez from the Riverside Press-Enterprise might cause the latte coursing through your mouth to splatter all over the keyboard:

Education official put on leave
February 7, 2004

By THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

Bob Nunez, a longtime assistant superintendent with the Riverside County Office of Education, was placed on paid administrative leave Friday morning.
County Superintendent Dave Long said he placed Nunez on indefinite leave as head of the agency's Division of Children and Family Services.

Long declined to elaborate, saying it was a personnel matter. Deputy Superintendent Damon Castillo will oversee the division in the interim. The department administers preschool and headstart services and payments to hundreds of day-care providers. "Circumstances dictated that I take this action," Long said by phone. Nunez, contacted by phone at his home, said he was placed on leave over his management style but was not more specific. He has been with the County Office of Education for 19 years, most of that time in human resources.

Nunez said he expected the matter to be resolved quickly.
"I hope whatever it is about my management style it could be something that could be worked on," Nunez said. "I'm anxious to have the investigation completed so I can come back and continue providing services to children and families in Riverside County."

Four months after being put on paid administrative leave from a county job he held for nearly twenty years, Bob Nunez took up the HR reigns in the ESUHSD. That’s frightening. The article does belie an absence of wisdom on one point. The reporter asked the Riverside County Superintendent why Bob was put on leave and got a “no comment” response. Bob’s replacement? “I’m taking over his duties,” i.e. “no comment.” Then they asked Bob WHO TOLD THE PRESS THE CAUSE OF HIS DISMISSAL! (Note to Bob: when the press calls you at home to catch you in an embarrassing situation, the phrase to use is “no comment”—practice saying it. The way things are going in East Side, it might come in handy soon).

So, exactly what lapse in managerial judgment made Bob Nunez the school district administrator with the longest commute in California? Rumors abound from correspondents and readers. Out front Bob is all smiles and handshakes, but purportedly the gloves come off behind his office door. Team Unruly has heard stories about not-so-subtle reminders to his underlings that he was “the man in charge”; one story about the repetitious use of the phrase “We don’t owe you a job” to demoralize former district employees prior to their dismissal; a story about a state STRS official who let loose a telling “uh-oh” when she heard that Riverside Bob was in East San Jose; and even one about Bob leaving his office in tight black leather pants. Those are great stories, and we appreciate your sharing them with us, but to a court they’re hearsay and potentially libelous.

That’s not Team Unruly’s style. We deal in facts.

The other letter every district employee received had to do with credentials on file. This verification should have taken place in November. Most employees got the letter two weeks prior to the layoff. Some employees are still receiving those letters, even though round one of the layoff happened three weeks ago. That’s incompetent. But hey, don’t take our word for it:

Going by the letter slow: TEACHERS: Information on their credentials has not yet been sent to many Inland parents.
November 10, 2002

By IOANA PATRINGENARU THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

Close to 500 schools in Riverside and San Bernardino counties have yet to send letters notifying parents about teachers' qualifications, as required by federal law.
“In most states, a teacher needs only a degree from a four-year college to receive a teaching license,” said Bob Nunez, assistant superintendent of personnel services for the Riverside County Office of Education.

In other words, even though Bob had at that time been in charge of the Riverside human resources department for nearly 17 years, and thus in charge of maintaining employee credential records, he still didn’t have the information ready by the timeline set by the feds.

But that little burp didn’t cause Bob to be placed on administrative leave. There are a couple of stories that came out six months prior to his being put out to pasture. Maybe they’ll provide a clue.

And you better move that latte a few inches further from the keyboard:

Education workers get layoff warning: BUDGET: Riverside County officials are hopeful they can rescind the notices.
July 18, 2003

By MARIA T. GARCIA THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

Layoff warnings were mailed Thursday to about 100 Riverside County Office of Education employees who may lose their jobs next month.

The employees, who work in the division of children and family services, are casualties of the state's budget stalemate, said county schools chief Dave Long.

"I thought it was only fair that they know as soon as possible," Long said in a telephone interview from New York, where he is attending a superintendents' conference. "We're planning for the worst case scenario and hoping for the very best."

County school officials are hopeful they can rescind the pink slips once state lawmakers pass a budget for the 2003-04 fiscal year, said Deputy Superintendent Damon Castillo in a telephone interview

Such was the case earlier this year when hundreds of Inland teachers received pink slips. Most of the layoff notices were rescinded when the financial outlook improved for school districts.

The workers in jeopardy provide assistance to more than 3,000 day-care operators, many of whom care for children in families trying to get off welfare. By law, these employees must be notified 30 days before being laid off.

Their jobs are threatened because the state is stopping payments to many child-care providers that serve the working poor.

In addition to the layoff warnings, letters are going out this week to day care owners notifying them that the county schools office can only provide payments through July 25, said Bob Nunez, assistant superintendent in charge of children and family services. Checks also will resume after lawmakers pass a budget.

Okay, so you’re still a little skeptical. You’ve convinced yourself that layoffs are a common occurrence in a state decimated by budget deficits. Besides, even though East Side was recently responsible for 20% of the teacher layoffs STATEWIDE, they’ve rescinded a lot of them, right? These Riverside employees weren’t really teachers, they were childcare providers. C’mon Team Unruly, you’re comparing apples to oranges.

Still unconvinced? Read this follow-up article that graced the Press-Enterprise pages four weeks later:

100 family services workers get reprieve from pink slips
August 14, 2003

By MARIA T. GARCIA THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

The County Office of Education has rescinded about 100 pink slips for workers in the division of children and family services.

County Superintendent Dave Long told the employees on Wednesday that they are keeping their jobs. They were relieved to hear that their jobs were no longer in jeopardy, said Bob Nunez, assistant superintendent in charge of children and family services.

"They were very happy," Nunez said by phone.

The workers faced unemployment because of the state's budget stalemate, which was finally resolved late last month when lawmakers passed a spending plan for the 2003-04 fiscal year. The employees who were at risk provide assistance to more than 3,000 day-care operators, many of whom care for children in families trying to get off welfare. Their jobs were threatened because the state planned to stop payments to many child-care providers that serve the working poor. Also this week the county office is notifying day-care providers that payments for children on state subsidies will be forthcoming, Nunez said. But day-care owners and parents are subject to some changes. Children older than 13 will no longer be eligible for day care services. In addition, parents whose children are in day care evenings and weekends may have to pay more beginning in October.

Let’s see. 100 people are laid off and reinstated a month later. Ring any familiar bells? (We warned you about moving the latte).

In July he laid off 100 people. Four weeks after, he had to hire them back. Six months later, he was put on administrative leave for his “managerial style.” Five months after that, he came to East Side at the behest of Dr. Esperanza Zendejas.

There must have been something about his managerial style that she liked.