The First Kiko Award Winner - William Bragg

In a move eerily similar to Esperanza Zendejas' contract negotiations, Bragg quickly earns a PAY RAISE AND CONTRACT RENEWAL IN THE MIDST OF FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES! Sound familiar? It should.

The Cupertino Courier
May 7, 2003
"District boss gets contract extended for two years"

With trouble brewing on the horizon, Bragg deflects attention by writing a 'positive' letter to the editor -- you know, the type of letter that bemoans the financial state of the district and calls for sacrifices to be made by the teachers who don't really have it that bad when compared to the rest of the state, yet conveniently leaves out the matter of his own personal salary and benefits that only increase over time.

The Cupertino Courier
March 13, 2002
"The community can help"

With a series of letters to the editor, the teachers fight back.

The Cupertino Courier
May 29, 2002
"Letters"

In '03 the parents wake up and try to remove him by recalling two board members who support him. Although Bragg survives the attempt, a parent aptly describes the problem with this money quote, "Dr. Bragg works from the top down. There is no communication or give and take in the district. He doesn't listen to parents. He comes to us with already made decisions." Uh, um, is he channeling Esperanza Zendejas? Somebody call the Psychic Hotline.

The Cupertino Courier
March 5, 2003
"What is the school board recall movement really about?"

At one point Suresh Kadiyala, Cupertino resident, accuses Bragg of misleading the public by including, as part of a 'school choice' discussion, a program for which the district didn't qualify. That program, you ask? International Baccalaureate.

The Cupertino Courier
November 6, 2002
"More speak in favor of the alternative program"

In '02, Bragg hits a stumbling block during his annual review, and the board identifies five areas which require immediate improvement. Certain board members privately express concern over his salary outpacing those earned by teachers; eventually, they renew his contract anyway, with ''some criticism'.

The Cupertino Courier
July 10, 2002
"The review process for CUSD boss not yet done"

The 03 recall effort fails due to prohibitive costs. Campaign organizers call it off and no special election is held. Gary McCue and Pearl Cheng, the two targeted Board Members, survive, as does Webb.

The Cupertino Courier
April 30, 2003
"Recall stopped; organizers say costs are too high now"

Late in 03, the community loses board member Barry Chang, one of the only vocal opponents Webb had. During his tenure, Cupertino's own version of Lan Nguyen made every effort to visit ALL 23 SCHOOLS in his district! He leaves because of a belief in term limits and a desire to spend more time with his family. Before leaving he refers to fellow board members as "rubber-stamping puppets."

The Cupertino Courier
December 3, 2003
"Barry Change gets a big sendoff"

With Bragg at the helm, teachers hold a protest, only one of the many that occur over time -- no working contract, stalled negotiations during the 02 school year. With dissatisfaction on the rise, they implement 'work to rule'. Teachers claim their health and benefits package is cheaper than what the district budget numbers show; Bragg disagrees.

The Cupertino Courier
April 3, 2002
"Teachers, district reach an impasse"

The Cupertino Courier
May 29, 2002
"CUSD teachers' contract still in dispute"

Fast forward to 2004 and something funny occurs, an event that will draw national attention to the beleagured school-district. Students become sinners in the hands of an angry God, I mean, teacher as Stephen Williams introduces religion into the classroom. He unsuccessfully attempts to sue the district for discrimination. The lawsuit is thrown out in 05, but not before Limbaugh et al. jump on the bandwagon.

The Cupertino Courier
December 8, 2004
"Local school deluged with message of anger, hate"

The Cupertino Courier
August 17, 2005
"Teacher's lawsuit against CUSD is resolved"

Jon Hoornstra, writer for the Courier and husband of a teacher, becomes a modern day Teiresias with this prescient statement made waaaaaay back in 1999 -- "As long as the school funding process remains arcane, murky and complex, the financial cognoscenti will be able to mess with us at will." You don't think he was hiding behind Esperanza Zendejas during East Side's Budget Task Force meetings, do you?

The Cupertino Courier
September 8, 1999
"The ABCs of school funding"

1999 Joke Of The Day
Question: What's the difference between the Cupertino Union School District and the Titanic?
Answer: Music was playing when the Titanic went down.

Bragg doesn't find the joke to be that funny. District internal conflicts are alluded to, but never explicitly described.

The Sun
May 16, 1999
"CUSD exodus: Where is everyone going?"

As we read through these articles, a pattern emerges. Since his arrival in 1997, the district becomes increasingly unstable financially, morale begins to plummet, the teachers protest their contract multiple times, and real estate prices skyrocket, leaving the dream of home ownership only that, just a dream. In the meantime, Brag flies under the radar for the 5 previous years. Yes, he makes minor mistakes here and there, but they don't seem to be anything too terribly bad. In 02, however, something changes, and it becomes a pivotal year in Bragg's relationship with the community. Looking at his behavior over time, the community realizes that Bragg needs to be scrutinized.

Once again, we hear a familiar refrain, " '[Former Superintendent] Pat Lamson was a really tough person but she kept the lines of communication open,' says a teacher who agreed to speak only on the condition of anonymity. 'But unfortunately when Dr. Bragg [Zendejas] was hired, the situation changed. He didn't seek input from teachers. When he did, he discarded it.' "

The Cupertino Courier
January 15, 2003
"District teachers struggle with the ideas of staying on the job"

Shifting the search away from Cupertino, we discovered another city wanting a piece of the action: Los Altos. And believe you me, the details are intriguing. Not only does Bragg quash the recall effort, he survives a 92% no-confidence vote from teachers who worked 9 months without a contract.

Los Altos Town Crier
October 23, 2002
"Ignored grievances motivate Cupertino Union School District recall move"

But he doesn't begin so badly. Rather, he comes on board after an extensive search for an appropriate replacement for Lamson. Back in '97 he passes the interview process with flying colors. He slices. He dices. He's fun for the family, too. He even loves children and small mammals, dogs included. Says Board President Sandra James, ""Our district will continue in good hands. He is a listener, a teacher, a leader - a perfect fit for what is one of the premier school districts in California." Did I hear from Unruly Advocate readers a stifled gasp, a big, "Uh oh..."? Yep, you guessed it. He came in with exactly the same street cred board member Craig Mann claimed Esperanza Zendejas had.

Los Altos Town Crier
March 31, 1997
"New school chief Bragg named for Cupertino Union School District"

In '03 the carnage continues, but not without raising the ire of parents who stage a protest at a board meeting. The cause? Well, they just don't feel right about the board extending Bragg's contract another 3 YEARS!! But I have to disagree here. After all, Bragg's only guilty of "[removing] lockers from the middle schools before most parents knew it was being considered [and announcing] cuts in the instructional programs at some of the middle schools which were stopped only when parents protested." Really, how bad is that? Tee hee.

Los Altos Town Crier
February 26, 2003
"Group contests CUSD superintendent's contract renewal"

Remember '02, the watershed year? Well, that's the year that Bragg uses the tried and true strategy of divide and conquer. Teachers finally get contract negotiations worked out, but not before the district manages to gather a group of parents and administrators to openly oppose teachers at a board meeting. Barry Chang condemns the attack on teachers, chastising principals for wasting time gathering signatures when their time could be better spent focusing on education. So much for laser focus.

The Cupertino Courier
June 5, 2002
"Tenative agreement raises many questions"

That's all she wrote, folks. The info on Bragg ends rather suddenly in '03, with almost no mention of him anywhere for 04/05. I suspect that the current recall effort mentioned by The Fly is merely a logical carry-over from previous failed attempts. Pearl and McCue seem to be targeted for their support of Bragg and for their disregard of community concerns.