Jose Lara, the assistant principal at Dale Junior High School, has resigned his seat on the El Rancho Unified School District in LA County, reports the Los Cerritos News. The divisive Lara was facing a recall election that had qualified for the 2020 ballot.
Controversial El Rancho Unified school board member Jose Lara announced his resignation at the regular ERUSD Board meeting yesterday, declaring his last board meeting as Feb. 4
In a statement, Lara wanted to focus on his family and in particular his son, “My son has recently become ill. After a long hospital stay, he is now home and recovering, at this time, I must focus on my family, their well-being, and can no longer serve on the board.”
The announcement comes after a series of Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News articles triggered a recall election targeting Lara and his crony Leanne Ibarra.
A political radical who views Ho Chi Minh and Che Guevara as role models for our youth, Lara has been a divisive figure in the ERUSD. Lara is an ardent advocate for mandating Ethnic Studies as a high school graduation requirement, going so far as to claim that schools without an Ethnic Studies program are guilty of “structural racism.”
In 2009, he tweeted this joke:
Image courtesy of Cerritos Community News
Lara is a political ally of Councilman Jose F. Moreno, whose wife Lorena is the principal at Dale Junior High School, which is in the Anaheim High School District.
Soooo now we’re holding people accountable for a grade school level anticop joke told on Twitter 10+ years ago???
Lara was a grown man when he tweeted that, not some kid. It is reflective of the radical ideology to which he adheres and guides his political activism. He is waaaaay out on the far Left.
Matthew Cunningham is a right-wing extremist who spouts his own views against anyone who has views that are different than his. He tries to destroy those who are not extreme conservatives and ardent Trump supporters. It’s his right to do that, but all should be aware of that.
Am I a conservative? Definitely. An “extremist”? Not by a long shot. My goal isn’t to “destroy” anyone. I’m merely shining a light on folks who are using their taxpayer-funded positions in inculcate students with their twisted ideologies.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORTING MATTHEW CUNNINGHAM
I know my comment is late, however, i’d like to add that absolutely, YES, Jose Lara should still be held accountable to a vulgar “joke” that was depicted as being told to 1st graders???? 10 yrs ago. Especially if he was still employed by the educational system. This kind of overlooks is why we as a state and becoming part of the nation is tearing America down, as we know is the goal. BUT good news is, many are paying attention.
I grew-up in Anaheim and attended Dale Jr. High School in the late 60’s. Back then, White folk were still the majority population followed by Blacks Hispanics and Asians. Ethnic studies hadn’t been considered as required curriculum as the common consensus was that minority effluences over the vastly White majority had yet to impact the day-to-day activities of those living within that particular demographic, at that period in time.
However, the diverse racial environment that now dominates Anaheim is such that understanding the basic likenesses and differences of those living in the community are such that the idiosyncrasies between the diverse cultures that now dominate the area are significant enough to warrant ethnic studies as a valuable subset of the required core curriculum mandated for graduation.
From my point-of-view, Vice principle Jose Lara’s advocacy for the addition of such studies is a logical topic for consideration for the governing body of supervisors to evaluate. As opposed as my beliefs are to the self-defeating constraints that socialism and communism project upon society, unless there is a mandated local policy that states that educators are prohibited from discussing their personal political beliefs with the student body and unless Lara’s ideas are not disruptive to the consumption and understanding of our democratic ideals, I believe that in the right setting and under the perimeters of good order and academic discipline, he has the right to objectively tout his political position as long as it has been adjudicated and approved by the Superintendent of Schools.
Formal Education, if administered objectively, will certainly expose students to conflicting ideas and opinions that may be counter to their own beliefs; that’s the essence upon which rigorous studies are based upon. The sooner our kids are exposed to controversial ideals and opinions, the better qualified they will be to navigate the complexities required for a successful, well informed existence and from my prospective, should be embraced by all parents and guardians of the generations to come that will be responsible for the successful advancement and leadership of America’s future.
It is not incumbent upon teachers to teach our youth their politics. Their job is to teach math, science, reading, writing etc. Their political views should be left at the door. When I was in school, I did not know any of my teachers political leanings.
That’s how it should be.
Learning about cultures and history is certainly important but the ethnic studies curriculum is far from that. The outline you advocate was covered when I attended school under history class. Take a good look at the curriculum and then decide if you still feel the same.
Very, very foolish thinking and comment. It is again, this overlook of the obvious. These cultures that you state we need to better understand, need to 1st become citizens and 2nd they and any others that come to America from other lands, need to assimilate. Speak the language and become part of our communities, not expect us to accomodate thiers OR even pretend they’re not there. THEY want to be in American, then it’s time they start acting like Americans and stop trying to change who we are!
I documented the chaos that Jose Lara inflicted upon our dear alma mater(ERUSD) once he was able to seize the board majority last year. The Pico Rivera community successful collected 9760 signatures & accomplished the Herculean task of getting a recall of Jose Lara on the ballot. Lara decided to resign prior to being recalled.
https://twitter.com/thesonsofpico/status/1211488303414792192
Thank you so much for what you did in Pico Rivera.