03-16-2006, 12:02 AM
Bersin probe's results could get further action
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The confidential findings of a probe into former Superintendent Alan Bersin's private fund for education will be forwarded to public agencies for further review and investigation, the San Diego school board decided yesterday.
The <b>now-defunct Superintendent's Fund for School Innovation was made up of more than a half-million dollars in private donations, which Bersin spent at his discretion during his seven-year tenure </b>with the San Diego Unified School District.
In a closed-door meeting, <b>district trustees voted 4-1 to forward the inquiry's findings to the California Fair Political Practices Commission</b>, the IRS and the state Attorney General's Office, board member John de Beck said. Those agencies have subpoena power, which the district lacks.
The district's legal counsel wouldn't disclose the findings, saying they are preliminary and incomplete. However, some board members have said the <b>investigation focused on how Bersin spent some of the money in his fund</b>. They also have raised questions about who donated to the fund.
The San Diego Foundation, which administered the fund, hasn't provided the district with a full list of donors, some trustees said. They wonder if the donors influenced policies and decisions at the district.
Board President Luis Acle was the dissenter in yesterday's vote. He said he was eager to move on and focus on student achievement.
âThis is not a children's issue. This is an adult issue,â Acle said of the Bersin matter. âThis is a closed chapter. Let's put our effort into educating children.â
Bersin, now the state secretary of education, has accused his critics of carrying on the investigation as a way of settling âold political scores.â He has said he believes the probe is intended to hurt his confirmation to the state Board of Education, which is scheduled for April 19.
San Diego district trustee Mitz Lee, who was elected in November 2004 on a political platform critical of Bersin, sought an investigation into the fund.
Lee and others have said their purpose is to ensure that there were no improprieties in how the money was spent.
Bersin used the fund to pay for consultants, meals, trips, entertainment and other expenses that he said benefited the district. He said he established the fund so the district wouldn't have to cover those expenses.
(Consultant as in Michael Witzel, from Harvard (not in California), the same Harvard where Bersin's holds an important post)
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The confidential findings of a probe into former Superintendent Alan Bersin's private fund for education will be forwarded to public agencies for further review and investigation, the San Diego school board decided yesterday.
The <b>now-defunct Superintendent's Fund for School Innovation was made up of more than a half-million dollars in private donations, which Bersin spent at his discretion during his seven-year tenure </b>with the San Diego Unified School District.
In a closed-door meeting, <b>district trustees voted 4-1 to forward the inquiry's findings to the California Fair Political Practices Commission</b>, the IRS and the state Attorney General's Office, board member John de Beck said. Those agencies have subpoena power, which the district lacks.
The district's legal counsel wouldn't disclose the findings, saying they are preliminary and incomplete. However, some board members have said the <b>investigation focused on how Bersin spent some of the money in his fund</b>. They also have raised questions about who donated to the fund.
The San Diego Foundation, which administered the fund, hasn't provided the district with a full list of donors, some trustees said. They wonder if the donors influenced policies and decisions at the district.
Board President Luis Acle was the dissenter in yesterday's vote. He said he was eager to move on and focus on student achievement.
âThis is not a children's issue. This is an adult issue,â Acle said of the Bersin matter. âThis is a closed chapter. Let's put our effort into educating children.â
Bersin, now the state secretary of education, has accused his critics of carrying on the investigation as a way of settling âold political scores.â He has said he believes the probe is intended to hurt his confirmation to the state Board of Education, which is scheduled for April 19.
San Diego district trustee Mitz Lee, who was elected in November 2004 on a political platform critical of Bersin, sought an investigation into the fund.
Lee and others have said their purpose is to ensure that there were no improprieties in how the money was spent.
Bersin used the fund to pay for consultants, meals, trips, entertainment and other expenses that he said benefited the district. He said he established the fund so the district wouldn't have to cover those expenses.
(Consultant as in Michael Witzel, from Harvard (not in California), the same Harvard where Bersin's holds an important post)
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