A missing schoolteacher from South Gate apparently committed suicide in the Angeles National Forest, it was reported Sunday.
Rigoberto Ruelas, 39, a teacher at Miramonte Elementary School, was last seen last Sunday dropping off a present for his sister's birthday, according to the South Gate Police Department.
Ruelas notified the school he would need a substitute teacher assigned for his classes on Monday and Tuesday, but he did not show up to work on Wednesday and had not called in, police said. His family reported him missing that day.
Ruelas' body was found just before 9 a.m. in the forest, said Deputy Jeff Gordon of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.
"(Sheriff's deputies) had been conducting training exercises near the Big Tujunga Canyon area of the Angeles National Forest," he said. "On Big Tujunga Canyon Road near mile marker 6.6, they located a vehicle connected to Rigoberto Ruelas, who had been reported missing. A subsequent search in the ravine approximately 100 feet below a nearby bridge lead to the discovery of Rigoberto Ruelas, who was deceased."
Suicide was suspected, authorities reportedly said.
Family members told a TV station that he scored low on a teacher rating report recently published by the Los Angeles Times, and that may have caused Ruelas to go missing.
The newspaper's database lists Ruelas as being "less effective than average overall," "Less effective than average in math," and "average in English."
The Times' analysis of teacher performance took into account available student scores on standardized tests between 2002 and 2009.
"The value-added scores reflect a teacher's effectiveness at raising standardized test scores and, as such, capture only one aspect of a teacher's work," reads a disclaimer on the online database of teachers.
"Although value-added measures do not capture everything that goes into making a good teacher or school, The Times decided to make the ratings available because they bear on the performance of public employees who provide an important service, and in the belief that parents and the public have a right to the information," according to the website.
The study looked at about 6,000 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers at 470 Los Angeles elementary schools.
Family members reportedly said Ruelas had been a teacher for 14 years, with near perfect attendance.
14 year veteran, near perfect attendance, declared "ineffective" by the scum at the LA Times using their value-added jive, now he's dead.
Wonder if the education experts at the NBC Education Nation will talk about this tomorrow.
No, who am I kidding.
I know they won't.
They don't care about stuff like this.
Hell, they LIKE stuff like this.
Nothing like cutting payroll AND avoiding pension payouts.
Not enough bad stuff can happen to these people.
Seriously.
POSTSCRIPT: Write to the journalists who worked on the LA Times value-added analysis article and let 'em know they have blood on their hands.
E-mail address format: Firstname.Lastname@latimes.com
Here are the names of the journalists:
I am not an advocate of violence, but tonight I feel like doing a value-added analysis upside their heads.
Disgusting. The reporters, the Times, and the oligarchs. They truly do have blood on their hands.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article. The LA Times has always been bashing teachers. The amount they write about in the positive is small compared to their negatives.
ReplyDeleteThe Times has distorted the value of teachers, disgraced their profession in an attempt to sell papers. It is yellow journalism at its worst.
I only hope that the paper goes down the drain from weight its own mismanagement and its lack of articles on the mismanagement and yellow journalism. The paper should be publishing articles that assess its reporters, editorial staff and its owners fairness, effectiveness and competitance.
A disgusted former subscriber To A Newspaper that used to be excellent.
As far as LA school district is concerned, the poor devil is off the payroll.
ReplyDeleteLet's hear what that moron Duncan has to say about it.
In the future, value added data will be weighted against senior teachers.
This will either cause them to off themselves, or at least be fired and vilified as bad teachers.
This is worse than 1984. Bring back Nixon now more than ever.
Expect to see more of this.
Cheers,
Angry Nog
3 years ago, I suffered a serious anxiety attack because of lack of support for many many many years and when the sh*%$ hit the fan all the blame was placed on me! This happened right after my returned for DR after the burial of my grandfather. 2 years ago, at another school, I was taken to the ER and was told I have a heart condition which it was linked to stress. 12 years on the job and I have to say I have never been able to separate myself form work. I Love my profession but I hate my job. I truly understand this poor soul!
ReplyDeleteI wish these politicians and Journalists would ware our shoes! they will not last 3 months!
Maybe we need to start rating every politician, every newspaper person, etc. by similar standards and publish those ratings as well. I imagine that rush to publish would disappear pretty quickly if they where the ones being judged by unfair criteria.
ReplyDeleteShirley Slick