“I feel shocked and saddened”: Mathur’s bitter farewell to the SVUSD

Raghu Mathur in his youth

My favorite example of Mathurian scribblage is a bitter little Nixonian squawk that appeared in a local newspaper a few days after The Gooster lost his bid for reelection to the Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees. I have reproduced the vinegary epistle below:

From The News, 11/18/92

Guest View:

A school leader’s farewell
by Raghu P. Mathur

People have voted and have spoken in the school board election of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. While I respect and accept their decision, I feel shocked and saddened by the result with respect to my re-election bid. I feel shocked and saddened because education is my career and my life and I am proud of my contributions in education and as a trustee. I have 25 years of experience in education, having taught at the secondary, college, and university levels. I know what the education system needs to do and have worked hard to deliver it.

I know we have outstanding schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District because I have seen excellence in the classrooms through my visits to all 31 schools in the district. I have poured over thousands of pages of educational reforms and school district reports. I have attended school district and community meetings too numerous to mention. I have enthusiastically returned hundreds of telephone calls from parents and have followed up on their concerns and suggestions. Students come first to me. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District for electing me twice to the school board. I have always run a clean, positive, and honorable campaign. I want people to know that the prevailing circumstances throughout my term, I have left no stone unturned in doing the very best I could do to strengthen the quantity and quality of education for all students in the district. People of this valley deserve no less. No doubt the board has to make many difficult decisions, but we made them based on data and information available, and in the most deliberative, fair, and compassionate manner possible with a clear focus on meeting the best educational interests of all students at the classroom level. My conscience is clear.

I am particularly proud of our accomplishments in the following areas: stronger academic foundation for all students; highest SAT scores and lower dropout rate; county, state, and nationally recognized schools; among the very lowest administrator-to-teacher ratio of 28 school districts in Orange County responsible resolution of teacher and staff contracts; tough gang prevention, alcohol abuse programs; curriculum articulation among schools, colleges, and universities; enhancement of student learning values, such as, honesty, integrity, responsibility, respect, and patriotism; acquisition of $90 million locally for construction of new schools; greater partnerships among schools, community and businesses; and prudent use of education tax dollars.

These accomplishments occurred as a consequence of cooperation and teamwork among students, parents, teachers, administrators, support staff and board members.

I talked with Marcia Birch, Debbie Hughes and Frank Ury on November 4 and congratulated them on their election to the school board. I offered them to feel free to call upon me if there was any way I could assist them.

My wife and I have two children, ages 6 and 4. I will return to spending more time with them and the family. I certainly thank and honor them for their understanding and support in my many years of service to students and the community.

I thank you, the public, for bestowing upon me the opportunity to service you, your children and the community. I hope I have done you proud. I will always remain available to serve my fellow human beings whenever called upon.