Suicide suspected after missing teacher's body found in the Angeles National Forest

By Brian Day on September 26, 2010 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) |

From staff and wire reports:

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.

8 Comments

Anonymous said:

I hope his family sues the irresponsible LA Times for creating such a flawed database that doesn't reflect the true effects of truly effective teachers and would put additional stress on a position that comes with its own set of pressures.

September 26, 2010 8:48 PM

Alma said:

This is so tragic; it's a tragedy! This teacher was hung out to be humiliated, to be destroyed by the Los Angeles Times' article. The circumstantial evidence about this teacher's ability to teach was publicly displayed for the world to see. How many people would like a bad evaluation publicly published about them without even the chance to counter the attack? Now we have a dead teacher because someone decided to be judge and jury over this person's qualifications for this career. America is destroying itself; we are headed for destruction from within, because teachers have become the sole problem with public education. What will the future be like without dedicated teachers to teach the next generation? The future looks very bad for us. If this nation doesn't change and start focusing on some real solutions, you will find fewer and fewer people will want to go into the field of education. It's already a thankless job, and a toxic environment to work in because of the daily finger pointing at teachers/public schools. Teachers work many more hours than they get paid for in preparation for their classes, and for students that are not held accountable for the results they produce. Did the Times post the names of the students that took the test? I truly doubt it because they would be hit with so many law suits and complaints of invasion of the student's privacy and student's rights, but it was perfectly fine to crucify this teacher! I say NO! The Los Angeles Times was wrong, and so is society! As you point one finger at teachers, remember you have three pointing back at you holding you accountable for this teacher's death! May God have mercy on this destructive society and save us from us. arh

September 26, 2010 9:32 PM

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