UPDATE, JAN. 9, 10:22 A.M.: Annie Brown, public information officer with the Irvine Unified School District, provided some context this morning for the banner that flew through Irvine skies yesterday.
“The banner is related to an isolated personnel matter involving one staff member,” Brown writes in an email to the Weekly. “The issue with the staff member was handled prior to the winter break. Because this is a personnel matter, the District is unable to provide further details.
“However, I can inform you that this is not related to any larger issue on campus and that the banner tactic and message is not supported by Uni teachers or staff. Principal Astor is well-respected and has the support of Uni teachers, students and families.”
ORIGINAL POST, JAN. 9, 6:26 A.M.: What heights will a foe or foes of Kevin Astor go to display their displeasure with the principal of University High School in Irvine?
Thousands of feet, obviously.
That was apparent Monday when a plane towing a banner reading “Fire Principal Astor! Fails to Support Uni Teachers” flew over the campus on Tuesday.
The sky message was preceded by yard signs with pretty much the same message going up over the winter holiday break within the campus’ Irvine Unified School District boundaries.
(IUSD)
The Weekly could find no clue as to what the beef with Astor concerns. There was no explanation with the Instagram photo above, and we located nothing on other social media platforms.
He has generally received positive reviews from parents and students, according to teacher rating sites and past school news coverage.
We reached out to Astor for comment but have not heard back yet.
If you know more than we do, please share in our comments section.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.
Also, it was timed to show at lunch so every student and teacher would see it.
The banner was funded by the father of the 23-year old teacher who was let go because he apparently thought Whiplash was a training video of how to run a music program. This would-be JK Simmons was subbing in for a beloved, long-time teacher and was abusive to the students. Parents documented the situation and Astor eventually did what he needed to do.
His helicopter-parent father stepped in, and before the flying banner stunt, had littered the streets around campus with election-style “yard signs” just before the December break.
The next escalation will surely be entertaining. Astor should check his car for baggies marked “Drugs.”
Oh, wait, that form of revenge has been tried already by an Irvine parent.
Apparently they are making a movie about that, the whole drug planting thing.
I understand Julia Roberts is attached.
The orchestra teacher was fired for giving a bunch of seniors who were disrupting the class Fs.
Mr. Astor does not support the high school student of beautiful irvine in high school. The Chinese Parent Association promoted their proposal to dismiss him. Mr. Astor does not belong to the Chinese community at high school in irvine.
shut yo ching chong ding dong up
THIS IS A BRUH MOMENT
winslow did nothing wrong. he tried his best and the only reason he got fired is because people with influential parents started crying because they got bad grades in the class (only thing that matters to them btw) and had to send that in to their college EA, so they cried “child abuse” and backed this claim with “petty complaints” (astor-2018) to get him fired. cant blame the seniors though, it is university high after all.
Hi
Winslow was double pumped, hit with the golden scar and couldn’t drink the chug jug, allowing us to obtain the EPIC VICTORY ROYALE.
the FUCK YOU SAY TO ME YOU LITTLE SHIT
Epic victory royale obtained.