Rigoberto Ruelas (South Gate Police Department) |
SOUTH GATE -- An elementary teacher who disappeared under mysterious circumstances has been found dead near Big Tujunga Canyon.
The body of Rigoberto Ruelas, a 39-year-old elementary school teacher for Miramonte Elementary School, was found at 9 a.m. Sunday by Sheriff's Search and Rescue off Big Tujunga Road in the Angeles National Forest.
According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, it appears Mr. Ruelas committed suicide.
Ruelas was reported missing by his family on September 22, South Gate Police Department officials said.
Family members said Ruelas told them he had been feeling a lot of pressure work, and was stressed over a recent teacher evaluation printed in the Los Angeles Times.
Officials with the United Teachers Los Angeles union said Ruelas had been upset since August, when the Los Angeles Times published his district ranking as a "less effective" teacher based on his students' standardized English and math test scores.
Ruelas scored "average" in getting his students up to acceptable levels in English, but "less effective" in math, and "less effective" overall.
The school itself ranked as "least effective" in raising test scores, and only five of Miramonte's 35 teachers were ranked as average.
"UTLA is outraged at the Los Angeles Times," said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles in a statement. "We predicted there would be problems."
Duffy said UTLA will be working to, "implore the Times to pull the names of the individual teachers off the website now and to cease and desist from publishing any more in the future. "
In a response, the Times said, "We understand that the sheriff's department is currently investigating Mr. Ruelas death. We extend our sympathy to his family."
Today, Ruellas was remembered by parents and co-workers as a dedicated teacher who cared deeply about his students.
Principal Martin Sandoval said many of Ruelas' former students told him they went to college because of his encouragement that they could do it.
"He came out of this community so he was more here than a teacher," Sandoval said.
"There's no question he affected many lives."
The body of Rigoberto Ruelas, a 39-year-old elementary school teacher for Miramonte Elementary School, was found at 9 a.m. Sunday by Sheriff's Search and Rescue off Big Tujunga Road in the Angeles National Forest.
According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, it appears Mr. Ruelas committed suicide.
Ruelas was reported missing by his family on September 22, South Gate Police Department officials said.
Family members said Ruelas told them he had been feeling a lot of pressure work, and was stressed over a recent teacher evaluation printed in the Los Angeles Times.
Officials with the United Teachers Los Angeles union said Ruelas had been upset since August, when the Los Angeles Times published his district ranking as a "less effective" teacher based on his students' standardized English and math test scores.
Ruelas scored "average" in getting his students up to acceptable levels in English, but "less effective" in math, and "less effective" overall.
The school itself ranked as "least effective" in raising test scores, and only five of Miramonte's 35 teachers were ranked as average.
"UTLA is outraged at the Los Angeles Times," said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles in a statement. "We predicted there would be problems."
Duffy said UTLA will be working to, "implore the Times to pull the names of the individual teachers off the website now and to cease and desist from publishing any more in the future. "
In a response, the Times said, "We understand that the sheriff's department is currently investigating Mr. Ruelas death. We extend our sympathy to his family."
Today, Ruellas was remembered by parents and co-workers as a dedicated teacher who cared deeply about his students.
Principal Martin Sandoval said many of Ruelas' former students told him they went to college because of his encouragement that they could do it.
"He came out of this community so he was more here than a teacher," Sandoval said.
"There's no question he affected many lives."
