Jose Ibarra now an administrator at the Alisal Union School District

If you've ever been to a meeting of the Alisal Union School District -- or any other local board that's dealing with controversy -- you've probably seen Jose Ibarra. A self-assured, purposeful man, he has a knack for fiery oratory and grand pronouncements. He was one of the driving forces behind the firing of former Alisal Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas, the resignation of at least two board members, and after Hartnell Trustee Elia Gonzales Castro publicly called another elected official a bully, Ibarra and his army showed up in force at a Hartnell board meeting to call on Gonzales Castro and let her know his organization, the May First Alliance, was watching.

Ibarra has always struck me as someone who's deeply committed to a cause, and very strong on his convictions. Imagine my surprise when I saw him last week at the board meeting of the Alisal, when it was announced he's been hired as an administrator for the education services department, and speak to the board almost deferentially. To be sure, he told them he was going to still call on them whenever he felt appropriate, but that was not the tone he was employing with his new, ahem, well, employer.

There was no fiery rhetoric, no threats. Only kind -- submissive?-- words.

Maybe he has to be nice to his little sister, Trustee Meredith Ibarra?

This is what I find fascinating: Meredith Ibarra was able to get elected to the Alisal board by crying foul on her predecessor's alleged nepotism -- her predecessor's nephew had a small contract with the district. Now Ibarra is employing her own brother. OK, maybe she didn't have a hand on his employment -- Jose Ibarra has worked for the district before, but not as an administrator. It sure looks suspicious, though.

If we couple Jose Ibarra's hiring with the treatment some employees are facing for speaking out to the community -- namely, retaliation -- many say it's not taking long for the "new" board to behave like they accused the "old" board of doing.

Maybe this revolution has already become a bureaucracy. We'll see.