Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Alameda Unified School District board recall, Alameda County, California, 2010
| Alameda Unified School District School Board recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Niel Tam Ron Mooney |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2010 Recalls in California California recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall three members of the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) school board in California was launched in August 2009. The recall effort was ended by its supporters in December 2009.[1][2]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was led by a group called S.E.R.V.E. Alameda. It was directed against three of the five school board members: Tracy Jensen, Niel Tam, and Ron Mooney.[3] The group reported in December 2009, "We have teams currently working hard towards getting the necessary signatures to qualify for the ballot."[4]
The reason given for launching the recall effort was an anti-bullying curriculum that Jensen, Tam, and Mooney voted to adopt. The curriculum included nine lesson plans. One of the lesson plans, Lesson 9, focused on anti-gay bullying. Those who supported the recall effort said they were upset that none of the lesson plans focused on race, ethnicity, gender, disability, nationality, or religion.[5]
Anti-bullying recommendations offered by district Superintendent Kirsten Vital in December 2009 included the recommendation to "Teach Lesson 9 as adopted by the Board of Education until we adopt literature lists for all six protected classes."[6][7]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort, Jensen said, "Sixty-two percent of Alameda teachers asked the school board to give them curriculum to teach students to respect others...The school board voted to make schools safer by adopting an anti-bullying curriculum that was approved by the California Department of Education.."[8]
In response to the recall effort, Tam said, "As a member of the Alameda Unified School District school board, it is my responsibility to think about the good of our children, teachers and parents. Providing a safe inclusive school environment is a top priority."[8]
In response to the recall effort, Mooney said, "Simply put, proponents of the recall have their facts wrong...Based on feedback I received, my vote represents the will of the majority of our families and residents — not the opinion of a small, vocal group." Mooney also said that his vote made "sure our schools are inclusive and safe for all children and families. I voted to support our teachers and administration, and to provide the tools they need to educate our youth."[8]
Opponents of the recall organized into a group called "No on Alameda Recall Campaign."[9]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
A total of 8,447 signatures, or 20% of Alameda voters, would have to have been collected per board member by December 12, 2009, in order for recall organizers to force recall elections.[8] A special recall election would have cost approximately $500,000.[10]
Background
Lesson 9 lawsuit
Some parents who objected to the Lesson 9 curriculum went to court to withdraw their children from the classes. In order for that to happen, the anti-bullying lesson plan would have had to have been defined as health education. In California, parents are allowed to withdraw their children from health education classes if their religious beliefs conflict with the content of a particular health education lesson plan. On November 25, 2009, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch issued a temporary ruling in which he said that Lesson 9 could not reasonably be construed as health education. This meant that parents could not withdraw their children from classes that taught this material.[11]
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Website of the Alameda Unified School District
- Alameda County Official Website
Footnotes
- ↑ San Francisco Chronicle, "S.E.R.V.E. ends recall effort," December 29, 2009
- ↑ School board recall threatened, August 9, 2009
- ↑ Mercury News, "Three school board trustees face recall," August 13, 2009
- ↑ California Catholic Daily, “Insinuating they are bigots”, December 7, 2009
- ↑ San Francisco Chronicle, "Total Recall," August 10, 2009
- ↑ San Francisco Chronicle, "New Anti-Bullying Recommendations Include Lesson 9," December 7, 2009
- ↑ Associated Press, "Bay schools phase out gay-friendly curriculum," December 10, 2009
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Alameda Sun, "School Board Recall Moving Forward," August 27, 2009
- ↑ Alameda Sun, "Webster Jam Turns Part Signature-Fest," September 17, 2009
- ↑ Alameda Education Foundation, "THE RECALL Updated September 2009," October 13, 2009 (dead link)
- ↑ Alameda Sun, "Judge's Ruling Favors AUSD on Recall," December 3, 2009
| |||||||||||||
