Palo Verde Union Elementary School District recall, California (2018)
| Palo Verde Union Elementary School District recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Lorraine Cleek Natalie Coelho Mark Trigueiro |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2018 Recalls in California California recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall four of the five members of the Palo Verde Union Elementary School District board of trustees in California did not go to a vote in 2018. Recall supporters sought to remove board members Gloria Hauff, Lorraine Cleek, Natalie Coelho, and Mark Trigueiro, but they did not submit paperwork to move the recall forward by a March 2018 deadline.[1]
The recall effort began after the board voted to not extend the contract of the district's principal/superintendent Ernie Flores, who was put on administrative leave in February 2018. Flores had been serving his second year in the position. The board said they could not comment on their vote because it was a personnel issue. The board's fifth member, Chris De Azevedo, was not targeted for recall. He was appointed to his position in January 2018.[1][2]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was started by community members who did not agree with the board's decision to not renew Flores' contract. At a school board meeting on March 14, 2018, some parents and community voiced concern for how Flores' contract was handled. Some parents urged the board members to reconsider their vote and voiced support for Flores. Those in support of Flores said he had made positive changes to the district, made them feel comfortable, and made their kids excited to go to school.[2]
Some parents also alleged that Flores had been dismissed because the board received a letter complaining that he spoke to students in Spanish. Ruben Macareno, a 2018 candidate for the District 14 seat of the California State Senate, said he did not approve of the board's decision to not renew Flores' contract and published the following statement in March 2018:[3]
| “ | I will use my platform to stand against a school board that gives any kind of weight to a letter about speaking Spanish over the performance and qualifications of their superintendent, particularly one that is well-liked and respected by the community,” Macareno stated. “This public display for the disregard of a large number of stakeholders — in this case 90 percent — who identify Spanish as their first or second language sets a bad precedent.[4] | ” |
| —Ruben Macareno (2018)[3] | ||
Recall opponents
Hauff denied the allegation that the board had not renewed Flores' contract due to the letter that complained that he spoke Spanish to students. "Rather we viewed his bilingual capacity as beneficial in our school community," Hauff said in a statement.[2]
In response to the recall effort, Hauff said, "The board has carefully managed the school's money and it is in excellent financial standing," She also said, "During my time of service, we've built the multipurpose room, junior high wing, computer lab, expanded our outdoors, including garden, improved sports, brought back band and expanded music to all grades, purchased tablets and computers for students, built a new well for safe drinking water, [and] established Choices for after-school enrichment."[1]
Cleek responded to the effort by saying, "Palo Verde is in good hands, we are not strangers here, you need to trust this board that truly cares, and remember their life has been part of this school and still is."[1]
At a school board meeting on March 14, 2018, some teachers voiced support for the board's decision. Some teachers said that Flores had not followed proper hiring procedures and had canceled programs without input from the board.[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
Hauff, Cleek, and Coelho filed their responses to the recall efforts against them by March 21, 2018. Recall supporters had 10 days to file replies to those responses, but they did not meet the deadline. Recall supporters would have had to collect 187 petition signatures from registered voters in the school district to get the recall on the ballot.[1]
See also
- Palo Verde Union Elementary School District, California
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2018
- School board recalls
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Palo Verde Union Elementary School District
- Tulare County Registrar of Voters
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Visalia Times Delta, "Recall effort ends for Palo Verde board members," May 21, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Visalia Times Delta, "Palo Verde parents, teachers battle over principal," March 15, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Visalia Times Delta, "Palo Verde school board recall moves forward," March 13, 2018
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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