School Board Discussion

Good governance within a school board includes responsible decision-making, open communication, and accountability to the diverse members of the community. Our new school board members have been in office for 9 months, and at this juncture, TVEA PAC would like to explore whether the TVUSD school board is effectively demonstrating good governance.

Paying attention to the actions of our school board is crucial for our educational community because the decisions they make affect us all. We encourage everyone to attend board meetings and/or watch the meetings on the TVUSD YouTube channel.

ADHERENCE TO THE LAW

EdCode and State Law:

• EdCode is a collection of all the laws directly related to California K-12 public schools. Local school boards and county offices of education are responsible for complying with these provisions. When school boards do not follow the legal frameworks, like EdCode or Curriculum Standards, there can be an impact on the quality of education our students receive.

• A lawsuit has been filed against the TVUSD over Resolution Number 2022-23/21. The Resolution, which was approved by the school board's majority, censors teachers and infringes on students' fundamental right to an education. Read about the lawsuit here. TVEA joined as a plaintiff to protect safe working conditions brought on by the December resolution and lack of elementary social studies textbooks.

• Joseph Komrosky, school board president, has been served with a Cease and Desist letter by the ACLU for stifling First Amendment rights and unlawfully removing people from board meetings. Read the ACLU letter here

• California Attorney General Rob Bonta opened an investigation into whether Temecula Valley's rejection of the social studies curriculum violated a state law that requires government decisions be made without “discriminatory animus.” Read about it here

• The Board of Trustees is being investigated by the CDE for a Uniform Complaint related to the potential removal of material from the recent textbook adoption
  

• The Board of Trustees has been investigated numerous times for Brown Act violations since being elected last November.

DECISION MAKING

Hiring and Firing:

• The abrupt firing of Superintendent Dr. Jodi McClay without clear cause raises questions about the board's decision-making process. Such significant personnel changes in educational leadership should be undertaken judiciously and transparently.

Collaboration/Inclusiveness:

• Banning Critical Race Theory (CRT) at the first board meeting, without engaging students, teachers, parents, or the community in collaborative discussion raises concerns about transparency and inclusiveness. CRT is a college-level curriculum that is not taught in the TVUSD school system.

• Agenda items were approved on first read. While these items were contentious or complicated they were proposed with the limited participation of two board members. The board could take a collaborative approach by seeking feedback from our educational community (students, teachers, parents, community members) and then return to act on the item.

Textbook Adoption:

• TVUSD has a process for adopting new textbooks. The pilot committee that brought the Social Studies curriculum to the school board for adoption followed the established protocols in time to have up-to-date, standards-based learning materials. The prolonged delay in approving K-5 Social Studies textbooks impacted the ability of teachers to begin to teach at the beginning of the school year.

• District Process for textbook adoption can be found here

Board Policies:

• Parents have always been our partners in TVUSD. Parents can view the curriculum, speak to admin/teachers with concerns, and opt out of any instructional material at any time. There are processes in place to accommodate individual needs or parent concerns. Our school board members have not followed established protocols consistently to bring forth new concerns.
• Here is a link to district policies.

• Regulation 1312.2: Complaints Concerning Instructional Materials

• Policy 6161.11: Supplementary Instructional Materials

• Regulation 6161.1: Selection And Evaluation Of Instructional Materials

• Regulation 1312.1: Complaints Concerning District Employees

REPRESENTATION AND BIAS

Impartiality

• Political or religious agendas have no place in nonpartisan school board positions. The IEFamilyPac helped fund the election campaigns of board members Komrosky, Wiersma, and Gonzalez. Funding from sources like IEFamilyPac, which aims to promote specific religious values, raises concerns about the board's impartiality.

Representing All TVUSD students/families:

• The lack of consultation with various stakeholders in important decisions, combined with the promotion of potentially divisive language in board meetings and on social media, indicates a disconnect from the diverse perspectives and needs of the community.

Accountability and Communication:

• Elected school board officials should be accountable to the entire community, not just their supporters or the people who voted for them. Once elected, board members have a responsibility to represent ALL members of our educational community. Reciprocal dialogue with all stakeholders is vital for a well-functioning school district.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. Educators are responsible for following EdCode, why not our board?
   

2. Are decisions made by the trustees driven by sound reasoning that prioritizes the safety and educational growth of students and teachers?

3. Is the board making decisions in the best interest of students, or are personal ideologies taking precedence?

4. Is the school board actively seeking and listening to input from ALL stakeholders (Students, Educators, Administration, Parents and Community Members) to ensure fair and inclusive governance?

5. Have our school board members taken the time to review the board policies and administrative regulations that already exist in TVUSD before creating redundant or contradictory policies?

Open dialogue is important among TVEA members. Good governance is our goal. Please use these questions to spark conversations with your colleagues and contact TVEAPac@gmail.com with your questions and/or concerns.

This Friday look for our next topic:
Do you trust the TVUSD Board Members to keep TVUSD solvent?