Leach previously served as interim superintendent after former superintendent Mary Streshly left amid calls for her resignation in fall 2020. The Sequoia Union High School District has appointed Associate Superintendent Crystal Leach once again to step in as acting superintendent until the district finds a permanent replacement. All rights reserved. You uphold white supremacy. If she did, then there is a much bigger problem with the district than the former superintendent. Sign up for the Peninsula Foodist newsletter. It also precludes Williams from taking any legal action against the district and states explicitly that the resignation is a voluntary act, and that there was no coercion by the district. Per the contract, Williams employment ends on Dec. 31. Once they have been expelled and charged for breaking the law (actually multiple laws) then they can be evaluated and determined if they have issues that need to be addressed and possibly mitigating. Courtesy Sequoia Union High School District. You denigrate and destroy Black and brown bodies in the same way your ancestors did the same. Another shooting in the midwest happened where a student was bullied for over a year, reported the bullying, nothing was done, and he brought a gun to school and shot several people. One speaker called the boards actions unethical and illegal, while another described the decision as a rolling back in history.Samantha Rodriguez-Velasquez, a student trustee, described feeling heartbroken.(Dr. Williams) absence today and for the rest of this year will continually break my heart, she said. I suggest you provide your philosophical discovery tools to the events which took place at Uvalde or Columbine. Privacy Policy Bail unchanged for man charged in Sequoia Samuels death Though the board will take no official action until its next regular meeting on Jan. 18, Leach has assumed superintendent duties. Community Calendar If that is not what happened in this case, then I am at an absolute loss as to what prompted the firing. This district is well-known for its struggles retaining staff of color, including Black staff who are women. Express / Weekend Express If letting a gun toting scofflaw skate is part of a larger agenda, can someone please be courageous enough to state unequivocally the larger perceived agenda of the former superintendent? This is such a simple case. We also heard from multiple staff on the inside who spoke up and said the board wanted to get rid of Dr. Williams from the minute she stepped foot into the role. I was part of a panel that interviewed her before her retirement. Williams could not be reached for comment before the Wednesday night meeting. Copyright "There is a time for philosophy, and a time for action." I validated good points and found points of agreement. Was she able to hide her intentions from the board that hired her? Sequoia Union High District California Districts California High Schools Education Home 5 high schools Sort by: I'm looking for Private Schools Public K-8 Schools Public High Schools. I refused to attend the trip because I knew that I would be assigned to keep an eye on the young man since I had a good rapport with him. "There are kids who bring guns to school because they fear for their lives going back and forth to school. The distraction of an expulsion proceeding? They are also set up for failure in life if they are uncomfortable in diverse spaces. At this point in my career, I refuse to take the risk. It is ok to disagree. District Website SHS Website Contact Us Phone: (503) 874-1579 Alternate Phone: (503) 949-4236 Spanish Help Line: (971)707-0302 Hours of Operation Monday- Friday: 7:30AM - 4:00 PM Sat- Sun: CLOSED CLOSED all of July Returning Monday August 7th News & Info What is Sequioa? Many questioned the boards assertion that the decision was a mutual agreement, alleging that the trustees had forced out the districts first Black female superintendent. East Palo Alto parent Jedd Bloom, who said his children will eventually attend high school in the district, called the school boards actions racist and violent., Of course you're racist, but you are violence, you are people of violence, he told the board on Monday night. The district has a history of low retention of staff of color, and has also engaged in well-known actions to push out staff of color. Sequoia High School 's controversial 76-year-old Cherokee mascot is now one for the history books. Traumatized people are not stable. That can make for a pretty contentious discussion. Sequoia High School - HOME We thank Superintendent Williams for her grace, devotion and leadership during this unprecedented time. It is based on guilt or denial. Salvatore echoed concerns shared by other district teachers, students and staff, who described a loss of trust in the board due to its decision to let Williams go. Home Step one is the physical safety of all students, teachers, and staff. "Now, if we just move to expel kids left and right to appease some rich privileged people in the suburbs who dont have to deal with the realities of gun violence, we have created a situation where guns will still come to school, but kids will just be smarter about hiding it. " Bingo. Some were emotional, yes, but that doesnt make their concerns any less valid either. Two former board members spoke out against their conduct as well. Get the latest local news and information sent straight to your inbox. Classic law school case is the family who does not fence their swimming pool or have restricted access to the pool area. People who think that everyone in this world just going to do what they are supposed to do, especially those that have their own agendas, are just naive and wrong. ReginaR, you are correct, this has nothing to do with race and everything to do with school safety. But immediate expulsion is required. All rights reserved. We need questions answered about why Williams resigned, not hysteria. Dear Concerned Parent, Darnise Williams, the Sequoia Union High School District superintendent who resigned her post in late 2022, accepted a job as superintendent of the Pacifica School District starting on July 1. Code and the rest of the district leadership played along. Bail unchanged for man charged in Sequoia Samuels death - Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian Don't miss out on the discussion! This is just another in a long line of reasons this garbage keeps happening." The safety of the students and staff is critical and urgent. Williams could not be reached for comment.The announcement of Williams apparent resignation came during the Dec. 14 meeting, after a chaotic week of closed session meetings and rumors about a possible ousting of the superintendent. Blooms hyperbole is unnecessary. Members of the public on Wednesday, Dec. 14, gave impassioned and tearful speeches in response to the announcement Superintendent Darnise Williams would be departing from the Sequoia Union High School District.Speakers accused the Board of Trustees of anti-Blackness, a lack of transparency and upholding white supremacy, in a public condemnation that lasted nearly an hour. ReginaR, I'm pretty sure the football game was played on Menlo Atherton's field. Taxpayers beware. If you are curious you can always talk to the school or police department and get your facts right before assuming. Did she resign or was she terminated? Regardless of the consequences to the kid that brings a gun to campus, having to face parents who lost their children because they were killed by a shooting on campus is infinitely worse. All rights reserved. Girl Scouts and Woodside still at odds over busing hundreds of children to summer camp at Huddart Park, Woodside grants an exception for Girl Scouts to bus children to summer camp, but Scout leaders are still fighting to change the law, See photos showing progress of Highway 84 reconstruction project in Woodside, Palo Alto man arrested for attempted murder with lighter fluid, knife, Obituaries: Local residents who have died recently. The young man came from a very well to do Caucasian family and speculation was that the superintendent feared a potential lawsuit. Darnise Williams resigned Tuesday as superintendent of the Sequoia Union High School District, though it wasn't clear whether she jumped or was pushed by the school board to quit her $274,191-a-year job. "to not expel students because that is what actually creates an unsafe situation and grudges where students come back and retaliate. " Not a racial issue, it would be an issue of bad decision leading to the risk of students. All rights reserved. That is a punishment that helps after the fact but will not prevent guns from being at school in every situation. Not every kid who is bringing a gun to school is doing it to shoot up the school. You can believe whatever youd like to. If that is actually what happened, and I really have no way of knowing, then replacing the superintendent seems like the best way to ensure the future safety of the students. Though their election followed the regular rotation of officers, not everyone agreed with the decision. The Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees has selected Darnise R. Williams to serve as the district's new superintendent, the district announced Tuesday. You are stating that expulsion appeases "rich privileged people"? I am taken aback by the amount of highly educated//sociologically uninformed people in my community. Sequoia High School in Redwood City, CA - US News Best High Schools "its more problematic to simply assume that our POC students are incapable of surviving in an honors class and need it to be removed." My political leanings are to the left. Therefore and in summary, because the superintendent signed the contract, her resignation is a "voluntary act" per the contractual agreement she signed with her own hand. Sequoia Union High School District officials will be asking voters to back a new $591.5 million bond measure this November meant to support a number of upgrades across its campuses. Maybe it is about guns, but most of us have been waiting to see how dramatically the new board would change course on some of these programs and that makes the timing of this firing either very telling or very unlucky. Sathvik Nori, 19, and Amy Koo joined the board in a rushed swearing-in before the Dec. 9 closed session meeting, after which trustees announced that they had hired new counsel, Eugene Whitlock, for an amount not to exceed $30,000. after she was contacted by a Principal requesting permanent expulsion of a dangerous student, and she then denied that request, and that student went on to bring a loaded firearm onto campus. It is a move that creates an illusion and gives an excuse to get rid of her, but solves absolutely nothing and actually sets us back quite a lot. If the superintendent did something wrong, it should have been communicated to everyone properly. Its grief. In the darkDistrict employees and community members expressed feeling blindsided by the decision to remove Williams from her position.Former trustee Chris Thomsen said that Williams departure was absolutely news to him.Until the Friday before we departed, I was not aware of any problems, he said. Promotions, About Us "initiatives that many see as benefiting our students of color. JT made a great point about intent. When the initial expulsion request was made, the student in question had not yet brought the firearm on to campus. However, nothing else Ive seen or heard makes the same amount of sense as the scenario I have put forward. Ask those non-rich, non-privileged people if it is OK to expel a student who carried a gun to school. If the school does NOT expel a student who brings a firearm, and that student subsequently were to return to campus and use a firearm, the District could be liable for not expelling the student. It includes actions by the board that make no sense, go against norms, include secrecy, and also attitudes from two board members that they wanted to get rid of Dr. Williams before she even had a fair shot at the job. "I would want the student expelled, regardless of the student's race or relative equity. Probationary - Woodside High School (4 openings) - Salary.com "I suggest you provide your philosophical discovery tools to the events which took place at Uvalde or Columbine." Really? However, she said that she personally supported the appointment.Based on her impressive performance as interim before and the confidence I have that she has every intent to continue to support the anti-racist and student-centered efforts started by our members that were championed by Dr. Williams, I think its a good selection, she said. Students have the opportunity to take International. 3 All are valid. Members of the public on Wednesday, Dec. 14, gave impassioned and tearful speeches in response to the announcement Superintendent Darnise Williams would be departing from the Sequoia Union High School District. Superintendent remains, new legal counsel for Sequoia Union High School My sources are legit. The race-related rhetoric here sounds wackier than it should because the article is leaving out that these secret meetings are the very first actions of a newly elected board where the two new members campaigned against initiatives that many see as benefiting our students of color. Im hurt, Im sad, Im grieving, Stevenson said at the end of the meeting in a call for racial healing within the board. Even though I worked with them for a long time, I dont know if they truly know me.. Many are speaking from a long history and experience with racism in the community, and seeing their concerns dismissed for decades. Sequoya High School / About Sequoya High School - esboces.org [Post removed due to unverified speculation]. If there was an investigation, it was never acknowledged publicly.. I am not debating or arguing that point. I am not excusing the superintendent, but, as I stated before, she did not act in a vacuum. As a result, we will move further away from the approaches we need to take to really get to the bottom of this gun issue and many others. Special Pubs Palo Alto Online The RWC Pulse will be your new source of vital news and information. Eastern District of California | Southern California Woman Sentenced to I am firmly in the Zero Tolerance camp on this one. Print Edition/Archives I'm glad you had diverse experiences and I hope you learned something from them. Based on the timing of the firing, along with severity of the Boards actions, along with my inside information, this is what I BELIEVE HAPPENED. They could have kept her in place until we transitioned to a new superintendent which would be the more responsible thing to do in terms of safety. Du Bois said shed like to work on the boards communication and that board members havent been interested in that openness in the past. (b) Upon recommendation by the principal or the superintendent of schools, or by a hearing officer or administrative panel appointed pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 48918, the governing board of a school district may order a pupil expelled upon finding that the decision to expel a pupil for any of those acts shall be based on a finding of one or both of the following: How that makes any sense is beyond me and I am proud to have voted for someone who is a person of color and ran against this harmful ideology. The student is expelled as a result. It is a statement made by the Concerned Parent, and it is also part of the Education Code: the principal or the superintendent of schools shall recommend the expulsion of a pupil for any of the following acts committed at school or at a school activity off school grounds, unless the principal or superintendent determines that expulsion should not be recommended under the circumstances or that an alternative means of correction would address the conduct. District Wellness in the News; Vaping/E-Cigarettes; SCHOOLS. Regina, we do not know why the superintendent was fired. They are consequences that can be dealt to students after the fact, if we are lucky. Sequoia Union High School District - Enrollment It is an unwanted extra burden they carry, not something they take pleasure in recognizing. He said he specifically requested that then-President Du Bois bring any issues with Williams to a discussion with the current board.I asked the board president what this was all about. Makes one wonder what else goes on outside of the public eye. Fear is a powerful motivator, and lawsuits have skyrocketed. This makes everyone less safe. How many is many? Furthermore, to respond to "Local Retired Teacher". Remember, no one person is the arbiter or decider of whether or not something has racial connotations or contributes to racial traumas experienced by members of our community. I have never been in school (private in menlo and portola valley) with more than 2 black people. Advertising Info The issue around guns in our community is complex and not always related to wanting to commit school shootings. Sequoia Union High School District 480 James Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94062; 650.369.1411; ABOUT US. A majority of school shootings in America are happening because kids do not care about strict policies and still bring a gun to school. Residents voice strong support for Sequoia district superintendent They also brought up there could be a valid reason. That reporting process falls under the category of : if you see something, say something. RetiredLocalTeacher - Concerned Parent stated Browse All Advertising Info So what agenda was she lying about? MA is not alone in this regard, and if our society views public schools as the frontline defense against societys ills, then the schools are destined to fail. Ronen, Do you disagree with those former board members who have more information than you or I, who would not have voted to fire Dr. Williams and also praised her in their last board meeting with her? News . I find it hard to believe that Ms. Williams acted in a vacuum. Sequoia district selects Darnise R. Williams as superintendent finalist I would want the student expelled, regardless of the student's race or relative equity. The situation is more troubling than it looks, and our kids need better solutions. Punishment for the sake of illusion will not keep kids safe or help kids who possess guns as a result of serious trauma related to gun violence. We all agree on that and want our kids to be safe. I also understand that it did nothing to stop the larger issue. News. Former trustee Chris Thomsen said that Williams departure was absolutely news to him. The lack of a superintendent makes our community less safe. We all know she was pushed out.. Speakers accused the Board of Trustees of anti-Blackness, a lack of transparency and upholding white supremacy, in a public condemnation that lasted nearly an hour. It is so refreshing to finally see people stand against this regressive philosophy. Do their voices matter? Palo Alto Online This is an undefined term meant to sway the reader. Somehow the issue of class or privilege is being introduced into your argument. "Not enforcing the rules or the law because "it might traumatize little Johnny" is total BS. You elevate whiteness in the same way your ancestors elevated whiteness. I understand that racism is a huge problem in our culture. Was she let go because she refused to follow the Ed. However, she clearly took the fall. Become a member today. Photo by Leah Worthington. This is not the time to explore the so called "root issues". It's likely that an anonymous student reported the incident to the school administration. The way to confront an ideology which appears to make no sense (in this case, not expelling the student due to some sort of "root issue" at home) is to respond in numbers. There would not be two former board members who called out the new board's actions if people were making things up out of thin air. The recent meetings explained what actually happened. Help sustain the local news you depend on. "You are stating that expulsion appeases "rich privileged people"?" Dr. Williams was one of the lowest paid superintendents in the region although she was in charge of the biggest, most diverse, and wealthiest schools in the county. Looking for more Redwood City stories? Contact Us This would not be uncommon, candidates lie and obscure all the time. The board did not give any specific reasons for Williams departure.I don't think you understand the level of damage and pain that you have inflicted and the long lasting effects of that, said Pablo Aguilera, a teacher in the district. Data are based . 31411 Rd. 2022 Due to the student's age, most likely yes, as there is still time to redeem the student and allow the student to live a productive life. Student podcasters share the dark realities of middle school in America. During the meeting, speakers accused the trustees of anti-Blackness, a lack of transparency and upholding white supremacy in a public condemnation that lasted nearly an hour. Nothing beats a contract where the truth gets buried. They should be held accountable for that as much as the superintendent was held accountable. How could her performance reviews change so drastically since August?