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Board hears compliance concerns over social‑worker credentials; staff and community urge retention
Summary
District staff told the board several current school social workers lack the California pupil personnel service (PPS) social‑work credential required by education code and CalSAAS reporting. Social workers, parents and teachers urged the board to keep staff in place while administrators and the superintendent seek a compliance‑friendly solution.
District personnel warned the Tehachapi Unified School District board that several employees serving as school social workers appear in CalSAAS and CalPADS reporting as "misassignments" because they do not hold a California Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential in social work.
Chief personnel staff (Dr. Romero) explained the technical issue to the board: California Education Code and Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) rules require specific service credentials for pupil services positions, and the CalSAAS monitoring system flags assignments where a staff member's credential does not match the assigned role. Romero told the board that the district has 60 days to correct flagged misassignments and that remedies include variable‑term waivers, permits, enrollment in credential programs, or reclassification of job descriptions where appropriate.
Social workers and community members said the flagged staff have long provided critical, student‑facing services and urged the district to find a way to retain them. Gary Colby, the school social worker at Jacobson Middle School, described his daily work with students and said administrators had not previously raised credential issues when hiring. Michelle Anderson, a social worker at Golden Hills, said she is a licensed marriage and family therapist with decades of experience and that obtaining a PPS in social work requires a master's degree; Anderson and other speakers asked the board to change job titles or descriptions so the current staff can continue their work.
Public commenters and several trustees said the district should prioritize students' relationships with social workers while the district resolves compliance. Trustee Napier and others asked the superintendent to meet with principals and affected staff to seek options that would preserve services, such as evolving job descriptions, arranging waivers or supporting employees to obtain authorizations. Some trustees expressed frustration that the misassignment issue had been known for years and said the district had a responsibility to have addressed it earlier.
District staff outlined possible remedies discussed with affected employees: assistance enrolling in credentialing programs, pursuing variable‑term waivers that document progress toward a credential, contracting for observation hours where required, or changing job descriptions for future hires. The board did not vote to terminate or remove any social workers; trustees instructed the superintendent to develop a plan in consultation with principals and affected staff and return with recommendations.
The matter remains an administrative compliance issue with potential state reporting consequences if not corrected; the board expressed desire to retain experienced staff while bringing assignments into alignment with state credentialing rules.
