Parents, community groups and staff press board for broader engagement in superintendent search and raise staffing concerns

Multiple parents, organizers and employee representatives used the Jan. 29 public‑comment period to press the board on two related topics: broadening participation in the district's superintendent search and addressing staffing and compensation needs.

Representatives of community groups and parent organizers said the superintendent search process has not meaningfully included parents and families. Alma Laredo, a parent organizer with Building Healthy Communities (BHC) and Padres Unidos, told the board, "The search for the new superintendent has seen has been a process that is not reflecting till today authentic involvement of parents and community. Our group was here asking that the board a process that included more participation, community and parent, participation." Susana Barrios of BHC urged the board to "reassess a timeline/projector for the superintendent search and explore other alternatives to parents to be able to provide input," and called a survey that ran for a week and limited responses "not equitable."

Several parents pressed for more bilingual instruction, better communication between schools and families, and increased interpreter services for indigenous languages. Norva Villalobos and Theodora Reyes, both speaking as parents and with Padres Unidos, requested that the next superintendent prioritize counselors and psychologists and improve access for parents inside schools. Maria Carmen Parra and Blanca Miranda asked that parent forums be scheduled at times (for example, 6 p.m.) to allow working parents to participate.

Employee and labor representatives also raised process and staffing concerns. Jaime (representing the teachers association) and a California School Employees Association (CSEA) representative both told the board the search process must include ATA, CSEA and parents, and criticized short response windows and survey character limits. The association comments urged a transparent, inclusive process that offers forums in Spanish and English and provides access for families who have trouble with online surveys.

On staffing and compensation, paraeducator Gladys Gomez urged a pay increase for paraeducators, saying the district is losing experienced staff to higher pay in neighboring districts: "A raise in our pay would not only demonstrate that our contributions are valued, but it would also help ensure that we remain competitive with other districts." Parent Gabriela Jimenez raised a separate staffing complaint about teacher turnover at Virginia Rocca Barden, saying her child has had multiple teachers and asking the board to prioritize filling classroom vacancies rather than leaving teachers on special projects while classrooms remain without permanent instructors.

Board and staff response: Board members took public comment and did not adopt changes to the selection timeline at the meeting; staff said they had no recommended changes to present at that time. Several associations offered to help run in‑person community forums and asked the board to meet with community organizations to expand outreach.

Why this matters: The superintendent is the district's chief executive; parents and employee groups argued that meaningful community input and accessible engagement are necessary so the board hires a leader aligned with local community needs. The staffing requests (paraeducator pay, interviews about teacher assignments) relate to classroom stability and service continuity.