Teachers, students and parents urge reinstatement of principals and criticize administrative churn

Public comment at the Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education's May 14 meeting focused heavily on demands to reinstate school leaders and on frustration about frequent administrative changes at several campuses.

Speakers and key demands - Tyson Resler, science department chair at Maria Carrillo High School, thanked the board for action to remove a prior superintendent and urged the board to reinstate principal Amy Weese at Maria Carrillo. "Thank you for not just hearing, but listening to the needs of our community and taking action," Resler said. - Rachel Gunter, a teacher and parent, said it had been "62 days since the student led walkout in support of principal Weese's reinstatement," and that students, staff and families had repeatedly contacted the board. "As a parent, I can't stress enough how unsettling and worrisome it has been waiting for 2 months for this decision to be made," she said. - Monet Bell, a long-time district employee, also urged reinstatements at multiple sites and asked the board to "please, please, please add her back onto Montgomery High School" referring to Mercedes Thompson.

Broader staff concerns Other speakers used the public-comment period and later agenda comments to describe the effects of frequent principal turnover. Micah Carlin Goldberg, a sixth-grade teacher at Steele Lane Elementary, said his site had four principals this school year and that turnover was "destroying school communities." He praised Michael Jablonski, who is serving as Steele Lane administrator, as "easily one of the best administrators I've ever had." Donna Gibson, speaking on special-education staffing, criticized the district's use of outside agencies and said the district was paying agency staff far more than in-house classified staff.

Why it matters Multiple speakers described sustained community activism (walkouts, petitions, repeated board appearances) demanding the same personnel decision. Board members acknowledged the concern and said they have received numerous emails and calls. Acting Superintendent Lisa August said she is meeting with affected administrators and site teams and committed to more transparent communications.

Next steps Board members did not take specific public-action votes tied to the protests during the public-comment period; however the district reported multiple administrative reassignments and decisions earlier and during the closed session portion of the meeting. The personnel matters raised by commenters remain subject to board policy and personnel procedures.