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John O'Connell staff and students urge board to rescind wellness coordinator layoff
Summary
At the May 25 SFUSD board meeting, wellness coordinator Christine Lee and more than a dozen colleagues, students and parents urged the board to rescind her layoff notice, citing long service, program disruption, and disputed seniority calculations; district staff said an administrative-law-judge's ruling upheld the seniority assignment.
Christine Lee, the wellness program coordinator at John O—Connell High School, told the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education on May 25 that she received a final layoff notice effective June 30 after the district counted her certificated seniority from November 2008 despite nearly eight years of service in the role.
"I have given my all to building this wonderful school and serving students for nine years," Lee said, describing a classification and seniority dispute she and colleagues say stems from long delays in processing a change from the classified to certificated salary schedule. She told the board she held a people personnel services credential since 2005 and had repeatedly attempted to change classifications prior to November 2008.
Myra Quadros, John O—Connell—s assistant principal, told the board Lee—s institutional knowledge and community connections are "priceless," citing her role overseeing counseling, school safety, literacy grants and community partnerships. "We cannot afford to lose our talented and valuable staff," Quadros said.
More than a dozen teachers, nurses, students and community members also spoke for Lee, describing her as the heart of the school—s wellness center and warning that program disruption would harm a high-needs student population. Students and staff recounted the wellness center—s role in crisis intervention, counseling referrals and day-to-day supports that allow instruction to continue.
Union and school staff members framed the case as an administrative misclassification and a failure of HR processes. Several speakers said the wellness initiative is funded for 2010—2011 and that the positions themselves are not being eliminated.
District counsel and staff declined to reverse an individual personnel decision in public session but provided background on legal constraints. A district representative noted that the Education Code limits criteria used in certificated layoffs and said that an administrative law judge—s decision, which the board had adopted, found the seniority assignment for Ms. Lee to be proper. "Her matter was heard, and the administrative law judge's opinion controls and determined that the manner in which she was assigned her seniority date was proper," a district staff member said.
The board did not take immediate public action on the individual personnel matter during the meeting; personnel actions generally are constrained by education law and board policy. Supporters asked for the board—s assistance in seeking classification changes that would prevent similar cases in the future and in exploring whether the layoff could be rescinded through administrative remedies or future negotiations.
Next steps noted at the meeting: the superintendent—s office said it would provide additional briefing materials for board members the following day and that further conversation on the topic would continue in closed or appropriate administrative channels.
