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Teachers and parents urge Bandon SD 54 board to review superintendent after wave of resignations
Summary
At the Sept. 29 Bandon SD 54 board meeting, teachers, union representatives and parents delivered public comments alleging a pattern of retaliatory personnel decisions, high turnover and communication failures under the superintendent and called for an independent review; the board did not take formal action at the meeting.
At a Bandon SD 54 board meeting on Sept. 29, teachers, a union representative and several parents pressed the board for an independent review of the district superintendent’s leadership, citing frequent staff resignations and instructional disruptions.
A representative of the Bandon Education Association read a dated letter saying the superintendent (named in the reading as “Sean Schmear”) has created a "toxic, divisive and demoralizing" work environment, alleged targeted retaliation of staff involved in union negotiations, and called for a comprehensive evaluation and board training. "The severity and breadth of these concerns result in a clear loss of confidence by the Bandon Education Association," the letter said, according to the reading presented to the board.
Stephanie Holman, a kindergarten teacher at Ocean Crest, told the board she has seen staff demoralization and alleged involuntary transfers used as intimidation. Holman said the pattern of transfers and staffing decisions "has eroded trust" and urged the board to take "immediate and decisive action to address this leadership failure." Jennifer Shipp, a middle-school math teacher whose letter was read by a colleague, said a schedule change eliminated an eighth-grade math class and called skipping eighth-grade math "educationally unsound," saying the change was made without teacher input.
Several parents described how resignations have affected their children: one parent said her son lost his dedicated math teacher when that teacher resigned after an involuntary transfer, and another parent said their middle-school daughter has lost three teachers this school year. "We're losing qualified teachers," one parent said, adding that students are being pushed into online classes because positions are unfilled.
Not all speakers criticized the superintendent. A longtime Booster Club leader (identified only as Susan) described the superintendent's active participation with the Booster Club and praised her attendance at events, saying that leadership involvement "has made our Booster Club stronger." Community member Barry Winters cautioned the board about the financial and practical costs of firing leadership and emphasized principals’ supervisory roles, saying it is "surprising" to make the superintendent the sole target for every complaint.
The board did not vote on personnel matters during the meeting. The chair reminded speakers that written submissions can be emailed to the district clerk for the public record. The meeting record shows robust public comment but no formal board action on the allegations that evening.
What happens next: callers and letter-writers urged the board to commission an independent review of staffing decisions, financial practices and personnel procedures; the board closed the meeting without announcing any further steps.
