Pajaro Valley Unified board unanimously approves student-teacher agreement after public debate over prior denial

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of understanding that will allow student teachers from Emmaus University to complete field studies, practica and student-teaching placements in the district.

The motion, made by Trustee Dodge and approved by the board, passed 6-0. Interim Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Angelica Renteria described the agreement as allowing students enrolled in the teaching education program “to receive a variety of clinical experiences, including but not limited to field studies, practica, and student teaching experiences.” The district’s superintendent, Dr. Heather Contreras, introduced the item to the board.

Members of the public urged approval and criticized the board’s handling of a prior application. Misty Jordan, a parent, said she was “incredibly concerned about the lack of education regarding our district’s MOUs with colleges and universities across the country,” expressed concern about what she described as religious discrimination at the earlier meeting, and asked how many MOUs the district holds with private, public and religious institutions; the transcript did not specify the total number of MOUs. Gil Stein of Aptos supported the agreement and accused Trustee Medina of making “disparaging comments regarding Christianity” at the earlier meeting; Stein urged the trustee’s resignation.

Trustee Dr. Navarro directly apologized to the applicant, saying, “my deepest apologies to you, Caitlin, for what happened,” and noted state Education Code prohibits indoctrination and that disciplinary mechanisms exist. Trustee Charley also apologized, saying the board had “failed you,” and described being emotionally affected by the prior meeting. Trustee Medina said limited information at the earlier meeting made him cautious but that he listened to community feedback and teacher input and welcomed the applicant.

Brandon Denice, negotiations chair for the PVFT, described how difficult it can be to become a teacher — including multi-step credentialing and roughly 600 hours of student teaching — and urged the board to support pathways that make it possible to recruit and retain teachers. Pastor Micah Williams and physician Caleb Trent also urged the board to prioritize students and approve the agreement.

The record shows some inconsistency in the university’s name in the transcript: the HR presentation used the name that transcribed as “Amazigh University,” while multiple public commenters and others referred to “Emmaus University.” The district did not provide a count of existing MOUs with private or faith-based institutions during the discussion; the board president said staff would follow up on that question.

The board’s approval returns the MOU to effect so student teachers from the named institution can pursue clinical experiences in the district. The board adjourned at 9:01 a.m.