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Staff and parents urge board to investigate alleged retaliation and staffing shortfalls at AMAR Children's Center
Summary
Multiple AMAR staff and CSEA representatives alleged retaliation, understaffing and unsafe supervisory gaps at the AMAR Children's Center and asked the board to hold staffing decisions while the district investigates; supporters asked the board to place a hiring hold and interview staff and supervisors.
Several AMAR Children's Center staff, represented by CSEA, told the board they believe recent staffing decisions reflect retaliation and poor oversight and urged trustees to halt TOSA and supervisor appointments pending investigation.
CSEA executive board member Tilly Carlos described a pattern at the AMAR site that staff said included removing a long-serving supervisor and not selecting a TOSA after a perceived biased interview process. "We believe this is based on retaliation by Abigail and her team of supervisors," she said, and requested the board place a hold on TOSA selections and the new supervisor appointment until staff interviews and a review can take place.
Margaret Caldera read a signed statement from an AMAR staff member who described chronic understaffing: the site reportedly had 15 classrooms at full capacity for roughly 357 children but could not fully enroll classrooms because teacher and CDT positions were vacant. The statement alleges supervisors did not respond promptly to staff requests and that recent hiring and placement decisions left the program understaffed and classrooms closed.
District response and board direction: Staff acknowledged operational challenges and said administrator-level conversations took place; trustees allowed an extended public-comment period and voted to extend two additional minutes for speakers at one point. Union speakers asked the board to investigate and to ensure staff protections against retaliation; the board requested more information from staff and said it would follow up.
Why it matters: AMAR provides early-childhood services that many families rely on; allegations of retaliation and chronic understaffing could affect service continuity, child safety and federal Head Start compliance if substantiated.
What’s next: Staff told the board they would take the concerns under advisement, review hiring and placement procedures at AMAR and return with factual findings and proposed remedies at a future meeting.
