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Dozens of Del Sol students urge board to retain teacher Natalie McCormick
Summary
Students from Del Sol High School and other community members filled the dais to plead with the board to keep English teacher Natalie McCormick, describing mentorship, fundraising and advisory work; trustees discussed personnel privacy and the process for handling resignations or rescindment.
More than a dozen students and several community advocates addressed the Oxnard Union High School District board on March 11 to protest the pending personnel action relating to Natalie McCormick, a third‑year English teacher at Del Sol High School.
Students described McCormick as a mentor, adviser to the Class of 2027, organizer of extracurriculars and a teacher who has helped struggling students improve grades and return from alternative placements. Multiple students said they had collected a petition of over 100 signatures and asked trustees to overturn or delay any decision that would remove McCormick before the Class of 2027 graduates.
“I came here to speak in support of Miss McCormick. She’s more than just an English teacher — she leads with kindness, compassion and genuine care for her students,” said Felipe Robles Jr., who identified himself as a Del Sol student. Other students, including Bernabe Romero, Jesus Sanchez and Diego Zavala, described how McCormick supervised clubs, attended sporting events, helped with fundraising and provided one‑on‑one support.
Board members acknowledged the students’ emotional testimony. Superintendent Dr. McCoy and district counsel advised that personnel matters require care with confidentiality and suggested that specific personnel concerns be discussed in closed session where confidential information can be shared appropriately. Trustees debated how to balance transparency to students with employees’ legal privacy rights.
Trustee Baker Torres asked to pull a personnel item from the consent calendar so it could be discussed. Dr. McCoy recommended the board approve the personnel sheet but directed staff to bring confidential, employee‑specific information to closed session so trustees can review it without airing personal details publicly. The board ultimately approved the consent calendar with the requested item set aside for further discussion.
What happens next: The board asked staff to convene a closed‑session briefing for trustees to examine confidential personnel background and options. Staff said a resignation can be rescinded and that personnel actions can be revisited after trustees have had a closed‑session review.
Quotes from the dais: “Teachers like Miss McCormick are the reason many students feel supported to come to school every day,” Bernabe Romero said.
Trustees’ response: Trustees thanked the students for coming forward and noted the district’s obligation to respect employee confidentiality while also listening to community concerns. They directed staff to pursue an internal review that could be discussed in closed session.
