Interim superintendent appointed for Santa Clara County schools
SAN JOSE, Calif. - An interim superintendent has been appointed to head the Santa Clara County Office of Education. This comes after the Santa Clara County Superior Court denied Dr. Mary Ann Dewan’s request to be reinstated as superintendent. Dewan was terminated without cause two weeks ago and placed on administrative leave.
The Interim Superintendent will hold the position for the next two months while the board searches for a replacement. But on Wednesday night, people were still talking about the decision to fire Dr. Dewan.
"I have strong concerns about the process to appoint a new superintendent. It’s not about the person, it’s about the process," said Bonnie Mase, with the Santa Clara County School Board Association.
At the Santa Clara County Office of Education board meeting, there were more questions and concerns about the firing of Superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Dewan. About 30 people spoke during the public comment session, with some people supporting Dr. Dewan. Others supported the board’s decision to terminate her.
"I hope it doesn’t stick. I think that this is the first county board of education to fire five superintendents in a row in only 17 years. That has to be a record," said Mike Bromberg, who spoke at the meeting.
"Thank you to the board members who voted to fire Dr. Dewan. With this, we have hope. Tara, justice has been served," said Maria Mendoza, a parent who spoke during the meeting.
Tara Sreekrishnan and Victoria Chon were the only board members who voted to keep Dewan as superintendent. The board has not explained why they decided to remove Dewan, and a Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday that the board would not have to reinstate her, nor could she prevent the board from appointing an interim superintendent. Still, Dewan supporters pressed the board to reconsider their decision.
"I was shocked. I don’t understand why this happened or how this could have happened without the local childcare planning council knowing about it so that we could say something to the board before you took action," said Cathy Betcher, with the Child Care Planning Council in Santa Clara County.
The board went into a closed session for about three hours. When they returned to the open session, they voted 6-1 to appoint Dr. Charles Hinman as Interim Superintendent. The board's president released a statement Wednesday saying in part:
"Dr. Hinman brings decades of experience and dedication as an educational leader in the classroom, as a school principal and as a district superintendent. Since his retirement, Dr. Hinman has served as an interim superintendent in several locations, and he understands the unique challenges and opportunities of that temporary role." - Maimona Afzal Berta, SCC Office of Education Board Pres.
Hinman was the only candidate considered for the position and will start on Thursday, October 17th.
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