Santa Clara supervisors to consider reappointing fired education superintendent
Santa Clara supervisors to consider reinstatement of fired education supt.
A three person panel, Thursday, suggested the position of superintendent of the Santa Clara County Office of Education should be an elected position, instead of appointed. Meanwhile, Dist. 3 Supervisor Otto Lee said he and his colleagues will consider, at their next meeting, reinstating fired superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Dewan.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Inside a San Jose conference room Thursday, a three-person panel considers foundational change to South Bay education.
"Now the community is asking the board of supervisors to please help correct this. That has destabilized not only the county Office of Education but all the districts that depend on the services of the office," said Claudia Rossi, a former Santa Clara County Education Board trustee.
The closed-door, split vote on Oct. 2 by Office of Education trustees to fire Dr. Mary Ann Dewan has touched off questions about the board, and possible ulterior motives.
The late morning panel – consisting of two former grand jurors and a retired educator – believes infighting has led the seven-member board astray, resulting in the sacking of the superintendent.
"The influence of the board, depending on the issues, may have influence directly to what the superintendent is able to do while keeping their job, or not able to do while trying to keep their job," said Steve Betando, a retired superintendent for the Morgan Hill Unified School District.
The panel suggested a popular vote election of the superintendent, in line with findings from a 2018 Grand Jury report.
Currently, Santa Clara is one of five counties to have a board-appointed superintendent.
Lawyer: Santa Clara County school superintendent was terminated unlawfully
Just days after the Santa Clara County Board of Education fired their superintendent of schools, there was a new development. Lawyers for Mary Ann Dewan now say her termination was unlawful. In fact, they're questioning everything from the way it was handled, to the board's authority to do it at all.
"You want a superintendent who serves the population of the county, the students and teachers, et cetera," said Peter Hertan, a 2018 Grand Jury panelist.
By most accounts, Dewan did just that and garnered high praise from students, staff, and parents.
"I’ve seen five superintendents. [Dr. Dewan], far and above, Dr. Dewan has been superior," said one parent at a support rally last night.
In response to her ouster, Dewan filed a lawsuit that accused the board of violating her contract.
Her supporters and the panel hoped to flip the script, by asking that in the future, board members would be appointed instead of elected.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors District 3 representative Otto Lee said that the body will consider such action, and will look to undo what’s been done, and put Dewan back on the job.
"We’re going to look more carefully legally to see if that’s something that would be an option in the future. And so we’ll find out in a couple of weeks," said Lee.
Lee said the Board of Supervisors will consider both the issue of Dewan and changing the law to make trustees appointed at its next meeting.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Instagram, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU