On behalf of the teachers of San Benito High School, I am making a public plea to the San Benito High School District Board of Trustees President Evelyn Muro, Bill Tiffany, Mary Encinias, Steve Delay and Ray Rodriguez, to include teachers, staff, parents and community members of San Benito County in the ongoing search for a new high school superintendent. The first search proved unsuccessful, and we have embarked upon the second. The participation of the community allowed by President Evelyn Muro and the board has thus far been limited to assisting the hired search firm with generating a list of attributes that the superintendent should have.
We believe that the teachers and staff at the high school can offer unique assistance and insights, and would like to participate in the interview process. We also believe that much can be gained by allowing the community to participate as well. It is highly unusual for other stakeholders not to be included in the interview process during the hiring of a superintendent as that role has widespread impact on the community at large. All students attending K-8 elementary schools in the county from North County School District to Bitterwater Elementary, from Panoche Elementary to Aromas-San Juan Unified, have the right to attend the largest comprehensive high school in the county.
In addition, the high school district is one of the largest businesses in the county generating millions of dollars in revenue annually with millions paid to local merchants and businesses, and yet not one person from the business sector has been asked to sit on the interview panel. It is common practice in districts throughout out the state to have the community’s interests at all stages of the interview process.
We encourage all interested parties to visit the high school web page and contact the board members by email or phone, and attend the next board meeting to ask their publicly elected officials why the superintendent’s interviewing process wouldn’t benefit from the participation of the citizens of our community. Each interested community member may also sign up for public comments at the board meeting on Jan. 22 starting at 7 p.m.
Katherine Foster, Instructor of Anatomy/Health, SBHSTA president
