Both Superintendent and Principal Resign at Southern Humboldt Unified School District Board Meeting Last Night
Students and parents face another transition after Southern Humboldt Unified School District Superintendent Don Boyd and South Fork High School Principal Cyndi Aguiar handed in their resignations tonight during a closed session of the Board.
“I was surprised,” said School Board member Michelle Bushnell when reached by phone last night. She added, “And disappointed for our community.”
She said she couldn’t comment on the reasons the two resigned.
The last two years have seen a number of high profile conflicts in the district–a South Fork High School coach for 14 years and eventually its athletic director, Andy Olsen resigned in 2018, a lawsuit after a Student Service Technician, Ann Constantino was let go, the dispute over closing Agnes Johnson Elementary School in Weott, and the controversial release of long-time music teacher Paul Schmollinger.
The two will finish out the school year. “We negotiated with them to stay until June 30,” Bushnell told us.
Both Boyd and Aguiar were hired in 2017.
For nearly the last decade, the district has been unable to keep administration for more than three years creating a continuity problem for the community.
Bushnell said, “It is going to be hard on our schools…I feel like we need consistent administration.”
South Fork parent, Leland Salomon expressed dismay after learning of the resignations. “There is no chance to get ahead if we keep changing direction,” he said. “[It’s] really sad that we can’t get career people here that care about our school and will stick around.”
Note: Ann Constantino and Leland Salomon are long time friends of this reporter.
Note 2: The original article originally stated that Andy Olsen was Athletic Director for 14 years. Paul Schmollinger was incorrectly identified with his wife’s last name.
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Sounds like too much work and too little pay, can’t do 2-3 people’s worth of work and get paid like 1\2 a person.
Administration is fully staffed and are the highest paid employees. It is the teaching and support staff who are overworked and underpaid.
Do you really consider 90,000$ and 110,000$ annually too little? Wow, you must really think that an average teacher salary of 50,000$ is low!
All three of those annual salaries are too low.
I’m with Leland consistency is needed to meet goals at any age especially when they are forming studying habits that they will take with them through life.
🕯🌳Good morning Kym, sounds financial to me.
Not so much financial as it is community strength and commitment. If you have a large proportion of the community that is relying on growing marijuana for an income, and most of those illegally, the stress and lack of parental attention is huge. Furthermore, the focus of these individuals is not on the community, in this case the schools, and instead on getting that next crop in under the radar so we can go on vacation to Costa Rica.
Simple really, those that for many years said that marijuana is just a groovy thing to grow, and that it does not bring crime, corruption, lead to other drug use…..well they were wrong. Every year through crime statistics, missing person reports, home invasions increase, on and on… .it continues.
Soooo, you’re blaming pot for these people resigning?
That interesting little diatribe is 100% irrelevant to the subject at hand. Where did you go to school?
Correction Paul Schmollinger*
Ugh! I gave him Saundra’s last name. I fixed it now.
So much potential possible for this school and its students . . . hope the upcoming new cycle brings it in!
Mary, I lived in Miranda for many years and graduated from South Fork High. It makes me sad to read about the problems that are happening now. I pray that they can get everyone onboard and get the school back on track for the students, parents and community.
Yes. There is no reason our schools should be second rate.
As community members are once again beating the bond drum thinking throwing at the the school district will solve the problem, they might consider supporting staff who committed their lives to the district in securing an Administrative degree rather than hiring someone from the outside with no commitment to our community’s children. I submity my former letter to the Editor appearing in the North Coast Journal, because it is relevant to today’s discussions. May we learn from our mistakes of the past.
April 04, 2013 Letters + Opinion » Mailbox
Thanks NCJ, Sorry Isom
By North Coast Journal Readers
Editor:
I want to thank you for your “Dear School Trustees” editorial (Dec. 13, 2012), which I read and saved. Good thing, too, for once again Jon Isom is beating the parcel tax drum here in Southern Humboldt.
Really, Jon, since when do new buildings guarantee an education? Reduce dropout rates? Guarantee my child will be admitted into a university, let alone graduate? Help my child find meaningful employment and a purpose-filled life?
Think hard, Jon. It isn’t new buildings which inspire young minds. It is and always has been the staff — those with frozen wages, added duties, and overcrowded classrooms, facing layoff notices during every school budget review.
Of course, Jon, you have thousands pillaged for consulting fees, for orchestrating community sell-the-bond campaigns and for transaction fees with every bond series sold. Isom Advisors of Walnut Creek, whose parent company is Urban Futures of Tustin, Calif., must be making killing. In June 2010, Northern Humboldt High School District alone vowed to pay Isom Advisors $70,000 for each bond series sold. More than teachers earn in a year.
But what about those on fixed incomes — the seniors, the disabled, the minimum-wage earners, the single parents? Can most of us really afford higher property taxes, which instantly translate to raised rents? What does one sacrifice to pay tax increases — groceries, heat, medicine?
Last October, J.N. Sbranti wrote in the Modesto Bee that before assuming a debt, taxpayers should know “how much for how long?” But getting these financial details isn’t always easy, because “Bond promoters typically skip the financial specifics when pitching the benefits of fixing up and building schools. Here’s why: sticker shock.” The cost can be staggering, and “the debt can linger for generations.”
Enough is enough. Time to just say, “No!” No to more taxes. No to more debt.
Cheri Porter-Keisner, Piercy
So well said it brought a tear to my eye. Thank you Cheri Porter-Keisner for posting your well thought out letter and insights.
Parcel taxes aren’t like bonds. They go into the general fund and can be used for any kind of expense, including staff. And they don’t generate much fee income for financial advisors. The only fees involved are those relating to getting them on the ballot and polling. Arcata Elementary has a parcel tax. It’s an investment in your students, not your buildings. But it’s quite important that you have good leadership to make sure it’s money well spent.
Kym, thanks for the full disclosure at the end.
In this small of town, I feel like I just need a blanket disclosure–“I’m either related to, or was related to by marriage, went to school with, or was financially involved with, or was friends with everyone in this story.”
Kym Kemp:Lol
I just want to fully disclose that i am happy to be a longtime friend of Kym Kemp
Good, bye felicia…. both of them had serious issues.. I for one am glad shes gone, she would smile to your face then scowl her second personality while she turned to walk away.. could see it in her eyes that she was out to get people. And don’t get me started on her actions around the school.. yelling at kids at the top of her lungs to get in line for the bus.. yikes.. also if your principal of weott also try showing your face more then once..
AGREED! Likewise, if you’re the principal of Whitehorn, you should show up once in a while instead of just presenting gloom and doom reports of possibly closing the school at board meetings.
I understand the Board’s decision to convince both staff members to stay until June 30th but in my experience people who decide to leave a job, and announce as these two have done, are not happy in their positions. Is that who we want to be kept in charge?
I’m not a SHUSD parent anymore so I have not kept up with the general feeling of morale among the teaching and infrastructure staff so I have no idea how they feel about the current leadership.
This does not sound like a happy situation for the district.
Kudos for the teachers and other support staff continuing to serve the youth at our neighborhood schools.
In my opinion the principal should be escorted to clean out her office today. She should be gone for good when students return to school on Monday. No good can come from her continued presence.
I’m not that familiar with the SHUSD’s particular issues, but were things better when Catherine Scott was there? I thought she was a good administrator in the WUSD, and I never knew why she resigned up there.
How come the county’s cannabis permit money is not helping any of the schools? Ask your supervisor Rex. O yea because he voted for Supervisors raise over teachers raise. Vote in a supervisor that cares more about the education then lining there pockets.
Our supervisor is Estelle. If you don’t know that, why not?
Mr. Truth, County supervisors don’t have anything to do with pay raises for school employees. Sounds like you need a basic civics course to understand how government works.
Show them the door.
Back in 65 a portion of the students, including the entire student government of South Fork walked out and sat on the lawn. We were all suspended for a week but the principal resigned. He was a complete, tyrannical ass. More sheriff and CHP cars lined up in the bus parking area than would fit. Shortly after, Eureka and Fortuna did the same thing. Certainly got the parents involved in short order.
The high school has a Vice Principle that will do a much better job that the current Principle, who is not a fit or fair advocate for your children. She’s arbitrary and capricious with discipline and her follow through with assistance for the kids is seriously lacking. She should go now and let the VP do the job. She probably resigned due to mounting complaints against her for her outrageous behaviors.
So here is our next challenge- Find qualified people to apply for the SFHS-MJH-AJJ Principal position and the SHUSD Superintendant/Whitehorn Principal position. We ended up with the current administration through a really great hiring process that Cliff Anderson led. I honestly believe that the same process should be used again. Applicants met with two panels, one was the Board panel, the other was a fair representation from the school and community that gave their collective recommendation to the Board. The process worked the way it was meant to and was successful in my opinion. Now we need to do it again. But first, we as a community need to step up and find those applicants!!! Don’t leave it to job postings and the Board (they have a lot on their plate right now as it is). Ask around to people you know. We have a lot to offer someone that wants to be part of the So Hum community. 1. We have a great staff that is dedicated. We do have turn over, but I believe with good leadership from admin, we could really start to retain those we need. 2. Our kids are dedicated to getting an education. They come long distances to attend school and they too need a leader to look up to and respect. 3. Many of our facilities are newly renovated, not all, not perfect, but better than some in Humboldt. We have a solid maintenance crew and custodians that are working hard to keep it looking good and fixing things as they can. Pride is up when it comes to the Miranda facilities. 4. Our parents and volunteers raise all the funds needed to provide athletics, class supplies, field trips, etc. We are solid and would love to have administrators that want to work with us and support the students at their extra curricular activities. 5. We have some great CTE programs that really enhance our available classes. Metal/Wood Shop and Arts are the most thriving classes on campus and have solid staff and support. 6. Our food service is also solid with a garden that they use in their food for the students. They are also starting to move away from single use plastic and instead use more recyclable or compostable products. I can think of at least 20 more reasons why these are great jobs for the right people. Let’s find them as a community and get people applying for these jobs! Seize the opportunity to be proactive for our kids, families, and schools.
Thank you, Cinnamon. I appreciate your positive proactive approach!
I have a 3 year old on the autistic spectrum and I just moved to Whitethorn. My daughter when from 5 days of school for 3.5 hrs daily to 50 mins One day a week!!
How is my daughter going to get the special help she needs in 50 minutes in a week! My child has regressed so much and I don’t even know what to do!!! How can they just cheat Sohum children from an education!!!
You need to move to a area that offers this service. Daa!
Virtue i also have a son on the spectrum and live in miranda. I took my son to school in fortuna 3 days a week for 3 yrs because sohum has nothing to offer. My son is niw in a regular 1st grade class and doing very well. Those early intervention services matter alot. Southern humboldt absolutely needs to provide a special day class for kids on the spectrum under 5. I recieved a letter in the mail about a special ed meeting regarging shusd and its defecit concerning special ed. Hopefully they plan to implement early intervention services here. I had to do most of it myself, but thats not right for everyone.
I recommend some individuals from out of the area but from a similar area and in the X generation. conflicts of interest and local entitlements plague most of rural America and the solution is someone without conflicts of interest and local entitlement issues.
“She said she couldn’t comment on the reasons the two resigned.”
Which I respect their wishes to remain silent.
To avoid creating bias against others?
Because their contracts with the Common Core comes with the GAG order?
For whatever reason, I respect their wishes to remain silent at this point.
I do hope they’re able to step forward at a later time and shed some light on the turnover problems plaguing the school systems.
v
““[It’s] really sad that we can’t get career people here that care about our school and will stick around.” – Leland Salomon, a parent.
I fail to see the importance of the rest of the article, beginning with the words of opinion quoted.
It sounds trite and one sided, like an attack against someone behind their back, knowing full well they can’t speak up for themselves.
I would, however, enjoy reading & listening to a well balanced interview between the two involved and the opinion masters, where all are given a chance to speak their sides of the story.
I hope the Principal and Superintendent can finish out their contract without harassment from this day forward, despite the one sided opinions against their decision to leave.
I reached out to the Superintendent and didn’t get a response. But it was after the Board meeting and late and I’m not sure he received the request. I managed to get one Board member and one parent on such short notice. I was impressed that I was able to get that many responses. Apparently, you are less than impressed? If you can get the Principal and the Superintendent to talk to me, I would love the chance.
https://youtu.be/FK3TIYG9mqM
Extended cut….lol
You’re correct, I’m not impressed at all.
The article comes off as a back stabbing bash party, not a communication party.
Once the Silent ones can feel free to talk, I’d be more than happy to listen to the facts and to the opinions, but until then, I give the article a big fat F.
The series of events noted in this article are a partial history of the loss of teachers and assistants at the high school (and the District), for whatever reasons. Whether that is really the fault of administrators or connected to changes in the local economy or whatever other factors, who can say?
I would give this piece at least a B because it’s hard to avoid noticing the punitive attitude demanding correction that follows hard criticism and punishment. The kids in Miranda deserve to feel kinship, camraderie and safety as well as freedom to be themselves while respecting laws of decency and ethics. Maybe the community can step up into more positive role models no matter what happens at school.
I for one found a redacted document in the desk of a now long gone teacher, that suggested some overbearing into the lives of students between the parties discussed but unnamed by the board.
But if this article needs something, it’s the perspective of those who haven’t spoken, I agree.
Shak, I would love to add their perspective. But I can’t make them talk to me.
Apparently you think that I shouldn’t note something significant to the community simply because some perspectives are impossible to obtain?
Perspectives & opinions based off facts are always a welcome sight.
Perspectives based off opinions are … a dime a dozen.
Why are a dime a dozen perspectives more important to you than the perspectives based off facts that will arrive once they’re free to talk?
A simple note declaring that once all parties are free to communicate, we’ll gladly share the informed and uninformed opinions of the community who knows more than the contracted parties in this article.
That would have still demeaned the contracted parties, which you think is a significant part of the article, yet it would have also reminded the community that until we know all the facts, we shouldn’t be assumptive.
But, then, I’m no teacher. I’m just a reader that appreciates the truly significant details. What would I know.
What you should know is that there is nothing stopping either Superintendent Boyd or Principal Aguiar from making any statement they want to make.
The school board is restricted by law.
Restricted by law. There’s that word again “law”. I don’t have a horse in the race, but it looks like these “wise ones” get paid aplenty – refusing to communicate is adolescent. Truth has no secrets.
https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2018/school-districts/humboldt/humboldt-county-office-of-education/
That may or may not be true.
It depends on whether or not the school went Common Core like many of the others who have since ditched it, thanks to the savvy parents.
Common Core comes with a GAG order.
https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscuss.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/school-issued-gag-orders/
https://hoosiersagainstcommoncore.com/remove-the-gag-order-free-teachers/
Shak, some of us “silent ones” will present our factual evidence to the public once the Board has heard our formal complaints. I have to ensure my children’s safety at school before I can show you my factual evidence that these 2 people don’t do their job. As for a statement from the principal and superintendent, it probably won’t come simply because they do not care enough about our community to give an explanation. If they cared, they would be at work, in their offices at 9am on a Monday morning. The teachers, students, and staff are all here…
The former SHUSD career ADMIN people were people that lived here, not commuted. They owned homes here. They raised their children here at schools here. The district’s board of Trustees supported good teachers encouraging them to become Administrators like Jane Walker Rowland, Mike Leonard, Sue Ivey, Susie Jennings…. Raise up from within. Don’t bring in those who other districts gladly dismiss and don’t renew their contracts. Invest in professional growth and grant sabbaticals to dedicated staff members. And please bring back, Paul. We need his drama and musical talent. Gifted teachers who fundraise for their students must be valued and appreciated.
It is “the new normal” in many careers to work a year or two, maybe three, before moving on. When an interviewer asks me “will you be staying, long term” I have to answer: does anyone stay, long term?
These days, school administrators, teachers, principals etc, join hospital employees, tech workers and many others, during times of high employment, in moving on to better locations and higher pay.
It’s not the pot farming, it’s the lack of culture, the high crime, the remoteness and short shortsightedness, the provincial and small-minded people, and, the strangeness and charm of living in Humboldt. Plus, there’s a better job, right down the road…
“We don’t need no education” Pink Floyd.
Amazing!
My initial knee jerk reaction is to look at the entire community and the amount of cash in the budget and create a “Summerhill-type” educational system with all the willing educated and creative and knowledgeable adult people in our SoHum community, to join forces to create the very best possible schools based on progressive concepts and proven teaching strategies and Keep The Money to Our Schools!
All the beauracratic loops to acquire funding will have to be satisfied, but then the functional and brilliant teachers and staff and parents and community members, extraordinaire would put it together for all of our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren!
I know we can do this as a community. But we keep hiring and giving the $90-100k to outsiders and we keep thinking it’s good.
It is not good for our kids and our community.
Let’s change it. We need meetings like have been started but with more intention to have us take charge of how the money and the educational programs need to work for Us! It is our student body that brings in the ADA amounts— let’s give them what will work in our unique arena!
In Summerhill, all the subjects were offered and it was expected that in time all the students would learn what was needed for intelligibility and success. ASNeall expected we would improve the process in time. Some have. Many still struggle.
This is a good time to create what we really need before going into the long drawn out process to lure yet more administrators to collect the most money in this community to do exactly what we don’t need!
You past teachers know exactly what would work with our population…..they are vital to the procedure. I’m willing to share from my special ed perspective. Who else has something to add and support? Sorry, I’ve had it with our schools needing so much from such a rich environment of brilliant people. Let’s make this work in a new way…the old way has not proven much for our kids. Susan B Nachimson
[email protected]
http://www.AquaSLP.com
Unfortunately Summerhill was an abject failure, but because it had good hype most people don’t realize it. The problem was that it was based on Utopian ideas, the kind that sound wonderful in principle, but like all Utopian ideas, fail miserably when put into practice.
There is something going on at the school district that local people are hiding. And, of course, the students are the losers. I mean really, the music teacher?