FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Parents, teachers and community members urged Fresno Unified School District leaders Wednesday, expressing growing concerns over a pattern of district decisions being made without meaningful input from the people most affected by them.
The comments centered on proposed educator layoffs and the recent reassignment of five principals and 26 vice principals across the district.
While speakers acknowledged district leaders have the authority to make those decisions, they argued that families and educators are too often left out of the process.
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“Our schools need stability, not disruption. Moving this many administrators at once breaks relationships, cripples school culture, and distracts to improve student outcomes,” says Susan Wittrup, FUSD Trustee.
Many pointed to Fresno Unified’s community engagement guardrail, which states that significant decisions should include a plan for gathering and considering stakeholder input before they are brought to the board.
Some also voiced frustration that administrators who had earned the trust of their school communities were reassigned while struggling leadership positions remained unchanged.
Speakers from multiple school sites shared concerns about the impact leadership changes and staffing decisions could have on students, school culture and family engagement.
Several called on Superintendent Misty Her and the Board of Education to involve stakeholders earlier in the decision-making process instead of informing them after decisions have already been made.