Española School District parents better wake up, shape up and get their act together. The school Board is offering an opportunity to parents to give input regarding the next superintendent. Two people attended the first public meeting.
Currently holding the two top spots on the Board’s short list for our next super: Vernon Jaramillo and Theresa Martinez. No, it’s not April 1. We’re serious.
Just when you think we’ve rid ourselves of politicians and favor-mongers, we get Jaramillo back in the running. He may hold a record for suing more school districts and being sued by more school districts than any other superintendent in Northern New Mexico’s history. That’s saying a lot.
His most recent ability to turn a majority of the school Board in his favor is unsettling. It seemd the Board was thinking for itself and giving the Military Academy and Los Cariños a lesson in tough love. Suddenly, Cariños is the Board’s darling.
When he left the Española School District in May 2005, he had gone through a few months of giving raises to select people, granting two year contracts to others and hiring a basketball coach that made a mess of the program for two years. It took Pat Lopez two years to get the special education department out of legal hot water and actually functioning for students.
Backing Jaramillo on his way out the door was Leroy Salazar and Isaac Medina. Medina can’t be faulted for his lack of political savvy but Salazar had many people in the administration who needed “taking care of.”
Jaramillo is not an asset to education and should not be allowed anywhere near a school or administration building. He’s doing minimal damage at Los Cariños charter school and hopefully when that implodes, he’ll think hard about retiring.
Theresa Martinez has the proper education but dare we point out the obvious? She’s the chair of the Rio Arriba Democratic Party. We have enough political problems in the school without bringing in a politician leading politicians. She’s great at her job at the kindergarten but should not someone doling out jobs at the superintendent level.
Parents must attend the next two public meetings and give input or the Board may choose one of these two to lead your school system. It’s not going to be pretty. All the teachers who whine to us anonymously about how much they hate the superintendent or administrators need to stand up and express their needs.
The next public meeting is Dec. 10 then Jan. 14, both at 6:30 p.m. in the Middle School auditorium. The next superintendent will be hired in March for a two year contract. There’s no looking back after that.