Home Antioch Antioch School Board Gridlocked on Personnel Commission Appointment

Antioch School Board Gridlocked on Personnel Commission Appointment

by ECT

On Wednesday, the Antioch Unified School District Board of Education failed to pass a motion that would re-appoint Mary Rocha to the Personnel Commission.

The Personnel Commission is composed of a three-member board of “known adherents” to the Merit System that oversee the system by setting policy, adopting a budget, appointing a Director of Classified Human Resources and staff to administer the program and adjudicating appeals of disciplinary actions.

According to Jessica Romero, Chief Human Resources Officer of the District, they only had one candidate apply and if appointed would serve another 3-year would term set to begin in December.

Ms. Rocha has over 44 years in public service, with 16 of those years serving as a board trustee for the Antioch Unified School District.  She is familiar with the policies, procedures and budgets for the school district, as well as personnel commission rules, and regulations.  Ms. Rocha believes in the underlying philosophy of the merit system to include providing the best qualified candidates for employment in a timely and efficient manner to support the District’s goal to advance student achievement.

Rocha has also served as Mayor of Antioch, as well as on the city council.

Although the announcement was made in more than 30 newspaper publications seeking applicants, Trustee Chrystal Sawyer-White immediately moved to postpone the appointment to allow more time for applications to be submitted.

Romero explained how the District was working on a tight timeline because they had already done their recruitment. If the board did not make an appointment, the decision would then be made by the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

“Well I move to postpone it until the next board meeting to allow for more time and allow for more opportunities,” stated Sawyer-White.

“We would move it but the recruitment is closed. It wouldn’t go back out for new applicants” stated Romero.

Sawyer-White argued they could re-open it.

AUSD Staff explained they have met all the legal requirements by posting it per the Education Code and if by December 1, no decision has been made, it would go to Torlakson for appointment.

Board President Walter Ruehlig stated that it is not uncommon for these types of commissions to have “scant applicants” noting how he was on the library commission for 14-years and for 5-years he was trying to get someone to replace him.

Trustee Diane Gibson-Gray said it would be an embarrassment if the School Board couldn’t make a decision.

“So we have a candidate who is qualified, who applied and there is no other candidates and we can’t reopen it. I would be embarrassed if we had to go to the state to make an appointment,” said Gibson-Gray. “We have a qualified candidate in front of us so I move that we appoint.”

The board then voted 2-1 with Ruehlig and Gibson-Gray voting in favor with Sawyer-White voting against. Trustee Debra Vinson abstained stated she was not going to go into details as to why she was abstaining from the vote.

Vinson then requested this item be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.

“If I can’t abstain, I am not going to go into details about that, that is my recommendation,” said Vinson.

Vinson was then pressed that because it was a motion, she needed to cast a vote “yay” or “nay”. She then voted “nay” creating a 2-2 tie which caused the motion to fail.

Gibson-Gray stated that because she will not be at the next meeting and this item is pushed further down the road, it looked like the State Superintendent of Public Instruction would be making the decision.

The school board will take up the appointment at their next meeting.

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4 comments

Joey Munn Sep 29, 2017 - 6:48 am

Debra Vinson is the absolute worst. The democrats are even turning on her and this is another reason why. A democrat turning on a fellow democrat. Shows how petty and unfit Vinson is to serve public office.

Antioch residents, get her out of there!

Don Draper Sep 29, 2017 - 6:55 am

Sawyer-White is carrying Vinsons water. Go back to the January Meeting where she made a huge deal about one applicant. So why didn’t Vinson or Sawyer-White recruit people to apply now that the position was open?

https://eastcountytoday.net/mary-rocha-appointed-to-antioch-unified-school-district-personnel-commission/

Board Member Debra Vinson called it “odd” that they only had one applicant.

“Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t know if people are interested in these things or if they even care, but so it would just be a notification and then 30-days to apply so would that then open it up for other people to apply?” asked Vinson.

Vinson stated her displeasure with only 1-applicant.

“Sometimes when you bring it out over the holidays, I know you followed the process, but the only reason I am discussing because I had people asking and I don’t know. They are asking me where was it. How come you don’t have any people with parents in the district that is applying so I have had a number of people with different questions that I could not answer,” said Vinson. “The other thing is the conflict of interest and looking at this, sometimes do you believe there is a problem with objectivity.”

Jim Simmons Sep 29, 2017 - 7:29 am

Hey Debra Vinson, the election is over and the beef with you and Rocha can now be put behind you. Be an adult and do the right thing for the District. That or grow up and stop acting like a child.

Chrystal Sawyer White, you are probably the most unqualified elected official in all of Contra Costa County. I have yet to hear anything intelligent come out of your mouth.

Julio Sep 29, 2017 - 8:33 am

OMG here we go again. Just appoint Mrs. Rocha whether you like her or not. Just plain stupidity by this district again!

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