Merced Union board rift apparent in hiring vote

Merced Union High School District trustees were at odds this week on making an assistant superintendent appointment permanent and who should hold leadership positions on the board.

The board dissension during a lengthy and contentious session in the Golden Valley High School theater prompted some harsh words from Ida Johnson, the board’s former president.

“This is ridiculous,” Johnson said. “It was an interesting meeting; I’m confused and I’m in disbelief. I’m disappointed in our board.”

Johnson and Trustee Dora Crane found themselves on the losing end of several board actions approved by Trustees Dave Honey, Sam Spangler and William Snyder III.

Spangler and Honey voted against a motion to make Tammie Calzadillas the assistant superintendent for educational services, a position she has held on an interim basis for six months. Crane and Johnson voted for it while Snyder abstained. The board’s 2-2 vote defeated the motion.

Johnson came to the defense of Calzadillas, who was named interim assistant superintendent when George Sziraki became a school superintendent in Auburn. She praised Calzadillas’ work implementing Common Core instructional practices and feared she would leave the district for a more promising and supportive work environment elsewhere.

“You can see the work she does,” Johnson said. “I don’t see why the others can’t see that.”

Spangler, named board president with Crane and Johnson dissenting, explained his “no” vote on Calzadillas’ permanent position by saying the board may want to structurally reorganize district duties and needs to keep its options open right now.

Crane countered that school board members are entrusted with only one personnel appointment, that of the superintendent. She said they hold the superintendent accountable for his decisions on hiring staff members.

“This is a slippery slope we are making,” Crane said. “It’s our job to set direction, not to get involved in personnel matters. My fear is we will lose more good employees. It’s obvious we’re a split board, and it’s going to get ugly from here on out.”

Snyder said he can’t discuss the reason he abstained on Calzadillas’ permanent appointment.

As trustees were selecting a president, vice president and clerk, Johnson nominated Crane for president and Honey nominated Spangler, who was elected on a 3-2 vote, with Crane and Johnson dissenting. Honey then was named vice president by the same vote. Snyder was named clerk on a 4-1 vote.

Snyder said Spangler and Honey have the experience, knowledge and seniority to hold the board leadership positions. “You should respect senior members of the organization,” Snyder said.

Spangler, Honey and Snyder also defeated a motion by Crane to change the starting times for executive, closed-door sessions. Crane wanted the executive sessions to start at 5 p.m. rather than 4:30 p.m. and the public session to start at 6 p.m. rather than 5:30 p.m.

While considering a governance compact, Johnson said Spangler, Honey and Snyder want to run the district instead of the superintendent. She called the board dysfunctional and said it’s not trustees’ job to make personnel decisions or micromanage district operations.

“We need key people in place,” Johnson said. “I’ve never seen this happen. We are trying to tie his hands. We have to move the district forward.”

The board, however, did unanimously name Stacy McAfee, now Buhach Colony High School principal, as the new assistant superintendent for human resources. She replaces Craig Chavez, who recently accepted a similar assistant superintendent’s position with a Monterey County school district headquartered in Moss Landing.

McAfee, 48, has been Buhach Colony High School principal for five years and was an associate principal at Merced High School for 10 years. Previously she was a program specialist with Turlock City Schools for four years and a counselor at Merced High for three years.

McAfee said she likely would assume her new assistant superintendent’s role in January once a new principal is named. She said it’s always sad leaving a campus but she is ready for a new challenge.

She said her assistant superintendent’s salary has not been negotiated yet.

This story was originally published December 12, 2013 at 8:54 PM.