FRESNO (KMJ) — A bid to keep a popular school principal in place has been brought in front of the Fresno Unified School District board, but the board says it’s the Superintendent’s decision.
More than a hundred people took that fight to keep Principal Sandra Toscano at Addams Elementary to the board meeting Wednesday night.
The Fresno Teacher’s Association says the school has seen increased test scores, morale, school climate, and attendance, in the two years she has been in the job.
Which is why the group collectively made their voice heard to the Fresno Unified School Board.
“There was a lot of concerned parents, and a lot of concerned teachers and staff”, says parent Ricardo Gonzalez. “We just poured our hearts out, and the whole time we were talking the Superintendent never glanced up at us. He was dead set on his decision and never had the courtesy to even look up at us.
“All the other board members were listening to our decision but of course at the end of the board meeting, we had a chance to speak to some of the board members and some of their responses were ‘that’s why they hired the Superintendent’, ‘that’s why they hired him at that position, for him to make all the decisions’.
“They pretty much backed the Superintendent up and said that was his decision, and that was that”.
But Fresno Unified states that the decision to move was hers.
“We want her to be able to share her expertise at another school site where she can make a similar impact”, says Fresno Unified’s Amy Idsvoog. “She’s a great leader and we just want her to take that leadership and embrace another community.
“The position was presented to her as an opportunity to continue her leadership somewhere else, and she willingly jumped on board and accepted that position”.
Those campaigning to keep Principal Toscano at Addams Elementary say their next move is to now look at removing board members instead.
Hear the story from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
