‘No confidence’ vote in Mora’s new superintendent

Turmoil strikes school district again

Turmoil within Mora Independent Schools has struck again — just in time for the beginning of the school year.

Weeks after former Mora Independent Schools Superintendent Charles Trujillo was charged with multiple counts of forgery and fraud for allegedly falsifying education licenses that allowed him to qualify for the job paying $100,000 per year, new superintendent LeAnne Salazar-Montoya finds herself at the center of controversy.

Last week, the teachers union passed a near-unanimous vote of “no confidence” in her leadership, even though she has been on the job less than three months.

On Monday, the first day of school, about 80 people, many of them teachers and staff members, aired their complaints to the school board and demanded her resignation, noting that learning was blocked because class schedules were still not ready.

That same day, American Federation of Teachers state president Stephanie Ly issued a statement supporting the local union’s no-confidence vote and backing calls for the superintendent’s resignation.

The statement contends that, in just 2½ months, Salazar-Montoya has destroyed the culture of respect and collaboration between educators, staff and the school district: “Specifically, Ms. Salazar has taken actions violating New Mexico State Statute, the locally negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement, and has created an environment of hostility within the district through wrongful terminations and degradation of school employees.”

George Trujillo, the school board president and uncle to Charles Trujillo, is standing by the new superintendent. “In my opinion, she is trying her best. She’s very smart, and she’s trying her best to fix our school,” he said.

“When there’s a change, some people can’t take it,” he said of the no-confidence vote. “We live in the most beautiful county in the whole world, but there’s a lot of jealousy.

“I wish we could all work together for the benefit of the kids. Unfortunately, there’s always someone sticking a knife in someone’s back. It’s sad.”

Harassment claims

Salazar-Montoya says local politics and personal agendas have undermined her efforts to stabilize a school district that has gone through countless superintendents and interim superintendents in the past few years.

The way she tells it, the teachers union, certain board members and others have conspired against her with a smear campaign in order to advance their own agendas.

She didn’t fire anyone, she says, and is being blamed for long-standing problems that have plagued the district for years.

“I think the union has found a situation where they can twist facts and create a media storm in order to increase membership,” she said in a phone interview this week. “Institutional problems have been there long before I arrived. As a superintendent that has been in my position for less than three months, it’s unfair I’m being blamed for pre-existing conditions.”

And it doesn’t help that she’s not local.

“My arrival came with much resistance,” she said. “I’ve been told I’m not from Mora, I don’t live in Mora, and I can leave Mora.”

She said the majority of the five-person school board supports her, but at least one member (whom she declined to name) has tried to “micromanage” her.

Not everyone is against her. “When I go to local eateries or individuals come to my office, people say there’s a silent majority who think it’s about time someone is doing their job and doing what needs to be done,” she said.

Salazar-Montoya said the union is leading the charge to have her ousted, claiming she has been harassed and intimidated by an AFT official brought in from California who demanded that a trio of employees be offered jobs at a certain salary.

“He and I met, and he told me to offer those three positions, or else he’ll call every media around and run me through the mud,” she said.

At Monday’s school board hearing, a boisterous crowd chanted “Bring them back! Bring them back!” in reference to three employees whom they say received termination letters Aug. 12 after they declined to sign contracts.

The Las Vegas Optic newspaper identified the employees as Paulyette Perea, Edwina Romero and Lisa Yescas, who referred questions from the reporter to Ly.

While Ly wouldn’t confirm those names, she said that two of the terminated employees were guidance counselors and that’s why the scheduling wasn’t completed on time. She said the school district didn’t have their contracts ready on time, then tried to “bully” the workers into signing them.

“It’s not just the bullying tactics, but it’s a show of lack of respect for the community,. because these are employees who are invested in the community,” Ly said, adding that the superintendent refused to discuss the matter with the employees.

Ly disputed Salazar-Montoya’s claim that she was bullied by the union representative from California, who was called in as an intermediary.

“We met and gave her a legal briefing that said here are all the violations. She didn’t care about the facts of the case or how it impacted anyone. What she cared about was us kneeling down to her,” Ly said.

‘Crucified by rumor’

Salazar-Montoya says some people have engaged in whisper campaigns against her and planted made-up stories with an online newspaper that has published un-bylined stories citing unnamed sources. One claims that a board member’s wife received a $10,000 raise at the expense of three other employees whose salaries were reduced. It claims that, when the three tried to confront her about it, they were fired.

George Trujillo readily admitted that his wife, who had served as elementary school secretary for more than 20 years, is the employee who received the raise, but added that five other employees also received a pay bump at the same time. He said that Salazar-Montoya had nothing to do with the raises and that they were awarded prior to her being hired. “It was all budget approved by the budget committee and I’m not a part of that,” he added.

Salazar-Montoya, whose permanent residence is in Española, says she didn’t fire anyone and that any raises would have been initiated by the previous administration.

“I’m being crucified by rumor,” she said. “I think it’s unfair for the community to judge me knowing nothing about me.”

Salazar-Montoya, 37, grew up in the Española Valley. She was homeschooled as a child and went on to earn an undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico, and master’s degrees from UNM, New Mexico Highlands University and New Mexico State, where she’s currently pursuing a Ph.D. — all in education-related fields.

The AFT president pointed out that Salazar-Montoya is working two jobs, also serving as Title III STEM director at Northern New Mexico College. Ly also noted her efforts to start a charter school in Española for at-risk youth.

“Obviously, her focus this summer has been elsewhere and not really focused on the (Mora) community,” Ly said.

Salazar-Montoya said her job at NNMC was reduced to part-time when she started her job in Mora on June 1 and has just one more month to run.

Special meeting

George Trujillo said Thursday he is calling for a special school board meeting next Tuesday, most of which will take place in executive session, to address concerns outlined in a letter to the board by Salazar-Montoya. He did not reveal the contents of that letter. “We need to settle with all these issues so we can continue with the education of our kids,” he said. Ly said the union will continue to push for Salazar-Montoya to resign. “We are very concerned for community,” she said.

Salazar-Montoya said she has no intention of resigning, but would consider it if she felt the children were being hurt.

“If I feel I’m the only one moving in a certain direction, I will certainly do what’s best for the children of Mora,” she said. “I think I deserve a fair chance. The fact that I’m trying to bring the district under compliance shouldn’t be a reason to be run out of town.”