SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE ROLE MODELS, TOO

Nearly three years into a pandemic that has led to major student learning losses, exacerbated existing educational inequalities, lowered already-low national test scores in reading and math, and fueled a mental health crisis, students need to know that school leaders — the people making decisions on their behalf — are people with good judgment, role models they can have confidence in and emulate.

Two local news stories this week showed the exact opposite, raising the question, how was this person ever given any governmental authority?

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Sunday that the former school board president in the Cajon Valley Union School District in East County, which serves 14,800 K-8 students, won a no-bid contract on her way out the door. On Dec. 9, one month after losing a bid for re-election but while still serving on the school board, President Tamara Otero filed paperwork with the state to create a new consulting company, Alfabet Soup. The form didn’t include her name. On Dec. 13, after Otero’s successor was sworn in, the school board gave Alfabet Soup a $60,000 half-year contract — paying her far more as a consultant than she had been paid as board president.

Understandably, this led to a complaint with the State Fair Political Practices Commission. It appears to be a cut-and-dried violation of state law for Otero to have placed a measure on the Dec. 13 agenda that would personally benefit her financially — even if she was off the board when it was voted on. It is hard to believe that Superintendent David Miyashiro — in his 10th year on the job — thought it was OK to hire her as a consultant.

Then on Thursday the Union-Tribune reported that Del Mar Union school board member Scott Wooden had resigned hours after officials announced he had been arrested in Florida on suspicion of soliciting prostitution. Wooden was one of 213 people arrested during an operation targeting human trafficking. First elected in 2010 to represent the district and its 3,700 K-6 students, Wooden told the Del Mar Times last year he had been married for 23 years and wanted to “bring stability to the district, providing mutual respect, trust and leadership principles that put ALL children first every time.”

School board officials, arguably more than any other elected officials, should be servants that students can look up to. They need to act like it.