Superintendent resigns amid cloud of controversy
SiLMONT >> Sequoia Union High School District Superintendent Mary Streshly has stepped down, tendering her resignation several weeks after receiving a no-confidence vote from teachers and amid an investigation of a high school official accused of having inappropriate relationships with former male students.
District spokeswoman Ana Maria Pulido wrote in a news release that Streshly announced her resignation last week to “fulfill critical care responsibilities with her family.” Assistant Superintendent Crystal Leach will serve as interim superintendent until the school board finds a permanent replacement.
School board president Allen Weiner said in an email statement Monday that the board and Streshly “believe this transition is in their respective best
interests as well as the best interest of our educational community.”
Streshly was unavailable for comment.
She joined the Sequoia Union High School District in 2017 and has 28 years of experience in public education, including 15 in administrative leadership and 13 in classroom teaching. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.
Streshly has been been mired in disputes with the Sequoia District Teachers Association, including over what the union says was a botched transition to distance learning after classrooms were closed six months ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The union announced a no-confidence vote against Streshly Aug. 3 after a group of district administrators sent a letter to the school board saying she should be removed from her position.
“Dr. Streshly’s inability to make decisions, communicate plans, or articulate a
coherent vision has resulted in frustration and exhaustion at all levels of certificated management,” the letter reads. “These ongoing issues are not new, but have been exacerbated by the pandemic crisis such that our ability to meet the needs of students, families, and staff is jeopardized.”
A source close to the district’s administration had told this news organization earlier this month Streshly had advised the school board in executive session she was moving to fire Carlmont High School Vice Principal of Instruction Jennifer Cho, who is being investigated for alleged flirtatious and improper behavior with former students.
The school board subsequently held two closed sessions related to Streshly’s performance evaluation.
Cho was placed on leave pending an investigation triggered by a Change.org petition published in May that accused her of having sexual relations with some students. She was previously investigated over similar allegations in 2017 and cleared, although some of
her interactions with students were deemed inappropriate.
San Mateo County Chief Deputy Counsel Claire Cunningham said during an interview Monday she is finishing her investigation into Cho’s conduct on behalf of the district. She said Streshly’s departure will have no bearing on her investigation and she is still set to present a report to the school board once she is finished.
School board president Weiner said the investigation “is not yet completed” and that under those circumstances, “it would not be appropriate for me to say anything further about the matter.”
In a followup email Tuesday, he disputed the assertion of a district administration source that Streshly had recommended in a Sept. 2 closed session that the board consider firing Cho.
When asked whether she would pursue her predecessor’s course in terminating Cho, Leach said in an email that her position as interim superintendent “is very recent” and that she will be
“reviewing current matters, but I do not have any information to share regarding personnel matters at this time.”
Asked about Cho’s current work status and whether she is still on leave, assistant superintendent for human resources Jacqueline McEvoy said in an email that she is not authorized to answer questions regarding the Cho investigation.
Despite Streshly’s resignation, teachers association president Edith Salvatore said in an interview Tuesday the action is bittersweet.
“I wouldn’t call it a victory because I think it’s not ever a thing to celebrate when someone has been unsuccessful and has to make a change,” Salvatore said. “We are pleased that the board of trustees took our concern seriously, that they respected the opinions of the people who are working with students in class and in other ways that would provide support for students and I’m optimistic we’ll be able to more forward from this together with the district.”