We, the undersigned parents, students, teachers, and concerned members of the Stamford community, write to express our deep dissatisfaction and lack of confidence in the leadership of the Superintendent of Stamford Public Schools, Dr. Tamu Lucero. Over the course of her tenure, it has become increasingly evident that her actions do not align with the best interests of our students. Her tenure has been characterized by a lack of transparency and collaboration with teachers and parents. Instead of fostering an environment of partnership and communication, she has chosen to operate unilaterally, making decisions without adequately consulting those most affected by them. This approach has led to a complete lack of trust and has left many of us feeling discriminated against and marginalized.

One of our greatest concerns is her apparent disregard for the academic success and well-being of students, particularly immigrant students. Recent decisions, such as the restructuring of the English Learner department and the elimination of the Coordinator of English Learners, once again demonstrate a clear lack of understanding of the needs of our community. She would not dare restructure the Special Education department as she is doing with the English Learners Department. She was counting on these new arrival families to not even be aware or understand the process. These changes were made without meaningful input from the teachers who work directly with immigrant families or consideration of their impact on student outcomes. Furthermore, Dr. Lucero's failure to prioritize communication with immigrant families is deeply troubling. Despite Hispanic students constituting over 50% of the student body, there is no representation of any Hispanic administrator in an Executive role in the Central Office, and there has been a glaring lack of engagement efforts targeted specifically at the Hispanic community to truly hear our needs. Instead, she has relied on impersonal and ineffective strategies, such as "Cafe with the Super," to further her agenda, which only serves to alienate and marginalize us with condescending responses many times. "Cafe con la Super" is a marketing campaign designed for self-serving purposes, much like the workshops in local organizations where they teach parents "how to advocate for themselves," when in reality, they are trained to advocate for Dr. Lucero's interests, like when we were "trained" to speak up for the "budget." Due to this, many parents lose interest, while others have greater necessities and cannot attend. That is the main reason why many of us have chosen to take the quiet path to ensure our own children's success, but we cannot remain silent when she targets the most vulnerable in the school population.

We are also deeply troubled by the lack of accountability and oversight from the Board of Education, particularly President Heftman, whose loyalty and unwavering support for the Superintendent is questionable as it has only served to exacerbate the problems within our school system. We do not trust Dr. Lucero, or the very biased Board of Education, who have been diligently protecting Dr. Lucero.  There have been multiple "Votes of No Confidence" regarding the leadership of Dr. Lucero, to no avail. In fact, all three high schools and two middle schools have issued a vote of no confidence, more than for any previous superintendent. It is evident that the needs and concerns of students, families and teachers are not being adequately represented or addressed by those in positions of power. They are seeking and holding their positions on the BOE to protect Dr. Lucero's interests rather than prioritizing the children of Stamford.

In light of these grievances, we urge the teacher’s union and educators to take a vote of no confidence in Dr. Lucero's leadership. We urge all stakeholders, including those sworn to serve and represent us, the Stamford voters, to treat this matter seriously. We urge the Board of Education members to take decisive action and ensure the voices of all stakeholders are heard and respected.

This is about transparency, accountability, and protecting our children and school system from violating English Learner laws with the Department of Justice. Dr. Lucero's actions demonstrate a clear disregard for the well-being and academic success of all students, including immigrant students, and it is evident that she is incapable of effectively leading our school district. We demand transparency and accountability.