March 1, 2022

 

RE: Board of Trustee Resignations of Siskiyou Union High School District

 

We, the undersigned, are asking for board of trustee resignations.  This Board has blindly supported Mr. Matheson without questioning him or his policies, while completely ignoring the students', parents', and constituents' cries for help. They have not held Mr. Matheson or any other staff member accountable for their actions. We are asking for the trustees who do not support the students and parents to resign immediately.  Here are several examples of the Board's inept abilities to govern SUHSD:

 

·         In the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year several parents voiced their concerns about academics and how far behind our students are.  We brought forth the fact that we need to address this.  Several of us stated we need Math, English, Science and History tutors and/or proper instruction.  We not only needed to catch back up from the previous Covid year, but we also were behind from previous years and the lack of emphasis on education.  This was ignored by the Board and instead we hired a virtual counseling service to deal with social and emotional learning loss that occurred due to the Board's lack of putting our students' academic needs first.  While this does need to be addressed, education needs to be the primary focus of the school.

 

·         We, the students, parents, and constituents have elected you to this Board to represent us with our trust to provide a high-quality education that prepares our children to succeed in college, trade-school, and/or the workforce after graduation. Over the past several years academics were subsidiary to other interests.  Our recent CAASPP score cards show our poor performance over the past six school years.  This school board had nothing to say about this topic.  No ideas, resolutions or solutions were put forth. It is clear you cannot provide any academic oversight or value to our students; and therefore, why should you continue to serve a vital function which you are not capable?  It seems that this, academics, was not important to these trustees.  Your willful blindness can no longer be tolerated.

 

·         Over the past several years our students’ academic success has fallen off dramatically under your watch and nothing has been done about it.  There have been zero consequences over the last several years under your watch.  The students and parents of SUHSD have begged and pleaded for you to listen, but - as usual - we are ignored.  We have repeatedly asked to schedule a meeting between parents and board trustees, and you have repeatedly denied our communication with you, Why is that? How many years of failing test scores must our community and most importantly our students tolerate your in-action?

 

 

 

·         The board of trustees do not discuss items open for discussion.  There are only a few questions asked by some of the trustees and then it is voted on.  The parents have several questions and solutions to these problems, but the parents are ignored, questions are not answered, and the agenda item is passed as the superintended recommended.  Even when parents speak out and tell you that is not correct you blindly ignore this as fact and pass the item anyways without question.

 

·         Only items that will be passed are placed on the agenda and the superintendent does not hide this fact.  He places his recommendation under the agenda item.  With little to no topical discussion you are either ignorant of the subject matter, or you lack the depth to understand fully your role as trustee. Either one of those disqualifies you as being capable of serving our children. You cannot tell me that every one of you agrees with every item.  It shows your inability or unwillingness to stand up for the students and parents.  To do what you know is right and, instead, you just vote for what the superintendent recommends. 

 

·         During the last board meeting several parents brought to the trustee’s attention that the record of complaints was false.  We stated that we have made complaints to the District office and that they were not reported correctly.  This board ignored the fact that these records were false.  The board disregarded the parents once again and passed the item.  

 

·         Over the past two weeks several complaints have been filed with the District office over the handling of peaceful protests.  The board of trustees has been silent.  The parents have reached out to the Board and asked for help and still they remain silent.  The principal and dean of students at MSHS alongside SUHSD Superintendent locked students in classrooms where they were not allowed to use the restroom.  They were not allowed to leave. Their personal property was physically ripped from a student's hand. This Board has again chosen to remain silent.  

 

·         The Superintendent told another staff member to remove the child from school or he would call CPS and MSPD on the students.  The board again has remained in silence.  They have chosen to completely ignore these serious and immediate issues, and instead continue with a special board meeting to hire a construction consultant firm.  We do not even have approved projects so why would these be of utmost importance other than to fulfill Mr. Matheson's request? 

 

·         The actions of some of the staff at MSHS and the SUHSD superintendent have led to police reports being filed.  There will be criminal investigations through the Siskiyou County's D.A. Office and still the board remains silent and does not respond to concerned students, parents, and staff members.  

 

 

For reasons listed above we are asking for the immediate resignation of:

Jeff Berryman, District President, McCloud Trustee

Sunny Greene, Vice President, Weed Trustee 

Becky Lantow, Happy Camp Trustee

Gregg Gunkel, Mt Shasta Trustee

Mindy Hamann, Mt, Shasta Trustee

Lori Harch, Clerk, Mount Shasta Trustee