On the Santa Clara County Board of Training (SCCBOE) assembly Nov. 2, my fellow board members selected to rush a important determination. It’s an unnecessarily rushed transfer — and one which doesn’t enable for a totally inclusive recruiting and utility course of.
Board Member Rosemary Kamei was elected to the San Jose Metropolis Council within the June major. Late final month, she submitted her resignation to conclude her time on the SCCBOE. Our board accepted her resignation after which voted to interact in a course of to nominate somebody to fill her seat for the rest of her time period, which ends in November 2024. Per California’s Training Code, we've got till Dec. 21 (60 days from the discover of the emptiness) to make the essential determination of who will exchange Kamei.
As a substitute of a considerate, measured course of, my fellow trustees opted to hurry and choose Kamei’s substitute by Nov. 16 — an arbitrary date that offers us lower than two weeks to make a brand new appointment. Then on Tuesday, Board President Peter Ortiz arbitrarily modified the deadline for purposes to Nov. 17 and known as for a particular assembly for Nov. 28 to interview eligible candidates and vote on the appointment. This can be a matter that ought to have been determined by the complete board.
Ortiz, in describing his causes for supporting the compressed schedule throughout the Nov. 2 assembly, stated these paying consideration ought to pay attention to Kamei’s election and anticipating an appointment. “These are the people who I really feel we might need on this board, people who're listening to the enterprise of the board, those that are skilled in schooling coverage, and people who've already been launched to the work of this board.”
This feels like candidates who've been predisposed to use for the emptiness, knowledgeable of the approaching schedule and are already “lined up” to use.
This compressed timeline is an issue the board can repair. There is no such thing as a statutory requirement for this fast determination. By selecting this crunched timeline, we forestall ourselves — and the kids and households of Santa Clara County — from discovering one of the best match, most-qualified candidate.
In lower than two weeks, are we to count on that the place has been so well-advertised in native media that every one candidates from a various neighborhood of various socioeconomic, cultural and lived experiences have an affordable period of time to finish and submit an utility and that this board has completely and rigorously vetted the candidates? After all not.
Along with the issues this timeline presents for candidate recruitment, there’s additionally an issue for the voters. It’s attainable that the Nov. 8 election will create a gap for a second seat on the board.
Quite than empower our future, newly elected leaders to make this appointment, my colleagues are taking voters’ voice out of a consequential decision-making course of and giving voice as a substitute to unaccountable, outgoing “lame-duck” officers.
This timeline, fairly merely, doesn’t should be this manner. I actually consider we should always postpone our interview and appointment date till after Dec. 14, which is when our two new board members can be sworn in.
The 400,000 college students of Santa Clara County deserve a board that makes considerate, well-reasoned selections of their greatest curiosity. And the voters of Santa Clara County deserve a voice in who’s making these selections. The board ought to give extra time for a various illustration of candidates to be interviewed, as a substitute of solely “insiders” who've been presupposed to use.
Grace H. Mah represents Space 1 on the Santa Clara County Board of Training.