Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Sonia Diaz was placed on administrative leave so the board could investigate allegations raised by staff, not because the board is unhappy with what she is trying to accomplish, the board says.
Board Member Leonel Briseño, speaking for the school board, made the comments during a news conference this afternoon. He said the vote to place Diaz on paid, administrative leave was unanimous and taken in an open session.
“Let me be clear: This does not reflect a lack of confidence in our superintendent’s performance. Dr. Diaz was selected for her passion, for the education of all children, her extensive background in curriculum and her ability to communicate with various segments of our community,” Briseño said. “The placement of an employee on administrative leave with pay is a standard procedure used when concerns are raised.”
Briseño was the only board member to attend the news conference.
The board has tentatively scheduled a closed meeting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday “to complete the process.” Briseño said he hopes to resolve the issue then, and said Diaz will remain on leave until at least that meeting.
He would not go into specifics about the allegations, but said he and most board members did not know of the allegations until they were brought by staff, through one board member, to the board at Tuesday’s meeting.
Some district employees have said they feel intimidated and degraded by Diaz, who has replaced several top administrators since taking the job four months ago.
“It was a shock to me, and I feel it was a shock to (Diaz),” Briseño said, adding that the next steps will be “getting more information about the concerns and then providing Dr. Diaz with a chance to respond to the concerns.”
He said it is too early in the investigation to know whether the allegations are true.
The board also named Elizabeth Marrufo, the district’s director of elementary education, as the administrator in charge during Diaz’s absence, though she has not been granted the title of interim or acting superintendent.
“We want to keep everything as stable as possible,” Marrufo said.
Briseño said the intent is to better the schools, not destabilize them.
“One thing I must point out, and I told this to the administration’s leadership earlier today: This school board hired Dr. Diaz with the intention of making improvements in our district that would improve academic achievement for all children,” Briseño said. “We understand that with any change there are challenges and growing pains that must be addressed in the process of change.”
In response to the news that some legislators want the state to take control of the Las Cruces schools because of their belief that the board is mismanaging the situation, Briseño they have the right to attempt that.
“We’re lucky to live in a country where we have checks and balances, and I support their ability to do that,” he said, while cautioning legislators to “be careful” since they don’t and can’t know much about the allegations because they are a personnel issue.
“We have done nothing wrong,” Briseño said.
As for the possibility of takeover, the only section I can find in state law that addresses it states that “money budgeted by a school district shall be spent first to attain and maintain the requirements for a school district as prescribed by law and by standards and rules as prescribed by the department.” If that’s not happening, the state superintendent has to give notice to the local board.
The board then has 30 days to comply with requirements stated or submit a satisfactory plan for improvement. If that doesn’t happen,, the secretary, after consultation with the Public Education Commission (of which LCPS Board Member Gene Gant becomes a member on Jan. 1), can suspend the local board and act for it.
School boards can appeal such decisions by the state superintendent of education to district court.
There’s another interesting angle to what’s going on here. Board members Sharon Wooden and John Schwebke are up for re-election in February. Candidates have to declare in December if they’re going to run.
No matter what the board does next, it seems likely either the legislators or those who want Diaz out will seek candidates to run against both members.