Fresno Unified says FTA trying to spark ‘division,’ ‘doubt’ over ’11th hour’ superintendent search claims

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Fresno Unified School District and the Fresno Teachers Association are at odds once again, after the latest claims by the FTA, which accuse the district of lacking transparency with educators and the public during the monthslong search to replace former Superintendent Bob Nelson.

Fresno Teachers Association President Manuel Bonilla claimed to YourCentralValley.com this week that they were left completely out of the discussion.

“This pattern of a lack of transparency, a lack of community involvement, really is the culture that we’re fighting against in Fresno Unified,” he said.

However, Fresno Unified Chief Communications Officer Nikki Henry says those accusations are entirely false. She says there have been dozens of community forums and board meetings that the FTA and public were invited to, and encouraged to participate in.

She says there are also monthly conferences between FTA and district leaders that have occurred since both sides agreed to a collective bargaining agreement in October 2023.

“Whenever they call and want to have voice or be heard on anything, our leaders drop everything to make that time for them. So, the collaboration is ongoing and regular,” Henry said.

Bonilla says that they officially asked the search and its candidates, be taken into the public eye, with a town hall just recently.

“We have publicly said that we are willing to pay for and host a public town hall. This is something that is done across the country,” said Bonilla. “That way, the community, not just our educators, but the community can be involved.”

Henry says the ask was denied. She shared how they decided early on in the process that they would not do one, as they wanted to encourage as many candidates as possible from across the nation to apply and feel comfortable in the process.

But still, she says they tried to make accommodations for the FTA. They even went as far as flying their search consultant in early to meet with union reps at their regularly scheduled meeting this past Monday.

“That’s going to be right before our interviews. That’s going to be fresh in our minds so that we can have our interview questions, try to reflect what our teachers are asking for, what FTA is asking for, and they declined,” said Henry.

It’s a move Henry says has confused the district, especially with the ask coming just weeks before they plan to finalize a contract with their new superintendent.

“What it sounds like to me is more of a choice not to engage through a year-long process and now at the 11th hour, using this as an opportunity for their political agenda to try to spark division, to try to spark doubt,” she said.

Henry says they plan to complete the process by the end of April or early May.