MDUSD Fires Superintendent, Rejects Agreement With Teachers

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Mt. Diablo Unified School District's Board of Education at its meeting on Thursday voted unanimously to both fire Superintendent Robert Martinez and reject a tentative agreement with the district's teachers' union.

The board gave Martinez a 30-day notice of his release. He had just been appointed as superintendent last August for the district, which oversees schools in Concord, Clayton, Pleasant Hill and other areas of Contra Costa County.

The teachers' union, the Mt. Diablo Education Association, issued a statement Friday criticizing the board's decisions.

"The timing of the termination of Dr. Rob Martinez is problematic because of all the work that must be done to reopen schools safely during the COVID-19 pandemic," MDEA president Anita Johnson said.

"If this school board truly prioritizes students, then MDEA will be part of the process to find a new superintendent who will work collaboratively with educators to get the best resources and opportunities our students need to succeed," Johnson said.

The union said that rejecting the agreement was "expected," but nevertheless "is breaking a promise and the trust of Mt. Diablo educators."Johnson said, "We expect the MDUSD board to send a bargaining team ready to reach a new tentative agreement immediately; just because MDUSD no longer has a superintendent does not mean the work stops. We are ready and willing to renegotiate in good faith a contract that respects educators and provides the resources our students need."

According to the union, teachers in the district have been working without a contract for nearly two years, and the agreement was reached last December -- before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools regionwide in March - with district officials.

"While I understand the negative economic projections, I reject the idea that teachers and students must bear the burden," Johnson said. "I hope that these board members find a way to show the community that they prioritize the educators in schools who actually teach our students."

The union also criticized the county Office of Education, saying it is preventing local districts from completing the bargaining process.

"To be truly helpful, the County Office of Educations should encourage districts to make decisions based on facts and not from a place of fear and shock," Johnson said. "They should encourage districts to uphold the spirit of collective bargaining laws."

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