Jon Gundry has/had a position (Former Superintendent) at Santa Clara County Office of Education

Title Former Superintendent
Start Date 2014-00-00
End Date 2017-00-00
Notes Santa Clara County schools chief reportedly on his way out The Santa Clara County Board of Education is considering parting ways with its superintendent, Jon Gundry. From left, Gundry and trustees Grace Mah, Anna Song, Darcie Green, Rosemary Kamei, Joseph Di Salvo, Claudia Rossi and Michael Chang. (Courtesy Santa Clara County Office of Education) By SHARON NOGUCHI | snoguchi@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: October 19, 2017 at 7:00 am | UPDATED: October 22, 2017 at 3:03 pm SAN JOSE — Jon Gundry, who brought stability to the chaotic Santa Clara County Office of Education, appears to be on his way out as schools superintendent, over friction with board members and allegations of harassment. The county board of education is negotiating a mid-contract exit plan with Gundry, 62, according to several sources who declined to release confidential details. If he leaves his $327,433 job, Gundry will be the fourth consecutive superintendent ushered out by the seven-member board in the past decade, at taxpayer expense. He could be owed as much as a year’s salary as severance. (Photo courtesy SCCOE/July, 2014)The Santa Clara County Office of Education has named Jon R. Gundry, the current superintendent of the Pasadena Unified School District, as the finalist to be the next Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools, with official approval expected at the regularly scheduled board meeting July 16. Jon Gundry (Courtesy Santa Clara County Office of Education) “I’m proud of the work I’ve done here,” Gundry said. “I know I’m not perfect but I think I’ve done a good job.” Oddly enough, Gundry appears to have at least partial support from the majority of the board, which now finds itself in an awkward place — negotiating with a superintendent most trustees wish could stay. A little over a year ago, the board awarded him a positive evaluation and extended his contract through June 2020. “Jon has shown great leadership in terms of leading the various departments,” said board President Michael Chang, who represents Cupertino and the West Valley on the Santa Clara County Board of Education. “In particular, he has done well in (enabling) the board to have greater oversight over the charter schools.” Although low profile and not well-known by the general public, the office of education plays an influential role serving the county’s 31 school districts and 273,000 public-school students. The office runs special-education classes, Head Start and state-funded preschool, and schools for students who are incarcerated, on probation or expelled from their home schools. For school districts it provides accounting, payroll, technology and training, and oversees their budgets and education plans. As superintendent, Gundry controls a highly visible bully pulpit. He’s advocated for reforming the troubled Alum Rock Union School District. He’s also championed the expansion of preschool for underprivileged children, and spearheaded a data base for foster youth in three counties, which attracted a $1 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. ADVERTISING With strong concern about Gundry from two trustees — Claudia Rossi of Morgan Hill and Anna Song of Santa Clara — the board has wrestled with Gundry’s evaluation in 16 meetings over nine months. Publicly, the two board members have grilled Gundry over a looming budget deficit, turmoil in special education, teacher complaints, possible harassment and poor communication. Laurie Book, director of internal business services, in February filed a complaint about Gundry’s behavior. She said Gundry leveled “incorrect accusations” against her, yelled and exhibited other inappropriate conduct during a November cabinet meeting and on subsequent occasions. The board commissioned an investigation by its lawyer, Linda Hendrix McPharlin, according to sources, the results of which were not made public. But Chang wrote in a letter to Book, “The board takes such matters seriously and appropriate steps have been taken as a result of the investigation. You can be assured that there will be no retaliation against you or any employee as a result of raising concerns of workplace conduct.” In an email to this newspaper, Book commended the board for investigating. Gundry flatly denied mistreating any employee. “It’s not true. It’s not my personality to harass people,” he said. Trustees also are concerned about the office’s apparent inaction on alleged harassment by another administrator, and an attempt to muzzle teacher complaints. But the office’s personnel director, Philip Gordillo, said Gundry has tried to improve communication. “I think he’s been a good leader,” Gordillo said. Before him, “for many years there was so much toxicity.” After being hired in July 2014, Gundry set about repairing the chaos left by his predecessor, Xavier De La Torre. He restored a business services department that had been left in shambles. Before dismissing De La Torre, the board got rid of Charles Weis in June 2012 and Colleen Wilcox in 2007. The alleged reasons behind the departures were various and unique to each superintendent — from employee abuse to favoritism to ineptitude. But in looking at the pattern, former trustee Leon Beauchman said, “at some point it time it becomes apparent that it’s issues with the board.” Until recently, Gundry’s most visible conflict was a legal battle with two top administrators he ousted in 2015. Last week, the office settled a lawsuit brought by one of them, former General Counsel Maribel Medina, who alleged racial harassment, allegations Gundry dismissed as lies and “outlandish.” The office of education’s insurance, a collaborative group of school agencies, suggested settling would cost less than going to trial. The other suit, by former Chief Business Officer Micaela Ochoa, alleging bullying, is pending. Then in March, when dozens of special-education teachers were expected to protest the impending layoff of two principals and allege retaliation, HR director Gordillo emailed a warning: “Please know the superintendent has asked me to inform you that a personnel matter such as your March 15 notice would be an inappropriate topic for the board to hear.” “The teachers were livid,” said Kathy Bays, a special-education manager who has since retired. Later in the spring, the board discovered that Gundry had negotiated employee pay raises — 5 percent for 2016-17, 4 percent this school year and 3 percent next year — that they hadn’t heard about and that threatened to send the budget out of whack. Song and Rossi dissented when the board approved the office’s 2017-’18 budget. It turned out that Gundry held the legally required public hearings about the employee contracts not at a board meeting, but at 3 p.m. on a Wednesday and Thursday in his office conference rooms. He said such non-board hearings are common elsewhere. Song was livid. In her 17 years on the board, she said, she didn’t recall contracts not coming before the board. Trustee Joseph Di Salvo talked about being blindsided by the budget. Rossi called such procedures “alarming.” With Gundry teetering on the edge of departure, opinion within and outside the county office of education is sharply divided. Trustee Grace Mah, a Gundry supporter, praised his record and reflected on the impact of booting out yet another superintendent. “Do I worry about it? Yes I do,” she said. But Song said, “”If we have employees at the top level who say they are fearing for their livelihood that’s not good.” Bays, who wishes for a new leader, said, “For two years there have been some very serious concerns in our department that he’s been aware of. He has taken no action.” On the other hand, board President Chang said, “He has done great work. Sometimes things happen beyond our control.”
Updated about 5 years ago

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