The Centralia teachers’ union, Centralia Education Association, has taken a vote of no confidence in Centralia School District Superintendent Mark Davalos, the Washington Education Association announced in a press release this afternoon.
“(Superintendent Mark) Davalos’ actions and decisions are not transparent,” said CEA co-chair Lauri Johnson in the press release. “He has failed to make any serious effort to heal the relationship between the district administration and union members after the CEA teachers’ strike this past fall.”
According to the press release, 95 percent of CEA members voted no confidence.
“Mark Davalos has directed district administrators to arbitrarily and irrationally freeze district spending,” Johnson said. “This spending freeze has harmed Centralia’s students. Students with serious emotional and academic needs are being denied the assistance of paraeducators, and teachers are forbidden from making copies of materials for their students. The district administration has even threatened to lay off teachers in the spring.”
In addition, the press release states that “Davalos is also attempting to impose an entirely new model for the district’s K-3 and 4-6 students.”
“The K-6 transition is ill-conceived, poorly planned, and completely unnecessary,” Johnson said. “Teachers were not consulted before this transition was announced, and CEA members believe the transition will be harmful to kids and the Centralia community. … Centralia’s teachers have lost confidence in (Superintendent) Mark Davalos.”
