El Monte : 2 School Officials Lose Jobs
One of two assistant superintendents who lost their jobs in an El Monte elementary school district say officials wrongly believed they were involved in a recall campaign against three school board members.
The Mountain View School District Board of Trustees voted earlier this month to not renew the contracts of Alice De La Torre and Grace Kojima, assistant superintendents for personnel and educational services respectively.
De La Torre said their dismissals stem from a recall campaign against board members Robert L. Griffith, Edwin E. Wallach and Georgino Caraveo by two parent groups that complained about mismanagement and insensitivity to Latino needs.
She said board members viewed her as supporting the recall drive because she is a member of the Assn. of Mexican-American Educators, which backed board opponents in the last election.
Kojima was on vacation and could not be reached for comment. Both have denied involvement in the recall effort.
Board member Griffith and Supt. Albert Gasparian denied that the board’s action was prompted by the recall movement. Gasparian said eliminating the posts will save the district nearly $100,000 and help make up a projected $1.2-million budget shortfall for 1993-94.
He said both administrators will be offered teaching posts in the district’s schools.
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