By Gary Walker
Marina Del Rey Middle School teacher Leticia Escajeda was not expecting any major developments when she began her day June 10, but she ended up receiving the biggest surprise in a year full of uncertainty at school.
Escajeda, the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union representative at her school, was under the impression that her reelection bid for the position, which ended in a 19-19 deadlock on the last day of school, would have to wait until September. But due to the insistence of her opponent in the race, fellow teacher Darlene Haezaert, a coin flip to break the tie was held June 10 despite Escajeda’s absence.
And Escajeda won.
“I’m happy that it’s over,” a relieved Escajeda told The Argonaut hours after the coin flip.
A teacher for nearly 20 years at Marina Del Rey, the Venice native said she offered to share the duties of UTLA representative with Haezaert, a former chapter chair, but “she resisted that suggestion,” Escajeda said.
According to Nancy Pierandozzi, another Marina Del Rey teacher and the coordinator of the school’s performing arts magnet, union representatives conducted the coin toss, the method in which ties are settled.
UTLA Secretary David Lyell flipped the coin, which came up “tails” in Escajeda’s favor.
Now that the UTLA representative race is over, Escajeda said there is still work that she would like to do before the new school year begins.
“I want to meet with the faculty throughout the summer because there are a lot of issues that we need to look at,” she said.
Pierandozzi, who supported Escajeda, said it was “surreal” to decide an election that way and found the result interesting.
“It was ironic that (Haezaert) was the one insisting on the coin toss and it didn’t go in her favor,” she noted.
Another election that is yet to be decided is for the middle school’s next Title I /bilingual coordinator. That election is being contested because it transpired while some of the teachers were off campus on a field trip to Santa Catalina Island last month, say Escajeda’s supporters. Others claim they were not informed of the day that the voting was conducted.
Escajeda called her reelection a “bittersweet end to the year.”
When school reopens Aug. 13, Escajeda and her fellow teachers will be facing another daunting situation. They heard on the last day of school, June 7, that their principal of two years, Miranda Ra’oof, would not be returning to the campus. In addition, there are rumors that Marina Del Rey’s assistant principal position will be eliminated.
Haezaert did not return emails requesting comment on the election.
Gary@argonautnews.com
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Susan Kathleen Craig
August 16, 2013 at 5:31 pm
The voting was conducted accurately; the votes were counted precisely each time and all votes were counted both before the people on supervision voted and after, with at least two members of the election committee always present at the counting and at the three day balloting. The election committee, appointed by the principal, Ms. Ra’oof, was composed of myself, (Ms. Craig), Ms. Ung, Ms. Castaneda, Ms. Seekins and Ms. Catahan. On that Monday, an announcement was made by Ms. Escajeda that the balloting would begin. It began on the next day, Tuesday, but no announcement was made on Tuesday because Ms. Escajeda refused my request to make an announcement on a Tuesday because the principal had established that no announcements be made on Tuesdays. When the principal notified the committee that some people had complained that they did not know about the elections, P.A. system announcements were made and two members of the committee went personally with the ballot box to those of the faculty who had not yet voted. Ms. Escajeda was not on a field trip for all three days of voting, nor was anyone else and Ms. Escajeda did vote, and Ms. Pierendozzi also voted after those efforts were made. The only two who ultimately did not vote are the psychologist who chose not to vote and a teacher who was planning to change schools and therefore, chose not to vote. With those two exceptions, 100% of the UTLA membership voted. I am willing to legally certify all of the above, as well as that the wording on the ballot clearly paraphrased the contract in that the first ballot was to approve by a 2/3 vote an extension of the five year out-of-classroom position of the current Bilingual Coordinator/Title One Coordinatorship, Ms. Escajeda. Ms. Escajeda, herself, when approached by Mr. Kastenbaum about the wording assured him that the wording accurately reflected the purpose of the vote. The next ballot would be to vote for those interested in the position. One more person was nominated and a fair and accurate vote taken. More to the point, Ms. Haezaert and Ms. Escajeda are both highly qualified professionals, supremely dedicated to the success and well being of our students and also to the well-being of our faculty. The two goals are not mutually exclusive. Our school, both students and faculty have greatly benefitted from their years of dedication and will continue to do so, if we are fortunate.
S. K. Craig, English Department Chair, Marina del Rey Middle School