Compton School Board Trustee Sandra Moss has publicly challenged her colleagues on the school board. Her rhetoric is highly critical of the board’s actions, which based on her voting record, she wholeheartedly supports the board’s majority. It would seem she is trying to appease a particular group of persons, who most likely haven’t reviewed Moss’ voting record, to challenge her newfound ephiphany.
Ms. Moss has been allowed to participate in board meetings, via the phone, which requires her to post board agendas and welcome the public to EVERY meeting she attends in this manner, without regard to her exact location. Is Moss following those rules?
Where in the world has Compton School Board Member Sandra Moss been?
Former Compton Elected Official
In a scathing revelation Compton School Board Member Sandra Moss doesn’t agree with the direction the current seven-member Compton Unified School board has been taking the district. Compton Unified School District is comprised of the former Enterprise, Willowbrook and Compton City (as mentioned in the Compton City Charter) School Districts. The entire District encompasses more than just the city of Compton which is one reason the Compton City Council has NO jurisdiction in the governance. I particularly kind of like the separation of powers, however if Compton City Council gets a seat at the table so should Carson, Lynwood, Los Angeles City Councils and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors because the school district overlaps each entity and residents who vote and pay taxes related to educating students students live throughout. If Compton City Council can’t seem to get a grip on the City of Compton $34 million budget deficit, how in the hell can they confidently handle the School District budget that is 3 to 4 times larger than the City of Compton’s operating budget?
After reading numerous statements posted on social media (personal page and number community groups), School Board Member Moss doesn’t seem to be confident in the direction of the school district. Compton Unified School District is no stranger to its controversy from its state take over in the 90’s to parent organizations organizing to take over a failing McKinley elementary school after the passage of the “Parent Trigger” law. Unlike the City Council this is the first time this writer has seen a sitting board member go to battle about the direction of the district and legislative agenda doesn’t match. My question is now is: Where has Compton School Board Member Sandra Moss been? After a bit of research and review of the board actions as stated in the minutes and videos of past meetings of the Compton School Board, it appears School Board Member Moss statements on social media and her voting record don’t line up. To put things in perspective. Since School Board Member Moss’s election to the Compton School Board the span of the last three years Board Member Moss has voted the same as 5 of the 7 board members more than 90% of the time. It takes a simple majority (5 of the 7 Members Present) of members voting the same in order to get any item approved or disapproved. Board Member Moss has actually been vote #6. Not too sure about you but that sounds like they’ve all been in agreement with the direction of the school district.
School Board Member Moss, please elaborate on your view of what direction the district should be headed and what steps you’ve taken move forward with your legislative priorities as a School Board Member. The review of past school board meetings also reveal School Board Member Moss is frequently physically absent from meetings of the School Board meetings and instead opting to participate by telephone. Reminds me of the frequent absences by Former Mayor Eric Perrodin at Compton City Council Meetings. Not sure if like former Mayor Perrodin if Board Member Moss employment with the County of Los Angeles creates a conflict or not with the meeting time. If so, did board member Moss not know the meeting schedule before she registered as a candidate and ultimately won her seat? Board Meetings would meet on Tuesdays evenings the same days as Compton City Council and Compton College Board Meetings, now they meet on Wednesday evening, for what? Much like Compton City Council there one employee that is directly hired by the board whose job is to oversee the day-to-day management of the school district’s over 5,000 employees and education of 24,000 students. No one board member has anymore authority or power over another nor over its one staff person being the Superintendent. It takes four votes to get anything accomplished, but in the last three years its been six votes that includes School Board Member Moss voting with current Compton School Board Members Ali, Davis, Garrett (RIP), Pleasant and Zurita.
Lastly, Compton School District is governed by a seven member elected board, California Education Code and Policies that are updated by the California State Board of Education. There is NOT CHARTER like the City of Compton. School Board Member pay is directly tied to current Average Daily Attendance (ADA) as stipulated in the Education Code and overseen by Los Angeles County Office of Education. ( http://leginfo.legislature.ca.
gov/faces/codes_
displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC§ionNum=35120. ) I am certainly surprised School Board Member Moss can shed light to questions surrounding theories in social media groups in which she actively participates. I would hate to think that a current School Board Member could not shed light on this looming question about governance.
