Woman Says She's Among Dozens Of Parents To Sign Petition Asking District To Remove Principal
MAYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — The parent of a student at a Maywood school says dozens of parents have signed a petition asking the district to remove the school's head.
Mirna Borquez, a parent of a student at Fishburn Avenue Elementary School, says she does what she can at home to help her son succeed in school.
But, she says, the school's principal is holding them back, allegedly bullying those who question her methods.
Borquez says she is one of dozens of parents who have signed a parent trigger petition, asking the Los Angeles Unified School District to remove the school's head.
The petition is also asking the district to give them more resources and points to statistics that show 64 percent of third graders are below proficient in reading and writing.
The parent trigger law was passed in 2010 and gives parents the right to force changes that can include replacing the principal.
The parents are also circulating a letter they say was signed by more than 30 Fishburn staff members.
The letter states that Principal Beatriz Bogan has "alienated parents" through hostile behavior, and they can no longer work under such "toxic conditions."
But an LAUSD spokesperson says there is no parent trigger campaign at the school. She says district leaders have been meeting with parents over the last few weeks and are already planning changes. The spokesperson declined to state what those changes are or how the meetings were initiated.
Borquez thinks it's word of the parent trigger petition that got the district's attention. She and others met June 2 with LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines.
She says she's optimistic he will bring changes, and says LAUSD has asked families to give them until July 15 to come up with a plan.
In the meantime, Borquez says parents will continue collecting signatures so, if need be, they can force the changes they're after.
