Santa Clara County Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan was fired in a closed session Wednesday evening, a reported Statement by Maimona Afzal BertaPresident of the Board of Education.
The press release states that Dewan was faraway from her position by a vote of 4-2 with one abstention. Board members Berta, Joseph Di Salvo, Grace Mah and Don Rocha voted in favor of Dewan's termination. Reena Lari and Tara Sreekrishnan voted against it. Raeena Lari abstained from voting.
Berta wrote in her statement that Dewan's employment was terminated “without cause pursuant to her employment contract upon 30 days' written notice.” Dewan was also placed on paid administrative leave for the 30-day notice period after Berta submitted her written resignation.
After this era, Dewan will receive severance pay as provided for in her employment contract for termination without cause.
Tara Sreekrishnan, a member of the Board of Education who represents Area 2 — which incorporates school districts in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Saratoga and Morgan Hill — condemned the dearth of transparency in Dewan's termination and called for a public hearing to deal with those concerns.
“Firing a superintendent without cause, especially when it affects our most vulnerable students, is not just poor judgment, but a simple political ploy,” Sreekrishnan said. “This action resulted in employees leaving the company in protest, further underscoring the inappropriate and harmful nature of this decision.”
Claudia Rossi, a registered nurse who previously served as board president in 2020, told the Bay Area News Group that she felt “disappointment” and “dismay” over the vote. She also said she believed the vote was a “deliberate weaponization of the evaluation process” that didn’t seek consensus or a positive working relationship with Dewan.
She highlighted the work Dewan has done throughout the pandemic, corresponding to ensuring students are fed and supporting distance learning. As a former South County schools representative, Rossi said Dewan helped start programs for college students who had been neglected in that a part of the county and was grateful for her leadership.
Berta, Di Salvo and Mah declined to comment on Thursday.
The NBC Bay Area Investigative Team It was previously reported that there have been complaints about Dewan related to using Head Start funds and allegations of retaliation as a part of a related federal review.
Berta announced in her statement that Assistant Superintendent Jessica Bondorius will assume duties as interim superintendent until the board finds a short lived or everlasting successor.
“We are confident that Dr. Bondorius and the next interim superintendent will provide stability and continuity for our students, families and educators during this transition,” Berta said in her statement.
Berta wrote that they might hold a special meeting to appoint an interim superintendent as soon as possible.
Dewan was named superintendent in 2018 her biography on the Board of Education websiteDewan placed a robust emphasis on education reform and was committed to serving the community and underserved, vulnerable children with a mission that centered diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice. She advocated expanding early intervention services, health and education. She has received several awards, including an award from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 2019 and a Presidential Medal for exemplary service throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Dewan couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
“Throughout her six years of service, Superintendent Dewan has placed great emphasis on developing systems for communication and collaboration and championed a culture focused on teaching and learning and promoting social-emotional well-being and health and well-being and outside the classroom,” Berta said in her statement. “The Board of Education thanks her again for her work.”
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