ENCINITAS — Yet another recall effort is underway in North County.
After the San Dieguito Union High School District’s marathon meeting late Thursday night, Trustee Michael Allman, of Area 4, was served with a Notice of Intention, the first step in a recall process for his seat.
If the recall is successful, it would mark the second special election on the school board this year initiated by the San Dieguito Faculty Association (SDFA), a local teachers union.
In late April, the San Dieguito Faculty Association launched a petition to challenge Trustee Ty Humes just one week after his provisional appointment. Humes is now facing a special election for his Area 5 seat.
Allman joins the likes of Carlsbad Councilwoman Cori Schumacher, Oceanside Councilwoman Kori Jensen and Vista Unified School District Trustee Martha Alvarado as elected officials who now face recall efforts in the North County.
Allman was elected to his seat in the last November election and his current term does not end until 2024.
Duncan Brown, president of the San Dieguito Faculty Association, told The Coast News Allman has created “havoc” within the district since taking office.
“Really since Michael Allman has taken office in December,” Brown said.
Much of the criticism surrounding Allman focuses on a Facebook group started by Allman as part of his election campaign. While he is no longer a group administrator, his wife, Lee Ann, remains one.
The private group, SDUHSD Families for School Reopening, has nearly 2,000 members and has been the subject of controversy after several posts were published disparaging teachers and those opposed to a full return to on-campus instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement announcing their intention to lead the effort to recall Allman, the SDFA also made several counts against the trustee.
“Mr. Allman has repeatedly violated numerous Codes of Conduct included in the San Dieguito Union High School District Master Contract, Board Bylaws, and School Board Policies, therefore, disregarding the obligations he was sworn to uphold,” SDFA said in the statement.
Allman told The Coast News he has no intention to resign before the end of his term.
“I have every intention of serving out my full term, including defending the recall,” Allman said. “I don’t intend to be quiet while people disparage my character and attempt to recall me.”
Speaking on some of the criticisms charged to him, Allman said he has tried to focus his own criticisms onto the teachers’ union as a whole rather than individuals.
“I know that some people in the union, in particular, will say that teachers are the teachers’ union but I can give you many examples that show the union leadership does not reflect not just all the teachers but even the majority of the teachers on some issues,” Allman told The Coast News.
Allman does admit to calling out at least one or two specific teachers by name in the past, however, he contends that the behavior of those in question warranted open criticisms.
In an email to his rank and file teachers, Brown expressed optimism that the effort would be successful.
“Our community is behind us and will stand with us in this fight,” Brown wrote.
Allman will have seven days to respond to the Notice of Intention, after which the SDFA will have ten days to file the necessary documents with the county to move the recall forward. Following that, there will be 120 days for SDFA and its supporters to collect just over 5000 signatures that will be required to force a recall election.
1 comment
Let’s evaluate Michael Allman in light of the goal of the SDUHSD — to educate students in the best possible way. Prior to his election the board was fumbling in its response to covid. When Michael was elected he fought through the bureaucracy to get the SDUHSD schools teaching kids on campus as so many others around the county, state, and country had already successfully done. To do this he had to fight through a Christmas Eve lawsuit from the teacher’s union as well as a recent recall petition against a majority appointed trustee, Ty Humes, filling in after the union’s favored pick quit her position midway through her term. In light of this progress, the union has again chosen to play the obstructionists by trying to recall Allman. When are the union lackeys going to put aside their petty indifferences and choose to put the student’s needs first? I remain hopeful that enough in the community can recognize the out of touch union’s antics for what they are and send a resounding message that the path forward for success for all constituents – students, teachers, staff – is when the primary goal is to educate our students in the best possible way. With this outcome all will prosper. There is an influential group watching – our kids – that are depending on the adults in the room to start acting like it. Our students deserve better. Most can clearly see the union effectively sacrificing the student’s future in the name of maintaining power for their members. This is a tired argument whose time has past. For the kids sake, let’s move on.
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