Sac City Superintendent Jorge Aguilar has failed as an administrator. It’s time for change
I’m a teacher who hates giving failing grades. But last week, along with 96% of Sacramento City Unified School District teachers who cast ballots, I voted “no confidence” in Superintendent Jorge Aguilar. The district’s support staff took a similar vote with nearly 98% also expressing “no confidence” in the superintendent.
Why? Aguilar has utterly failed in his four years as both an administrator and as an educator.
Under Aguilar, SCUSD has earned a reputation of fiscal mismanagement. In 2018, the district’s budget was rejected by the Sacramento County Office of Education, and it has been rejected every year since. The California Fiscal Management & Assistance Team CEO slammed the superintendent for having “no creditability,” and the state auditor concluded that SCUSD under Aguilar “failed to uphold its fiduciary duties ... in violation of state law.”
The California Collaborative on Educational Excellence describes the district as lacking leadership and accountability “to ensure students with disabilities and foster and homeless youth are provided services and support so they are not disproportionately suspended, chronically absent, and/or at risk for failure.” In April, the California Department of Education informed Aguilar that it was considering “exercising its authority to withhold special education funds allocated to the District under state and federal law” for failing to properly serve children with disabilities.
Aguilar has repeatedly proven his inability to plan for future spending. At one point, his administration made a $24 million mistake, neglecting to count enrollment in five schools. He has annually and incorrectly reported to the school board that the district was on the brink of a state takeover due to lack of funds, while the district was actually running large surpluses.
Educators, along with students, have suffered as a result of the budgetary seesaw on which Aguilar has put us. Over the past three years, 1,000 educators have been unnecessarily pink-slipped due to inaccurate budget projections, only to see SCUSD scramble to rehire those same laid-off educators when projected deficits didn’t materialize.
His hostility to the workforce and disregard for labor law led to the first strike in 30 years when Aguilar illegally reneged on a contract he personally negotiated and signed. Classified staff narrowly avoided a strike this spring over his backtracking on health protocols.
While students and teachers suffered, fat contracts were given to law firms, millions of dollars in unnecessary vacation payouts were given to administrators and — during the pandemic — Aguilar wasted $6 million on untested and unproven portable air filters, despite being warned against the purchase by our union and health experts.
After promising not to accept a pay increase, Aguilar brazenly took a $34,000 raise while demanding a $750 per month average cut in teachers’ take-home pay. Aguilar’s salary is now $334,467. By comparison, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s annual salary is $209,747.
Fortunately, teachers have been willing to stand up for our students and ourselves. We have opposed Mr. Aguilar’s efforts to increase standardized testing and cut services to preschool-age children; advocated for more resources in the classroom; improved services for students with disabilities and continued to volunteer advice to families struggling with technology even when Aguilar bizarrely sent us a “cease and desist” letter.
SCUSD is poised to receive $313 million in state and federal COVID funding. These funds could lower class sizes and boost student services. Now we need a superintendent who can lead with vision, compassion and competency at this pivotal moment.
Like so many others, I have no confidence that Jorge Aguilar is up to the challenge. It’s time for a change.