Chan Lin’s resignation became official on Wednesday, May 26, when she submitted her signed resignation letter to the San Marino Unified School District’s office and Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo.
The SMUSD has begun a second, parallel process for appointing a provisional board member to fill the spot vacated by Chan Lin. According to law, an appointed candidate taking over this vacated term may serve only “until the next regularly scheduled election [Nov. 1, 2022] for district governing board members, whereupon an election shall be held to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.”
The provisional appointee for the position previously held by Barberie will be for the remainder of his term, which terminates in December 2022. This position will then be subject to a normal election cycle — Nov. 1, 2022 — with a four-year term through December 2026.
The remaining three school board members will screen applicants for Barberie’s former position on June 7, and will interview eligible candidates in a special meeting on June 10 at 5 p.m. The board intends to announce the first provisional candidate that day and to swear the candidate into office to serve the remainder of Barberie’s term.
The provisional appointee for the Chan Lin position will also terminate in December 2022, the month after an election is held to fill the remainder of the original four-year term through December 2024.
On Thursday, May 27, notification of the second board vacancy and provisional board member appointee process was provided to media outlets, the San Marino community, community organizations and the parents and followers of the SMUSD.
The provisional board member application period for Chan Lin’s position began at noon on Friday, May 28, and will close at noon on Friday, June 18.
The application for serving out Chan Lin’s term was made available both electronically and on paper. Information regarding the application process was posted on the district website at smusd.us.
The three remaining members of the panel — President Shelley Ryan and board members Jane Chon and C. Joseph Chang — joined by the newly appointed board member, will screen applicants for the Chan Lin position on Monday, June 21, at 5 p.m. and will interview eligible candidates in the regular board meeting on June 22 at 7 p.m. The board intends to announce the second provisional appointee on June 22, and to swear that candidate into office.
If the board is unable to appoint a provisional candidate or if the provisional appointment is challenged in a legally defensible manner, a special election will be called for by the county superintendent of schools to be held on Nov. 2, 2021. The seat or seats would remain vacant until that time.
“The challenge over the next couple of months will be to build a cohesive board to hire and direct the next superintendent of San Marino to keep achieving the objectives we set as a board,” said Ryan. She was referring to another major void at the SMUSD: Superintendent Jeff Wilson announced on April 27 that he was leaving the district to become the superintendent of the Claremont Unified School District. He will assume the role on July 1.
“As school board president, I am thinking about the essential attributes of an effective school board member,” she added. “Even the most experienced board members must continue learning the technical aspects of the job.
“The most successful board members are those who learn early that being an effective leader requires more than knowing the education code, the law, the policies or how to read and interpret the budget. Successful board members are those with a genuine commitment to work together with each other and the stakeholders to ensure a high-quality public education that supports the full development of all children.”
Ryan said the SMUSD had received four applications for Barberie’s former spot on the board as of the Tribune’s press deadline on Tuesday. She also provided insight into the type of candidate who would be successful in the environment.
“I also am thinking about upward and outward more than downward and inward,” Ryan explained. “There is a great temptation to focus on what goes on with management and staff instead of the difference education makes in the lives of our students. This involves a delicate balance that sometimes requires the board staying out of the weeds in order to examine, question and define the big picture as to what we see as the path forward in a very challenging time.
“As a board we are replacing two members and still have to hire a replacement for the superintendent while still keeping the focus on providing the best education and opportunities for our students. The task is a daunting and awesome responsibility, but it’s board work — governance.”
2nd Exit Complicates SMUSD’s Effort to Fill Panel
