El Monte : School Board Recall Effort
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Three members of an El Monte elementary school board who helped oust a popular Latino school superintendent last year are the targets of a recall campaign being mounted by two parents groups.
BASTA and Parents Involved in Community Action say board members Robert Griffith, Edwin Wallach and Georgino Caraveo mishandled the decision in September to place Supt. Julian Lopez on administrative leave. Lopez, who opposed school board efforts to cut administrative costs, later resigned.
The groups charge that the three Mountain View Elementary School District board members are insensitive to the needs of Latino parents in the district, which is 90% Latino. The groups must collect the signatures of 2,500 voters to hold a recall election.
Board member Edwin Wallach, whose wife, Patricia, is the mayor of El Monte, said the recall attempt is politically motivated and has nothing to do with education. He said many of those supporting the recall had endorsed his opponent in the last school board election race.
Albert Gasparian has been acting superintendent since Lopez was put on administrative leave.
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