For the past several weeks the sermons on Sunday have centered on a principal or value. In the last week of the series, “integrity” was the centerpiece of Reverend Peggy’s sermon on Sunday. I liked that integrity was the final core value she explored; I call integrity the foundation value. Without integrity other principals and values such as ethics, morality, accountability and personal responsibility to name a few are absent. Reverend Peggy said she asked her husband Don how he defined integrity, “It’s an inside job” he told her. How true. Most people know when they are out of integrity, except for those who have none. One aspect of integrity is to not only know and correct when we find ourselves out of integrity, but to have the integrity to let others know when they are not acting with integrity as well.
In 2006 the Teacher’s Association of Long Beach (TALB) made a concerted effort to take over the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education running three candidates for seats. Between the school board elections and Gerrie Schipske’s (TALB’s legal advisor) run for the 5th Council District TALB and/or its political action committee spent approximately $750,000. Including Schipske they won two, lost one and had a forfeit. The forfeit was Michael Ellis in the 3rd LBUSD District who was handed the seat when then incumbent Suja Lowenthal abandoned the race to run for Dan Baker’s seat on City Council (an issue of integrity, after his resignation following questionable ethics in personal dealing with Police Officers Association head Steve James).
Ellis was on the ballot because of a questionable ruling by City Attorney Robert Shannon who when threatened by a lawsuit caved to pressure from TALB and overturned the city clerk’s ruling that Ellis did not meet appropriate residency requirements for the seat he was seeking. In the span of a few months Ellis had registered to vote at three separate addresses in three separate districts as TALB Executive Director Scott McVarish tried to find a place on the ballot for his long term friend and minion Ellis. Finally they settled on the registration address where he is now supposedly residing (more below). Unfortunately he missed the residency requirement set forth in the city charter to be eligible for elected office, or so the city clerk thought when denying his application for the ballot. Long Beach’s residence eligibility requirement is thirty days before the opening of the registration period for candidates to file candidacy papers, this following a lawsuit in the mid-1970’s challenging Long Beach’s then rule of a one year residency requirement. Ellis turned his papers to be placed on the ballot less than thirty days before the end of the filing period—the clerk said “No” and McVarish threatened a lawsuit and Shannon caved in.
A legal challenge under California’s quo warranto process would bring the matter before a judge to determine if Ellis was eligible to be on the ballot in 2006, if he is found to have not been eligible the judge will vacate his seat and a new election will be held. Any interested party, or legislative body can initiate the quo warranto process challenging Ellis’ residency eligibility in 2006, the school board qualifies as that legislative body.
With the three quarters of a million dollars spent on elections in 2006, McVarish’s plan was to take over the school board. Once he had three “yes men” on the board of education the collective bargaining for teachers contracts would go from negotiations to give-aways. Anything the union wanted in their contracts they would have the three votes to get. With only two votes on the board instead of three the union must now negotiate their contract. In negotiations usually inside information on what the other side is thinking or what they may be willing to give up is crucial information. With David Barton and Michael Ellis doing their inside work TALB has that information—well some of it perhaps. You see Ellis, or his boss McVarish, has evidently decided that being an elected official representing approximately 100,000 residents does not mean he needs to actually be at meetings.
The school board has two types of meetings twice a month (1st and 3rd Tuesdays); first are closed sessions followed by open sessions. The closed sessions involve only the school board members, attorneys, necessary staff or others pertinent to the business at hand and are confidential. Closed door sessions are for student discipline, employee dismissal, legal action pending or potentially being filed and collective bargaining matters—where TALB members benefit from having Ellis on the board of education. Open sessions are just that, open. The meetings are public and members of the public are allowed to address the school board. Going back to August Ellis has missed five of six closed door meetings, was late to two open meetings and missed two others (the last two) completely. Coincidentally, or not, his recent missed meetings coincide with the California Teacher’s Association putting TALB in trusteeship—I guess with his boss McVarish not calling the shots without approval from the CTA trustee Barbara Kerr, Ellis does not know what to do so have figured he might as well not show up for his obligatory duties as a member of the school board. As well the Board of Education has had to transact important closed door meetings missing 20% of the board—Ellis.
Further, four sources at the LBUSD have told me that not only has Ellis apparently abandoned his job on the school board but perhaps his “residence” as well. Long rumored to live in San Pedro and not the Long Beach address where he registered to be eligible (per City Attorney Shannon) for his school board seat; official district mail and other critical information sent to Ellis’ listed address is being returned “no such name at this address.” It appears he has moved and either there is no forwarding address or it has expired, or he will make some proclamation that he forgot to notify the District of his move.
I have served on various non-profit boards and in all their by-laws are provisions for the removal of a board member who neglects his duties or appears to abandon the position by missing meetings; a standard clause in most governing bodies’ charters and by-laws. This is done by a motion before the board of directors and a vote to remove the derelict individual. Usually, before this happens the individual is contacted to determine what his circumstances are and a request for him to resign so someone more productive may have the seat. It is time for board of education members David Barton, Jon Meyers, Mary Stanton and Felton Williams to request Michael Ellis resign his position for dereliction and negligence of his duties and abandoning his office, then a qualified resident may be elected to the seat and capably fulfill the duties and responsibilities Ellis has been unable to perform.
Finally, the residents of Ellis’ 3rd District need to take matters into their own hands if he will not step down and initiate the recall process to remove him. Ellis’ district includes some of our community’s most at risk children and some of our most challenging schools for teachers and administrators. As much or more than some of the other districts in the LBUSD, this one needs someone who cares about students, parents, teachers, administrators and education in our community to be there for them at every meeting and every decision. This has not been the case for some time with their school board representative Michael Ellis. Parents in the district need to demand his resignation and that the other school board members make him accountable for his absence and lack of concern. Failing his voluntary departure from office they need to initiate a recall.
Hopscotching an outsider through several communities to buy a seat on the school board, failing to follow the city charter, alleged violation of residency requirements, abandonment of duties are all actions that most of us recognize as lacking integrity. But as long as the actions allow Scott McVarish to close in on his objective of taking over the school board and spending hundreds and hundreds of thousands of teachers’ money to accomplish that objective, who cares? Right? You should care as it affects all of us who try daily to live within integrity and to show our children that is how they should lead their lives. How can our teachers talk about integrity in the classroom when their money elected an official lacks it? As a community the issue begins to rot our award winning education system from the inside and it needs to be removed.
Either through resignation, quo warranto or recall, somewhere integrity must enter this situation that demands Michael Ellis is removed from the school board. Lacking the personal responsibility he has exhibited with his numerous traffic and alcohol related violations and arrests it is doubtful Ellis will suddenly see the light and do the right thing; therefore it is up to the members of the board of education and/or those in the 3rd District of the LBUSD to show their integrity. As Don said, it’s an inside job, who has it inside them?
Informal poll: Click below and indicate if you support Ellis resigning or being recalled.
P.S. The next meeting of the Board of Education is Tuesday November 20th at 5:00 in the District Administration building at 1515 Hughes Way—just in case you want to go and say something to the members of the board of education on this matter.
Your thoughts welcome, click here to email me or on “Leave A Comment” below for public response.