More than 500 Idaho Falls parents, students, educators, and community members have signed a petition as of Tuesday morning calling on the school board to hold a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Karla LaOrange. The petition, which is available on Change.org, cites a lack of transparency, leadership that instills fear, a continued loss of experienced educators, and a refusal to create a cohesive environment for negotiations for teacher contracts.

Contract Negotiations

Contract negotiations between the Idaho Falls Education Association and the district have broken down and gone to mediation three years in a row, ever since LaOrange was appointed superintendent. Lead union negotiator Meggan Stansbury said moving to mediation is new under LaOrange’s leadership, but the board has also played a role in the decision.

LaOrange told EdNews in an interview last week that she thought contract negotiations this year were positive and professional. When asked if it was a coincidence that negotiations have gone to mediation every year of her tenure as superintendent, she downplayed her role in the process and said trustees directed the district to enter mediation last year and again this year.

Petition Demands

The petition asks trustees to place a vote of no confidence on a board meeting agenda and publicly address the concerns. “The purpose of this petition is to hold district leadership accountable and restore trust between the administration, educators, families, students, and the community,” the petition states.

Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.