Editorial

Those on the Newport-Mesa Unified school board are individuals who

were elected to serve their community. In electing the board trustees,

the voters ask that they bring forth original and innovative ideas to

serve their community’s schools.

The trustees are expected to ask questions, take risks and reach a

consensus on various issues. The board, like a city council, is not a

team. Teams are supposed to always be unified in one cause. Boards,

because they represent different constituents and points of view, don’t

always have that luxury.

We stress that because there are some on Newport-Mesa’s board who seem

to think otherwise. While we appreciate two of the seven trustees for

making it known Tuesday why they wouldn’t appoint conservative trustee

Wendy Leece to a ceremonial position, we weren’t entirely thrilled with

what they had to say.

The Westside resident lacked team spirit, they said. Team spirit “does

not mean abandoning the team or demanding that a member resign,” said new

Vice President Martha Fluor.

In October, Leece urged Trustee Jim Ferryman to resign after he was

arrested for the second time on suspicion of driving under the influence

(his first arrest happened 30 years ago). Later, it was revealed his

blood alcohol content was 0.19, or more than twice the legal limit.

First of all, and again, the board is not a team. And secondly, at

least Leece had the guts to question Ferryman’s DUI arrest. The rest have

remained mum.

For seven years now, Leece has served her community. She even ran

unopposed in 1998. But during her stint, she has only been allowed to

serve a half-term as the board’s clerk. Trustee Judy Franco now enters

her fourth presidency in her 20 years.

At Tuesday’s meeting, trustee Dana Black asked Leece, “When you don’t

believe in the team, why do you want to lead the team?”

She doesn’t want to lead the team. She wants to lead the board. And

the board is not a team.