Column: Trustee’s comments ignore fact that many of us step up in Newport-Mesa

No one likes feeling unappreciated.

Take journalists, for example. We are continually treated with hostility and bombarded by critics. We are routinely lied to, disrespected and distrusted. Our internal radar is set to skeptical because when someone has something nice to say about us, it’s often an attempt at manipulation.

And that’s on a good day.

But as a journalist – and one with a sensitive constitution, at that – I must constantly remind myself that a.) it’s not all about me; b.) I chose this career because I believe in my heart of hearts that journalism is a noble, vital profession; and c.) if I expect to enjoy all the many rewarding aspects of being a journalist, then I’d better be able to handle the heat.

I pull up my big girl pants and muddle through.

Which is what Martha Fluor, longtime trustee of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, should have done.

Instead, at a board meeting last month, Fluor unloaded what appeared to be a lot of pent-up anger during a 10-minute tirade against board critics.

In what might be remembered in Newport-Mesa lore as the “Where Were You?” speech, Fluor challenged the activists who are calling for a referendum on term limits for board members. If they were so intent on change, she suggested, then they should have run for a school board seat.

“No one steps up,” she contended.

“Where were you on my anniversaries, where were you on my birthdays, where were you on celebrating of all of my families? I’m sorry, all of us here are stepping up to the plate.”

And, she added, “You don’t like what we do sometimes, but we show up to the game. We put our name out there, and we run.”

All this, and more, was delivered in an angry, emotional — some might call it defensive — tone.

So, a few points.

First, Ms. Fluor, thank you for your 26-year service. I mean that sincerely, without even a hint of sarcasm. You are right that you “stepped up,” and you deserve the community’s unqualified gratitude for doing what can often feel like a thankless job.

It’s not just me saying so. Even your harshest critics often begin their remarks by thanking board members for their service and stress that their dissatisfaction isn’t personal. They believe that trustees are good people who have, in some instances, lost sight of the reasons they ran for the positions in the first place.

All that appreciation aside, I believe that Fluor got a few things wrong.

Other people don’t step up? Is she forgetting last November’s election? That’s when she narrowly defeated her District 3 challenger, Amy Peters, whose candidacy was actively supported by many who have worked hard to reinvigorate the board with new blood.

Those activists you challenged would likely argue that the advantage enjoyed by longtime incumbents is one factor discouraging more potential candidates from entering a costly race. Term limits would help diminish that advantage, they believe.

Fluor was most off base, however, when she complained about missing birthdays, anniversaries and family celebrations in service of school business – as if board members are the only ones making such sacrifices.

If she was hoping either to persuade or shame those campaigning for change — all hard-working parents, teachers and volunteers — into backing down, she blew it. Rather than engendering more empathy or respect for Fluor and her colleagues, her chastising remarks likely hardened her critics’ views that she and others have been too long on the job.

Indeed, resentment over Fluor’s speech appeared to run high, and the sore feelings were further stoked by the decision to reduce the time allotted to speakers during the public comments’ period of the meeting from the usual three minutes to just two minutes.

I doubt Fluor’s intention was to win hearts and change minds. I suspect her frustration just boiled over, and she felt the need to vent.

To be fair, it’s not easy being a school board trustee, and most of us probably don’t fully understand or appreciate the complexities of a position that pays just $470.11 a month (plus health and welfare benefits worth more than $19,000 a year). It’s tough to hear people suggest that it’s time for you to leave.

You’re tired of feeling like a punching bag. I get it.

But as cathartic as your rant might have felt at the time, it would have been far more sensible to take several calming breaths and share your frustrations in a private setting, with a trusted colleague, for instance. Or a sympathetic friend. Your dog. The bathroom mirror, maybe.

The instant you spoke out publicly in anger, you lost ground. And that’s unfortunate, because I believe that your critics would probably have welcomed the opportunity to work together toward compromise.

Now the forces of change are gaining momentum against the old guard. At the next board meeting after Fluor’s speech, the board decided to put term limits before voters in the November 2018 election. There were two dissenting votes – Fluor’s, and that of the longest-serving board member, Judy Franco.

Fluor’s “Where were you?” might have been posed rhetorically, but district activists have given her an answer anyway: We’re here now, and we’re not going away.

PATRICE APODACA is a former Newport-Mesa public school parent and former Los Angeles Times staff writer. She lives in Newport Beach.