Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Gavin Newsom’s Redistricting Plan Is on Its Way to Voters. What You Need to Know

4 hours ago

CARB Executive Leader Rips Trump’s EPA for Seeking to Kill Proven Climate Science

6 hours ago

California Lawmakers Advance First Two Bills in Democrats’ Redistricting Plan

6 hours ago

Judge Rules Alina Habba Was Unlawfully Appointed as US Attorney in New Jersey

7 hours ago

Trump Say He Will Go on Patrol in Washington With Police, Military

9 hours ago

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Latest Role Is Social Media Troll

12 hours ago

California Supreme Court Paves the Way for Democrats’ Redistricting Plan

12 hours ago

Why COVID Is Spreading Again This Summer

1 day ago

Most Americans Believe Countries Should Recognize Palestinian State, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

2 days ago
Is Nelson's 'Happy Warrior' Style a Fit for Fresno Unified's New Board?
Portrait of GV Wire News Director Bill McEwen
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 7 years ago on
January 12, 2019

Share

Bob Nelson is asking Fresno Unified School District trustees to evaluate his performance just four months after receiving a positive evaluation from the previous board.
The request comes after two public meetings with a board that includes three new members.

Portrait of GV Wire News Director/Columnist Bill McEwen
Opinion
Bill McEwen
Nelson signaled his need to clear the air at Wednesday’s board workshop on identifying priority projects funded by Measure X bonds.
“Somehow, I need to get us to a place where the presumption is not that we have it out for each other. Right?” Nelson calmly but firmly told the board. “My job as your CEO is to implement the things that you want to see happen for the kids of the city of Fresno, period.
“Whatever that is, we’ll do that. How I go about doing that, you have to decide if I’m the guy to do that or not. I may not be the guy. Fine. But in the short run, I’m going to do what I think is what you’re asking me to do.”

Not a Quest for a Public Test of Power

Nelson doesn’t play games. He’s not the kind of superintendent who would dare a board to fire him in a test of community support. Nor does his job title define him. He is fueled by a passion for education and a love of people. He genuinely wants to know if he can satisfy the board’s goals.
Nelson’s happy warrior leadership style has accomplished much in the nearly two years since Michael Hanson was fired. Morale is up. The relationship between leadership and the teachers union is strong. Nelson deserves much of the credit for helping stave off what appeared to be an inevitable teachers’ strike last January.

New Board With New Expectations

But this new board is altogether different than the boards of the past 20 years. Long gone are the bobbleheads who backed Hanson to the hilt — as he demanded. Nearly all gone are trustees who don’t want to rock the boat on behalf of students who need to be much better prepared for what’s next after graduation.


“How I go about that, you have to decide if I’m the guy to do that or not. I may not be the guy.” — Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson
I wrote earlier about the arrival of retired Marine Maj. Terry Slatic to the board and his determination to hold the district’s upper ranks accountable for their actions and the district’s progress.
But Slatic isn’t the only trustee who wants Nelson and other district leaders to embrace a sense of urgency. This new board is comprised almost entirely of professionals who believe that Fresno Unified can do much better. They don’t want to look back in two or four years and see that the district is still failing to properly educate many of its students.

Hype Can’t Mask District’s Challenges

I don’t know if you’ve ever attended a district board meeting. In the past, the accent was on the positive. To hear trustees and leaders tell it, Fresno Unified was a high-achieving district.
Hanson greatly expanded the district’s public relations office in a two-fold effort: Paint a picture of success to the community while burying academic achievement numbers that often were among the worst in the nation.

 
The district, under Nelson, has continued to share its positive stories through a broad array of platforms. Unlike Hanson, he also has focused on internal morale-building, collaborating with partners (the Fresno Superintendent of Schools office, for example), and inviting teachers to have a greater voice in potential solutions.
I’m sure that most of the current trustees — especially those with previous board experience — appreciate that aspect of Nelson’s leadership.
But, above all, this new board wants Nelson to embrace the urgency and accountability for performance it seeks.

Questions Only Nelson Can Answer

For Nelson, that presents big questions: Is he willing to fire veteran administrators and principals that fail to meet the new board’s expectations? Is he willing to lead a charge to dramatically change the culture?
I expect he’ll think about that a lot between now and his pending evaluation.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Gavin Newsom’s Redistricting Plan Is on Its Way to Voters. What You Need to Know

DON'T MISS

Singer Lil Nas X Arrested After Charging at Officers, Police Say

DON'T MISS

Fresno Doctor on Bubonic Plague: It’s Rare But It’s Out There. Prevention Is Key

DON'T MISS

My Friend Joseph Castro, Former Fresno State President and CSU Chancellor, Is Receiving Hospice Care

DON'T MISS

More Americans Applying for Refugee Status in Canada, Data Shows

DON'T MISS

US Supreme Court Lets Trump Cut Diversity-Related NIH Grants

DON'T MISS

CARB Executive Leader Rips Trump’s EPA for Seeking to Kill Proven Climate Science

DON'T MISS

California Lawmakers Advance First Two Bills in Democrats’ Redistricting Plan

DON'T MISS

US State Department Says Continuous Vetting Covers 55 Million Visa Holders

DON'T MISS

Judge Rules Alina Habba Was Unlawfully Appointed as US Attorney in New Jersey

UP NEXT

California’s Finances Face a Perfect Storm. It Could Eventually Lead to Another Tax Hike

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: Why Is Pismo’s Manager in ICE Detention?

UP NEXT

What Trump Is Really Up to With the Military Occupation of DC

UP NEXT

Immigrant Students Shape California’s Future. Don’t Close the Door on Them

UP NEXT

Potential Conflict of Interest Concerns Arise on Fresno Unified School Board

UP NEXT

Trump’s Domestic Deployments Are Dangerous. For the Military

UP NEXT

Israelis Stage Nationwide Protests to Demand End to Gaza War and Release of Hostages

UP NEXT

How Do We Bridge America’s New Segregation?

UP NEXT

Fresno Home Destroyed in Accidental Fire. Neighbor Helps Residents Escape

UP NEXT

California Legislature’s Final Weeks Could Decide Delta Water Tunnel’s Fate

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

My Friend Joseph Castro, Former Fresno State President and CSU Chancellor, Is Receiving Hospice Care

5 hours ago

More Americans Applying for Refugee Status in Canada, Data Shows

5 hours ago

US Supreme Court Lets Trump Cut Diversity-Related NIH Grants

6 hours ago

CARB Executive Leader Rips Trump’s EPA for Seeking to Kill Proven Climate Science

6 hours ago

California Lawmakers Advance First Two Bills in Democrats’ Redistricting Plan

6 hours ago

US State Department Says Continuous Vetting Covers 55 Million Visa Holders

7 hours ago

Judge Rules Alina Habba Was Unlawfully Appointed as US Attorney in New Jersey

7 hours ago

Fresno Man with Prior Felonies Charged with Meth, Fentanyl, and Ammunition

7 hours ago

Fresno Goes to Court to Fight Trump Rule Stripping Grants Over Woke Language

7 hours ago

‘Where’s the Humanity in This?’ Hear ICE Detainee Describe Being Ripped From Family

8 hours ago

Gavin Newsom’s Redistricting Plan Is on Its Way to Voters. What You Need to Know

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to counter President Donald Trump...

4 hours ago

California State Sen. Christopher Cabaldon
4 hours ago

Gavin Newsom’s Redistricting Plan Is on Its Way to Voters. What You Need to Know

Lil Nas X attends the Vanity Fair Oscars party after the 97th Academy Awards, in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., March 2, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Singer Lil Nas X Arrested After Charging at Officers, Police Say

bubonic plague squirrel
5 hours ago

Fresno Doctor on Bubonic Plague: It’s Rare But It’s Out There. Prevention Is Key

Joseph Castro (right), former Fresno State president and CSU chancellor, is receiving hospice care, with his family requesting privacy and prayers while community members can share messages of support online. (Special to GV Wire)
5 hours ago

My Friend Joseph Castro, Former Fresno State President and CSU Chancellor, Is Receiving Hospice Care

Flags fly above the Peace Arch, at a Canada-U.S. border crossing known as the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Blaine, Washington, U.S. April 2, 2025. (Reuters File)
5 hours ago

More Americans Applying for Refugee Status in Canada, Data Shows

General view shows The United States Supreme Court, in Washington, U.S., February 8, 2024. (Reuters File)
6 hours ago

US Supreme Court Lets Trump Cut Diversity-Related NIH Grants

Dr. Steven Cliff
6 hours ago

CARB Executive Leader Rips Trump’s EPA for Seeking to Kill Proven Climate Science

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to the press after a hearing on the use of National Guard troops amid federal immigration sweeps, at the California State Supreme Court in San Francisco, California, U.S., June 12, 2025. (Reuters FIle)
6 hours ago

California Lawmakers Advance First Two Bills in Democrats’ Redistricting Plan

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend