Facing a major leadership test this week, Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her ducked the assignment.

Instead of publicly addressing the concerns of parents and educators about the reassignment of five principals and 26 vice principals, she sat silently in a packed boardroom.

As if silence would magically make the problem and frustration disappear.

Everyone there needed to hear from the superintendent. She approved the transfers, and the buck stops at her desk.

Instead, she left the district’s seven trustees twisting in the wind, absorbing complaints and criticism from people who are passionate about their children’s education and from educators deeply invested in Fresno Unified.

This was the kind of passion that people hoping and working toward Fresno Unified’s rebound want to see. The kind of passion that needs to be converted into more parent participation and closer attention to student learning.

And wouldn’t it be fantastic if the district had a principal and VP at every school respected, beloved, and seen as indispensable?

Superintendent’s Silent Message: Tough Luck, See You in August

But what did the superintendent do? Nothing. As a result, parents and educators went home unsatisfied. The superintendent’s silent message: The decision has been made, tough luck, we’ll see you back in August (except for the 500 to 1,000 students whose parents will move out of the district.)

A few leadership transfers happen every year and a reasonable person would expect the number to rise given that 14 principals and 11 VPs are retiring, many taking advantage of an early retirement incentive intended to reduce the district’s budget deficit.

However, given the district’s challenges, there needed to be better planning and improved communication with stakeholders.

Raw Deal for Leavenworth

One glaring example of the poor planning: reassignments at Leavenworth Elementary School in southeast Fresno. Two years ago, according to a letter signed by 30 educators there, the “school went through a difficult administrative change that disrupted our community. Our current administrative team provides vital foundation that allows our students and educators to thrive.”

Now, Leavenworth resumes the spin cycle — the one constant being more change at the top.

Instead of Her speaking for the district, it was left to Dr. Marie Williams, the associate superintendent of school performance, to face the media.

“We just sort of had this landscape where there was an opportunity for us to try and balance out teams,” she said. “Sites that lost both of their folks, somebody retired or was promoted, there was an opportunity to balance out those teams to respond to the needs of our community.”

School Board President Veva Islas echoed those points as well. Unlike the superintendent, she and Williams acknowledged the need for district leaders to communicate better with the public.

Another trustee, Susan Wittrup, criticized the administration’s failure to execute the reassignment plan and was the lone board member to publicly oppose it.

Confront and Solve Challenges, Don’t Duck Them

In tough situations, such as those faced regularly by Fresno Unified, virtually every big decision results in unhappy people. However, success in tough situations requires strong, inspired, we’re-all-in-it-together leadership.

The superintendent should have addressed the public Wednesday night, thanked them for caring, explained the thinking behind the moves, and promised to do better next time.

She certainly should not have delegated a subordinate to defend the plan. And she certainly shouldn’t have left it up to the board president to explain the district’s reasoning.

As the meeting made abundantly clear, the superintendent’s “honeymoon” period with the community is over. It’s time for Her to step up and tackle challenges head-on — not hide from them.