If Fresno Unified is to prepare our youth to succeed in life, trustee Andy Levine should resign immediately and fellow trustee Veva Islas should end her 2026 re-election campaign.

The first duties of a trustee are to keep children safe, to set the vision for learning excellence, and to seek equity in educational opportunities.

Both have failed these basic assignments and betrayed their election promises to lead Fresno Unified’s turnaround — a shocking development in light of their repeated campaign vows to be aggressive change agents.

Instead, they have betrayed voters by protecting administrative incompetency and moral wrongdoing, following the orders of district lawyers like disinterested sheep, and blending into the self-preserving bureaucracy like old comfortable chairs.

Levine’s Deafening Silence on Student Deaths

Two students in Levine’s Fresno High region died in events that began at school. A state investigation found “incompetence” and “unprofessional conduct” on the part of two district nurses in the 2022 death of 11-year-old Elizabeth Gonzalez. Meanwhile, the district stonewalls the facts in the death of Fresno High student Daniel Padilla earlier this year.

Worse, in the 2022 death, the state investigation documented district cronyism, an attempted coverup, and the punishment of a district nurse who tried to help the young girl’s older brother. A brother who, in his own words, was “grieving” the loss of his sister.

During this whole time, Levine has never held Fresno Unified leadership to account for Elizabeth’s death. Nor has he called for an investigation into the coverup of her death. In addition, he has never expressed public concern about the cronyism and self-dealing rampant in the district.

Levine’s term ends on Dec. 8, 2028. He should resign today, allowing his potential replacements to file by the extended Aug. 12 deadline for the Nov. 3 election.

Deafening Silence and Inaction From Veva

It has also been crickets from Islas — the school board president — about the student deaths. A trustee shouldn’t reveal privileged information shared in a closed session. But that doesn’t in any way stop a trustee from publicly calling for an investigation into a student’s death. It doesn’t stop a trustee, as Susan Wittrup has done, from scouring public records to learn what Superintendent Misty Her and other administration henchmen want to hide from the public.

Where is Islas’ outrage? Where is her empathy for suffering families?

She poured more energy into trying to rid Fresno Unified of chocolate milk than she has in bringing truth to light about the student deaths.

The question is, why would Levine and Islas be so timid and ineffective? One, they’re both busy with other jobs and causes. Stewardship of Fresno Unified isn’t their top priority.

Two, they’re longtime allies of former Mayor Ashley Swearengin, who wields tremendous influence over politics and the actions of local governments as the head of the cash-rich Central Valley Community Foundation. Swearengin has never involved herself in turning around Fresno Unified or publicly called the district on the carpet.

Islas, on occasion, has been an effective trustee. Levine, however, can point to no real accomplishments.

As Fresno High Attendance Plummets, Levine Does Nothing

What’s more, Levine has stood — again silently — as Fresno High School’s attendance has cratered. The school should be a beacon with classrooms packed with students eager to learn.

It’s in an area of historic, desirable homes occupied by blue-collar and high-earner families. Many of those high earners share Levine’s espoused progressive values. Yet few, if even a single one, send their teenagers to Fresno High.

Not once has Levine publicly called them out as limousine liberals. Or stated something to the effect of “Folks enjoying all the Fresno High area has to offer should educate their children here.”

Fresno High is a beautiful campus, and the district has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its restoration and upgrades. The school has an the acclaimed International Baccalaureate program. What’s happening today is a tragedy and reflects public distrust of Fresno Unified. It is a distrust that Levine has done nothing to rectify.

Levine has represented the area since 2022. He’s had time to get things done. He should do the honorable thing and open the door for someone else.

I’m not delusional. This column won’t budge Islas and Levine, who vote identically on practically every issue.

But if the Fresno Teachers Association made it clear that it no longer supports these two trustees, perhaps it would nudge them.

In the least, Fresno High and McLane High residents have ample evidence of why they should vote for someone else in 2026 and 2028, respectively.