In his last meeting as a Fresno Unified trustee, Slatic slams superintendent’s contract
Trustee Terry Slatic spent much of his final meeting as a Fresno Unified trustee the same way he spent most of his time in office — criticizing leaders over the district’s poor student performance.
Slatic was the only trustee Wednesday night to vote against extending Superintendent Bob Nelson’s contract through 2026, which came with a boost to Nelson’s retirement benefits.
“The superintendent of a school district should be evaluated on the student performance and progress in reading, writing, and math,” Slatic said Wednesday.
FUSD students have struggled for years with lower test scores and graduation rates, and the pandemic pushed Fresno even further back. Recent test results show over 60% of the district’s more than 70,000 students failed to meet state reading standards last year, and nearly 80% failed to meet math standards.
Wednesday’s criticism was hardly a first for the outgoing trustee. He was also the lone board member to give Nelson a negative performance evaluation this year and in 2021.
During his four years in office, Slatic took frequent shots at Nelson for the district’s struggles and repeatedly slammed his fellow trustees, arguing for more debate around academic accountability and less emphasis on issues like changing the Fresno High School mascot or removing police from FUSD campuses.
He also pushed for investments in campus safety measures — including the presence of armed police on campuses and improved fences, both of which have sparked debate in the Fresno Unified community.
Some members of the public thanked Slatic on Wednesday for his outspokenness over the years, as well as his efforts to expose corruption in the district. One presented him with a bouquet of flowers as a show of gratitude.
Slatic’s colleagues on the board also thanked him for his service to both the district and the nation as a retired major of the United States Marine Corps.
“Thank you for your years of service to our country and the school board. It’s never easy,” said Board President Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas, “and I know you’ve stayed steadfast to your convictions.”
Elected in 2018, Slatic’s tenure on the FUSD school board was marked by controversy and sharp criticism of the district’s yearslong track record of poor student performance.
Slatic frequently clashed with the other FUSD trustees and was at the center of numerous controversies.
He was formally censured twice during his only term in office.
The first time followed a series of incidents on Bullard’s campus, including one in which Slatic was caught on camera grabbing a student’s backpack. The second time was after an outburst at a board meeting that led then-board president Valerie Davis to cut the meeting short.
Fellow board members have accused him of racism multiple times, which he has denied.
Slatic, however, appeared to brush off all criticism and leveled his own criticism and allegations against FUSD trustees and top administrators.
Slatic filed two complaints with the Public Integrity Unit of the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, accusing the superintendent and other board members of violating California’s Education Code. The DA’s office concluded there was no evidence of the allegations in Slatic’s first complaint in January.
Slatic was defeated by retired FUSD school psychologist Susan Wittrup in the Nov. 8 race for the Bullard High School area school board seat. Wittrup and the other reelected trustees are expected to be sworn in at the district’s next meeting on Dec. 14.
The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab at its website.
This story was originally published December 8, 2022 at 10:18 AM.
