By GMCS School Board Presidentt Kevin Mitchell
I am writing in response to the recent open letter from MCFUSE.
The Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board represents the entire community. This includes all our
students, families, employees, taxpayers, and the communities we serve. Our first responsibility is
to students and their education. Supporting the employees who serve those students is also
essential. In fact, more than 80% of the District’s budget goes toward employee salaries,
benefits, programs, and other support.
McKinley County Federation of United Schools Employees’ letter raises many concerns, but several of its claims about former teacher and union president Sawyer Masonjones do not reflect the full public record. The District has been transparent about this case. Two days of public discharge hearings were recorded and remain available online for anyone to review.
The Public Employees Labor Relations Board also reviewed claims that Mr. Masonjones was
targeted because of his union activity but instead found sufficent evidence of misconduct and
insubordination and did not find that his discharge was based on his union role
An independent arbitrator also found misconduct and insubordination, including problems
involving instructional time, student attendance and accountability, students leaving the
classroom, response to student vaping, student engagement, and instructional support. The
arbitrator disagreed with the District about the penalty and determined that discharge was too
severe.
The District disagrees with that portion of the decision and has chosen to appeal it.
Superintendent Jvanna Hanks later initiated a separate discharge action based on additional issues
identified after the original case. GMCS has issued a notice of intent to discharge Mr. Masonjones
for a second time, pending a final hearing before the Board.
The Board supports holding employees to professional and safety standards while also respecting
their rights.
We are also committed to improving the District’s relationship with employees and MCFUSE.
Hanks has been directly involved in collective bargaining and has worked to
establish clear and open communication with union leadership. Disagreement during bargaining
does not mean that bargaining is not occurring or that either side is acting in bad faith.
This is also a new chapter for GMCS.
We have a new superintendent and a Board that has changed significantly. This Board has made a
deliberate decision to be more accessible, more focused on our communities, and more supportive
of employees while keeping students at the center of every decision.
We should learn from past disagreements, but we should not allow them to prevent the District
from moving forward.
MCFUSE also noted that voters will again decide whether I should remain on the Board. I agree.
That decision belongs to the parents, employees, families and communities I was elected to
represent. For the past 15 years, I have tried to serve them with honesty, care, and a commitment to
the students of Gallup-McKinley County Schools
I trust those communities to judge my record for themselves.
Mitchell also released a fact sheet along with his letter to the public. The fact sheet goes into more detail about MCFUSE’s claims against the district. It can be found on the district’s website at gmcs.org.
