Parents and teachers association respond to De La Torre candidacy
As soon as the Ysleta Independent School District school board announced Doctor Xavier De La Torre as its lone finalist for superintendent, reactions started coming out on social media and throughout the community.
Many of the parents ABC-7 spoke with Thursday afternoon outside Hanks High School had no idea who De La Torre is, or his background. They did say it would have been nice to have some contributing factors in the decision.
“It’s kinda like the grass is greener on the other side … until you get to the other side and he probably realized it was a lot better over here than over there,” Ysleta parent Michael Garcia said about the board of trustees decision.
Turns out YISD’s lone finalist for superintendent hasn’t been away from El Paso long. Doctor De La Torre served as the head of Socorro Independent School District from 2009-12.
“He has a great reputation with Socorro. That’s where I know him from. He was a very good superintendent there and I hope that will happen here,” Arlinda Valencia, President of the Ysleta Teachers Association, said.
Since 2012 De La Torre has been working as the county superintendent in Santa Clara County, California. Those who don’t know De La Torre said the decision comes as a bit of a shock.
“I think it would be better in the parents interest and the school’s interest if they were to actually hire who has been here in the city longer,” Ysleta parent Debra Espinoza said.
In October 2013 a San Jose Inside article accused De La Torre of hiring people close to him for high-level positions in the California district. He was also accused of bullying.
Wednesday night’s YISD’s Board of Trustees decision about Doctor De La Torre was a close one, with four voting in favor and three against. What upset Valencia is the way the school board kept the decision behind closed doors.
“I’m not saying that the choice would have been different. I’m just saying it would have brought the community together to have a say in it,” Valencia said. She attended the board meeting Wednesday night and even voiced that opinion.
To Ysleta parent Michael Garcia though, it really doesn’t matter who’s at the top of the district.
“As long as they’re making decent decisions and my children are good in school and they’re being taught well, I really don’t care who’s running it,” Garcia said.
De La Torre hasn’t been officially named YISD’s superintendent. There is a mandatory 21-day waiting period in Texas before the lone finalist can be hired. The board of trustees is expected to hire De La Torre during its regular meeting on March 5.
