10.18.24 Read Time: 2 min Flournoy Elementary Fights to Remove Principal Educators at Flournoy Elementary School in Watts are ringing the alarm as the principal’s negligence and unprofessionalism has caused the campus to unravel into disarray. UTLA Chapter Chair Elise Pepe and Vice Chapter Chair Jessica Miller say the working and learning conditions the principal has created at Flournoy Elementary are unacceptable. Special Education classes don’t have the required number of teaching assistants or are overenrolled. The school has no reading or math interventionists, no librarian, no PSA, and no orchestra teacher. Pepe says the principal does not put systems in place leading to years of backlogged Student Support Progress Team referrals. “A fourth-grade teacher brought up how a specific student has had an SSPT put in for first, second, and third grade, but the student has not received any interventions.” Without enough custodial staff, boxes and furniture are piling up in the cafeteria and hallways, and food spills are left unclean. Educators are left in the dark when it comes to the school schedule, not knowing when the principal will be off campus and often not being notified about important meetings, like IEP meetings, until the day of. This year, the principal pressured educators and staff to sign off on the school safety plan saying it was made in collaboration with the school safety committee, but educators who the principal had assigned to the committee hadn’t even been notified of their role. The list of violations and grievances goes on and on, and they all point to the principal’s mismanagement since she started at Flournoy Elementary. “These are the kinds of things that drive away good teachers,” said Miller. “Flournoy is tired of being put on the back burner.” So last year, Flournoy Elementary educators started to organize. They held a vote of no confidence — which 96% of the school’s UTLA and SEIU 99 members signed onto — and compiled a binder to document violations. They took these to the LAUSD Region South superintendent, but after a year still have seen little to no change. This year, educators started building up their Local School Leadership Council to hold the principal accountable and took their fight to their BD 7 school board member Tanya Franklin Ortiz. Flournoy Elementary UTLA and SEIU 99 members share their concerns with their BD 7 school board member and demand action. However, the root of the problem remains unaddressed and now educators are ready to escalate their fight to remove the principal. “Our students deserve a school that they’re proud to go to and that they feel safe to go to, and that is clean to go to,” said Miller. “It feels like we have to literally do this FBI investigation in order for this community to be heard and to get its basic rights. And it is just not fair.” Educators and staff are garnering the support of parents who are also outraged about the principal’s disrespect and lack of communication. Parents started circulating a petition to remove the principal and this week, the LAUSD Region South superintendent announced a parent meeting at to share updates and gather feedback from Flournoy Elementary families. Educators, staff, and parents are tired of waiting for change. They are ready to turn up the pressure to demand the district replace their principal. Recent News See All Posts Thousands Hit School Sidewalks for Immigration Rights 05.02.25 California Educator Unions Announce Launch of ‘We Can’t Wait’ Statewide Campaign 05.02.25 Families and Students Demand Action Following Racist Attacks 17.01.25