Above: Katherine Johnson STEM Academy Chapter Chair Delisa Alejandre delivers a vote of no confidence in their principal by parents and staff to the school board May 12.

Educators at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy, a relatively small middle school in Westchester, are feeling lighter this year now that their nightmare principal is gone. To some, it feels like they lost years of progress when Yesenia Arroyo came in to replace their former principal last year.

Delisa Alejandre began teaching at Katherine Johnson STEM Academy since the school opened in 2017. She says she remembers Arroyo’s attitude was off-putting starting day one.

“She came in with ‘What is wrong with the school?’ — rather than being collaborative and navigating through the culture that we already created and established at the school site,” Alejandre said. “There was a lot of pushback to the systems and inclusive culture that had been developed at KJ.”

Katherine Johnson STEM serves a predominantly Black student body and is a BSAP school. BSAP Coordinator Robyn Cassimere says before Principal Arroyo came in, they held fellowship events for students, family nights, field trips, a book club, and academic awards that helped Black students feel seen and supported. “All that kind of came to a halt,” Cassimere said. “When she came, she wouldn’t approve anything, wouldn’t sign off on anything.”

Alejandre and Cassimere say Principal Arroyo was regularly absent from campus for long periods of time and not following through with basic duties.

“I was on the school site council, and she didn’t even show up to those,” said Cassimere. “She got removed from the committee because she had too many absences. And technically, you can’t even have the committee without the principal.”

“We have a small campus, and students were not allowed to play on the front lawn where they had usually played football,” said Alejandre. “We had our bathroom flooded multiple times. The kids were angry.”

“It was like literally there was a dark cloud over the school,” said Cassimere. “It went from being this amazing little place to a place we dreaded.”

Alejandre, who is the school’s UTLA Chapter Chair, started asking members about their experience with the principal in their Tuesday meetings. Through their conversations, they realized there was a pattern with Principal Arroyo’s treatment of Black colleagues.

“She did not approve the leaves of Black staff members,” said Cassimere. “One was forced to have surgery without being able to take leave. Another had a sick child that required a special surgery in a different state. Without approval, her insurance lapsed.”

Principal Arroyo also had a pattern of calling police to campus for every student behavior incident, violating the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports/Restorative Practices already established by the resource team and admin. At one point, eight police officers showed up to campus for one student.

“I had to recognize my position and the power that I hold in my positionality as being a Latina educator,” said Alejandre. “When it comes to protecting not just my colleagues, but also our scholars, the anti-Blackness needed to be addressed.”

Alejandre started a survey to document her colleagues’ experiences. She wrote a letter synthesizing the failures and harm caused by Principal Arroyo and a majority of members at the school signed it. Members documented issues and filed grievances.

Members worked with families to start an email campaign to raise their concerns with Principal Arroyo to Region West directors and their school board member Nick Melvoin. Katherine Johnson STEM families and staff signed a petition then took an official vote of no confidence.

At the May 12 LAUSD school board meeting, Alejandre delivered the vote of no confidence and spoke directly to board member Nick Melvoin during public comment.

“I told him I would be so disheartened for him to come view our school because of what it looks like today,” said Alejandre.

Educators and families anxiously waited all summer for an update, then just two weeks before the start of the new school year, Alejandre found out that Arroyo would not be coming back to Katherine Johnson STEM Academy. She says staff were relieved when they got the news.

“This year, everyone says the energy feels lighter,” said Alejandre. “The students are excited to come to school.”

Cassimere said she is proud of how the school, community, and even the students came together. 

“This year it’s light and airy,” said Cassimere. “The sun is shining again.”