Tag Archives: board

Parents and teachers publicly derided the finalist for Berkeley school superintendent this week as rumors circulated accusing the former Marine of opposing same-sex marriage.

The controversy could derail the nearly assured appointment of Edmond Heatley, the current superintendent in Clayton County, Ga., and the only remaining candidate for the Berkeley job.

Yet records and interviews indicate Heatley didn’t publicly state he supported California’s Proposition 8, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, as Berkeley critics alleged.

Detractors have pointed to a memo he wrote in 2008, when he was superintendent in Chino (San Bernardino County).

The memo was about a resolution before the Chino Valley school board to support the antigay marriage ballot measure.

In it, Heatley offers background on the content in the resolution, including that it “recognizes that the ideal learning environment for children is within a nurturing home governed jointly by a mother and father as primary educators of their children.”

The memo also recommends the board take action on the resolution and give direction to the superintendent regarding the resolution in support of Prop. 8.

“Dr. Heatley did not take a position on the resolution,” said Chino Valley board President Michael Calta in an e-mail Thursday. “As superintendent, his role was limited to preparing the agenda item for the Board’s consideration, which he accomplished.”

Calta was the author of the resolution, which passed unanimously.

Typically, school board members submit resolutions for consideration, including background and reasoning for the measure, often provided by the author, and then the superintendent and/or staff include it in the agenda for public review. Sometimes the superintendent offers a position on the resolution, but not always.

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Confusion surrounds Berkeley schools candidate, gay marriage