Christopher Peak pre-pandemic photo
Yesenia Rivera.
Yesenia Rivera overwhelmingly won reappointment to serve another four years on the Board of Education, with a diverse array of supporters praising her work ethic and commitment to local public schools — and a handful of critics slamming her summertime vote to resume in-person classes during the pandemic.
The Board of Alders took that reappointment vote Monday night during its most recent bimonthly meeting.
The virtual meeting took place online via Zoom and YouTube Live.
With a voice vote overwhelmingly in support, the alders gave a final approval for Mayor Justin Elicker’s reappointment of Rivera to serve on the Board of Education through Dec. 31, 2024.
The director of a school-based childcare program, Rivera has been on the Board of Education since former Mayor Toni Harp tapped her to fill an empty seat in early 2019. She has served as the board’s president since January.
A late November committee hearing on Rivera’s reappointment saw alders grill the school board president for what they described as chaotic and undisciplined Board of Education meetings under her leadership. They questioned her about all of the students left behind by online-only education, and called on her to improve communications between the school board, the Board of Alders, and neighbors, parents, and students in need.
Supporters: “Give Her A Chance To Do A Better Job”
Zoom
Monday night’s Board of Alders virtual meeting.
On Monday night, a majority of alders who spoke up about Rivera’s reappointment repeated many of the words of that many community members shared during the public hearing section of November’s committee meeting.
Reading from a paragraph submitted by former school board member Carlos Torre, Fair Haven Alder Jose Crespo described Rivera as honest, ethnical, fair, emotionally mature and purposeful, and an “exceptionally reliable and knowledgeable individual.”
“I have known Ms. Rivera for some years and I can vouch for her dedication to New Haven Public Schools and New Haven’s youth,” agreed Westville Alder Adam Marchand. “She is smart. She works hard. And she is committed to the goal that all students have the opportunity to succeed.”
Hill Alder Evelyn Rodriguez noted that Rivera is the only Hispanic member of the school board, which serves a student body that is over 45 percent Hispanic. Rivera was raised in New Haven. She graduated from Hill Regional Career High School and Albertus Magnus College. And all three of her children are in or have gone through the public school system.
“I would urge my colleagues to give her a chance to do a better job, if we feel she’s not doing the job we would like her to do,” said Edgewood Alder Evette Hamilton. “Give her the opportunity.”
Fair Haven Alder Ernie Santiago said the same. “We all make mistakes,” he said. In defense of Rivera’s vote in support of starting the fall semester with a hybrid in-person and online learning model, as opposed to the online-only model which ultimately prevailed by a 4 – 3 school board vote, Santiago noted that every other school district in the state except for New Haven’s had some form of in-person schooling this fall.
“Just give her a chance to improve,” he said. “I’m fully confident she’s going to do a great job.”
Critics: Hybrid Learning Vote Was Bad Call
The only two alders to speak out against Rivera before the full board took a voice vote were West Rock/West Hills Alder Honda Smith and Newhallville Alder Kim Edwards.
Both critics zeroed in on Rivera’s vote to have some form of in-person education this fall as the grounds for their opposition to her reappointment.
“It’s not based on gender, ethnicity, or race,” Edwards said about her “No” vote. “It is simply based on the decisions that have not been made. Decisions based on life and death. In the middle of a pandemic, where our children are at high risk and schooled were voted to be open, I have a problem with that.”
Smith agreed. She disapproved of Rivera’s vote to “reopen school during the pandemic.” And she lambasted Rivera for hiring an outside law firm to investigate allegations that fellow Board of Education member Darnell Goldson harassed NHPS CFO Phillip Penn over a dispute about a schools contract. “We have to protect the taxpayers,” Smith said.
Rivera responded to that criticism during the committee hearing by stating that she had a legal obligation to investigate the complaint, since it was filed by a school system employee.
Ultimately, the “yay” votes far outnumbered the “nay” votes, sending Rivera back for another four years on the school board.
Just wondering how being the only Hispanic on the board is such a powerful qualification? Maybe---A sop to gullible Hispanics who will now continue to vote Dem and re-elect Elicker????111