Dublin Schools Chief Resignation Spurs Community Outcry

DUBLIN, CA — Dublin Unified School District Superintendent Dave Marken unexpectedly resigned Tuesday night during the Board of Trustees meeting.

Upon DUSD's request, Marken came out of retirement to serve as superintendent of the district's 14 schools and oversee 12,000 students and 550 teachers during a tumultuous time with numerous vacancies. At the time, officials told Marken they sought his help because they believed in his skills and leadership, Marken told Patch. But as time went on and board elections took place in November, Marken said it became clear that a majority of the board "did not believe what was originally said 15 months ago," and that his abilities were "no longer important and necessary."

"If you find yourself in a situation where your bosses don't trust you and you don't trust your boss, you should no longer work for your boss anymore," Marken said during the meeting.

DUSD Board President Dan Cherrier told Patch that the board was shocked and saddened by his decision to leave, but that they wish him the best. Marken did a lot of good work in the district, Cherrier said. All executive-level positions were staffed for the first time in a long time. And "the educational product has never been better," he said.

"It's been a lot of good with a few things that there's been some level of disagreement about," Cherrier said. The board has an "overriding concern to make sure money is spent in the best way possible."

Parents and staff wrote board members to express their disappointment with the board's leadership in the hours after Marken's resignation.

"The pure joy that overcame me when Dr. Marken was appointed interim superintendent was electrifying," teachers wrote. "Now DUSD is completely screwed. We have no leader."

An 'Arduous' Return To DUSD

Marken served Dublin schools for more than 15 years as a principal and administrator, ending his tenure there as an assistant superintendent, he said. He went on to accept a superintendent position with Newark schools for five years, then retired and worked part-time at Equal Opportunity Schools, a nonprofit that champions the enrollment of more children of color and children from lower-income families in advanced placement classes.

Marken said he he was very happy with his work at the nonprofit, but when DUSD came asking for his help, he agreed to work part-time for the district.

He ultimately came out of retirement to serve as full-time superintendent. The decision came at great personal and financial expense for Marken, who said he had to rent an apartment in Dublin and maintain two households, step down from his nonprofit role, work 50 to 70-hour weeks and spend less time with his 11 grandchildren who live elsewhere.

"If it hadn't been for Dublin and that I spent 15 years there, I would have dismissed [the offer] out of hand," Marken said.

When Marken arrived, he discovered that classroom operations were better than he remembered, but "everything else was far worse than I had imagined," he said.

He said he did not expect his work at the district to be so "arduous."

While Marken declined to elaborate on any conflicts with the board, he said he believes that a district's superintendent and staff — not the school board — should run day-to-day operations.

Board President Cherrier agreed that routine matters should be led by staff, but said the board plays a role in major policy and directional decisions.

"I came back because I felt I could do good" and loved the students, families and staff of DUSD, Marken said. "It did not work out and I am deeply saddened."

Marken said his resignation came on the heels of a weeks-long performance evaluation process. His evaluation was discussed in closed session prior to the public portion of the DUSD Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night. Marken resigned during closed session and subsequently read his resignation letter during the public meeting.

As Marken eyes his next chapter, he said he does not feel obligated to work, though he would consider part-time work that allows him to do good.

"I am sorry that I wasn't able to finish everything I believed needed to be done. I want to apologize to our dedicated teachers, staff and administration. Most of all I want to apologize to the students and families in Dublin," he wrote in his resignation letter. "I truly hope someone else can somehow, some way, get it done. But that person will not be me."

Read the resignation letter here.

Cherrier said the board's working relationship with Marken was a positive one, though there were some disagreements. He declined to elaborate on performance issues mentioned privately during closed sessions of board meetings, but said some disagreements did arise during public meetings.

As DUSD leadership sought to determine the best way to accommodate growing enrollment, the board asked district staff to look into a slew of options to expand facilities. Some board members felt that DUSD should have pursued more possibilities, Cherrier said.

Another point of contention was a tentative agreement reached with the Dublin Teachers Association in the spring, he said. The board and union came to that agreement given the financial information they had at that time, but the governor's office reduced schools funding by 10 percent in its revised May budget as officials grappled with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Marken felt it wasn't necessary to reject the proposal, but the board disagreed in the interest of the "long-term financial health of the district," Cherrier said.

'Our Ship Is Again Adrift'

District staff had no qualms with his leadership, said DUSD spokesperson Sarah Lopez. Marken is "an incredible person, he's a genuine and inspiring leader" whose second tenure with DUSD ended much too soon. He made a mark on Dublin schools.

"We are devastated," Lopez said.

The district said in a statement that Marken turned the district around and instilled a sense of hope in the community during a difficult time in which "the district found itself on the brink."

"Our community and staff were unhappy with leadership, our board was down to three members and the community was fractured," DUSD wrote.

"Our ship is again adrift."

Searching For A New Leader

Marken gave the board 60-day notice, meaning his last day would be August 23 — about a week after the beginning of the coming school year. The board is talking with Marken to see if he'd like to leave earlier, Cherrier said.

DUSD was working with a consultant to find a new superintendent before Marken agreed to come onboard full-time, Cherrier said. The search process was put on hold last year, but officials will take immediate steps to get the process up and running again, and get in touch with the consultant to figure out a short- and long-term solution as they search for a new superintendent.

The district said it plans to meet today to discuss next steps and will share more information with the public as it becomes available.