Schools
Parents, Students to Protest Firing of Trabuco Hills Music Director
They plan to make their voices heard at tonight's Saddleback Valley Unified school board meeting.
A group of angry parents and students plan to register their complaints with the Saddleback Valley Unified school board tonight after receiving news that the Trabuco Hills High music director has been dismissed.
Students are taking to social media to rally support for Howard Stephens. Some even made a YouTube video (above).
Parent Ingrid Culbert said about a month ago, Stephens was notified “he would be replaced because his vision does not match that of the high school administration.”
Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A spokeswoman for the school district, Tammy Blakely, said she could not publicly address a personnel matter.
Culbert said Principal Craig Collins explained to her and other parents that the dismissal was prompted by a “personality conflict and that their two visions for the music program are not the same.”
Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The students are devastated, Culbert said.
“I attended the very emotional booster meeting last month where Mr. Collins stated that he was going to replace Dr. Stephens as director and it became an intense, emotional 2 ½ hours of pleading and tears from person after person begging Mr. Collins to change his mind, from students to parents to alumni,” she said.
So tonight, they will take those pleas to the Board of Education, which starts its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Education Center Board Room, 25631 Peter A. Hartman Way in Mission Viejo.
In addition, an online petition has already collected more than 700 signatures.
Blakely did say the district continues to support the music program at Trabuco.
“The Trabuco Hills High School music program is, and will remain, an integral part of THHS tradition and celebration,” she wrote in emailed correspondence. “The music program will be fulfilling and challenging for students at all levels including marching band, instrumental music programs, and competitions.
“A band director will be in place at THHS and the expectations and celebrations will continue to be robust so students can focus on their passion for music,” she wrote.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
