The Abridged version:
- The teachers union in Twin Rivers Unified launched an effort to remove school board vice president Sascha Vogt from office, citing claims that she has not lived up to promises of transparency and collaboration.
- Complaints against Vogt largely centered around her interactions ahead of and during a 12-day teacher strike in the district in March. Some parents and community leaders have expressed support for Vogt online.
- Recall proponents will need to create a petition and gather enough signatures to trigger a recall vote.
Classes started back up Tuesday in Twin Rivers Unified, and some in the school district carried hope for a fresh start. Still, bitter tensions between the teachers union and school board leaders persisted.
Most recently, members of Twin Rivers United Educators launched an effort to remove board vice president Sascha Vogt from office.
Their reasons, outlined in a filing with the Sacramento County Department of Voter Registration and Elections, include claims that Vogt “has not lived up to the promises she made to (Twin Rivers) voters, parents and staff.”
The complaints against Vogt stem from a historic 12-day strike by Twin Rivers teachers earlier this year.
During the strike, Vogt and other trustees were criticized for not meeting with educators at the bargaining table sooner and for supporting the district’s use of waivers to compensate teachers below the state-required minimum.
Parents and community leaders have come out in support of Vogt online, accusing the union of trying to supplant her with a candidate of their choosing.
Proponents will need to create a petition and gather enough signatures to trigger a recall vote, which would likely come after the regular November election.
Tensions remain
Teachers and administrators expressed optimism for a fresh start this school year at a pre-back-to-school rally last week, especially with the arrival of the district’s new superintendent.
“It got a little bit better last year,” Charlotte Godinez, a transitional kindergarten teacher, said at the time. “We’re hoping this year it’s even better.”
But even during the event on the Grant Union High School football field, certain board members faced a tepid reception. As Christine Jefferson, board president, came to the microphone, murmured grumbles rippled through sections of the stadium bleachers.
Union president Brittoni Ward said that out of all current trustees, Vogt was the “most disengaged” during the contentious bargaining process.
Vogt won her seat in 2024 with the endorsement and full support of the teachers union, Ward said.
“Our members believed in her,” the union president said. “Up until this moment.”
What are their complaints?
In their filing with the county, proponents of the recall listed a handful of complaints against Vogt.
They include accusations that she refused to meet with educators in the 13 months of bargaining leading up to the strike, that she did not engage with educators during the strike and that she supported the district’s exemptions from salary minimums.
The recall authors also objected to the board’s process for selecting a new superintendent this year, blaming Vogt for not including a panel of staff and parents in the search.
Vogt did not respond to requests for comment.
‘Neighbors for Sascha’
Defenders of Vogt included Jefferson, the board president, and well-known community figures like Derrell Roberts, CEO and co-founder of the Roberts Family Development Center.
“Recalling an effective leader smells like the union is trying to stack the deck! Leave our Trustee alone!” Roberts wrote in a post on Facebook over the weekend.
Jefferson also backed Vogt on social media, including a flyer with the title “Neighbors for Sascha.”
Vogt responded to Jefferson’s post, thanking her for her support.
“Seeing our neighbors unite and share this message is deeply moving,” Vogt wrote. “I am grateful for your friendship, your leadership, and your trust. I will continue standing up for the community we all love.”
Next steps
Vogt has until Friday to officially respond to the claims in the recall notice. After that, proponents can move forward with creating a petition.
Once county officials approve the petition, recall leaders have 120 days to collect at least 2,518 signatures from registered voters in the North Sacramento area Vogt represents.
