Letter to the Board from the Bandon Education Association
September 29, 2025
To the Bandon School Board:
We are writing to formally express deep and ongoing concerns regarding the leadership of Superintendent Shauna Schmerer, whose actions have created a toxic, divisive, and demoralizing work environment across our district. The severity and breadth of these concerns resulted in a clear loss of confidence by the Bandon Education Association. We call for a comprehensive evaluation of her performance, starting with board training and surveys to staff and the surrounding school community. Below are the most critical issues that demonstrate a sustained pattern of harmful leadership, poor decision-making, and unethical conduct.
1. Hostile Work Environment & Retaliatory Practices
Numerous staff members have been forced to resign, or have resigned due to abrupt and unexplained changes in workload or placement.
There is clear evidence of targeted retaliation, especially toward staff members involved in union negotiations, creating a climate of fear and mistrust.
These actions have deeply divided staff and administration, eroding morale and undermining collaboration throughout the district.
2. Dishonest and Manipulative Communication
Superintendent Schmerer has repeatedly provided contradictory and misleading information to both staff and the community. For example, meetings with staff have left individuals understanding about actions (such as reversing involuntary transfers) that are later ignored without explanation. There were many opportunities to reverse the May transfers, and teachers made this request clear (as did a substantial number of parents).
After our contract was ratified, union leaders were told that the district learned from their mistakes in the May transfers, and such impactful decisions would not be made without teacher collaboration in the future. 2 days before teachers returned to work in August, reassignment emails were sent out to at least 3 teachers. There was no collaboration.
Staff have not been provided with consistent reasons for transfers, and numerous instances have occurred where teachers were told one thing privately, only to be told contradictory statements later.
These dishonest practices are not only unethical, but they have also been weaponized to turn the board and community against teachers.
3. Harm to Students Through Poor Decision-Making
Staff reassignments have placed educators in roles outside their areas of expertise, directly impacting the quality of instruction.
Involuntary transfers led to the loss of essential teaching staff with deep expertise (e.g., a 6th grade teacher at the middle school), resulting in overcrowding and destabilizing students’ learning environments.
The superintendent’s decision to skip an entire year of math instruction for middle school students—without input from content-area experts—demonstrates a disturbing disregard for best practices and educational research.
Increased teacher workloads, without corresponding support, force staff to dilute instruction, further diminishing student learning outcomes.
4. Demoralization of Staff
The cumulative impact of these issues has left staff exhausted, undervalued, and demoralized.
Instead of focusing on our work—educating and supporting students—we are using our energy to manage constant instability, confusion, and distress.
This environment is unsustainable and antithetical to effective education.
5. Possible Legal and Contractual Violations
Involuntary transfers have been used as a means of intimidation, particularly toward union members, and were conducted without the required prior meetings or discussions.
The superintendent has made coercive attempts to discuss negotiations with individual team members, bypassing proper channels.
Increased workloads in some areas, while qualified staff are underutilized in others (e.g., a highly qualified math teacher only teaching three periods while a science teacher is assigned 8th grade math), raises serious equity and labor compliance concerns.
These issues are not isolated, nor are they minor. They represent a pattern of mismanagement, manipulation, and disrespect for both students and staff. Superintendent Schmerer’s actions have eroded trust, destabilized instruction, and created an environment that is counterproductive to student success and staff well-being.
We urge the board to take immediate and decisive action to address this leadership failure. The repercussions from poor communication, problematic decision making, and use of divisive rhetoric from the top leader of BSD have threatened the integrity and effectiveness of our educational mission. This issue is of the utmost importance for the education of Bandon students. We hope that all board members will give it the full, deep consideration it deserves. We urge any board member who feels they cannot be impartial to recuse themselves from this decision.