On June 26, 2022, San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to terminate Cheryl James-Ward’s employment as its Superintendent, effective August 15. This decision is a victory for SDUHSD parents and community members who rallied together to engage the school district when comments made by the Superintendent threatened the cohesion and unity of our community.
 

In the two months since the initial incident, hundreds of SDUHSD parents have petitioned the SDUHSD Board of Trustees to discontinue its employment of Cheryl James-Ward due to her racist comments, and her lack of leadership and integrity in her responses to the incident.

This tumultuous journey served to unite and energize the district’s diverse Asian American community and led to the founding of the Asian American Parent Alliance of San Diego (AAPASD), a not-for-profit 501(c4) organization. The majority of AAPASD’s founding members are parents who mobilized after the April 20, 2022 SDUHSD school district board meeting, many participated in school district board meetings for the first time.

Our mission is to provide a platform to advocate for merit-based education and equal education opportunities to students of all backgrounds in the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) and to foster increased Asian-American participation in school district operation and policy-making.