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Monterey County Office of Education
Leadership, Support and Service to Prepare All Students for Success
Dr. Deneen Guss, County Superintendent of Schools
Board Member | Term: 2018 through 2022
831.755.0301
hkuffner@montereycoe.org
Harvey Kuffner of Carmel represents Trustee Area One, which consists mainly of New Monterey, Pacific Grove, Del Monte Forest, Carmel-by the-Sea, Carmel Valley, and Big Sur. Mr. Kuffner was first appointed to the Monterey County Board of Education in 1996 to fill a vacant position. Mr. Kuffner has brought a range of experience and community involvement to the County Board of Education. Along with his military service, he has served as Vice President and partner in a computer company, and also held managerial positions with the Internal Revenue Service for 19 years. Mr. Kuffner received a BA in Industrial Relations from San Jose State University and an MBA in Management from Fresno State University.
Mr. Kuffner has served as a Commissioner of the Community Action Partnership, and on the 1992 and 1995 Monterey County Civil Grand Juries. He currently serves on the Community Human Services Board.
Board Member | Term: 2015 through 2024
831.755.0301
jmcpherson@montereycoe.org
John McPherson represents Trustee Area 2, which extends from South Salinas to the City of Monterey, as well as mid-County including Chualar and Gonzales. Trustee Area Two encompasses all or major of eight different school districts. Mr. McPherson was elected to the Board of Education in November 2011. A long-time Monterey County resident, John has been a leading advocate in the fight against Human Trafficking in the County. He was the catalyst for the County Board of Education adopting an anti trafficking campaign as one of its goals, and has spoken before many civic and business groups on the issue.
In addition to his work on the Board of Education, Mr. McPherson is on the executive committee for the California County School Boards Association, has served as a delegate to the California School Boards Association Delegate Assembly, and was previously the President of the Oversight Board for the Sand City Redevelopment Successor Agency. He also currently works in the produce industry, and previously he held positions in marketing, information services and operations for Household Credit Services. He demonstrates his passion of young people through coaching youth basketball and volunteering with the Buena Vista 4H Club.
Also an author, Mr. McPherson has written a book on parenting titled “Ten Simple Rules for Being a Better Parent.”
A graduate of the University of Southern California in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Mr. McPherson resides with his wife Christina and two children in Las Palmas.
Board Vice-President | Term: 2018 through 2022
831.755.0301
judypennycook@gmail.com
Judy Pennycook represents the North Monterey County area of Trustee Area Three. Mrs. Pennycook was first elected to the Monterey County Board of Education in 2003. She brings a wide range of experience to the Board of Education in both education and legal. Mrs. Pennycook graduated from the University of California Irvine with a BA in Social Science, and obtained her Preliminary Teacher Credential from the California State University Northridge and Directorship of Early Childhood Certification from the University of California Los Angeles. Mrs. Pennycook also attended the Monterey College of Law and graduated from the California School Boards Association Masters in Boardsmanship Certification course.
Mrs. Pennycook has served as a member of numerous community groups including the 101 Bypass Executive Committee, AYSO Youth Soccer Executive Board, Reading is Fundamental Board of Directors and Restorative Justice Commission. In addition, she also served on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and on the North Monterey County Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Board Member - Term: 2015 through 2024
831.755.0301
jwohlgemuth@montereycoe.org
Janet Wohlgemuth is the Trustee for Area 4, which encompasses the southeastern and southwestern parts of the city of Salinas. She was elected to the board in November 2015.
Janet Wohlgemuth was born and raised in Monterey County, attended local schools and received her degree in Fire Science from Hartnell Community College. For over 20 years, she has worked with young adults ages 18-25, for the California Conservation Corps, teaching emergency response such as fighting fires, floods, and earthquakes, and working outdoors to improve natural resources. She was awarded the Governor’s Safety Award in 2000.
Ms. Wohlgemuth has two children in public schools. Building a strong community is one of her biggest priorities. She is deeply invested in her community and has served as Vice President and Treasurer of the Laurel Wood School PTC Board, Continental Little League Board of Directors and Umpire, a 4H volunteer, Salinas Valley Model Railroad Museum docent, Salinas Rodeo volunteer, and a foster care parent.
Board President - Term: 2015 through 2024
831.755.0301
ronpanziera@razzolink.com
Ronald J. Panziera of Soledad represents Trustee Area Five on the Monterey County Board of Education, which includes the most southern section of the Salinas Valley including ten school districts from Soledad to Bradley. He was first appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board in 2006.
Mr. Panziera is a life-long resident of Monterey County. He is a partner in Boggiatto Produce and the Joe Panziera Farm.
Mr. Panziera is a 1968 graduate of Gonzales High School and attended Hartnell College before entering the United States Navy. Among Mr. Panziera’s other community involvements, he also is a member of the Soledad American Legion Post 32 after serving as Commander for the six years.
Board Member | Term: 2018 through 2022
831.755.0301
mclaypool@montereycoe.org
Mary Claypool, a prominent Seaside business leader, was appointed to fill the provisional vacancy in Board Trustee Area 6 at a special meeting of the Monterey County Board of Education on November 7, 2012. Trustee Area 6 is comprised mainly of the cities of Marina, Seaside and Sand City.
“Education is critical to the health of our nation, state and county. My wish is to ensure all students are offered equal access to an excellent education, and to keep the community informed and engaged. I am passionate about improving the quality and access of education to all students,” states Claypool.
Claypool has served on various parent-teacher associations, worked directly in classrooms, and currently serves as a member of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Bond Oversight Committee. Claypool has 42 years of experience working as a budget/management analyst for local government, including the City of Seaside and County of Monterey, and is well versed in developing and monitoring public agency budgets. She holds bachelor and master degrees from La Salle University.
Board Member - Term: 2018 through 2022
831.755.0301
lrsanchez@montereycoe.org
Ms. Sanchez represents Trustee Area Seven which is entirely in the City of Salinas. Ms. Sanchez graduated from Heald 4 C’s Business College with an Associate’s Degree in Office Administration. Ms. Sanchez also dedicated much of her career, 18 years, representing farmworkers when she was employed by the UFW from which she is now retired from. Ms. Sanchez currently works as a Community Relations Consultant and has served on a number of boards and committees including the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce-Central Coast, Cultural Committee of Salinas, City of Salinas Police Advisory Committee and the City of Salinas Measure E Oversight Committee. Ms. Sanchez was elected to the Monterey County Board of Education in November 2018.
The MCOE prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
Accessibility Statement | Non-discrimination Policy | Sexual Harassment Policy | Uniform Complaint Procedures | Title IX NotificationCopyright © 2014 Monterey County Office of Education | WebMaster | Contact MCOE: 831.755.0300 | 901 Blanco Circle, Salinas, CA 93901
Welcome to the Monterey County Office of Education’s Website
We want everyone who visits our MCOE website to feel welcome and to easily find the information they need. Our website will be maintained in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We will ensure each webpage conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA standards. These guidelines were established by the World Wide Web Consortium, an international community with a shared vision to make all websites accessible to individuals with visual, hearing or cognitive disabilities.
How to Report Issues
If you have difficulty accessing information on our website due to a disability, please contact us at webmaster@montereycoe.org. and provide the URL (web address) of the material you tried to access, the problem you experienced, and your contact information (name, email address and phone number) so that we may contact you to provide the information in another format.
Title IX - Sex-Based Discrimination is Prohibited
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in all educational programs and activities, including athletic programs. No person shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity operated by the Monterey County Office of Education. Title IX protects all participants in the County’s educational programs and activities, including students, parents, employees, and job applicants. The Monterey County Office of Education does not discriminate on the basis of sex. Discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment and sexual violence.
In addition to Title IX, the California Education Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools. (California Education Code §§ 220-221.1.) Other state and federal laws also prohibit discrimination and ensure equality in education. Please refer to Board Policies 5145.3 and Administrative Regulations 5145.3 for more information on the Monterey County Office of Education’s anti-discrimination policies.
You have the following rights under Title IX, to the extent applicable at the Monterey County Office of Education:
The Monterey County Office of Education has a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to sex-based discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence. If the Monterey County Office of Education knows or reasonably should know about sex discrimination, it must take action to eliminate the sex discrimination, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects. The Monterey County Office of Education must resolve complaints of sex discrimination promptly and equitably. Information on filing a complaint alleging sex-based discrimination is below, including contact information for the County’s Title IX Coordinator.
For more information specific to anti-discrimination in Monterey County Office of Education employment, please contact the Title IX Coordinator.
Learn more about your rights under Title IX:
Review related Monterey County Office of Education policies and regulations
The Monterey County Office of Education has a Title IX Coordinator who oversees the County’s compliance with Title IX requirements and promotes sex equity in the County’s programs. Contact the County’s Title IX Coordinator:
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Title IX Coordinator
831.784.4195
lbutler@montereycoe.org
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Title IX Coordinator
831.755.1405
evela@montereycoe.org
The Uniform Complaint Procedure is available on the Human Resources Forms page.
If you need assistance putting your complaint in writing, please contact the Human Resources Department for Personnel related complaints and the Student Services Department for Student related complaints. You may file a complaint anonymously, but the County Office of Education’s ability to investigate and respond may be limited by a lack of information.
You may also file a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights website. The electronic complaint form for the Office for Civil Rights is available on the Office for Civil Rights' Website. Contact the Office for Civil Rights at:
San Francisco Office Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
50 United Nations Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: 415.486.5555
Fax: 415.486.5570
TDD: 800.877.8339
Email: ocr.sanfrancisco@ed.gov
For information about how to file other types of complaints and the procedures for those complaints, please contact the Human Resources Department at Monterey County Office of Education at 831.784.4195.
A complaint alleging unlawful discrimination or retaliation must be filed no later than six months from the date the discrimination or retaliation occurred, or six months from when the complainant first learned of the unlawful discrimination. The Superintendent or designee may extend this timeline by up to ninety days for good cause, upon written request by the complainant setting forth the reasons for the extension.
Complaints filed under the County’s Uniform Complaint Procedure will be investigated and a decision made within sixty calendar days of the County’s receipt, unless the complainant agrees to an extension. The County’s compliance officer or designee may interview alleged victims, alleged offenders, and relevant witnesses. The compliance officer may review available records, statements, or notes related to the complaint, including evidence or information received from the parties during the investigation. The compliance officer may visit reasonably accessible locations where discrimination is alleged to have occurred. As appropriate, the County’s compliance officer periodically will inform the parties of the status of the investigation. The complainant will be notified when a decision is made.
Complaints that are not filed under the County’s Uniform Complaint Procedure will be investigated and decided pursuant to the applicable procedure.
For complaints filed under the Uniform Complaint Procedure, the compliance officer will prepare and send a final written decision to the complainant and respondent, if any, within 60 calendar days of the County’s receipt of the complaint (unless this deadline is extended by mutual agreement).
The complainant or respondent may appeal the County’s decision within fifteen calendar days to the California Department of Education. The appeal must specify the reason for the appeal and whether the County’s facts are incorrect and/or the law is misapplied. The appeal must include a copy of the original complaint to the Monterey County Office of Education and a copy of the County’s decision. For more information, visit the California Department of Education’s webpage on Uniform Complaint Procedures.
For complaints alleging unlawful discrimination based on state law, the complainant may pursue available civil law remedies, including seeking assistance from mediation centers or public/private interest attorneys, sixty calendar days after filing an appeal with the California Department of Education. (California Education Code § 262.3.) Note that this sixty day moratorium does not apply to complaints seeking injunctive relief in state courts or to discrimination complaints based on federal law. (California Education Code § 262.3.)
Complaints may also be filed with the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. For contact information, see the section above on “How do I file a complaint of sex discrimination?” and/or visit U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights website.
If the compliance officer finds that a complaint has merit, the Monterey County Office of Education will take appropriate corrective action.
For more information regarding Title IX and sex equity in education or in Monterey County Office of Education employment, please contact the County’s Title IX Coordinator.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Title IX Coordinator
831.784.4195
lbutler@montereycoe.org
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Title IX Coordinator
831.755.1405
evela@montereycoe.org