Opinion: Michael Allman’s False Claims and Dangerous Record Are Failing San Dieguito Schools

Recently, San Dieguito Trustee Michael Allman sent a campaign email falsely claiming that teachers support him. As educators who have directly experienced his policies and decisions, we were dumbfounded by this blatant lie.

Allman has spent years undermining teachers and students alike, and the idea that we would stand behind him could not be further from the truth. His message reflects either a stunning disconnect from reality or a deliberate attempt to mislead voters about his true record.

The facts tell a different story: teachers do not support Allman because his actions have consistently been at odds with what is best for our students, our schools, and our profession. His term on the board has been marked by chaos, disrespect, and extremism — leaving our district divided and weaker than when he started.

Allman’s email made a number of claims that distort the reality of his tenure. For example, he boasts that “our teachers are the highest paid,” but fails to mention that he voted against the very contract that provided those pay raises. This is not support — it’s hypocrisy.

He credits himself with recruiting and hiring top-tier educators, but that is the hard work of our HR teams, school leaders, and staff — not a personal achievement of Allman. Teacher retention, which he points to as a mark of success, is thanks to the culture created by our schools, not by a trustee who has actively worked against the very professionals he now claims to support.

What Allman conveniently omits is his real legacy: a revolving door of superintendents, repeated public conflicts, and antics that have cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars. In just two years, we’ve seen five superintendents, two of whom left with large payouts totaling nearly $600,000 — all due to conflicts Allman was at the center of. This level of turnover is unprecedented, creating instability at the very top of our school system and siphoning resources away from students and classrooms.

If you speak to any teacher in the district, you’ll hear the same refrain: we have never felt more unsupported by a school board trustee than we have under Allman’s leadership. Instead of working collaboratively to strengthen our schools, Allman has resorted to harassment and intimidation. He’s filed multiple public records requests for teachers’ emails, targeting those who dared to speak out against him. Worse, he followed and filmed teachers who were engaging in perfectly legal canvassing activities, trying to create an atmosphere of fear and silence.

On social media, Allman has cultivated a toxic environment where teachers are often subjected to vitriolic attacks. Teachers have been banned from his community Facebook page and that space has been used to disparage us and encourage division. These aren’t the actions of someone who supports educators, these are the actions of someone who seeks to undermine and intimidate.

Allman’s disregard doesn’t stop with teachers. His treatment of students is equally troubling. At his very first board meeting, Allman famously dismissed student voices, stating that their opinions were “very near zero” and that it was a “dereliction of duty” for the board to listen to them. This kind of rhetoric is harmful and dismissive, especially when directed at young people who are simply trying to have their voices heard.

Throughout his tenure, Allman has aligned himself with supporters who have publicly belittled students, particularly those from marginalized communities. Whether it’s mocking transgender students or sitting silently as his supporters spew harmful rhetoric, Allman has shown time and again that he is not on the side of inclusion, diversity, or student safety.  

Perhaps the most glaring failure of Allman’s time on the board is the immense financial cost his actions have imposed on the district. The lawsuits alone have drained precious resources from our schools. Allman’s attempt to gerrymander district trustee areas led to more than $100,000 in legal fees — a burden that falls directly on the taxpayers and takes away from educational resources.

These are funds that could have been used to improve classrooms, support teachers, and invest in student programs. This instability at the top left our district directionless and unable to focus on the long-term improvements our schools desperately needed. Allman’s actions have made it clear that his political agenda takes priority over the fiscal health of the district and the well-being of our students.

Our schools should be a place of respect, collaboration, and growth. We need leaders who understand that education is not a political battleground but a space where students and teachers should feel supported and valued. Allman has proven that he is not that leader. He has wasted resources, sown division, and pushed an extreme agenda at the expense of our students’ futures.

Allman’s actions created a toxic environment, where teachers are disrespected, students are disregarded, and the district’s financial stability is threatened. Hundreds of San Dieguito Teachers say it’s time to fire MAGA Mike and restore the values that made San Dieguito Union High School District one of the best in California — mutual respect, collaboration, and a focus on what truly matters: our students.

Michelle Horsley is president of the San Dieguito Faculty Association. A list of SDUHSD teachers who do not support Allman is available online available online.