Parents oppose school leadership changes
Author: Neil Nisperos Staff Writer
At Thursday's Chino Valley Unified district board meeting, the elementary school parents - many clad in the red T-shirts of both schools - spoke emphatically against principals being replaced.
The parents said changing administrators midyear would have a negative impact on school morale and student performance, and would be a potential disruption to what they described as a positive learning and teaching environment.
Cal Aero is a K-8 school in Chino Hills and Litel Elementary is a K-6 school in Chino.
District spokeswoman Julie Gobin said the decision to make a mid-year change at both schools has not yet been finalized.
Superintendent Wayne Joseph is expected to meet with parents at the Litel campus at 8:30 a.m. Monday to discuss the matter.
"There are good reasons on both sides of this, so he has yet to make a final determination, but, in the meantime, he's certainly willing to listen to what parents have to say," Gobin said.
The outcry comes after the relatively new Cal Aero Preserve Academy saw its principal, Lisa Hall, depart in December. She will work in the district curriculum and instruction office until June 30.
The district temporarily replaced Hall with Mark Goldband while it opened up the application process for a new principal.
"The position of (Cal Aero) principal became available in late December when Dr. Hall moved over to the curriculum office," said Julie Gobin, district spokeswoman. "She has submitted her resignation and she will be working in curriculum and instruction through June 30. She's seeking other opportunities and that's all part of her resignation."
Grace Park, the principal of Litel Elementary, has been chosen by Joseph to be the new principal of Cal Aero Preserve Academy.
Cal Aero Assistant Principal Ellen Krogman also applied for the position and a number of parents at the school expressed their desire for Krogman to be Hall's successor. Krogman was recommended to Joseph by a panel of parents, teachers and staff at the school, parents said.
Krogman's supporters said they trust her familiarity with school operations and culture, in addition to a positive leadership style appreciated by parents and staff.
"I hope that they would keep Ellen and give her a chance to do the job she's doing right now," Cal Aero parent Lori Carney said. "I truly believe she is putting her vision into effect right now. She shows us she cares about her kids, she's in the classrooms and she's seeing what's going on at her school."
Julie Santos, a Cal Aero parent who was also on the community panel, said Krogman was not her first choice.
"I'm not against her getting the position," Santos said. "If she got it, I would certainly support her. I don't think she's the right person for the position because over these last 10 weeks, she's become very close with teachers and a few selective parents. I'm not sure that she would be able to separate her friendship from doing her principal duties because being a principal is a big job and sometimes you can't be the nice person."
Litel parents have requested district officials look into finding a way to keep Park at Litel until the end of the school year, despite the fact she had chosen to apply for a move to Cal Aero, which would be a salary promotion for her as the principal of a K-8 school.
"I think if Dr. Park leaves, it would be a big disruption for the children mid-year," said Litel parent Kerry Young. "We as parents don't want her leaving at all. If she leaves, I'll be on principal number five."
Young said the weekly scheduled collaborations between teachers and Park "have produced tremendous results as evidenced by our API score. Will this continue under the new leadership or does this leave along with Dr. Park?"
Last fall, Park said she was proud about her students' API results for 2010 - the largest point gain in the district.
"The 60 points is phenomenal," Park said about the school that had an API score of 930. "We had a plan as a school. We had a way of monitoring that plan, and we got it done."
Teachers assessed student weaknesses throughout the year to provide proper instruction, making sure no student was left behind in understanding the material before each test, Park said.
"We analyzed the data and the we looked at all the subgroups and individual students who needed help," Park said. "My challenge was to take a look and examine teaching practices, and if they haven't been working, they should let go of those practices."
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