James, being a principal is the hardest job in the district. They need to balance the needs of the students versus the demands of the teachers, the wishes of the parents, the regulations of the state and the orders of the state administrator. They are always between a rock and a hard place.

The district knows why the principals are leaving. Retaining them is just not a priority. If it was, this would not be happening. The principals would be getting what they need to have their schools function normally.

What OUSD needs to do is stop overburdening the principals with unnecessary stuff; let them lead their schools; stop playing budget politics and give them the money they need. Then hold them accountable to reasonable goals, not ridiculous lofty untested theoretical fluff concocted by those Broad residents.

I contacted Joel Baum on July 11 as soon as I first read his announcement of the joint meeting. There was no reply or acknowledgement of receipt of my email for the first 6 days. Yesterday I tried calling his both phone numbers (which incidentally say, on July 17, “I’ll be back on July 9″, so I guess he doesn’t check them that often?), and I left him a telephone message yesterday morning, also alerting him to my never-replied-to email message.

Finally, he both called & emailed me at 4:45pm yesterday asking me to call him back so that he could talk to me on the phone. I’ll call him when I’ll have a chance.

So much for making themselves available. . .

“Every OUSD central office staff is committed to changing the perception that OUSD is not responsive to the needs of students and schools. Director of Leadership Services Joel Baum and I, who will facilitate the principal selection input meeting for Joaquin Miller and Montera Middle School on July 23rd, have made ourselves available via phone and email to listen to each and every parent that wants to give input. This was communicated via letter to every parent at both schools. We want as much input as possible in order to find principals at each school that will be a great fit for the communities and kids that we serve.

The OUSD principal selection process is very comprehensive and involves the input and thoughts of literally hundreds of folks adding up to thousands of hours of time spent to find high quality leaders. We know that this is an important decision for every child and parent, and we put the utmost care and expertise into the decision.

Eric Nelson
Network Executive Officer
OUSD”

A different question is on how OUSD informs parents of their right to participate in the
process – very many parents at JM & Montera have not been officially notified of neither
their principals retirement, nor the upcoming meeting.

Another elementary school parents tell me that when they put their time and effort into
their principal selection two years ago, they then were told by a School Board member
that the principal actually had been selected by OUSD before their input was ever
solicited.

I’m wondering if all that’s going on with JM & Montera now is just a show, too. . .