Santa Ana Appoints 9 New Principals

Santa Ana Unified School District is appointing nine new principals to its schools, including a replacement for a controversial principal at Edison Elementary.

The principals were announced at a board of education meeting Tuesday night. They are Greg Rankin at Century High School; Dawn Miller at Villa Fundamental Intermediate; Patrick Yrarrazaval-Correa at Carr Intermediate; Robert Laxton at Spurgeon Intermediate; Jeff Bishop at Willard Intermediate; Damaris Molina at Davis Elementary; Susan Johns at Heninger Elementary; Felix Mendoza at Kennedy Elementary, and Chad Hammitt at Edison Elementary.

Before Hammitt was even chosen, some Edison parents were angry about the replacement of Principal Mary Marquez.

When news of Marquez’s transfer reached Edison parents this month, they collected 700 signatures on a petition demanding that Marquez remain in place. Organizers of the petition said Marquez’s departure was spurred by politics. They said that under her leadership, the school’s performance steadily improved.

Other parents, however, said Marquez was pushing a bilingual education system, aggravating an already poorly performing school. The petition, along with parental objection to the removal, was made at a recent school board meeting.

“We received the information, but the decision to establish new leadership is broader than parent [concerns],” said Supt. Al Mijares.

Hammitt comes from Washington Elementary, where he was assistant principal since 2001. Before that, he spent five years as a bilingual resource teacher at Roosevelt Elementary.

Despite the controversy surrounding Marquez’s departure, Hammitt said he doesn’t anticipate problems settling in at his new school and will make a strong effort to reach out to the community. “I believe in taking steps in involving parents ... increasing communication,” he said. Other principal replacements are also stirring controversy. Victoria Zaragoza, a Kennedy Elementary parent, said parents were told in April that their beloved principal, Ricardo Mojarro, was being put on administrative leave.

“We were saddened because he had really opened his heart to the community and did wonderful things to increase volunteerism at school,” she said.

Mijares said he could not comment on the reason for Mojarro’s leave, but said that the principal eventually resigned.

Zaragoza said that although parents are unhappy about the change, and are still looking for answers, they want to “help the community heal.”

Nativo V. Lopez, the controversial trustee who was recalled in March, said the appointments are an attempt to remove non-conservative leaders.

“This is the best example of political vindictiveness,” said Lopez. “These appointments represent the renewal of the old guard in the political leadership of Santa Ana Unified.”

Lopez said the district is misleading parents by telling them the principals are being reassigned and that the district is essentially forcing them to look for work outside Santa Ana.

“They lie to parents that these are not terminations,” said Lopez. “[The principals] are being removed for no good reason.”

Mijares denied the allegations, and said school leaders were replaced for a variety of non-political reasons, including retirement.

“We do a careful assessment of each school and examine many factors ... before a leadership change is effected,” he said. “The process we follow is a very professional process.”

Some parents were thrilled at the new leaders, particularly at Century High, which was audited by the state this year after failing to meet achievement goals for four consecutive years. New principal Greg Rankin was formerly the principal at Villa Fundamental Intermediate.

“With that school, that’s what they really needed, to get someone who’s really sharp,” Patty Olvera, whose daughter graduated from Century in 1995, said of Rankin’s appointment. “I think these appointments are fair.”