In an effort to more clearly define positions and provide staff
stability within the San Benito High School District, educators are
reorganizing the administrative structure at the high school.
In an effort to more clearly define positions and provide staff stability within the San Benito High School District, educators are reorganizing the administrative structure at the high school.
“It’s the same faces, the same players. There’s not too many changes,” Superintendent Jean Burns Slater said. “It (the reorganization) will try to provide some stability for the staff.”
Currently, there are nine administrators at the district – well within state education code that puts the maximum at seven administrators for every 100 teachers. The SBHSD has more than 130 teachers.
However, when Slater studied the district’s organizational chart, she noticed a lot of overlap between positions.
“I wanted to know who was doing what role,” Slater said. “There was too much blending of roles. If there’s more definition, there’s more professional development.”
Slater has considered shifting responsibilities for weeks, and they must be approved by the district’s Board of Trustees. If approved, the changes would take effect at the end of this school year, she said.
One of the biggest proposed changes approved by the district’s Administrative Council this week was shifting Duane Morgan’s position from vice principal of student services to interim principal, a one-year temporary position after Principal Karen Schroder resigned, Slater said. Morgan has served as vice principal of student services for the past two years.
“I’ve done a lot of things with kids. I’m excited about being principal,” Morgan said.
His responsibilities include staffing, evaluation, budget, master schedule development and guidance. After the 2003-04 school year, the position will be evaluated, Slater said.
Schroder recently resigned effective next school year to become SBHS’ new coordinator of Alternative Education Programs.
Also included in the proposed reorganization is changing the titles of vice principals Karen Larsen and Santiago Echaore to assistant principals.
“Vice can sometimes mean discipline or punishment. I wanted to get away from that,” Slater said. “Assistant is like the shoulder of the principal.”
Student activities and athletics also will be shifted from the principal’s jurisdiction to the assistant principals. And, the peer assistance program will move from the principal’s responsibilities to those of the director of personnel – Evelyn Muro.
Trustee Judith Rider said the proposed changes are a good idea.
“It sounds very practical and efficient,” Rider said. “It’ll save us money and that’s what we have to worry about right now. We’re on the right track.”
A new concept being explored by district officials is the implementation of support teams that would follow students through their four years at the school. Each team would consist of an assistant principal, counselor, attendance and discipline manager and one or more guidance technicians. This would provide students with four years of support from the same group of people, Slater said.
“We’re looking at how we can best meet the needs of the students,” she said. “If they (the team members) stick with students for four years, they get to know the parents.”
Slater is receiving both positive and negative feedback about the support teams, and stressed the district is in the beginning stages of evaluating the need for such teams, she said.
SBHS teacher Clete Bradford said the proposed changes, especially the coordinator of Alternative Education Programs, will help students who get lost in the shuffle.
“The opportunities we give kids, the better the chance we have that they’ll stay in school and get their diploma,” Bradford said. “It gives them more options upon graduation.”
The programs are an attempt to establish an Independent Study Program within the district, among other things. Currently, students who will miss less than two weeks of school attend independent study. Those who will be gone longer, go on independent study with North Monterey County High School. There are more than 30 students from SBHS on the program there, Slater said.
“It’s for students who will be gone for a year or a semester,” she said. “It will be more support for students in the local area.”
Part of Schroder’s new duties will be career pathways development – providing targeted career skills in classes required for graduation. Areas will include agriculture, automotive mechanics, business and industrial technology, visual and performing arts, sports medicine and family and consumer science, Slater said. An example would be blending agriculture components into a geometry curriculum for students who are planning on going into agriculture.
Four administrators – Steve DeLay, director of finance and operations, Robert Madrazo, director of special education, Michael Robustelli, assistant superintendent and head of curriculum and instruction, and Slater – will not experience position changes.
More changes may occur during the 2004-05 school year based on evaluation of the success of the 2003-04 reorganization, Slater said.
Also, at the end of Morgan’s year as interim principal, Slater and others will evaluate whether to open a search to fill the position or keep Morgan permanently.
After the motions were approved during this week’s meeting by the Administrative Council, a group of the nine administrators, Slater will take the reorganization plan for approval to the next SBHSD Board of Trustees meeting on April 9.
