Weird News, Kudos for New GHS Principal and More

In a
”
News from the Weird
”
moment last week, I read the following two items on the same
day:
In a “News from the Weird” moment last week, I read the following two items on the same day:

I am so excited that school is almost in session. We are going to have another great year together……I do not think that I have ever been so excited to start a school year as I am now. We have an outstanding staff in place, a supportive school board, a new interim superintendent, the best students I have ever worked for and a community that truly cares about it’s young people. All of the pieces are sitting right in front of us and I can’t wait to begin putting them together with all of you. We are going to make it a great year and day by day, piece by piece we are going to raise student achievement.

I met a student who attends this school and I checked out the Independence High Web site.  This letter was written in a “back to school welcome” section by former Gilroy High Principal Wendy Gudalewicz.  Later that day, I read the following in the Mercury News

Wendy Gudalewicz, principal at Independence High in San Jose, has resigned after only a year on the job, East Side Union High School District officials said Wednesday. Gudalewicz has accepted a consulting job outside the district and will leave at the end of the month, said Bob Nuñez, interim superintendent.

No matter what Ms. Gudalewicz’s future accomplishments may be as a consultant, she will best be remembered for leaving schools in the lurch.  She resigned during the summer as Gilroy High principal on the heels of a controversy about instituting an honors program at the school.

At that time, she stated  “I want you all to know that I love my job, I love this high school and every student in it, but I can only implement what I believe in and what I believe in has to be good for ALL students.”  I now realize the absurdity of that statement.  It is not the job of a principal to implement their personal philosophy, rather it is the job of a principal to implement what the superintendent and school board decides is in the best interest of the students.   Since she resigned, Gilroy High has successfully implemented honors classes for ninth and 10th grade English and social studies, and now offers honors biology, honors chemistry and honors geometry.  I’m guessing that it took a full year at Independence High for Ms. Gudalewicz to realize that honors classes were being offered there.  Or perhaps she realized, too late, that putting her ego aside might be the best way to assure that the needs of all students are met. 

I now know that it isn’t uncommon for a principal to leave unexpectedly, or leave after months of speculation amongst the staff, or just leave because of personal reasons.  I am so pleased that the new principal of Gilroy High is visible and accessible as he undertakes this new position.  I have been on campus twice a week during each of the first three weeks of school, and have seen him each time but once.  I know that anything is possible, but I feel very confident that James Maxwell will be an outstanding and accessible principal who will continue to improve upon the positive changes, both academically and socially, which are happening at Gilroy High.  It can’t hurt being the principal of a high school whose football team is taking no prisoners …

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At this point, I have received two of my three children’s high stakes test results.  No report yet for my high school student.  I want to personally congratulate the Brownell staff for preparing my kids well enough last year to be able to succeed this year.  I was very impressed with the teacher presentations at back-to-school night at Brownell on Monday evening.  It became clear to me as I rushed from one class to the next that middle school is indeed more difficult now than it was when I was in school. 

All the teachers are encouraging parents to communicate with them via e-mail if possible.  They are also using www.think.com which can be a huge help for both students and parents.  I also am thrilled to report that the differentiation of accelerated classes is actually happening this year in math on the advice of middle school parents who were part of the GATE curriculum committee.  My daughter is looking forward to a challenging year of pre-Algebra.

Finally, kudos to GUSD for its brand new Web site. Into the 21st century we wander …