Parents want to keep principal

Instead of searching for a new high school principal, how about just trying to talk Principal Nancy Blade into staying?

That was the prevailing opinion of the more than 100 parents who attended a meeting Monday to discuss replacing Blade, who is stepping down in June.

Frank Cosca, an educational consultant hired by the Laguna Beach Unified School District to help identify the community’s most desired characteristics in a new principal, led Monday’s meeting.

Cosca has asked the public to tell him what they would like to see in a new principal and what they see as the school’s strengths and weaknesses. From that, he will identify the best type of candidate to replace Blade and send it to Supt. Theresa Daem.

But Monday’s meeting turned out to be more of a forum for parents to express their frustration with Blade’s resignation.

“I don’t think you’re going to find a better principal for this school anywhere,” said parent Steve Sachse.

Most of the parents asked Cosca to have Daem try to talk Blade into staying.

After that, a flood of parents then left the meeting.

Only 11 remained to participate in Cosca’s exercise to vote on the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

The parents decided that the school’s strengths are a committed and caring staff; an international legacy for performing and visual arts, a close-knit and inclusive student body, and strong community support.

Weaknesses include a lack of administrative support for the principal, a need for more classes -- including industrial arts and home economics classes that have been phased out, a master schedule that has conflicts, the tendency to treat all of the students the same, and a pattern of letting mid-range performing students who “fall through the cracks” compared with high- and low-achievers.

Another weakness the parents claimed was aimed at local newspapers who allegedly publish letters to the editor without confirming facts.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Should the school district refuse to accept the resignation of high school Principal Nancy Blade? Write us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA, 92652, e-mail us at coastlinepilot@latimes.com or fax us at 494-8979. Please give your name and tell us your home address and phone number for verification purposes only.