Sylmar Principal Won’t Get Her Job Back, Officials Say

Despite a grass-roots effort by parents and teachers to keep her on the job, a highly praised Sylmar principal who failed an administrator’s examination cannot remain at the school, officials said Friday.

Jean Lau, former principal of Sylmar Elementary School, will be demoted to the rank of assistant principal and transferred to Castelar Elementary School in Chinatown, said Sidney Thompson, deputy superintendent.

“We cannot retain her there because of the implications regarding the exam process. If she were to be assigned, we would have to reconsider all those who were not assigned on the basis of the exam process,” said Thompson.

Thompson said the potential of lawsuits by candidates who passed the test was a major consideration in the decision.

Lau, who assumed her post in September, was one of 29 to fail the exam, which is given to all principals within 13 months of their assignments. Forty-five others passed.

Lau received high marks on the background evaluation and written parts of the test but did not receive satisfactory grades on the oral portion, a school spokesman said.

Replacing Lau will be Yvonne Chan, assistant principal of Sharp Avenue Elementary School in Pacoima. Chan, like Lau, is trilingual, speaking English, Spanish and Chinese, Thompson said.

After three days of consideration, Thompson, Supt. Harry Handler and Deputy Supt. William Anton made the decision Friday morning that Lau could not be reinstated, Thompson said.

“As far as the community and the teachers and the children at the school are concerned, it was a wrong decision,” said Lisa Pashky, who works as a volunteer at the school. “I’m still hoping that something can be done. I still think there’s a chance we can keep her, although I don’t know how. We’re going to see what we can come up with.”

‘All Love Her’

“I think it’s really terrible. It’s going to hurt the school. I’ve never seen a group of teachers so thrilled over a principal. The children all love her also,” said Diane Pandy, whose two children attend the school.

Parents and teachers vehemently protested Lau’s demotion. They described Lau as an innovative and ambitious principal who revived the PTA, started a student council, initiated the school’s first instrumental music and chorus programs and established a program to identify gifted students.

Lau also inaugurated a sophisticated computer training program and started a spelling bee for sixth-graders. As part of a program to discourage school dropouts, she invited members of the Los Angeles Raiders football team to visit the school.

Lau’s supporters fought the demotion through a petition drive, letter-writing campaign and appearances before the school board.

10 to Remain

Parents said the district used a double standard in dismissing Lau from her post because 10 other recently appointed principals who failed the same test are being permitted to remain in their posts.

Thompson said the principals were being retained despite having failed the test because they “failed to pass by a relatively small score. It’s not a double standard. We need principals and we’re trying to assign principals,” he said.

A candidate can retake the test as often as needed to pass, but, Thompson said, the examination is not scheduled to be given again until about a year from now.

Lau could not be reached for comment.