THE LOS ANGELES TEACHERS’ STRIKE : School Principal Races Through a Hectic Day in Eye of the Storm

On Day 2 of the districtwide teachers’ strike, Le Conte Junior High School Principal Dave Sowers went on his usual six-mile jog through the surrounding streets of Hollywood before reporting to work.

It would be the last moments of peace in a day of non-stop crisis-solving that included improvising a class schedule for nearly 1,000 students, enrolling youngsters in a new term that is part of the school’s year-round schedule and taking care of countless other details.

To be sure, the logistical nightmare unleashed by the strike posed new challenges for the veteran school administrator, but there was no real change in the whirlwind pace of his job that typically has him juggling two or three activities at once.

“This is really not terribly different from the pressure of every day,” said Sowers, 56, who seems to thrive on the crises, large and small, that confront him at every turn.

Shortly after the bell calling students to their first-period assemblies rang Tuesday, Sowers retreated to an unused classroom with a few of his assistants to chart out the day’s schedule, matching teachers to students and assigning them classrooms. As on Monday, only about 17 teachers out of the usual contingent of 90 showed up for work.

Hoping to relieve some of the boredom of the previous day, when students sat for nearly two hours in the school auditorium watching cartoons, Sowers added social sciences to the makeshift curriculum that had included only English and mathematics.

“By the end of today, we hope to be educating kids,” he said, referring to widespread criticism, heard not only at Le Conte but across the district, that schools were offering little more than baby-sitting services for students.

The day’s hectic pace was punctuated by squawking voices heard over the walkie-talkies that Sowers and a handful of his closest aides carried and scores of questions from teachers and students who continually stopped Sowers in the halls and the school yard. Through it all, Sowers managed to maintain his good humor, joking with his staff and the students.

Between class periods, as the halls filled with the squeals and boisterous horseplay of teen-agers, several girls within earshot of Sowers complained loudly about wanting to go home. The girls said they felt they were wasting their time at school without regular teachers to instruct them.

“We support our teachers,” one of them yelled. “We’re not learning anything here,” another added.

But when they saw Sowers, they quieted down. “You’re all going to fail,” he told them with a smile.

Sowers rarely raises his voice at a student, and is much more likely to grab a boy in a friendly headlock while admonishing him than to deliver a stern lecture. When talking to his female students, he often puts his arm around them or gently pats them on the cheek.

His easygoing and friendly demeanor has gained him loyalty, even among some of the teachers picketing outside. Several described him as personable and easy to work with. They reserved their harsh criticism for district administrators.

The admiration is apparently mutual. Sowers lauds his teachers as highly qualified and dedicated. “The teachers here do a hell of a job,” he said simply.

Sowers refused to talk about the specifics of the teachers’ demands, however, noting that his main concern, once the strike is over, will be to mend bridges and build a spirit of cooperation once again.

Out in the school yard, his daily training on the track came in handy as he crisscrossed the campus with long, quick strides, stopping to speak with teachers taking a short break in the faculty cafeteria, or racing to the gym at the other end of the yard to check a fire alarm that accidentally tripped.

“On this job, you have to be able to scope in and out real fast, from micro to macro dimensions,” he said, finally relaxing over a cup of coffee.

Even though he is used to the breakneck pace, Sowers said he hopes the strike is over soon so that teachers can return to work and he can begin rebuilding the school program.

“It will take some effort on all our parts, but it is not an insurmountable challenge,” Sowers said.