BREA : Innovative School Official Honored

To improve the schools in the Brea Olinda Unified School District, Supt. Edgar Z. Seal has always been willing to take bold steps.

Shortly after being hired in 1982, he shook up the administration at Brea Junior High School, replacing the principal and two counselors.

In 1984, though he faced opposition from employees, Seal changed the counseling system at Brea Olinda High School, assigning the disciplining of students to the same counselors who already were advising the youths on personal and academic issues. Most teachers and counselors who once opposed the plan now favor it.

Seal, 59, was also the major force behind creating an Orange County region of the California Interscholastic Federation, or CIF.

Seal, who is retiring in June, has now been recognized by his county colleagues for his achievements. The local chapter of the Assn. of California School Administrators unanimously voted earlier this year to name him Orange County’s “Superintendent of the Year.” He is also a contender for California’s “Superintendent of the Year,” which will be announced sometime in May.

Tustin Unified School District Supt. David L. Andrews, chairman of an ACSA committee that nominated Seal for the award, called him “a respected leader who’s not afraid to do what needs to be done to help kids because he cares about kids.”

Seal transformed the district during his 12-year career. Before he came, teachers and principals didn’t pitch innovative ideas for fear of losing their jobs, he said.

“Morale and trust was very low because there was little if any support from the district office,” Seal recalled. “That distrust permeated throughout the community and parents were threatening to take their kids to private schools, so I had to make” dramatic changes.

“You have to be a risk-taker to be successful,” he said. “If you’re not taking a risk to help kids improve, then you’re not doing your job.”

Soon after he took over the district’s top post, Seal implemented the Business Education Task Force. Among other things, the task force--mostly composed of Brea Chamber of Commerce members--provides schools with books, computers and other badly needed classroom equipment. In addition, the committee sends professionals to campus career fairs to talk about their jobs.

He also has helped develop programs to improve the district’s curriculum, such as a computer system being installed at Brea Olinda High that allows students to tap into nationwide information networks.

Seal has always pushed innovation and experimentation. Several years ago, teachers at Brea Junior High started a program of team teaching that has proved so successful it is now done districtwide.

In another instance, Laurel Elementary School Principal Tim Harvey was given permission to test a program to teach all students conversational Spanish.

“For every innovative or new idea, (Seal) has always been encouraging,” Harvey said.