Orange School Board Must Face Problems : It’s Time to Hire Superintendent, Get Education on Track

Another tumultuous school year is about to end in Orange, Villa Park and the other communities served by the Orange Unified School District. It has been a long time since there has been anything like normalcy, and unfortunately there are no signs of improvement.

But while the district’s teachers and students can prepare for summer vacation, school board members need to work harder on solving problems. An obvious place to start is hiring a new superintendent. It has been more than two years since the district had a permanent chief, and the long lack of leadership is showing.

Four new board members took office last December. They have had enough time to learn the ropes; it is time to act. One of the newcomers, Max Reissmueller, used an unfortunate metaphor recently in describing the task confronting him and his colleagues. Reissmueller said the district needed restructuring, and it was necessary to tear down an old building to construct a new one. But he is wrong about that. The board instead should build on the solid foundation it already has: experienced, dedicated teachers, concerned and committed parents, and good test scores.

The danger is that the foundation will erode as the board dithers. One board member correctly observed recently that many teachers who signed up with the district when they were in their 20s and 30s are now in their 50s and getting ready to retire. The teachers have won good benefits from the district over the years, balancing less than generous salaries. But they have given as well as they received--quality education for students.

Replacing those teachers will be difficult, especially with the poor public image of the district as a place racked by political infighting and public bickering. An education consultant who recruits school superintendents across the country and twice has tried to get a new superintendent for the Orange district said some candidates simply were not interested because of the turmoil.

Signs of that trouble linger everywhere. In recent years, a maintenance supervisor has been indicted on charges of misappropriating public funds, and four board members were faulted by the Orange County Grand Jury for not stopping the diversion. There was a teachers’ strike in 1988 and an attempted recall of board members two years ago. Three top administrators have been embroiled in allegations of sexual harassment or not reporting it; the three have filed a $60-million lawsuit against the district. Non-teaching workers struck for 10 days last month, virtually halting bus and child-care services.

The troubles have beset a district once considered a model for public schools, and schools are a primary reason people moved to Orange. The kind of problems the district has suffered give ammunition to movements like the one aimed at giving parents vouchers to help pay to send their children to private schools.

Santa Ana board members should also learn a lesson from Orange. Supt. Rudy M. Castruita is leaving Santa Ana, where he has done a good job, for San Diego. Castruita said the constant criticism by two members of the five-person board was not a factor in his leaving, but a number of his supporters said the carping took its toll. Surely any potential superintendents will think long and hard about taking a job where they may be attacked by board members trying to advance an agenda other than public education.

Orange board members should face their problems. It’s time to hire a new superintendent and get education back on track.