Sun Valley : Parents Seek Right to Pick New Principal

A group of parents and teachers at Sun Valley Middle School are fighting for the right to choose the school’s next principal.

School district trustees will discuss the vacant post in a closed-door meeting Tuesday. They hope to settle a four-month debate that has disillusioned residents about how much control they really have over the campus. The school is part of the much-touted Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now (LEARN) program designed to give more decision-making power at the local level.

Parents have lobbied since May for the promotion of Manny Rangell, a Sun Valley assistant principal who has not taken a prerequisite principal’s exam but who supporters insist is the best person for the job.

“He is someone who relates to the parents, to the community,” said Sherry Noland, teachers’ representative at the Bakman Avenue school. “The bottom line is, Sun Valley test scores have been low year after year. We need a true leader.”

“I strongly believe the administrator is the heart of the school,” said Anthony Alcala, a Rangell supporter. “I want all the kids in my community to have an equal access to education. And I believe Manny will provide that.”

District officials are hesitant to choose Rangell over applicants who have taken the qualifying exam. It is also rare for an assistant to be promoted and remain on the same campus, although trustees made an exception to the policy last month at Millikan Middle School.

When the school became part of LEARN, “they said we could make our own decisions,” Noland said. “It’s almost like the district officials are using this as a tool to keep control of the school.”

Supporters say Rangell should be allowed to immediately take the exam, which is not scheduled to be given for another two years, or be granted a waiver.

An advisory election about the vacant post was held on campus Aug. 25. Although Rangell’s name did not appear on the ballot, he received 74% of the 338 votes cast.

“Here we have a proven leader,” Noland said. “Here we have a person everyone wants.”