Letters: A principal’s workload
Re “Principal failed to report alleged abuse by teacher,” Jan. 25
Without saying so, Los Angeles Unified School District officials have basically convicted the former principal of George de la Torre Jr. Elementary School for failing to report suspected child sex abuse. Yes, school personnel are mandated reporters, but the district should take a hard look at staffing elementary and secondary schools on an equitable basis.
Elementary school principals have hands-on administrative and operational responsibility for the entire school program. They are instructional leaders, staff evaluators, counselors, security coordinators, disciplinarians, part-time school psychologists, budget analysts and more. Middle and high school principals, on the other hand, can delegate many of these responsibilities to assistant principals and others.
As a retired L.A. Unified elementary school principal, I would recommend that the district take a look at the realities of what elementary school administrators must deal with before assigning blame.
Steven Siry
Santa Barbara
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