School district taps Emily Blaney as new La Cañada Elementary principal

School officials announced Tuesday technology teacher Emily Blaney has been selected to serve as La Cañada Elementary School principal for the 2015-16 school year. She replaces Christine Castillo, who will be reassigned to a teaching position.

La Cañada Unified Supt. Wendy Sinnette said a special meeting will be held on June 22 to officially appoint Blaney to the principal position. A teacher with 16 years experience, four with the district, she currently works as a technology integration teacher on special assignment (TOSA) at the elementary school level.

While no details about Castillo’s change in duties were forthcoming Tuesday, Board President Andrew Blumenfeld said Wednesday that, in accordance with regulations, the district must inform employees of the possibility of their being reassigned in the new school year by May 15.

“By law, if an employee is possibly going to be reassigned they need to be notified of that possible reassignment,” Blumenfeld said, adding that the process is not a guarantee that such a shift in duties will take place.

He said the district may know sometime next week to which school and grade level Castillo will be assigned next year.

News of another principal stepping down came on June 1, when the district announced La Cañada High School 7/8 Principal Ryan Zerbel would leave his post to coach high school football next school year. LCHS assistant principal Dr. Jarrett Gold will step into Zerbel’s role, leaving an opening at the 9-12 level.

Blumenfeld said both reassignments illustrate the district’s long-term goal of strengthening its internal pool of qualified candidates for consideration whenever administrative or district-level positions should become available.

“We want a deep bench, so we’re constantly building the professional capacity of everyone who works in the district,” he said. “I think that’s what we’ve seen here in this case.”

Commenting Wednesday by email, Blaney said she was honored to be recommended for the position and had been interested in creating a pathway to administrative while teaching at Palm Crest Elementary School, during which time she earned her master’s degree.

“I am so excited to be joining the La Cañada Elementary family,” she added. “I have tremendous respect for the entire staff, and I am so impressed with the hard work of the students and the commitment of the families.”

Employee contracts approved

Also on Tuesday, school board members unanimously approved contracts with the district’s three employee groups — the La Cañada Teachers, California School Employees and the Confidential, Managerial, Supervisory and Administrative associations — which included across-the-board 4% pay increases retroactive to July 1, 2014.

Including benefits and other compensation, the total cost of the increases for the 2015-16 school year across all bargaining unit employee groups amounts to more than $1.12 million.

In addition to the raises, LCUSD teachers will undergo an evaluation process piloted in the 2014-15 school year and will work a total of 181 instructional days during the upcoming school year. The LCTA contract extends through June 30, 2018.

Board Vice President Ellen Multari said she was pleased the LCTA agreement was aligned with a main priority of the district’s Local Control Accountability Plan, a document designed to drive how state dollars are spent.

“The No. 1 priority we have as a district is recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers,” Multari said.

Blumenfeld agreed, thanking the district and union leaders for their hard work.

“I defy anyone to find a traditional school district that has a contract that looks like this,” he added. “The vast improvement to the evaluation process, the compensation, the teacher leader positions (and) all the extended instruction — it really is just very exciting.”