Graham Elementary Principal Leaving Newark for Middle School in Albany

has another vacancy within its leadership ranks, as Peter Parenti prepares to leave his position as principal at . He will become the principal of Albany Middle School, replacing the current principal, Robin Davis, who is retiring at the end of June.

Albany Unified School District finalized Parenti's hiring on April 19. His last day with Newark schools will be sometime in June. Parenti said he is "committed to serving the school and the community and taking care of all my responsibilities before I leave."

A resident of El Cerrito, Parenti is excited about the opportunity to work in neighboring Albany. On April 21, he met Albany Middle School parents during an open house. Read what he thinks about Albany

Parenti has been principal of Graham Elementary since fall, 2008. He talked with Newark Patch about why he accepted the the Albany Middle School job and what he'll miss most about the elementary school on Cherry Street.

Q. How long have you been with the Newark Unified School District and how long have you been principal of Graham Elementary?

A. I've worked collaboratively with the leadership of Newark since 2005, when I was employed in San Lorenzo Unified School District as an administrator of a regional program. I began in Newark in the fall of 2008 as the principal of Graham Elementary.

Q. What is it about the Albany Middle School position that appealed to you?

A. The middle school years are very interesting to me. Children are growing up quickly and testing their boundaries.  They want our continued support while they practice acting like independent adults. Teachers can be experts in their content areas like math and science, but they can also integrate their subject matter and teach thematic units. I began my career for 12 years as a middle school teacher, and this opportunity allows me to bridge that experience to proving quality leadership.

Q. What will you miss most about Graham Elementary School, Newark Unified School District and Newark as a community?

A. The teachers at Graham Elementary are among the best I've ever worked with. They are lifelong learners who come to school every day seeking out the best ways they can serve their students. They thrive on learning new instructional strategies that meet everyone's needs. And they really work hard to incorporate parent involvement.

I'll miss the parents, too, because so many are willing to get involved and really want to know how to help their children.  There are many examples of this, but one example I'm most proud of is the Parent English Class that I started two years ago.  At least 30 parents come every Thursday and Friday mornings to learn the English that will help their children in the classrooms.

Q. What are some of the accomplishments you have seen with Graham Elementary during your time as principal?

A. There are a lot of accomplishments I'm proud of, but none were possible only because of my work.  All the best accomplishments were successful because of shared leadership and collaborative efforts. As a staff, we re-designed our intensive intervention programs for English/Language Arts.  We established a hard-working Climate Committee that includes the Morning Minute Assembly, monthly Character Traits and Spirit assemblies, and the now famous Green Team.  We also opened a Parent Resource Center where adults learn the English they need to help their children succeed.

Q. What are some of the challenges you've seen with Graham Elementary during your time as principal? What are some of the challenges you foresee in the future?

A. By far the largest challenge has been and will continue to be the budget crisis and the reductions that we've seen to public school funding.  When I began at Graham Elementary in 2008-09, there were approximately 25 credentialed adults to serve our 500 students. Now there are approximately 19. 

It's easy for most to observe the increase in class sizes, but it's important to recognize that the work done outside of the classroom is also crucial. I'm very proud that the Graham staff still works hard on adjunct committees that keep the school climate, parent involvement and student leadership going strong. The budget crisis is not particular to Newark and the challenges we face are widespread across the state.

Q. What are your hopes for Graham Elementary School, its staff and students?

A. Graham Elementary School is a place where students, staff and parents are proud. They are responsible, respectful, and they solve problems. Everyone who visits sees that immediately. I hope that school and community leaders will continue to witness that culture of pride and build upon it so that children are given the best possible education.