Letter to the Editor: Former Principal Speaks Out About Mendoza's Leadership

Dear Citizens of the Sumner School District:

I am a proud former member of the Sumner School District’s Leadership Team.  I was a teacher in the Sumner School District for four years and was then honored to serve as principal of Maple Lawn, Emerald Hills, Liberty Ridge and Co-Principal of Sumner Middle School (the latter at the request of former Superintendent, Dr. Gil Mendoza).  I was the planning principal for Donald Eismann Elementary School while simultaneously serving as district ombudsman for parent and community concerns within the district.  My career in Sumner lasted 23 years.  I worked with incredible mentors who have been retired for several years.  I had the good fortune of learning much from my fabulously competent leadership team colleagues.  I worked with excellent teachers who were dedicated to children, student achievement and reaching the goals set forth by federal, state and board of directors’ goals.  I met and collaborated with hundreds of supportive parents via parent organizations, Citizens for Education, curriculum committees and hiring committees.  For me, the Sumner School District was an outstanding and continuously improving public school district from 1987 until Dr. Mendoza’s tenure began. 

Now that the election has concluded and new board members are to be sworn, we can all rejoice in the fact that we have the right to vote.  As Winston Churchill once said,” Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”  Everyone who took part via voting, legally campaigning, phone-calling or sign-waving should be commended for being involved citizens. Democracy doesn’t work well for the uninvolved or misinformed.  Then, too, our country seems to be plagued by persons, local, state and federal who misuse this right and privilege for inappropriate ends; like revenge or monetary gain.  All these actions do is further erode the electorate’s faith in our system.  As a public school principal, I am deeply saddened and troubled that a former public school superintendent modeled the worst behavior (alleged violations of PDC laws and discriminatory postulates) as a voter for the citizens and young people of your community.  As if the electorate’s confidence in the system weren’t low enough, Dr. Mendoza’s actions poured additional salt in the nation’s wound.

Those who took part in alleged illegal, covert campaigning should be embarrassed and held accountable by the PDC. Most shocking, is the appearance that one organization or individual (who is this mystery man at the post office?) submitted a hypothesis that a given candidate with children attending  Sumner/Bonney Lake school(s) would make a better board member than a non-parent Sumner/Bonney Lake citizen. This red-herring is so akin to a racist, sexist postulate it makes me ill. It’s the same scare tactic that some used against President Obama-that he would “favor” African-American causes- simply because he himself is African-American.  In my opinion, this is the real issue that scratches the deeper derma than the claimed ignorance of PDC laws by a man who claims to hold an earned Doctorate and years of experience in the Tacoma School District.  Following Dr. Mendoza’s thinking to its logical conclusion, only citizens holding law degrees are competent enough to hold office in Olympia or Washington D.C. 

As to the alleged violation of PDC law, did Dr. Mendoza never work on the TSD’s levy or bond elections as a private citizen?  If not, why?  If so, why did he allegedly fail to comply with widely understood PDC laws?  Obviously, the former superintendent’s shadow organization was put together for vengeance, pure and simple.  At least the residents of the Sumner/Bonney Lake communities should hope so.  If Dr. Mendoza truly believes that only parents can be the best and most effective public stewards for public education, then what is he saying about the thousands of Sumner/Bonney Lake citizens who aren’t parents but care deeply about education?  Who will he vilify next?  The gay and lesbian community?  Ethnic minorities?  Religious sects?  Granted, non-parent citizens enjoy no legal protection from discrimination, but I, for one, am a non-parent who could govern as a board member as well as anyone. 

Many opinions have been submitted via a variety of sources.  And yes, it is the electorate’s job to separate the wheat from the chaff.  Everyone’s perception is their own truth.  Yet, as a 23 year veteran and 19 year principal in the school district, I can assure you that very, very few of the rank and file principals, administrators, department directors or teachers were overly thrilled with Dr. Mendoza’s actions during his tenure.  The public will never see the evidence of this because the evidence exists in surveys completed by leadership team members on Dr. Mendoza’s leadership.  There is proof, it just won’t see the light of day unless there is litigation.  Furthermore, the board of directors was concerned enough about the well-being of the leadership team and health of the district as a whole, that several board members held individual and confidential interviews with principals and other leadership team members.  The results of both processes were so sour that the board began the process of separation.  Dr. Mendoza simply did not have the confidence or trust of those whom he was charged with leading.  In fact, his closest advisors could not wait for his separation as they were tired and weary of being placed in the midst of Dr. Mendoza’s follies. 

Then, too, some citizens have pointed toward the current board of directors who hired Dr. Mendoza in the first place asking why they should have a second crack at hiring the next superintendent.  Most citizens probably do not recall that the board did its search and hiring quite late in the season.  I met, as did a variety of principals with the three finalists in the very late spring of 2007.  If my memory serves me correctly, two were sitting superintendents from very small districts and Dr. Mendoza was the lone aspiring superintendent and the only candidate with experience in a large urban district. All finalists were from Washington State.  Perhaps the board should have (and maybe did) consider reposting or hiring an interim superintendent given the time of the school year (approximately April) the search process began.  But alas, hindsight is always twenty-twenty and there seems to be a never-ending line up of folks willing to Monday morning quarterback others’ decisions, often with a great lack of information or education about the issue.    

Today, Mr. DeMarre should be thanked for his years of service and dedication to the Sumner School District and for being a constant advocate for the students of Sumner and Bonney Lake. He is a model of honesty and ethical behavior.  Once their terms begin Mr. Bucich and Mr. Chamberlain should be given the community’s support and reminded that their truest constituency is the students who attend your schools.  My best wishes go to all members of the Sumner and Bonney Lake communities as you move forward, get past adult egos and return to the most important aspect of maintaining a vibrant place to live; the education of your children so they become responsible citizens that contribute honestly to society.

Kent Vallier

Have something to say? Submit your letters to the editor to Lauren.Padgett@Patch.com