October 23, 2005

 

LBUSD motto: Working Together to Raise Standards in Dress, Behavior and Achievement

 

I really wish they'd change it to something like:  Working Together to Improve Education 

 

Dear Mr. Steinhauser

 

The Gabston-Howells first noticed Long Beach Unified School District a few years back when Dr. Carl Cohn was running the show.  Our first experience with Jackie Robinson was unpleasant (daughter #2 landed in an overflow classroom with no learning taking place and was waiting to be transferred to some other school) but, once we got through to Carl Cohn, the problems went away.  He listened to what we had to say, then solved the problem for us immediately.

 

Because he did not hesitate to step in and take immediate, effective action, we didn't notice exactly how bad things were.  Our child was assigned to our school of choice and to teachers who, while not perfect, were good for her.  The children parked in the overflow classroom were not our concern. Because Dr. Cohn had cared about our child, our unconscious conclusion was that he cared about all children. We didn't need to worry since LBUSD cared.

 

Frankly, we were snowed.  Then, as now, overflow classrooms warehoused children instead of educating them. Then, as now, education in the classroom took second place to test preparation. Then, as now, the district put raising standards of dress, behavior and achievement ahead of raising the standard of education. 

 

It was only with Dr. Cohn's very effective support that Long Beach Unified School District's very unscientific 'research' on the impact of forcing children to wear uniforms made it into the national awareness and gained the support of a president.  With Dr. Cohn's help, LBUSD snowed a nation.

 

We were and remain, very impressed with Dr. Carl Cohn. Even knowing what we know now, we think he did the best with what he was given and he managed to make it look as if he'd worked miracles. That kind of ability, had it been given free rein, might have eventually reversed the hype to truth ratio in the district.

 

Unfortunately, we'll never know if that's true.  The very impressive Dr. Cohn went away and left you holding the bag. 

 

You, Mr. Steinhauser, are not nearly as impressive.  Every small problem we've had with the district has become larger when you got involved.  You simply don't have the people skills that Dr. Cohn has. 

 

That being true, you can't get away with the stuff that he did.  He was able to muddle along, do a half-acceptable job and have everyone in the world praise him for it.  That won't work for you sir. You don't have the personality for it.  You need to actually accomplish something if you're to be respected.

 

Below, free of charge, are a few suggestions on how to step out of Carl Cohn's shadow and be a real superintendent of schools. 

 

First, you need to stop blindly supporting the school uniform claims.  You simply don't have to charisma to make us willing to ignore the truth, sir.  Stop supporting LBUSD policy instead of the law.  The uniforms can't magically make children behave better, make them smarter, or make them as gentle as little lambs. The respectable research even goes so far as to say that time spent by teachers in enforcement of the policy has a negative impact on student learning.

 

Following Dr. Cohn's lead in the school uniform debate won't get you any recognition . Standing up and admitting the truth might.  Long Beach Unified was the first school district to claim uniforms magically make the world a better place, it should be the first to admit that the magic was done with smoke and mirrors.

 

The next thing on the agenda should be: Start listening to parents and teachers.  Under Dr. Cohn, parents and teachers  wouldn't be complaining about bad principals.  Not because the principals would be better but because Carl Cohn would talk to the worst of the complainers. He'd convince them that he cared. He'd convince the principals to modify their behavior. The people who are most effective at speaking up wouldn't feel the need to do so.

 

He would never say, as you did, that the bad principals worked for him not the parents and teachers.  He'd never be stupid enough to tell parents and teachers that they should step back  and not complain because he was satisfied with the principals in question. He was good with people.

 

Since you're not good with people and you did say that the principals work for you, not the parents or teachers in the district, you need to do something about improving their work.  You need to switch the worst of them around until they land somewhere that they don't cause as much harm. You need to make decisions at you level, even when these decisions are in opposition to what your principals think should be done. You need to be effective, because you don't have the charisma to protect you when you aren't.

 

Third, you need to change the motto.  It's a stupid motto.  It only sounds intelligent when someone with charisma is speaking.  Like Dr. Cohn.  You're not Dr. Cohn and people notice when you claim that the highest goal of a school district is to improve the standard of dress.

 

Sincerely,

Annie Gabston-Howell