■ Public shows support for BHS Principal Gary Jensen; board to decide matter on March 1

By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

The Benicia Unified School District is proud that the budget won’t lead to significant layoffs this year. On Thursday parents, students and teachers packed the Board of Trustees meeting to urge that another layoff be stopped: that of Benicia High School Principal Gary Jensen.

The matter is slated for the board’s next meeting March 1.

As word leaked last month of the district’s plans to demote or fire Jensen, parent Jill Ray formed a Facebook group, “Don’t Fire Gary Jensen, BHS Principal!” that as of last week had 216 members. Ray was first to speak Thursday among many who urged trustees not to let Jensen go.

“My oldest son graduated in 1997. In the four years he attended BHS, we had two principals,” Ray said. “My oldest daughter graduated in 2007. In the three years she attended BHS, we had three principals/administrative teams. My middle daughter is a senior this year, and in the four years she has been at BHS, we’ve had two principals.

“Between my oldest three children, who have attended BHS during three different time periods, totaling 11 years, we’ve had seven different principals,” she said.

Ray said from day one she has been impressed by Jensen, who was hired in 2009 to replace Patrick Holland.

“He got to know the school, the staff, the students and the community. He listened,” she said. “Mr. Jensen is in tune and connects with our students. They see him involved — at their sporting events, band events, performances, etc. You name it, he’s there.”

“Mr. Jensen, he’s been really involved,” added Ray’s daughter Jasmine, a senior at Benicia High. “I think our school has gotten a lot better since he has been our principal.”

Teresa Zabrek, parent of a junior and an incoming freshman, said, “I’m devastated. I don’t want to go through a change, I don’t want to start over. I have seen him up close, I have worked with him. My son has dealt with him. I’m impressed.

“I’ve worked with a lot of principals over the years and I think that you’re going to lose some incredible qualities that he does have. I hope that if you do look for somebody else, that you will take all of these peoples’ opinions into consideration, that what he did offer was very, very important to a lot of people in this community.”

Karen LaRiviere, a parent and member of the BHS Site Council, said Jensen was told last May that he would not be principal beyond 2011-12, yet in working with him this year she never saw his dedication to the school flag.

“He went to work every day as if nothing had changed,” she said. “He got Link Crew and freshman health classes reinstated and running again. He worked with the community regarding upgrades to the sports complex, put out fires about Christmas trees, attended just about every event his students were participating in, and worked with the Benicia police to find ways to keep our more troubled kids out of trouble.”

LaRiviere said that she did not hear about Jensen’s situation from him until she confronted him directly about it last month.

“I’m sure things have fallen through the cracks, or there have been problems with communication. But when you have the wreckage left by seven principals in 11 years, that is a lot of turnover and turmoil to unravel while making sure everything else runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis for your 1,650 students.”

Teachers from the high school also spoke on Jensen’s behalf.

Lisa Honeycutt, English department chair, mentioned some tough conversations Jensen had to have with members of her department. “He did it. He’s the first principal in a very, very long time to take on those situations.

“There’s definitely been changes made that we have been promised for years and years that no one ever tackled, no one ever made those changes happen, and Gary was able to do that,” she said.

Sue Gibbs, another English teacher, read part of a letter from a man named Alexander Tuiolosega.

“If you work at Benicia High School, you know how important Alex Tuiolosega is to the workings of Benicia High School,” Gibbs said. “For him to write this, he’s not a political person at all. I hope that carries some weight.”

Tuiolosega wrote that in the time he has been at the high school the turnover rate for administrators has been exceptionally high. “Given all of the tasks that the high school has to accomplish in the upcoming months … I would ask the board if a change in leadership at this time would be the most efficient use of our efforts.”

Gibbs called for consistency, saying morale suffers otherwise.

“When people shake their head at me and say, ‘You know, why is the morale at the high school so bad?’ Well, it’s difficult when you never know from year to year who is going to be in the front office. You walk in at the end of summer and you go, ‘Oh, they’ve changed the color of the paint on the walls again, we must have a new principal.’”

Janet Richardson, a 15-year teaching veteran, praised Jensen’s “open door policy” and lauded his willingness to go to classrooms to speak with the students. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a principal in a classroom talk with students — they send someone else. And they’re usually not available.”

Teacher Christine Mani’s commentary was short.

“I’ve been here for 13 years — seven principals. It’s ridiculous. It’s stupid. It’s stupid! I’m sorry, it really, really is.

“We’re trying to teach the kids, we’re trying to get consistency for all of us. You really need to think, if you want him to do something better, do something different, give him something. He’s going to do it! That’s all I ask.”

If Jensen is given a pink slip, he won’t be joined by many others in the district. For the first time in years, BUSD won’t issue terminations this spring of district staff because of budget cuts.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Gardner presented to the board a resolution for the reduction of just 0.4 positions this year. Last year the board reduced 30.65, though many were later rescinded.

“We were able to limit it as much as possible, but we still need to reduce it by 0.4,” Gardner said. Those reductions are the result of poor enrollment, not budget difficulties, he said.

“Somebody should be celebrating, somewhere,” said Rosie Switzer, board president.

“I think everybody’s very pleased,” Gardner said. “In fact this is the first time, I believe, in about five years that we haven’t had significant layoffs, at least preliminary layoff notices, issued.”