A SAN PEDRO RESIDENT, WHO CURRENTLY PRESIDES OVER A LARGE LOS ANGELES INNER CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND IS NO STRANGER TO CONTROVERSY, OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED THE POST TO HEAD SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL THIS WEEK – THE FOURTH PRINCIPAL TO AGREE TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE AILING SCHOOL;

SCHOOL OFFICIALS PROMISE THIS TIME THE HARBOR AREA CAMPUS WON’T BE USED AS A PATHWAY TO RETIREMENT SINCE IT'S LOST THREE PRINCIPALS THAT WAY IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS

By Diana L. Chapman

Delighted school officials announced Tuesday that a San Pedro woman – who headed the helm of two giant middle schools in Los Angeles’ inner city sanctum and was embroiled in controversy in June, will return from vacation and take the reins of ailing San Pedro High School at the end of the month.

Calling her a collaborator, school officials seemed unconcerned with the controversy that flared at John Liechty Middle School’s graduation ceremony where Jeanette Stevens – as the top administrator – refused to give 15 protesting students their diplomas on graduation day.

During the ceremony, apparently 15 students stood and turned their backs on guest speaker, Los Angeles Unified School Board president, Monica Garcia, to show their anger regarding upcoming layoffs and increased class sizes at their school, which had just marked the tender age of two and was considered a progressive campus.

As those students crossed the stage, Stevens refused to hand them their diplomas, because she considered their behavior during the ceremony disrespectful. Parents and students were infuriated by Steven’s decision and demanded an apology – which she did not give. The students did receive their diplomas later.

A release sent out by LAUSD school administrators afterward showed support for Steven's decision. She had earlier lamented the layoffs herself in a National Public Radio broadcast.

The radio piece earlier this year discussed how Stevens had built a team of fresh-budded teachers at the school – only two years old- to work together to enhance student curriculum and to make it more enticing to students.

During that NPR interview, Stevens called the layoffs devastating and said “I have to be hopeful, because I can’t imagine the school beyond Sept. 9.”

When the announcement of cuts came, Stevens still demanded respect from her students at the graduation ceremony – even though she herself called the layoffs “devastating.”

Stevens, who lives in town and whose children attend an undisclosed Los Angeles Unified district elementary school in San Pedro, will be the fourth principal who agreed to step into the position -- a post embroiled with issues that three other principals walked away from.
Stevens was out of town this week and could not be reached for comment, but administrators lauded her pick with enthusiasm.

David Kooper, the chief of staff for Los Angeles Unified School Board Member Richard Vladovic, said that his office applauds the hiring of Stevens, who was sought after for the job because she’s a “team builder.”

“We’re very excited to have someone of her caliber,” he explained. “Jeanette Stevens, we believe, has all the tools for this job. We picked somebody not too close to retirement, who can see through change and bridge the gaps.
“She’s motivated and can get people to do things without arguing.”

Linda Del Cueto, who heads this area’s schools for LAUSD and was responsible for Steven's hiring,, said in a released statement: “I am confident that her collaborative style will be an asset to the community.”

An Open House featuring the new principal will be held in August, but the time and location had not been selected.

Earlier this week, officials decided not to announce Steven’s hiring until it was considered “official,” Kooper said, after residents were excited by the hiring of Linda Kay, 57, who decided later to not take the job.

Kay headed Narbonne High School and cleaned up problems with that campus, such as accountability issues and the running of a two-tiered school. But shortly after she accepted the San Pedro job, the former principal and director of several intermediate schools decided to retire instead.

Therefore, Stevens will replace former principal Bob DiPietro, who remained for two years at San Pedro when family crises led to his decision to resign. He took over for Diana Gelb, who quit and went into retirement after one year.

San Pedro High has been plagued with a series of problems from teacher and administrative entrenchment, intense overcrowding, a 50 percent dropout rate – and worse, a score in accreditation that rates at comparable or less than that of several of the district’s inner city schools.

The campus received a two rating out of ten which some educators consider similar to a D grade. Stevens also headed Berendo Middle School prior to taking her new job at Liechty.