PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend School District will be driven by a team with several new members for the 2012-2013 school year, with a new schools superintendent and new principals at two of its three schools.
In March, the system hired David Engle as its new superintendent. He will begin work July 1.
Prior to then, Engle will be involved in school procedures and will be part of the team that selects new principals for Grant Street Elementary School and Blue Heron Middle School.
“A change of leadership can be good for a district,” said Superintendent Gene Laes, who has led the district for two years since Tom Opstad left to take a position with the Aberdeen School District.
“They can bring in new and refreshing ideas, since if you have been at a district for a while, you might not see some of the problems,” Laes said.
The district has advertised to fill the Blue Heron position now held by Tom Kent, who was serving as interim principal.
The application period for the job closes Friday. Six applications have been received so far, Laes said Wednesday.
Kent has resigned as of the end of the 2011-2012 school year.
He said he hopes to return to teaching.
Grant Street Principal Steve Finch, who has held the job for 22 years, has announced that he will not be back next year and has taken a principal’s job in Burlington.
The School Board has not yet acted on his resignation letter.
There are similarities in the two educators.
Both are about the same age, have been working in schools for their entire adult lives and feel close to the students.
But they are leaving their jobs for different reasons.
“There have been a lot of changes in my life: I am going through a divorce, and my daughter is graduating from high school,” said Finch, 55.
“She is going to Western Washington University and it seemed a good idea to stay closer to her.
He said the move also would give him the opportunity to work with peers.
“I am the only elementary school principal in the district and having a chance to work with other principals is a good opportunity for me,” he said.
Kent, 53, said that he is returning to teaching for his health.
“As much as I love the staff and the school and the kids here the position is too much for me,” he said.
“Since I’ve taken over as principal in August, I’ve been at the school six or seven days a week except for three weekends, and tonight I expect to be here until 10 p.m.
“I need some balance in my life.
“I’ve gained 20 pounds and this has become about my health.”
Kent assumed the job after Mark Decker resigned to take a job in Aberdeen.
He said the job was especially time-consuming because of a dearth of support staff, such as a dean of students or assistant principal.
The positions aren’t filled because of budget constraints, Kent said.
“I work with the kids, the teachers, the parents and everyone else,” he said.
“When they are all gone, I do my administrative work.”
Kent’s future is uncertain.
He wants to return to the classroom and has a teaching job in the district, but taking it could cause another teacher to be bumped.
“The last thing I want to do is bump another teacher and start a chain reaction,” he said.
“If I took a job that would bump one person who would then bump someone else — that isn’t in the best interest of the kids.”
Finch also had not planned to stay long in his post.
He had been teaching for eight years when he applied for the Grant Street job, not thinking he would stay for long.
“When I started teaching I got involved with the union and became its president in a very short time,” he said.
“In that capacity, I found that a lot of the problems we have in our schools are caused by principals who don’t know how to lead.
“I thought that I’d rather find better ways for teachers to function in a school that didn’t require fighting principals who weren’t doing a good job.”
Finch hopes that the district will find a “creative way” to fill the position, and plans to recommend one or more current staff members to take over the slot if only on an interim basis.
“There is a real family feeling in this school,” he said.
“But all the good things that are happening here will happen with or without me, the school is moving in the right direction.”
“I’ve been sitting in this office, looking out the same window for 22 years,” he said.
“Some days I walk out of the building and see al the kids and the buses and the cars and wonder why all these people think that I’m in charge.”
Both Finch and Kent attribute their success with students to listening skills and empathy.
“I’m a kid at heart,” Finch said.
“There is a rule, no running in the halls, and the person who gets in the most trouble is me because I’m usually late.”
“I treat every kid as if they were my own,” said Kent, who has six of his own children.
“I want to create a culture of dignity and respect, and want to make sure that kids’ needs are met.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
