School administration with San Marcos High School have begun searching for a new principal, after demoting former principal Ed Behrens to a teacher earlier this year.
The superintendent sent out a letter to parents, asking them to attend a meeting Monday night to discuss the characteristics and qualifications they want to see in the new principal. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the school library.
The letter reads:
Dear San Marcos High School Families:
I am writing to invite all San Marcos High School families to a parent meeting on Monday, April 9, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the school library. This meeting is your opportunity to share the qualities, characteristics and experience you would like to see in a new principal of San Marcos High School.Post Now
The format of this interactive meeting will focus on key questions about the future of San Marcos High School that will be facilitated by myself as well as Dr. Frann Wageneck, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. Together, we look forward to a rich dialogue where we can hear from many of you about this important decision and process specific to the future leadership of San Marcos High School.
Sincerely,
Cary Matsuoka
Superintendent
The Santa Barbara Unified School District voted to demote Behrens, who had served as the principal for six years and the assistant principal for 14 years, at a meeting in March. The move came after some parents criticized the response by district and school administrators to a video and comments that appeared online featuring a male student describing how to kill female students.
Parents lobbied for him to stay, saying they thought the demotion stemmed from that social media threat investigation. The Board did not comment on why they reassigned him to a teaching position, citing a personnel issue.
