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# Change for the better
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/change-for-the-better/
- Published: 2007-02-02T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T23:59:12.000Z
- Author: Melody Hanatani
- Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import

JOHN ADAMS MIDDLE SCHOOL Like a knight in shining armor, it seems as though the new principal here has swept in and rescued a school that had been plagued by troubles with discipline and bullying.

Parents of John Adams Middle School students are hailing the changes that have taken place in the short period of time since Principal Martha Shaw assumed the duties as the chief of JAMS from former Principal Irene Ramos, now a counselor at Santa Monica High School.

“I think the biggest change that people have noticed immediately is the campus climate,” said Board of Education President Kathy Wisnicki on Monday. “The new principal has really created a positive campus climate.”

The problems that affected the campus last year seemed to stem from a lack of cohesiveness in the disciplinary policy. The issues resulted in bullying, a lack of cooperation in the classroom and a good deal of teachers frustrated with the lack of control they had over their students.

Shaw, who served in several capacities in school districts in the South Bay, including principal of an elementary school, came to John Adams with the intention of firming up the school’s disciplinary policy and getting all the teachers on the same page. She hired a consultant who held a workshop for teachers in August and adopted a new system that has worked well, so far.

“I think we were all surprised by the difference made to get everyone working together,” Shaw said on Thursday. “We still have a lot of things to do. We need to boost academics.”

The differences in the attitudes among students from this year and last is like night and day, according to Duilio Cascio, a parent of a seventh grader.

“The school was run by the kids,” Cascio said. “It was like ‘Lord of the Flies.’”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 2, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020207.pdf?ref=smdp.com)