Principal taught math at Lincoln
SMMUSD HDQTRS Following intense scrutiny surrounding the departure of former Lincoln Middle School Principal Tristan Komlos earlier this summer, the Board of Education on Wednesday named an assistant principal at Malibu High School as her successor.
The appointment of Suzanne Webb, who has overseen the middle school division at MHS the past four years, comes nearly two months after the board made several administrative changes, moving Komlos to John Muir Elementary and shifting its former principal, Martha Duran-Contreras to the district’s central headquarters.
The moves sparked outrage by many parents at John Muir who said they only learned about the principal changes through the media, many questioning why the board would choose to move Komlos, who was criticized by some for taking a number of maternity leaves during her two-year tenure at the elementary school. One of those leaves came when Thomas Beltran, an ESL teacher at Lincoln, was arrested in May for allegedly molesting several of his students.
“The Board of Education is sensitive to the needs of Lincoln Middle School,” Oscar de la Torre, the board president, said.
Webb is making a return of sorts to Lincoln where she was a math teacher from 1996-2002, an era the Santa Monica resident called the “best teaching years” of her career.
“The vitality of Lincoln, the leadership, the collaboration amongst staff, working with the community — everything was very tight and very collegial and positive,” Webb said, explaining her love for the school. “I grew so much as a teacher.”
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Webb received her education at Cal State Northridge, working for several years after as a math teacher at Beverly Vista Elementary School in Beverly Hills. After leaving Lincoln, Webb spent several years providing professional development for new teachers in the district before the assistant principal position opened in Malibu.
Despite her physical absence from Lincoln, Webb always kept her eye on the various principal openings that had popped up since her departure, always opting to wait because she didn’t feel ready.
When news came that the district was seeking a new principal, Webb decided to throw in her name.
“Working with [MHS Principal] Mark Kelly the past four years, he did a good job in preparing me,” she said.
A panel consisting of Lincoln teachers, parents and district administrators interviewed several candidates, forwarding the three top prospects to Interim Superintendent Tim Cuneo for consideration. Cuneo made the recommendation for Webb during the board meeting.
De la Torre said that Webb is one of the most accomplished teachers in the district, boasting skills as an administrative leader.
“The combination of her knowing what needs to happen in the classroom and in the central office is convincing,” he said. “She has a proven track record.”
Eric Marcos, a math teacher at Lincoln, taught summer school at Malibu a few years ago under Webb’s supervision. He attended the meeting on Tuesday and seemed visibly pleased with the appointment.
When Marcos was first hired at Lincoln, he took over Webb’s old classroom, saving some of her old posters, including the “classroom rules.”
“She’s very organized and lively,” Marcos said. “I think she is going to be a good energy for our school.”
The new principal comes at a somewhat vulnerable time for the Lincoln community which is trying to recover from the revelation that a former teacher was accused of molesting his students. Webb said while she intends to work with district staff closely regarding the matter.
“I’m really going to focus on starting the school year out having a successful and positive transition for our teachers and students in the community,” she said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 14, 2008. Read the original PDF.