Olympic High just starting to see its needs met
By JAMIE WETHERBE Special to the Daily Press
SCHOOL DISTRICT HDQRTS. — The fate of a Santa Monica high school seems to be in jeopardy in the wake of its principal lashing out at a top school official last week, claiming he has threatened to close the facility’s doors.
“I feel like this is the last supper before the execution,” said Olympic High School Principal Dr. Susanne Toyryla, speaking to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education last Thursday.
“My good name is on the block,” she added. Toyryla came out on the defensive last week — defending the school, its staff and its students. She insisted she was on hand to not only protect her job, but also the educational opportunities of the 130 students who attend the alternative school at Lincoln and Ocean Park boulevards.
Rumors have been rampant within the community regarding schools superintendent John Deasy and his alleged intention to turn Olympic into charter schools. However, Deasy said Toyryla’s interpretation of his plans are wrong, adding he has no intentions to close the school.
“There clearly was a miscommunication,” he said after the meeting.
Instead, as part of an effort to improve all district high schools, Deasy insists he wants to assemble a task force to explore expanding Olympic into charter schools so more students can attend. By opening charter schools, Deasy said students as early as the eighth grade could opt to attend Olympic rather than being sent there because they’d fallen behind at Samohi or Malibu High.
The superintendent and school board backed off those plans, however, after students, staff and Toyryla shouted at the board out of frustration, with most of the ire directed toward Deasy.
Toyryla told the board that, earlier this month, Deasy indicated to her that Olympic wasn’t meeting students’ needs and that he was going to close the school whether she liked it or not.
“I am not lying. You did say those words to me,” Toyryla said. “I have not lied to anyone at Olympic.”
She went on to say that Deasy told her the board would back him in whatever plans he proposed. Deasy later said he wouldn’t discuss the matter because it would be “highly unprofessional” to disclose what was said between two district administrators.
Toyryla then turned her consternation toward school officials for not meeting the needs of the school.
“We’ve asked and asked and gotten nothing from the board,” she said. “We’ve asked for a fence (for four years) to help keep the homeless out of our bathrooms,” but haven’t gotten anything.
“And you think you’re going to get rid of me this quickly? No!” she shouted, prompting Olympic supporters on hand to erupt with applause.
“And you think you’re going to get rid of me this quickly? No!” — — DR. SUSANNE TOYRYLA Olympic High School Principal
Board members said little until after Toyryla stepped away from the podium.
“It’s exciting to see people get this excited,” said board member Shane McLoud.
Board member Mike Jordan said he had no prior knowledge of the issue and was surprised by the ambush. It appeared that other school board members were just as bewildered as not one of them questioned Toyryla.
What scant discussion there was by school board members concerning the charter school idea indicated a hesitancy to form a task force to look into the matter.
“I was moved by everything that was said here,” Jordan admitted, adding that sometimes the board just needs to listen.
While Deasy’s idea for a task force was shot down, he and Toyryla have since had conversations about other ways to improve the school.
Following years of effort by Olympic’s faculty to attract the attention they feel the school deserves, Toyryla believes it’s starting to pay off. The fence will be coming soon — workers have been on site measuring the property.
Students said they didn’t want Olympic to expand via charter schools. With class sizes ranging between 15 and 20 pupils — they contend they are afforded the chance to have more personal relationships with teachers.
“It’s not just a continuation school,” said Shaun Foster, 18, who’s been at Olympic for almost two years. “It’s a community.”
Foster said he’s frustrated by what he perceives as a lack of education amongst school board members regarding Olympic. As a result, it doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
“I was a failing student. I worked my butt off, and now I can graduate,” he said. “If (the board) wants to change it, bring us some better food.”
Many students at Olympic have experienced tough times in their short lives.
About 30 percent of the students are on probation. More than 20 percent of the population are special-education students. Half of the students enrolled work to support families. Some are pregnant, others have dead parents, some come from abusive and broken homes, others are in trouble with the law.
While some people might consider Olympic the step-child of Santa Monica’s other public schools, many within the community aren’t even aware a second high school exists. Olympic is rarely discussed by administrators or the community at-large.
Despite all of its needs, and an apparent lack of acceptance, many of Olympic’s faculty and students are proud of what happens on campus every day. Toyryla, who came to Olympic in 1997 after a stint as assistant principal at North Hollywood High, is especially proud of her staff.
Toyryla said the school could be made larger by adding one more teacher, for a total of eight, but improvements should be made methodically.
“Our kids don’t come from cookie-cutters,” she said. “Bottom line — we strive to do what’s right for students.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.