> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Schools to get overhauled with new leadership - URL: https://www.smdp.com/schools-to-get-overhauled-with-new-leadership/ - Published: 2004-07-06T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T04:42:09.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Education, Malibu, #archive-import *Samohi loses two-thirds of its principals* *By JOHN F. MULLER Special to the Daily Press* SMMUSD — The school district has undergone a wide-ranging personnel shuffle in the weeks following graduation, leaving parents concerned about the future of education here and school officials scrambling to fill positions. Entering its second year of existence, Santa Monica High School’s six house system lost four of its house principals to jobs in and out of district and retirement, officials said. The district has found replacements for three of the four house principals. The district also found a new principal for Lincoln Middle School — Kathy Scott. She will replace Hank Harris, who stepped down as principal of Lincoln in June to take an administrative post at district headquarters, Superintendent of Schools John Deasy said. Scott was the most qualified for the job as a long-time Lincoln teacher and administrator, he added. Mark Kelly, Patricia Flynn, Anuar Shalash and Kathleen Martin are stepping down from their posts as house principals at Samohi. Kelly will replace Mike Mathews as the principal of Malibu High, Deasy said. Kelly had been at Samohi for five years. The new system at Samohi divides students into different “houses,” in an effort to reduce class size and give students more personalized instruction. Within three to five years, the houses should serve as smaller communities within Samohi where teachers and advisors will know their students and each other well.f Samohi. “Because of the redesign, we’ve gotten some really great new people,” Straus said. “People are applying here to become part of the cutting edge work we’re doing. I think we’ve made some really great hirings.” Wendy Waxgeller, long-time principal of McKinley Elementary and an advisor at Samohi last year, will fill one of three house principal positions, Straus said. Waxgeller has 18 years of experience as a principal. Craig Lewis and Tristin Komlos will fill two of the other positions, Straus said. Lewis has four years of administrative experience in Riverside. Komlos comes from Houston, where she spent three years as a high school administrator. The next round of interviews to fill the last house principal seat will be held later this month, Straus said. She stressed that the selection process has included Samohi students, parents, teachers and administrators. Despite Straus’ reassurances, some Samohi parents and students have expressed concerns about the turnover and in the house system. “I have several children at Samohi and most of my children and their friends do not have a single class in their houses,” Nancy Nova said. “If they do, it is one class. This system was designed so the teachers in your house could know you. But if you do not have a class in your house, how is that bonding supposed to happen?” Ava Tramer, a Samohi senior expressed similar frustration. “Everybody I know has not been affected by it,” she said. “I think it probably affects lower classmen more. I didn’t have any classes in my house. I can see it being effective maybe for classes that start in the future if they really look at the problems and see how people are reacting to it now. But for me and for the people I know, it seems kind of like a joke sometimes, because there wasn’t really a house feeling.” Both Nova and Tramer expressed concern with the turnover in leadership, unsure how the changes could promote personalization for a program still in its infancy. Nova attributed the shortcomings to the massive student body at the high school, which is expected to be 3,500 students next year. “The main problem at Samohi is there are too many kids,” Nova said. “Thanks to our former Superintendent Schmidt, whose policy was ‘come one, come all’ and it didn’t seem to matter where you live. It seemed to be a matter of money.... The kids attending now are surely paying the price for all those years we took everybody.” > “The main problem at Samohi is there are too many kids.” — – NANCY NOVA Local parent Straus said such complaints were just the result of anxiety. “Every time there’s change, people are concerned,” she said. “I think people need to understand that people have professional reasons for change. How can you blame people for shortening their commute, retiring or promoting? There’s always change in personnel. People are worried that we are going to continue to hire good people and provide stability. That’s what we’re doing.” There are many Samohi parents who believe the house system is working. “We felt that this year administratively ran much more smoothly than we ever remember it running before,” said Ping Ho, who has had kids in the district for nearly 15 years. Her daughter graduated in 2001 and her son is currently attending Samohi. “We always felt this year that we had immediate access to our house principal and the immediate counselors... any-time we had problems at all, there was always somewhere we could go immediately, unlike in the past, when we would have to call and leave messages and listen to recordings before we realized that we’d left a message for the wrong person. “I’m not worried. I think a lot of it boils down to having faith in the administration,” she said. “Change can be for the better. The house system shows that change can be for the better... I think (the change in house principals) could be a really healthy thing.” Karen Dickerson, a Samohi parent and the president of the PTSA for the upcoming year, agreed that the turnover should have little effect. “I’m looking at the teaching leaders, I’m looking at the student support advisors,” she said. “Those are key positions. Those are the people that need to know their students. Yes, the house principal is there, is overseeing. But I think the continuity will have more of an effect at a different level. As long as the concept is there and the house principal is there as a good leader and a moderator. That’s why I’m not concerned.” Mathews, last year’s principal of Malibu High, will take over for Joe Quarles as assistant superintendent, superintendent Deasy said. Quarles accepted an administrative position in the Coast Community College District as the district’s Vice Chancellor. As for the principals leaving Samohi, Flynn, who left the school last January for personal reasons, took a principal position in northern California. Straus said Flynn wanted to move closer to her family and return to elementary school. Steve Cannell, who filled in for Flynn during her absence, will take a teaching position at Franklin Elementary next year. Straus said Cannell’s position at the high school was strictly an interim assignment. Shalash chose to take an assistant principal position closer to his home in Whittier, Straus said. Shalash has had to commute four hours each day during his two year stint at the high school. Martin is retiring after 36 years in education. The end of the 2003-2004 school year marked the end of a two-year commitment she made to the high school. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 6, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070604.pdf?ref=smdp.com)