> ## 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. # Look out Samohi: A ‘new’ principal headed your way - URL: https://www.smdp.com/see-security-page-6-look-out-samohi-a-new-principal-headed-your-way/ - Published: 2002-06-10T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T00:19:31.000Z - Author: Carolyn Sackariason - Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import *New leadership needed at Samohi, superintendent says* Good or bad, changes are coming to Santa Monica High School. That’s because Samohi’s new principal plans to whip students and staff into shape. It could be disconcerting news for students and some teachers who have been operating loosely at the city’s main high school. But administrators and parents are hopeful that Ilene Straus’ reputation as a strong leader will follow her to Samohi. When Straus begins as Samohi’s new principal on July 1, she’ll roll up her sleeves, find the school’s weaknesses and assemble a team to strengthen them. Straus, who has been Lincoln Middle School’s principal for the past 16 years, is known as a tough and demanding educator who means business. And that’s got some students worried, she joked. Straus has been spitting her time between Lincoln and Samohi for the past two months while assessing the state of the high school. When she’s on campus, many of Straus’ former students have approached her asking if the dreaded “guided study” program would end up at the high school, or if Lincoln’s dress code would be followed at Samohi. Lincoln, which has been recognized nationally and by the state, has a rigorous curriculum, tough student behavior policies and a dress code. “In middle school, I don’t let girls’ bra straps show,” Straus said. “I run a school with high expectations with staff and students.” Lincoln’s successful “guided study” program, which was instituted about 13 years ago, mandates that students who failed to do their homework before they show up to class must do it before they can leave. Lincoln math teacher Steve Marcy and other staffers didn’t think it could be done. But more than a decade later, about 85 percent of Lincoln’s 1,300 students have their homework done before they walk through the door. “It’s one of the best things we ever did,” he said. “I said it would never work — get 1,000 kids to do their homework, but my God, they really did it. It’s amazing. “It started to be part of the culture,” he added. That “culture” is what is known by Lincoln administrators as the “Straus effect.” Infusing a high accountability system, a strong leadership style and teamwork at Lincoln is what has made Straus desirable and successful as an educator. She has been asked four times to come to Samohi in the past nine years, but because she felt there was still work to be done at the middle school, Straus has remained the driving force behind Lincoln’s success. It wasn’t until school superintendent John Deasy approached Straus this past spring to be his assistant superintendent that the 52-year-old began re-evaluating her options. Deasy didn’t offer Straus the assistant superintendent job, but he did ask her to come to Samohi. He said her skills would be better utilized there. Straus agreed. “I think it was time to make a difference on a higher level,” she said. She said the maturity level of students will be a welcome change at Samohi but there also are challenges that come with her new job, especially because she will oversee 1,100 more students and 100 more teachers. Known for being an overachiever and a woman who gets things done, Straus said she already has plans for the high school, with many more changes to follow. “If the high school is not as effective as it should be, we’ll find ways that it will be,” she said, adding morale among the staff needs to be lifted. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.” While her immediate plans don’t even scratched the surface, Straus said her priorities will be putting an effective administrative team together, changing the school’s policies on student behavior, making courses more standardized to the state’s curriculum and redesigning the organization of the school. While the problems at Samohi are kept quiet by administrators, many parents have said they think the school operates too loosely. Samohi has been operating with two co-principals, but after an exhaustive search, Deasy realized Straus was the best candidate for the job. “There was no other candidate that met my satisfaction,” he said. “The leadership is critical to Samohi.” Clearly Deasy and Straus have admirable respect for one another and view themselves as colleagues rather than in the traditional boss-employee relationship. Last week, Deasy spoke before administrators, staff, parents and students at a reception welcoming Straus to Samohi, as well as at good-bye ceremony at Lincoln, where her subordinates sent her off with a traditional “roasting.” But there was a few serious moments when Straus’ employees spoke about the effect she had on them and the school. Deasy echoed many of the same sentiments and told Straus the legacy she is leaving behind was created by her strong leadership. “I probably get why people are so nervous about you leaving and why people are so excited to see you go to Samohi,” Deasy told Straus in front of about 100 people at Friday’s roast. He joked at the podium in the school’s auditorium that he was probably the least favorite person in the room for taking their fearless leader away from them. He joked that it wasn’t the car service, the daily meals delivered or the weekly spa appointments that he used to lure Straus away from Lincoln. “It was a conversation of need,” Deasy said. “(Samohi) needs tending to and Ilene’s skills set will provide that leadership.” Lincoln teachers had fun taking shots at Straus during her roast, but clearly they were endeared to their boss over the years. They made fun of her by using “Strausisms” during a skit that included commonly used phrases she’s used over the years — “clear expectations,” “let’s have a meeting about that,” “put up a flow chart,” “identify the stakeholders.” All joking aside, the Lincoln staff felt they were allowed to succeed by collaborating together, instead of teaching in isolation. Teachers could expect Straus to pop in on their classrooms at any given moment and when a potential educator interviewed for a job, the candidate had to “audition” in front of other Lincoln staffers. While they may have cursed her in private, Straus’ staff at Lincoln will miss what she has done for them as a team, regardless of how painful it was at times. “We are all held accountable, and in turn, the students are as well,” said Lincoln staffer Jeanne Davenport. “Her style has been inspiring.” > “We are all held accountable, and in turn, the students are as well. Her style has been inspiring.” — — JEANNE DAVENPORT Lincoln Middle School staffer ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/061002-02_01.jpg) Ilene Straus speaks at a send-off ceremony Friday at Lincoln Middle School, where she was principal for 16 years. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 10, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061002.pdf?ref=smdp.com)