Current seniors at Española Valley High School have seen many administrative changes since they were freshmen — including five principals.
The newest principal, Robert Archuleta, was assigned to assume the school’s leadership duties, after the final bell on Oct. 14, replacing Tom Graves.
Graves said he was not notified prior to the restructuring.
But Archuleta and Graves weren’t the only ones moved around.
Española School District Superintendent Eric Martinez’s decision to reassign several principals eight weeks into the first semester of the 2016-2017 School Year has sparked outrage and concern among some parents, teachers and elected officials, who believe the move is one more example of the dysfunction and instability that plagues the District.
Graves, who came to the District with the reputation of a reformer, was transferred to Hernandez Elementary School, while Archuleta was previously assigned to Sombrillo Elementary School. Isabelle Terrazas, who led Abiquiú Elementary School for the past eight weeks, will take over as the new Sombrillo principal. Former Hernandez principal Fanny Castillo will take over leadership duties at the District’s only A-rated school — Abiquiú.
It’s not clear whether other principals were aware that they’d be moved.
District parent Willie Williams has two active sons who play football at the high school. She said the abrupt change in principals throughout the District, and especially at the high school, is concerning, to say the least.
It is concerning because, for her, “continuity in leadership and education” is an essential component that is needed to facilitate growth and progress throughout the District.
“They are confused,” she said. “I have been here three years and I have seen four or five principals and I don’t know how many superintendents. I have a problem with that, as an educated parent.”
Williams views the constant leadership changes as a weakening agent that erodes confidence throughout the District.
“When it falls apart at the top,” she said. “How do they expect it to stay together at the bottom? Three months into the school year — what about the morale of the teachers and students? I would like to know how this move came about.”
Like Williams, Sombrillo Elementary School parent Sonya Maria Martinez said she believes the lack of input from the teachers and students symbolizes the lack of concern the District has for the parents and students.
“It shows a lack of respect for the faculty and the parents and, ultimately, the student,” she said. “And that concerns me. The students keep getting abandoned.”
She said the decision is troubling because up until Oct. 14, she was confident her child’s principal was working to address the needs specific to Sombrillo.
Eric Martinez said he made the moves in an effort to improve the educational outcomes of the District by exploiting the strengths of the various principals.
“The EPS District hired me with expectations of improving the quality of education provided for the children served,” he wrote in a prepared statement. “I cannot afford to wait a year to assess schools. A child’s education is much too significant to allow a year to pass without improvement. The EPS District will do what is necessary to educate children so that they may experience success, no excuses. The instructional issues must be corrected today.”
Graves said the decision to reassign him and his colleagues revolved around basketball coach Richard Martinez. He is a staunch opponent of the coach and vowed to not let him return to coaching the boy’s varsity basketball team. Graves’s resolute stance surfaced after a state Public Education Department report concluded that Richard Martinez may have mistreated students in his care.
Graves moved to Española from Virginia in June, to take the Española Valley High School principal job. He said he has no intention of accepting the transfer. Instead, he said he will live off of his annual leave and other benefits until the decision is reversed or resolved.
If it comes to it, Graves said, he will hire a lawyer and seek legal redress for what he claims has been incessant harassment since he took the job.
“The superintendent came to me on Friday and told me I was doing a great job turning the school around,” Graves said recalling his conversation with Eric Martinez. “But he was going to move me to Hernandez. I am taking some sick time to take care of my wife and family.”
The shuffle also created personal hardships for Graves, who was locked out of his office from Friday afternoon until Saturday morning. He had to cancel a weekend trip because he had personal property in his office at the school, that he couldn’t get to.
On Oct. 15, Eric Martinez and an unidentified Sheriff’s deputy met him at the high school, so he could retrieve his property.
“He (the superintendent) changed all the locks,” Graves said. “I couldn’t travel. He knows I won’t tolerate it because I am going to sue.”
Española School Board Secretary Annabelle Almager said she learned about the move after receiving several calls from District parents.
She wasn’t particularly happy about the moves, but has confidence that Eric Martinez had good reasons for making that decision.
“It is important because the timing isn’t right,” she said. “But the superintendent did it for a reason, and the public needs to know. Teachers and students aren’t happy.”
Her colleague Ruben Archuleta said he believes the decision is rooted in politics and not in the best interest of students.
“This is going to cause extreme chaos in our District,” Archuleta wrote in a text message to Eric Martinez. “Schools thrive off stability and your brash decisions are making a mockery of our District. In my opinion, it is disgusting that you would disrupt the educational process of the multiple schools to suit the needs of one individual (Richard Martinez).”
Martinez didn’t make himself available to answer follow-up questions regarding the moves.