Dear Editor,

This is a sad result for an exceptional effort created by a Principal and his family of teachers, parents and students. It leaves many unanswered questions and a giant role to fill by SRVUSD's administration's choice of a new principal.

Communities and neighborhoods will be watching closely to see the result.

Hal

The principal of Creekside Elementary, Michelle Cooper, also announced yesterday that she is retiring after about a year on the job. That will make three principals at Creekside in just over three years.

I believe that the principal of Creekside is actually taking a leave of absence for family reasons. She has done a good job, but we would love to have our old principal back, but he is now a director in the district. This is a great school for the right person.

There is a lot of reshuffling of the deck in the District right now, starting with the top job of Superintendant. Coyote Creek just announced their new principal, which creates an opening at Country Club. It is my hope that all new hires are throughly vetted, competent and will embrace the community they serve. What we do not need is a social experiment or union agenda being fulfilled. We need good leaders who will make our students into even better leaders someday.

OK, here we go again. this will be the 3rd principal my family has been under and seen leave SRVHS. I pray that the selection committee can finally do a proper vetting - get it right. This guy was a fraud. All show. I'm sorry, but having been here for close to 20 years, the school is worse off with his "so called" leadership..... I'll hold the door.

On most occasions, he just avoided the questions/comments directed to him. Great at passing it off. His "Meet the Principal" night was his way of pontificating and letting us all know just how great a job he does. Very selective of who he received questions from. What a joke.

Good Riddance!!!

@SRVHS Parent, my son is an SRVHS graduate, and we had no qualms with Ianora. We attended "meet the principal" night and saw him as someone who was approachable and open to answering questions. I wish him well in his new endeavor, and I hope SRVHS finds a principal who works better for your family as well.

Joe Ianora has been a breath of fresh air at SRVHS for 8 years and it's a tragedy and travesty that the District is letting him leave SRVHS. In the plus 20 years I've been connected with the school, as a parent, PTSA member and working with the Alumni Association, Joe is the first principal to have any type of vision and passion for the high school. His enthusiasm for the students and their quality of education has been amazing. He has been ALWAYS been totally approachable on all matters and one of the easiest (to say nothing of nicest) people to deal with that I've ever met.

He will be sorely missed, but hopefully his vision for the school will continue. Del Amigo High School is the only winner in this situation.

I too have been an active parent at SRVHS for many years.. My view however differs from Marilyn. Joe has been a nice person but decisive leadership has never been his strength. I actually think that his new assignment will be much better for him, and I too wish him well.

Having met Joe Ianora, several times; at the Walnut Creek elem. school where one of his children attends, we were very impressed with him. Very personable and open. We had three sons attend SRHS and so we still are very interested and concerned about "our high school". We feel that the school was in good hands and truly sorry that the students and parents are losing him. Hope it's not just some political act; that will cause our students to be the losers.
We've seen a lot of principals, come and go; and felt this was a very good choice for the school. We wish him the best and how fortunate Del Amigo will be, to have him.

This is a huge loss for SRVHS and for the community. The culture of professionalism, respect and excellence at this school is due to Joe's example. I'm very concerned about his replacement. He was a breath of fresh air, reason, and kindness - not something I've experienced in other administrators in this district.

As a former student of SRVHS and a former victim of severe bullying and harassment within the school environment, I would like to point out that unless your child was bullied or suffered some other way while attending SRVHS you probably saw the "good" side of Ianora. In actuality, he was an ineffective principal who did not want to deal with student problems, further, he often took the side of a student's harasser/bully. I am not the only student who has experienced his lack of ability to function as a principal, this has happened to other students I know who experienced the bully-tolerating environment of SRVHS.

Joe is a good man but SRVHS has become a haven for drugs and many of the tenured reachers simply don't care.This has resulted in way too many good kids being caught up in a sprial of defeat. Some rules are archaic and only serve to make things worse for the students that have had one or two mishaps and simply get left behind. On the other hand there are several very good teachers and adminstrators that do care but Joe's hands were tied due to the issues with tenured teachers and some parents that use the school as a baby sitting service. Joe is much better off at Del Amigo and will have a positive affect on those students

@anonymous, thanks for sharing your view. If you were victimized by other kids and did not get support from SRVHS staff, that is reprehensible. Though my son was not bullied by students, he did have a teacher that was well known for being verbally and emotionally abusive to students. Little was done, now that I think about it (I believe he began teaching another type of class, then left on his own).

Attended a party this weekend with several parents that have students now and in the past at SRVHS and the concensus was, Ianora was very ineffective and when some parents went for his help he turned a blind eye if it meant he had to be controversial or ruffle a few feathers.In the end the student who needed his help, never got it. He also did not confront any of the teachers who did not do their respective jobs, which is to help students become better students !

As a parent of 2 SRVHS students 10 years apart, you folks who are dismayed with Joe Ianora don't know how good the school had it under his tenure, given his predecessors. Ten years ago, the principal there was non-communicative, did not believe in outreach to the parents (Joe started a nice "Dads on Campus" program 3 years ago to help get dads involved and informed), did not support the sports program (Joe was instrumental in building 2 beautiful new gyms, improved football facilities, snack shack, etc.)-- and basically let SRVHS get out of hand. In Joe's 8 years, he had only a couple where there were no construction projects going on. My older son says the SRVHS he attended in 2002 was "a dump" compared to now. That doesn't happen by magic.

As far as the "bullying' comment, not only ids that the most over-used word in our culture today, but c'mon, folks. I went to school in the 60's , and kids poked fun of kids back then, too -- our teachers and administrators could do little to stop a brat from picking on others. It's intrinsic in our society, always has been. We didn't call it bullying and blame the teachers. We just dealt with it, and are stronger for it. I used to get lousy haircuts from my dad, and would be horrified to go to school looking like i did because the comments were awful -- but i gave it right back and didn't let it define me, or go running into the principal's office.

My dad was a high school principal in another state in the 60's-70's, when everyone was "finding themselves", so I grew up hearing the stories and seeing what went on, and it was tough back then. Here in Danville, I've done enough little league and youth coaching to know that Joe and the SRVHS teachers get a significant of self-entitled, self-indulgent BRATS who want for nothing, and they act that way -- tough to teach them anything. Most students at that school drive better cars to school than the teachers. This is a tough town for that.

Ultimately, i say to those negative postings, be careful what you wish for, you might get it. Joe was a solid principal that really made significant changes both physically and socially at the school -- it's a terrific school overall when you think about it -- lots of programs, events, clubs, etc. Sure, it has warts, as all schools do, but wait a few years and look back -- you'll agree with me that it is a fine school overall and Joe will be missed.

A lot of what G-man says is accurate but Joe Ianora was more bluster than substance. He said the right things but follow-up was not his strength plus he was horrific in making unproductive teachers accountable. Scared to death about those who are tenured. As far a the entitled students, I am in complete agreement but there are many who in my opinion that come from privilged homes that are sincere and want to learn but have the stumbling blocks of those teachers who cater to the A students and make no effort to help the B and C students and that is where Joe failed. As far as Joe being instrumental in building two new gyms, that is not accurate at all.