Beleagured East Sacramento school tries sharing a principal

March 1, 2010

Two east Sacramento schools sit just five blocks apart, but the desirable neighborhood has been the only thing they had in common.

Phoebe Hearst Elementary is among the area’s most sought-after elementary schools. Kit Carson Middle School, on the other hand, has routinely been threatened with closure because of low enrollment and poor test scores.

After five years of watching his students at Phoebe Hearst ignore Kit Carson, Principal Charlie Watters decided the best way to change that was to become principal of both.

As part of the Sacramento City Unified School District’s new pilot program, Watters splits his time between campuses, enlisting the help of vice principals he hand-picked for both sites.

"I want Kit Carson to be a college preparatory middle school,&am p;quot; he said. "It’s about changing the stereotype."

Currently, the high-achieving Phoebe Hearst students flock to Sutter Middle School, despite being just blocks from Kit Carson.

Sutter, with an enrollment hovering near 1,300 students and dozens of students on its waiting list, boasted an 884 API score in 2009. The state’s goal is for schools to reach scores of 800 out of 1000.

Kit Carson has 430 students at an attractive brick campus that fits 800, Watters said. Yet many parents in the surrounding neighborhood have steered clear of Kit Carson because of its reputation of catering to low achievers and disruptive students. The middle school scored a 679 API in 2009 and is in its second year of program improvement.

"There are a lot of wonderful things happening there, but they are overshadowed by Sutter and negative publicity," Watters said. "My goal is to make systemic changes that will last a long time."

The discrepancies in enrollment at Kit Carson and Sutter middle schools prompted the district to talk of blending the two campuses during budget discussions last year. That sparked concern among parents, teachers and community members – particularly those associated with Sutter.

After the proposal was quashed, Watters and district associate superintendent Mary Hardin Young talked about creating connections between Phoebe Hearst and Kit Carson. Principal-sharing seemed an ideal first step.

"He had already built credibility with the parents at Phoebe Hearst," said Hardin Young. "He’s a dynamic kind of guy. If there is anyone who can really turn the corner with Kit Carson and make it a vital neighborhood school, it would be Charlie."

Each school has a vice principal who is i n charge of the daily responsibilities while Watters splits his time between campuses. The result is a small savings to the district.

The juggling hasn’t been without challenges. Some Phoebe Hearst teachers have complained to the Sacramento City Teachers Association that Watters is disconnected from their campus, said union president Linda Tuttle. "Both sites probably feel like they want me on campus more, because having a full-time principal is a good thing," Watters said.

Kit Carson art teacher Christine Helweh said she is excited about the new leadership and hopes that the school’s reputation can receive a makeover.

"I want parents to be excited about coming here," Helweh said. "The reputation is a hard thing to beat. I’m hoping that connection (with Phoebe Hearst) will help."

Watters said his top priority at Kit Carson was to encourage the district to take the middle school off the closure list to allow time for the pilot program to work.

Helweh said teachers have been fearful each year that Kit Carson would close.

"In order for them to buy into the changes we want to make, I wanted to be able to assure them we have a couple years to turn this around," Watters said.

Watters said he’s already seen disciplinary problems decrease dramatically by installing a rewards program for students.

The school will add a student council in the spring. Watters reaches out to parents as they drop off their kids in the morning. He said he thinks he’ll see results in two to three years.

"One parent has said to me that she is coming (to Kit Carson)," Watters said. "That’s a huge step in the right direction. I’m not going to be disappointed if we stil l only have one or two. I knew this plan would take a while."