Too bad John Ramirez's leaving the Alisal

John Ramirez Jr. has been around five years on the job as superintendent. If you eliminate the two years that the district was under state receivership, he’s really been in charge for about three. Judging by the reports I hear – and the standing ovation he got when he announced he was leaving – Ramirez had finally gotten the hang of the district and with the help of his team good things were happening. Plus, having been raised in the Alisal, he genuinely loves the students and cares about their success.

In my years as an education reporter I’ve come to learn many important things, but chief among them is how children are hurt by lack of consistency. Turnover matters, whether it is in the classroom, in the principal’s office, or at the district’s headquarters.

The board that’s now in charge of the Alisal seems to be working well and accomplishing great things. But old grudges are hard to let go and the bad blood that developed when the old board was in charge appears to linger. Which is too bad for the kids, who will have to endure yet another leadership style, another set of rules, another set of ideas. In the end, it’s always the kids who pay the price for the adults’ actions.