Principal steps up Principal steps up (May 28, 2004)

Los Altos High's Perez to be superintendent in San Jose

By Julie O'Shea

Eight months after announcing he will retire in June due to "a serious medical condition," Los Altos High School Principal George Perez signed a deal to become the new superintendent of the Mount Pleasant School District in San Jose.

Perez starts his new job July 1 and will be making roughly $140,000 a year.

Perez, 53, said last week that he has made several major lifestyle changes over the last year, and his health has improved. He did not disclose his ailment.

Mount Pleasant is a five-school district, serving roughly 3,500 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Located in East San Jose, the district has a high Latino population and Perez, who is bilingual and was an English Language Learner in grade school, said this was one of the main reasons why he was first attracted to the job.

"I feel like I can make a difference there," Perez, a San Jose resident, said. "I'm a child of the '60s, and I felt like I should be giving back."

The Mount Pleasant school board unanimously approved the hire at its May 10 meeting. Perez will replace Ida Jew, who is retiring.

Although Mountain View-Los Altos high school Superintendent Rich Fischer told Perez a teaching position was available to him if he chose to stay in the district, Perez said he needs to remain in an administrative role because of "personal reasons."

Wynne Satterwhite, an assistant principal at Los Altos High since 1993, will take over as principal July 1. Her appointment was approved in December.

In a letter he wrote to Los Altos High parents in September, Perez stated that "I no longer have the energy nor am I willing to exert the energy it take to run a large comprehensive school."

Despite Perez's decision not to return to the high school district, Fischer had nothing but positive things to say about Perez, who was hired to lead Los Altos High four years ago.

"I'm thrilled for him," Fischer said. "I think its great." Perez told Fischer in April that he applied for the job at Mount Pleasant, the superintendent said.

Asked if he'd miss being a principal, Perez said this job is one of the hardest he's ever had.

"It's like running a small city," he said. "I'm on call to the high school 24-7." At Los Altos High, Perez said he regularly puts in 12- to 16-hour days and works several weekends a month. He has been Los Altos High's third principal in the six years.

Perez has worked in education for more than three decades, starting off as a math teacher at a school in Southern California. He also taught science and was a former assistant superintendent for a school district in Fresno.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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