Schools chief reflects on 35 years Schools chief reflects on 35 years (May 06, 2005)

Retiring Superintendent Marge Gratiot proud of her district

By Kathy Schrenk

When Marge Gratiot was a young teacher in the Los Altos School District, a janitor told her she had to keep her desks in straight rows so as not to mess up his sweeping-and-mopping routine.

Gratiot didn't think cleaning convenience should dictate how she set up her classroom. What if she wanted to have the kids work in groups, or sit in a circle?

Over the years, she noticed other times when efficiency trumped the kids' best interests. She decided to move into administration so she could make new rules instead of following old ones that weren't necessarily good for students.

That was 35 years ago. Since then, she has worked her way up from principal to assistant superintendent and finally superintendent, a position she has held for 18 years.

A year ago she announced that she would be retiring at the end of this school year. The school board named her replacement on Monday (see story, Page 1).

Gratiot is proud of what she's done for the district, as well as her longevity there: She's the longest-tenured superintendent in Santa Clara County. The average, she said, is only about 2 1/2 years.

The biggest difference in the district now versus when she arrived is how teachers are treated and valued, she said. "Teachers are treated much more as professionals, and I'm really proud of that," she said.

"My first year of teaching I had 36 students, and no one felt sorry for me because I had a big class," Gratiot said. Now, the lower grades have a maximum of 20. And the district makes sure teachers participate when important decisions are made, she said.

Another big change has been the emphasis on test scores, she said. Tests have some benefit, she said, but, "I don't believe in teaching to the test."

Fortunately, Los Altos district schools have gotten high test scores from the beginning, she said. But the high scores meant there has always been pressure to keep it up, she added.

Even though Gratiot is retiring from her full-time job in Los Altos, she plans to continue her involvement in education by volunteering in low-performing schools and teaching at the college level. "I'm not ready to retire from work," she said, adding that she will, however, be glad to have the time to read a book when she wants to.
E-mail Kathy Schrenk at kschrenk@mv-voice.com

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