Musical chairs at MV-Whisman Musical chairs at MV-Whisman (June 17, 2005)

School district shuffles leadership to fill top jobs

By Kathy Schrenk

As the school year wraps up this week, leaders in the Mountain View-Whisman Elementary School District are already thinking about next year -- particularly, all the new faces parents and teachers will see in the administrative offices.

Of many vacancies this year, the most significant is left by Superintendent Eleanor Yick. After previous superintendent Jim Negri's surprise resignation a year ago, Yick came on as a temporary replacement. Yick, who served previously as the district's associate superintendent, has a clause in her contract stating that she couldn't apply to extend her contract.

The search to replace Yick is on schedule, according to school board president Ellen Wheeler, who said board members have been busy interviewing candidates and should be visiting one or more candidates' districts soon.

"We're optimistic that we'll have a new superintendent by July," she said.

The district is also looking to hire a new assistant superintendent to replace Modrite Archibeque, who announced her retirement in May after 36 years in the district. It will be up to the new superintendent to find a replacement for Archibeque, said school board member Fiona Walter.

There is movement on the local school administrator level, as well. Graham Middle School principal Judy Crates will be leaving her post at the end of the year so that she can take a year off and spend time with her family. Crates stressed that she is not retiring, and will not be moving from the Bay Area. (Her husband, Ron, is superintendent of the Redwood City School District.)

Crates has been at Graham for four years and worked in the district for five years before that. She will be replaced by Alicia Henderson, currently a principal at Landels Elementary School, beginning next month.

Of course, that leaves an opening at Landels. In a letter to Landels parents, Yick wrote, "I do want to reassure you that the district is moving quickly to fill this principal position. ... If all goes as planned, interviews could take place by the end of the month or early in July."

Henderson was a speech and special education teacher before she became an elementary school principal. These experiences should make her an excellent middle school principal, Yick said.

"Graham Middle School will open in August, 2005, with their new principal in place," she said.

E-mail Kathy Schrenk at kschrenk@mv-voice.com

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