LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Lack of male principals

Dear Editor: The Rotary Club of Downey sponsors a program called Recognize Readers. It is designed to show appreciation of elementary school children that have made outstanding progress in reading, many of them starting with no knowledge of English.

The program recognizes each child individually with a certificate and a gift card. The impact of the recognition on these young minds is formidable and is equivalent to the financial impact of Rotary’s support of the YMCA and Arc.

The ceremony consists of every elementary school principal introducing her student and reading his curriculum vitae. Then the superintendent of the Downey school district, who is also a Rotarian, gives the student a certificate and a gift card and a picture is taken of the child with his school principal and the superintendent. I believe that this ceremony will become a memorable event in the child’s life and an encouragement to continue pursuing academic goals.

What I found remarkable in the ceremony is that there was not a single man among the 13 school principals that participated in the ceremony. Risking being accused of Masculism, I wish to point out that men should also have the opportunity to become elementary school principals.

I already heard that there are no men who are elementary school teachers as a reason for the lack of men in these positions. I suggest that it is easy to find a solution by hiring displaced middle age managers to be school principals.

I assume that the main job of school principals is to manage the school and bringing in men with practical business management experience to these positions will be a fresh wind that will stimulate thinking out of the box for all school principals and will benefit the school district and the students.

Jorge Montero Downey