Hopwood Jr. High tutors bicker
Clashes between two groups of teachers and staff of the Hopwood Junior High School may compromise the students’ access to learning if arguments surrounding the alleged inefficient management of the institution’s principal persist.
A group of tutors and non-teaching staff signed a petition seeking the ouster of Hopwood Junior High Principal Lourdes Mendiola on grounds that she allegedly failed to address pressing discipline problems in the school.
The petition letter was signed by 51 employees of the school, 70 percent of whom are teachers and 40 percent are support staff. Hopwood Junior High employs 85 staff and is home to some 1,300 students.
According to the petition, the quality of education at Hopwood Junior High will continue to deteriorate due to Ms. Mendiola’s lack of effective management skills.
The teacher-petitioners claim that:
• when a sexual assault occurred in a classroom on campus, Ms. Mendiola not only tried to cover up any report of the incident, but the administration went so far as to punish the victim for her choice of attire;
• after a student verbally assaulted a teacher, which included racial slurs, and a further threat of retribution to the teacher’s family, Ms. Mendiola sent the student back to the respective teacher’s class the same day with no disciplinary action taken;
• Ms. Mendiola has threatened not to renew the contract to a faculty member if he sends a letter to the editor to local newspapers regarding discipline at Hopwood Junior High;
• Ms. Mendiola falsified information by removing “discipline” from the leading list of concerns in the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation report;
The petition also claims that during the principal’s term, Hopwood Junior High School has deteriorated in the eyes of WASC accreditation team, with a loss of three year accreditation, getting favorable report for only two years.
“We believe this is compelling evidence, strongly indicating an atmosphere whereby the quality of education at Hopwood has been compromised. In addition, a climate of fear pervades the campus,” it added.
Vice Principal Vincent Dela Cruz brushed off the allegations as without basis, as he questioned the petitioners’ way of evaluating the management skills of Ms. Mendiola.
Running to the rescue of the principal, Mr. Dela Cruz said Ms. Mendiola has been doing a great job in manning the school given the increase of student-teacher ratio and sharp decrease in funding.
“She is the first to come to school and the last to leave. Given the resources that she has, she is undoubtedly doing her best. The allegations don’t have factual basis,” he stressed.
At the same time, Hopwood Junior High counselor Ben Seman, said the group of petitioners could not give concrete evidence that the safety and welfare of the school’s 1,300 students are being compromised by Ms. Mendiola’s administration.
Mr. Seman admitted that the rift may affect some teachers but not to the extent that it will jeopardize the students’ access to learning, adding that more efforts should be instituted to stave off the negative impression created by the petition against the school.
He added that the rift among the petitioners and the supporters of Ms. Mendiola could hardly affect the morale of the school’s teaching staff and students.
Mr. Dela Cruz mentioned programs implemented by the administration of Ms. Mendiola which, he said, have played an important role in improving the quality of education in Hopwood Junior High.
These programs include the establishment of the Mathcounts, Honor Society, Music Club, Drama Club, Saturday Academy, Law Enforcement and Computer Programs.
