New AMS Principal Loves Problem Solving, Hopes to Bike to Work

It didn’t take long for the to hire a replacement for retiring  principal , who spent 42 years in the district. Peter Parenti, currently principal of Graham Elementary in Newark, will take the leadership post this summer. He’s been around town , then jumps in full time after the end of the school year. 

We asked the soon-to-be principal a few questions about his educational views and background. (See his resume as a PDF to the right.)

Q. When did you learn you'd been offered the middle school principal job? Was it an automatic "yes?" What piqued your interest about this position? 

A. When I heard about the open position, I jumped at the chance. I've always loved the middle school experience and I have a lot of respect for the Albany community because of the interest and support they provide.

Q. You've been principal at an elementary school in Newark, can you elaborate a little on your interest in moving to the middle school level?

A. I spent 12 years of my career teaching in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. I loved every year. The curriculum is the most interesting...as a teacher, you can be a content-expert; but you can also integrate subjects. The students are dynamic and the teachers are extremely dedicated. 

Working with middle school age children can be unpredictable sometimes. I'm most comfortable when things are predictable...but comfortable can be boring. So, I appreciate unpredictability.

Q. What do you think will be the most different about leading a middle school compared to elementary? What might be similar?

A. There are many differences in leading elementary vs. middle. But, supporting teachers and including parents doesn't change at any level of our system. The actions of a leader will differ however, because in elementary, the focus is for K-2 children to learn how to read, and to begin learning how to read to learn. In middle school, the focus in on reading for the purpose of learning specific content. It may sound like a game of semantics, but it requires a profoundly different approach to the work.

Q. What do you see as your greatest challenges with your new job? With middle school education?

A. I see challenges as 'opportunities for problem-solving.' But, I'm not glossing over the fact that there will be times of great stress and pressure. At this point, I can't articulate what the particular challenges will be while leading AMS.

But I do know the challenges that we all face leading schools in California. Just as I began my work as an elementary principal three years ago, the budget crisis cut my school at the knees and I was challenged with maintaining a safe, engaging and successful learning community. 

As educational leaders, we hold ourselves most accountable for the success of our schools. And yet, we're faced with unprecedented financial deficits. We forget that educators are not trained business managers, and we're certainly not trained revenue builders.

We're not usually focused on profits or reserves. We're having to shift that mindset and begin to understand not only how to make reductions, but how to increase fund balances. 

Q. What do you look forward to most with the new job?

A. Building relationships. I do my best work when I'm working with people I know and trust. That's true for almost everyone.

Q. Do you know much about Albany? Impressions? (Will you be commuting far?)

A. I know some things about Albany. They are proud of the small-town feel; the close proximity to our surrounding cities and universities. I won't be commuting far at all. I live right next door in El Cerrito. It's my goal to , but I have to train myself to climb Potrero Avenue!

Q. As we know, this is an extremely difficult time for public schools, given the state's budget shortfalls. Do you have cost-saving or money-stretching ideas; strategies you might like to approach in Albany? 

A. I don't have any suggestions yet. And I won't be providing any in the short-term future. I do know that budget reductions are very hard to make for school communities. We've been making them every year in Newark.  

The ideas need to be . School leaders have the responsibility to provide information and to teach their communities about how their schools are managed. But the final decisions are based in values and beliefs of the parents, teachers and students. We need those voices in order to make the most informed decisions.

Q. When did you first know you wanted to be a teacher or go into education? What do you think motivated this?

A. My mother and father inspired me. So did some of my favorite teachers. My mom always encouraged me to enjoy the university experience. Pursuing a liberal arts degree was my choice. My father helped me make the connection between liberal arts and teaching. He is a retired special education teacher and still works as a substitute at the young age of 75.

Q. What life experiences have most influenced you as an educator? In what ways?

A. I've probably experienced the most profound personal and professional changes since I chose to be a school leader. I've had to broaden my perspectives on how to work with groups and individuals. And, I've had to deepen my technical expertise tenfold. 

Q. When you're not running schools, how do you like to spend your time? Hobbies, interests, etc.?

A. I've had lots of hobbies, but none have lasted my entire life. I spent 10 years studying and performing classical piano. But then I met my partner Jeff, and I couldn't practice anymore. We needed something we could do together. So, we've been renovating houses for the past 15 years.  

We take our time and do most of the work ourselves. We're on house number three and I think this will be our last. If I ever move again, I don't want to have to re-do anything.  

I love eating in local restaurants and I worked for three years in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco. I learned a lot about customer service and brought that with me to the school office. (Do you know that when you're talking with a stranger on the telephone, they can tell if you're smiling?) We spend a lot of time with our families in Napa and Sacramento.

Q. Any comments or questions for Albany readers?

A. I ask this every day at and I'll ask this often of you:  "What have you done today to make you feel proud?" (Does anyone want to ride a bike with me up and down Potrero Ave.?)

Q. Finally, middle school sometimes gets a bad rap. Young teens and 'tweens , not yet adults, but not kids. Your thoughts?

A. YES. It's OK not to love working with a young teenager every moment of the day. But when you think it's hard to work with a young teenager, stop and remember how much harder it is be to BE a young teenager.

Chronologically, there are only 36 months between sixth and eighth grades. But developmentally, it's a huge leap from child to mature teen. Behavior is situational and behavior is learned by making mistakes and correcting them.

We need to exercise patience, forgiveness and limits. They need room to experiment and boundaries to make them feel safe. They appreciate it, but won't say so until years later.

What would you like to ask the incoming new-principal-in-town? Tell us in the comments.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.