New Marin Principal Says Communication, Relationships Key to Success

As school begins today for thousands of Albany students, there's a new leader at the helm of Marin Elementary School.

The school community has had more than its fair share of turnover in recent years. David Kumamoto is the fourth principal since 2007, when long-time principal Marian Rothschild retired after working at the school for 18 years. After one year as principal, Lynda Hornada was promoted to an administrative position in the Albany Unified School District and, after two years in charge, Laura Casdia decided to take a job closer to her Martinez home.

Kumamoto brings both teaching and administrative experience to Albany, and he has worked with students from across the socioeconomic spectrum. Most recently he served as assistant principal at Delaine Eastin Elementary School in Union City; Delaine Eastin was the highest-scoring school in that district, Kumamoto said.

Earlier, he worked for the Oakland Unified School District, where he taught combined classes for fourth and fifth graders at Lafayette Elementary, a Title One school with high poverty rates, then taught combined classes for six through eighth graders in the middle school at Hillcrest.

For a few years Kumamoto worked as assistant principal at Edna Brewer Middle School by day, while recruiting parental and community support for the newly designed Peralta Creek Middle School in the evening. When Peralta Creek closed due to miscalculations of the student population, he left the school to spend a year in the Oakland Unified Family and Community Office, where he oversaw programs for transitional students – foster children, homeless and migrant youth, and youth in refugee programs. He's obviously a man who likes a challenge.

Albany Patch caught up with him recently in his office at Marin.

How would you describe the mission of an elementary school and your mission as principal? The mission of an elementary school is to educate the entire child. Academics is only part; it goes beyond academics. We want [the children] to have social and emotional confidence.

My mission as principal is to make that happen, to support teachers in keeping the students' best interests in mind. I'm concerned about equity, about giving access to kids at all levels. If kids are behind, how do we give them access to the core curriculum? Do we do it in before- or after-school programs? Do we restructure the classroom environment? For kids who are advanced, how do we keep them ahead without losing them? I support differentiating levels for kids in the classroom.

I believe in being intentional about why we're doing the things we're doing, in asking, "What is our intention, our theory of action?"

As principal, how do you balance the needs and demands of the various groups at the school – children, parents and teachers? My role here is to support the teachers in their growth in their classrooms, because they're the ones who are hands-on with the kids all day. I appreciate getting to know the needs and concerns of the parents but, at the same time, I remind them that my perspective is that I have 500 kids, and I have to advocate for all 500.

Why did you decide to leave Delaine Eastin? The assistant principal's position was eliminated due to budget cuts. I would have had to be a principal of 900 kids if I wanted to stay on as an administrator. What I like about elementary schools is building a relationship with students, parents and teachers. Last year I knew about 750 kids by name and, as assistant principal, I knew the troubled ones, but not a lot of the others.

You've been meeting with Marin teachers over the past few weeks. I've really enjoyed the meetings with about three-quarters of the teachers individually, hearing the great things about Marin, as well as the challenges. They're giving me great advice.

What advice have they given you? Communication is important. Make sure I communicate with everybody – teachers, parents – that's been a big theme. Another has been, "Don't be afraid to ask. We've been here a long time and know a lot of the answers. We can give you some background context."

They've been very supportive. They've spoken to me about the family atmosphere and feeling among the staff, and with the parents and families.

What do you see as Marin's strengths? The staff has a lot of strengths; they are very committed as a staff. They want to see kids succeed; they want all of us to succeed. I have the feeling that it's a good place to be, a caring environment.

What are the challenges here at Marin? I'm sure that clear communication will be one of them. For me, being new, it's also going to be building relationships with everybody – students, parents and staff.

There are almost no teachers at Marin PTA meetings, except for those who currently have children at the school. Would you encourage teachers to attend PTA meetings? When I was a teacher, I attended the PTA meetings; I think they're important – it's about building relationships with parents. However, I know there are several teachers who have had children go through the school; those teachers may already have those relationships in place.

What are your priorities for Marin, both now and later on? My first priority is to build relationships, as people get to know who I am, and for me to know who people are; that's important. Luckily, I like people!

Later, I'll be looking at the instructional program at the school over time and developing the leadership capacity of teachers at the school, as well as their instructional knowledge. I'll also be empowering parents to take roles around the school.

Last year Albany Unified adopted a strategic plan. One of my goals is to implement parts of the plan both district-wide and here at the school. I'll be working with teachers across the district on the math-essential standards.

How would you describe your management style? I like to seek out input from stakeholders, so that I can make informed decisions.

How old are your children, and where do they attend school? My daughter is 10 and going into fifth grade at Havens Elementary School in Piedmont. My son is 12 and going into seventh grade at Piedmont Middle School.

Is there anything you'd like to add? I'm very excited to be here. I'm looking forward to a great school year. I can't wait. There should be kids running around making some noise.