Principal at elite Lowell High School resigns, slamming SFUSD in farewell letter

“The choice to go away SFUSD is solely primarily based on my want to use my ardour for schooling in a district that values its college students and employees by properly organized programs, fiscal duty and sound educational practices as the trail in direction of fairness,” he stated within the letter to the varsity neighborhood. “Change is tough and our campus has seen greater than its justifiable share of it within the final a number of years.”

Dominguez, who as soon as labored as an assistant principal at Mountain Pointe Excessive Faculty in Tempe, took a job at a college district in Arizona.

He couldn’t instantly be reached for additional remark.

The shocking announcement leaves the high-profile highschool with extra uncertainty and controversy because it navigates vital funds cuts in addition to an ongoing debate over the potential restoration of a merit-based admission coverage.

The earlier faculty board voted to remove the varsity’s decades-long admission system primarily based on take a look at scores and grades, changing it with a lottery-based system. The choice adopted racially tinged incidents and complaints by college students of shade that they confronted frequent harassment and racism. Board members stated the change in admissions would assist diversify the varsity and the freshman class was essentially the most various in a long time.

Whereas the vote was overturned following a lawsuit on procedures, the board has saved the lottery system quickly.

Dominguez stepped in to steer the varsity as the primary lottery class was coming into its freshman yr.

“We’re at a reckoning between honoring the historical past that’s Lowell and the excessive bar that we set, and in addition recognizing that we’ve got programs that have to be challenged, and have to be reworked in order that they’re assembly the wants of all of our college students,” he stated in an interview for the varsity newspaper in August. “I believe that if we do a greater job at speaking what our stance is in relation to racial fairness, gender fairness, and ensuring that individuals know precisely what we stand for, then there’s going to be so much much less guessing, and hoping, and mistrust within the administration.”

Faculty board President Jenny Lam stated she was sorry to see Dominguez go and acknowledged his frustration.

“Assist for our excessive faculties is deeply essential to me, and with this resignation I see that we’ve got a lot work to do,” she stated. “I might be talking with members of the Lowell neighborhood quickly about their steps ahead.”

In latest weeks, Lowell has grappled with its funds for subsequent yr, which presently contains the lack of greater than $2 million in funding related to additional preparation time for Superior Placement lecturers.

Dominguez reportedly urged the district to revive a number of the funding to reduce cuts to programs and different applications.

The information reverberated throughout the district.

Ashish Sahni, whose son is a sophomore, stated, “Attending Lowell was the one purpose why we stayed in San Francisco and didn’t transfer to the suburbs after center faculty.”

He added that after the board modified the admissions course of and now with the principal leaving, “the scholars are as soon as once more left questioning if anybody truly cares about them.”

However Charles Higgins, who has a son presently attending Lowell and one who just lately graduated from the highschool, took the information in stride.

“You’re attempting to serve a populace that features children residing in foster care, children who don’t converse English, children whose dad and mom didn’t graduate highschool, immigrant children, very poor children,” stated Higgins. “The dad and mom have gotten this concept that it’s going to be one thing near excellent and that’s not simply how any faculty works.”

He additionally believed it was a teachable second.

“It’s a worthwhile lesson for younger folks to be taught. When there’s dysfunction in any respect ranges, it’s reflective of what they’re going to expertise in the actual world, in life.”

District officers Wednesday expressed unhappiness over Dominguez’s departure and wished him properly, including they’d be working with the varsity neighborhood in choosing his substitute.

“Over the approaching weeks, we are going to interact in a course of to pick a brand new principal,” stated Assistant Superintendent Invoice Sanderson in a letter to the varsity neighborhood. “I look ahead to working with the neighborhood to pick two candidates to advocate to the superintendent for closing consideration and choice.”

Terence Abad, govt director of the Lowell Alumni Affiliation, stated in an announcement that he was stunned by the information and that the affiliation had a “nice working relationship” with Dominguez.

“Mr. Dominguez has been extremely open and clear with the Lowell neighborhood as he has made many tough selections concerning program cuts in addition to college and employees layoffs,” he stated. “We additionally really respect his sturdy advocacy on behalf of Lowell college students, college and employees with Superintendent (Vincent) Matthews and numerous faculty board members with regard to those devastating funds cuts.”

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle employees author. Electronic mail: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker