After Malibu High School’s student newspaper The Current published a harsh review of principal Jerry Block’s first year on the job, Block this week remained upbeat and refuted allegations made in the article.
“I’m concerned that it paints a picture that may not be accurate,” Block said in an interview with The Malibu Times. “I’ve had so many comments and feedback from teachers and students and parents that think things are going well.”
The 1,400-word article, titled “Block: The First Year,” appeared in The Current’s June issue. It was penned by four seniors: staff writers Evan McGiffert, Ryan McGowan, Anna Leah Eisner and editor in chief Natalie Kaufman. It runs in this week’s issue of The Malibu Times as a guest column here.
The writers painted a portrait of frustration and disappointment with Block at the helm, anonymously citing several teachers who alleged he inconsistently enforced disciplinary rules among faculty and ignored teacher concerns. Students argued he did little to get to know pupils, particularly the outgoing senior class.
“This past year, Block has been an infrequent presence on campus. He has occasionally been seen around the school, but he is most often found in his office or the surrounding area,” the students wrote.
One teacher told the student paper, “[Block] seems to be selective in who he’s reprimanding… He’s selectively started to enforce rules but he has not announced which rules he’s enforcing, and he hasn’t made clear what, if anything, has changed.”
The writers said they spoke with faculty members who “have gone to Block with virtually identical requests [for leaves of absence] pertaining to health and family, only to receive … ‘different responses,’”
On Tuesday, Block denied doling out inconsistent responses to such requests.
“We do have a lot of teachers with families and we find ways to accommodate those requests. All faculty is treated equally,” he said.
Block said the story was “not very specific” and he could not speak to many of the allegations, since teachers were anonymously quoted and he had not heard such complaints before the story was published.
“[The story’s] not detailed, but from the sense that I’m getting from the teachers, it’s been a good year,” Block said. “I don’t know how many teachers were spoken to. I suspect not many just because of the feedback I’m receiving from so many people.”
He said many have applauded him for helping the school earn high Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation, helping move the graduation ceremony to the outdoor athletic field and expanding the number of science courses offered by the school. Despite a critical tone, The Current credited Block as well for his work with the new Robotics Club on campus, the expansion of courses offered and acknowledged that “the first year as a principal is difficult at any school.”
In an interview with The Malibu Times, Kaufman, the student paper’s editor-in-chief, maintained that the story accurately captured the environment she became accustomed to during her senior year after Block was hired last June.
“We didn’t really see him as a presence [with the senior class] all year, and as it got closer to graduation he came to give us several talks about how we worked so hard to get to this point,” Kaufman said. “We were just frustrated because he was acting like he knew us, and he didn’t.”
Block defended his visibility on the campus, saying he still needed time to fully develop a solid rapport among students. He also confirmed that his contract as principal had been renewed and he planned on returning next year.
“Do I know every single senior? Unfortunately, I don’t,” he said. “But hopefully in a few years after I’ve worked with them I will get to know them better.”
“I respect the rights of the students to publish what they want to publish,” Block said. “I just wish that more people would have come to speak with me about these concerns.”