In Support of Our Students

To our new interim Principal, Valerie Huber: The past several weeks have been difficult and we especially thank you. The challenges facing you are many, urgent, and serious. We know that with Barbara OConnors resignation, your job has become geometrically more difficult, and we will continue to help by serving as volunteers. We hope that Mrs. OConnors return (or at the very least the hiring of an equally qualified expert to fill her position) will provide you with much needed support and relief.

To our wonderful academic and arts teachers and staff: You have opened your hearts to our children, sharing your knowledge, experience and caring. Please know how deeply we appreciate you. We thank you and will continue to support you in every way we can.

To Dr. Darline Robles and the Board of Supervisors: We were grateful when you hired Barbara OConnor. She was just what we needed: a person with the wisdom, the resume, the skill set, and the plan of action necessary to heal our community and reestablish the excellence that made LACHSA a nationally respected school for the arts. We felt assured that, working together, Barbara OConnor and Valerie Huber were the team that our school needed.

We were shocked to learn that Principal OConnor resigned just five weeks into the school year- even though she repeatedly expressed her commitment to be on board as principal for one year, and as consultant in years two and three to make sure the necessary changes were, indeed, implemented. We do not know why Mrs. OConnor left. We do know that LACHSA benefited from her presence. The many problems she identified have yet to be resolved. We also know that you want LACHSA to flourish. We appreciate the hiring of new staff, and the promised new coat of paint and new office furniture. But we all know that the challenges facing LACHSA go much deeper. We stand together in urging you to support our school by immediately returning Barbara OConnor - or a person of her caliber and experience to work with Mrs. Huber for the sake of our students.