Top of her class

Deirdre Newman

On a wall outside Whittier Elementary School in Costa Mesa is a

vibrant mural with the school’s motto emblazoned across it -- “Learning

For All Whatever It Takes.”

The embodiment of this motto is Principal Sharon Blakely, who took

charge of the school when the students’ test scores were “abysmal,”

teacher turnover was high and only a handful of parents showed up at

Parent Teacher Assn. meetings.

When Blakely arrived in the fall of 1997, she systematically began

addressing the school’s weaknesses with the laser focus of a Jedi

warrior.

Her vision for the school materialized so successfully that test

scores have been improving for the past four years, PTA meetings now draw

between 100 and 200 parents and experienced teachers want to work at the

school.

For these achievements and more, The Irvine Co. recently honored

Blakely with the Principal of Excellence Award for the Newport-Mesa

District, one of three given out in Orange County.

“I feel so honored to have Whittier recognized,” Blakely said. “I know

full-well that this success is shared by the team.”

Blakely first became interested in education as a child, inspired by

her fourth-grade teacher. She taught elementary grades for many years and

was eventually hired as the district’s first literacy leader in 1995.

Although she never entertained any aspirations of becoming a

principal, she truly thought she could make a difference in the position

at Whittier. So when the former principal left, she requested the school.

When I came to apply, I came a day before and walked around the

campus,” Blakely reminisced. “There seemed to be a sense of well being

and the students seemed so happy. I didn’t know a lot about Hispanic

students and I didn’t know if it would be a good match.”

It turned out to be a perfect match.

Responding to the needs of teachers who said they needed a preschool

on campus to prepare students for kindergarten, Blakely and members of

her team wrote and received the first state preschool grant in the

district.

First-grade teacher Martha Blair was ecstatic.

“It has made a phenomenal difference,” Blair said. “It was amazing to

me that I could speak to [kindergartners] in English.”

Blakely also made sure to tie student attendance with either parent

participation at the preschool or adult education -- another void that

Blakely filled. She also made the school library a community facility,

assembling boxes of books to put into homes where there were none.

“English was the key, then literacy, because we realized many did not

read and/or write even in Spanish,” Blakely said. “This school came

equipped with loving parents wanting, but not knowing how, to assist

their children.”

She applied for “every grant I could think of” to bring in support

programs for the students. She even learned Spanish to better communicate

with parents.

Blakely also created an outdoor learning environment with various

murals. In addition to the one with the motto, some reflect letters of

the alphabet and consonant blends. Another speaks to the pride of the

Whittier Dolphins.

The efforts paid off as the students’ standardized test scores

markedly improved in every category at every grade level over the past

four years.

Irvine Co. officials said they were impressed by the depth of

Blakely’s program.

“Her whole thing is to prepare the family and the student for

learning,” said Robin Leftwich, senior director of community affairs. “A

lot of kids just show up at school and learn and you don’t think about

what they do before they get there or what their parents are dealing

with.”

Blakely received $5,000 for the school and an amount she was too

modest to disclose for herself.

Her hope for the future is for Whittier to be recognized as a

Distinguished School.

“Our work is not close to being done,” Blakely declared.