Sea Kings lose their principal

Danette Goulet

CORONA DEL MAR -- After seven years in his reign as Neptune, Don

Martin announced Friday morning that he will leave his position as

principal at Corona del Mar High School to work in the district’s

administrative office.

Martin’s new position is a trial one for both the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District and the veteran principal. He will help to align the high

school curriculum with new state standards, preparing students and staff

for the new high school exit exams and juggling a slew of other duties.

“During the last couple of years, there has been a lot to do with

content standards, the Stanford 9 and the new high school exit exams,”

said Jaime Castellanos, the district’s assistant superintendent of

secondary education. “We need some help, and Don became the obvious

choice as the senior member in a principal position.”

Saddened Sea Kings have little time to get used to the idea, as Martin

will begin his new assignment in just two weeks.

When the school day begins Feb. 5, Gary Norton, who retired from the

Irvine Unified School District in 1995 but repeatedly has been called

back to service, will step in to fill Martin’s position for the remainder

of the school year.

For now, the position is a temporary one, Castellanos said.

In April, district staff will reevaluate their situation to determine

if it the job should be filled full time. If so, they’ll also decide if

Martin is the right man for the job.

Martin said he plans to make himself invaluable, so that come spring,

he will be left with the decision of staying at the district headquarters

on Bear Street, returning to Corona del Mar High or moving on altogether.

In the meantime, he is eager for a new experience after 13 years as a

principal.

“I think it’s going to be a neat opportunity for me because I can get

my feet wet and see if this is what I really want and the district can

see if there’s a need for the extra help,” Martin said.

Martin assured parents, staff and students, however, that Corona del

Mar High would be the last school he was principal of, so if he finds he

misses campus life, he will return to the campus after the trial

assignment.

But the longtime principal admits that he was planning to look for a

district position in the spring anyway, so the opportunity is ideal.

On his special assignment, Martin will work closely with Castellanos

and Peggy Anatol, the district’s director of curriculum and assessment,

but he will take on other duties as well, Supt. Robert Barbot said.

Martin will head up a new CIF program that Newport-Mesa wishes to

participate in, Victory with Honor, and will take on the responsibility

of the recently resigned Lynn Bloomberg, who was the director of the

district’s alcohol and drug awareness program.

That administrative position was previously left unfilled, Barbot

said, in anticipation of this move.

Parents are disappointed to see Martin go, but said they understand.

“Martin has been a terrific principal and, for the short term, we’ll

manage without him,” said Susan Kramer, PTA co-president. “He has been

highly instrumental in bringing about a stronger middle school on campus

and stronger academics. He works very efficiently with parent groups, but

we understand he’s been at [Corona del Mar] for seven years and would

like more of a professional challenge.”