Despite distance learning, Jason Kurtenbach is excited to begin his tenure as San Marino High School’s principal.
The first-day smiles exchanged by teachers and students were filtered through hundreds of miles of satellite transmission, but Jason Kurtenbach, San Marino High School’s first-year principal, was nevertheless enthusiastic about the first day of the 2020-21 school year.
It arrived on Wednesday without the typical array of ceremonial accompaniments such as the Senior Breakfast and Link Crew Welcome Assembly, but Kurtenbach is dedicated to making the best of the bad and lingering situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. With 2½ months to reassess the pros and cons of distance learning, Kurtenbach is looking forward to turning the page.
He has charged into the new year with no assistant principals, and on Monday afternoon he mentioned that he is now also without a dance instructor, as his recent hire for SMHS was brought back on at her previous school.
“I am not a fan of the New England Patriots, but I am a fan of their ‘next man up’ theory,” said Kurtenbach, of the famous NFL franchise’s penchant for moving on, even when top players leave the system. “All I have seen around here these past few weeks is people taking care of things. I am fine, we are going to make sure that the kids get good instruction, and we are going to find a great assistant principal.”
The San Marino Unified School District’s posting period for the opening ended on Monday evening and the district is expected to begin interviews immediately. “Until then, some of the less important things are going to wait,” Kurtenbach added.
SMHS began the 2020-21 school year without a single administrator with experience at the institution as assistant principals Jorge Muñoz and Soomin Chao and former Principal Issaic Gates recently left the district. Muñoz was assistant principal of athletics, attendance and discipline and Chao served as assistant principal of curriculum, instruction and guidance. The district will fill only one of the two assistant principal slots due to budgetary concerns, according to Superintendent Jeff Wilson, while longtime San Marino educator David Irie has been assigned to the newly created role of director of student experiences. Irie will continue as athletic director and will also oversee activities, Associated Student Body matters and other duties.
Kurtenbach was named principal of SMHS in May. He spent five years as principal of Huntington Middle School, from 2013-18, and was offered the position of executive director of curriculum and instruction at the SMUSD office before accepting the offer to move to the high school. Kurtenbach will serve as the director of counseling at SMHS for the foreseeable future, depending on the qualifications of the assistant principal who will eventually be hired.
“I have been here long enough to know what is going on, and the kids and parents know why they are here,” Kurtenbach said. “I am confident we will be fine even if we only have one [assistant principal].”
The SMUSD opened this week under distance learning guidelines after a July 17 announcement by Gov. Gavin Newsom that any schools in Los Angeles County, public or private, cannot physically reopen until the county has spent 14 consecutive days off a monitoring list, where it was placed due to increasing COVID-19 cases.
The directive extends to all SMUSD schools, including before- and after-school activities, all athletic and extracurricular practices and competitions and all weekend events. Factors determining whether a county is placed on the monitoring list include hospitalization rate, positive testing rate and the number of new infections. The county remains on the list.
Kurtenbach reported that 15 of San Marino High School’s 57 teachers came to campus on Monday and he expects a similar number to conduct lessons from their classrooms.
“Probably 10-15 at the start, and then it will grow as comfort levels increase and we show that we can keep them safe,” Kurtenbach said. “It will take a little time.”
He said that teaching remotely often is more of a challenge for science teachers, and that their instruction “might be more advantageous to the classroom.”
On Thursday, students were asked to log in and allow their parents or guardians to experience the remote method of education. On Friday, students were to receive “clear instructions for Monday,” according to Kurtenbach, who said lessons will begin in earnest at the beginning of the new week.
“Our teachers did a great job during the fourth quarter of the past school year, and they have only been working to enhance that,” said Kurtenbach.
