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SLO High School students need to come first

August 14, 2023

OPINION by LISA WASHMUTH

Open letter to San Luis Coastal Unified School District Board:

With the recent enlightenment about the San Luis Obispo High School’s athletic director’s behavior, came information about the former principal and the superintendent being more concerned about winning games than doing the right thing.

The information about the former principal is consistent with what I and many other teachers experienced while working at San Luis High School. This is also consistent with what I experienced with the superintendent.  Neither of these men seem to put students nor their education first. It was always how things looked to people in the community and those not in education.

Although I did interact at times with the athletic director, I want to bring to the public light my experience with the former principal and the superintendent.

First, walking on campus in the morning and being looked up and down and told I “looked nice today,” or “nice shoes,” or “nice scarf” was the “positive” encounters I had with Leslie O’Connor. I was  also told that he didn’t understand why I taught Fashion because his wife could get a job as a retail sales clerk.  He never asked what I was teaching nor what standards I was covering.

My Masters Degree program was Apparel Marketing and Manufacturing. My students learned everything from construction (sewing or the engineering of fabric) to globalization. They had knowledge about all aspects of the fashion industry. All of this was reported to the superintendent in charge of personnel, Kim McGrath. I assume that hiring mentors to help Leslie with how to interact with colleagues was the outcome of my report and other teachers reports? There was never a direct follow-up with me.

Second, as Chris Unger, whom I happened to run into after meeting with Leslie and Sally Ames, and Eric Prater, whom I made an appointment with, know, I was forced to move my preschool internship program high school course, Tiny Tigers, to the afternoon only and share my classroom with adult education’s Parent Participation.

When Leslie O’Connor first started as principle at SLOHS, he told me that I better hold two spots for when his children arrived in January. He told me that the facilities were great and “day care” should be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. He never asked about the program, or standards the high school students were learning. He said it would be great for the community to see it running all day.

So that everyone knows, this was a high school course in which high school students ran a preschool with the teacher of the course as a supervisor.  I did not run the preschool, the high school students did. No math course runs all day, no English course, no other course. We were not, nor is it to this day, a licensed day care. And the community knows very well about it as it has run for over 40 years. There was always a waiting list.

Third, on the subject of having to share my classroom with a non-high school program and forcing Tiny Tigers to afternoon only, I was told this is what was going to happen. I was never in agreement with this.  It cut the high schoolers’ opportunities to sign up for the program.  Adult education was running a preschool with one teacher while I was teaching a high school course with upwards of 20 high school students who needed to be able to make mistakes and practice their book knowledge. This led to conflict between the adult education teacher and myself, because we had different goals for the facility.

I went to Eric Prater to voice all of my concerns. His response is that he doesn’t micromanage his principals. But isn’t he their boss ultimately? Shouldn’t he be making sure the students are first and foremost? Leslie also told me that we would share supplies. Supplies for Tiny Tigers came from a small tuition the Tiny Tiger parents paid each trimester. Parent Participation was funded by I don’t know what.

I immediately knew this was illegal. I think that misappropriation of funds is why Morro Bay High School’s previous principal is no longer principal. Ryan Pinkerton happened to come into the Tiny Tiger playground to check on the new administration building, and I voiced my concerns about the illegality of Leslie telling me to share my funding. I do want to thank Ryan for putting a stop to that.

Why do I bring all this up? To let you know that there is more than the athletic director’s behavior at issue. This is one former teacher’s experience. As a dozen of us met with Kim McGrath, I know there are many more.

When parents ask me about sending their children to our schools, I tell them don’t. Private or homeschool are my suggestions because our students are not the number one concern of the administration.

Lisa Washmuth taught fashion and interior design at San Luis Obispo High School, She also ran the preschool class until she retired in 2021.

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I had Lisa as a teacher, she was no angel. She would make students feel bad about what they wore because it did not go with the fashion that SHE liked. She once looked me up and down and leaned over to another student and told them that my bright colored jeans were a “fashion disaster.”

She was not fair with her students, she would often play favorites and was not shy about it.

The only students she put first were the ones she liked best. She was rude to her students, made them uncomfortable because she would talk about their clothes.


0

lessie O’Connor was also involved in the cover-up of another athletic teacher who was also sexual harassing slohs students the coach name was Charlie deeds he was fired around 2016 he was calling young female students he coached as the lead tennis coach at slohs and sexual harassing them. deeds was ultimately fired from his job when this came to light but the slohs administration kept all this quiet not involving the police or a formal criminal investigation.


13

Having had two daughters that both graduated from SLO High (18 years apart), one in 1999, and on one in 2017, I’ve seen the quality and diversity of the teachers over the years.

For the MOST part, my older daughter received a much better education than my younger one while at the high school. Having said this, they BOTH also graduated from college AND have very successful careers in their chosen field.

I am in no way discounting what Ms. Washmuth states in this article, but my question is, why did she wait until AFTER her retirement to tell us about it? What am I missing?

And for the record, there are definitely a handful of good teachers at SLO High, but this latest news about the athletic director is extremely troubling and frightening.


-15

So you think Ms. Washmuth should have come forward while she was still working at the school? I’m not sure that would have worked out so well for her, especially considering the lack of support she experienced. It was brave for her to come forward when she did.


22

One HAS TO WAIT until retirement or resignation to be this public with information. The retaliation is immediate and severe if an employee speaks up. When employees speak in private, the issues are minimized and ignored, and the blacklisting begins. SLCUSD employees know this very well— if they don’t know it, and speak up, they sure learn it.


14

concerned_human said it perfectly. Prater and O’Connor are renowned for making the lives of staff who speak out very difficult..


11

Eric Prater is a politician with a diploma mill doctorate. Look at the district’s dashboard statistics, consistent achievement gaps in the most vulnerable groups. Technology doesnt solve these problems, leadership does. Why are there systemic failures throughout the district? Eric Prater’s laissez-faire management.


23

Thank you, Lisa, for coming forward with your experiences. You’ve made it possible for me to feel more comfortable to open up.


As a parent of a son who graduated from SLOHS in 2019 and another son who is currently a senior at SLOHS, I want to tell you that many of us parents saw it. I have an email from 2015 sent to me by another parent/mom of an athlete, that describes her concerns about Leslie O’Connor and a meeting she scheduled to discuss her concerns with Kim McGrath.


I have also experienced some very disappointing situations at SLOHS related to the extreme bullying of our son by another student over the course of a year. The matter was covered up and swept under the rug after we filed a formal complaint with Eric Prater last year. We were dismissed. The torture our son went through was dismissed. The school only cared about limiting its liability and doing the minimum, so ruled that the extremely disturbing actions of another student toward our son over the course of the year were not “bullying” (which would have legally required the school to act.) The facts of the situation would blow your mind if made public. It is truly disgusting and culminated in a serious mental health crisis for our son.


My mother graduated from SLOHS in 1960 and unfortunately, the legacy of the school is not what it’s cracked up to be. I also have three older children who attended Buchanan High School in Clovis because I temporarily relocated to SLO to Clovis to attend school in Fresno. I ended up staying there until each of them graduated from high school because the school was so amazing. Since we’ve been back at SLOHS with the younger two, it’s been one problem after another in this district.


Just this week, our son got his “academic plan” for his senior year, which is a college preparatory plan. It’s always listed AP Statistics and other college-prep classes for 12th grade, but all of those classes were removed and he was placed in Applied Math and Work Experience. He emailed his counselor and she told him AP Statistics is full and the wait list is full, so he is unable to take it. I wrote to the current principal, Rollin Dickenson, and suggested they open another section of AP Stats so each of the students who want or need to take it are able to. He responded that they aren’t able to do that. So now there are a lot of high school students who are unable to get the classes they want or need because they don’t have the support to teach another section of the class. It’s a small thing in the overall rotten system but is one small illustration of the high school’s inability to meet the needs of its student body.


Based on everything our family has gone through, especially the bullying and cover-up which denied the bullying was happening to our son despite written proof and interviews with many students who confirmed it, I would never, ever recommend SLOHS to anyone. And it’s disgraceful that Leslie O’Connor was promoted to the district office, knowing everything I know since 2015.


18

“I went to Eric Prater to voice all of my concerns. His response is that he doesn’t micromanage his principals. But isn’t he their boss ultimately? Shouldn’t he be making sure the students are first and foremost”? Perhaps he should have at least been a leader………… I’d like to add just a little more first hand insight to this unfortunate situation @ SLOHS-

A few years ago, there was a very serious problem with a couple parents doing really shady, often illegal things around a certain group of students and staff.


During one of a plethora of meetings that we had to attend on how to handle the situation, Leslie O’Connor said that he wasn’t going to provide his own staff with any protection from these people, because of (his exact words) “bad optics” and that “we were only only volunteers and stipend employees”, so “you’re just going to have to deal with it” and his priority was “to protect my own pension”.

He actually said that to myself and a few others, including J. Brandow and a vice principal! Soon after, sexual misconduct allegations were made, police were involved, students were interviewed by SLOPD without their parents being notified, lawsuits were forthcoming, and yet-

By the end of that year, Leslie O. ended up getting a promotion instead of fired or demoted by Eric Prater, who knew and became involved in the situation/problem we were dealing with……. As more information comes out, we now know O’Connor (and likely Prater) knew J. Brandow was also a serious problem, and did nothing to keep students out of that unfortunate situation either.

So if it seems that I’m throwing the former principal under the bus, I am- Because it’s becoming quire clear that looking out for your kids well being was not a priority for the ex principal @ SLOHS, and I’m quite sure that selfish attitude hasn’t changed since then. Gotta protect that pension!


Like the OP, I’m no longer involved with the district either, but hopefully priorities have changed on campus for the better.

And unfortunately, with that failing up promotion from the superintendent, Leslie O. is now a made man- his job and 250K+? salary and pension is probably untouchable. What a shame.


29

What were the shady parents doing?


0

You’re so right, slowave7! It’s a shame (criminal, really). I hope it’s not untouchable— the district’s actions must be investigated. The story of SLCUSD administration, especially the “good ol’ boys) club must stay in the forefront.


6

I’ll back Lisa up. 


I worked with Lisa, as a teacher on special assignment, for 4 years before she retired. We worked on curriculum, obtaining funding, equipment, and business contacts for her program. I found Lisa very passionate and outspoken about her program FCCLA  (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America). She had a lot of energy and put students first. She won awards as a teacher leader in the state for FCCLA. She worked hard to develop one of the best business advisory committees in the district which was a requirement for her state funding. Her business contacts were always willing to come to a meeting for funding, do a demonstration of career skills for students and take students on in an internship. 

What she has written in this letter is how she felt at the time about her program. I have heard it before, and was present at some but not all meetings.

I did not work with Jeff Brandow and had no knowledge about that situation except what I have read in this newspaper. 

Whether you chose to agree or not, I find this is a factual account of Lisa’s program. Her opinion and energy have been consistent in the years I have known her as a colleague. 


And In my opinion, San Luis Obispo High School, Morro Bay High School and Pacific Beach have excellent teachers and programs that continue to need the strong, fair leadership that is required to run a school district. 


Liz Moore – retired – Teacher on Special Assignment and Multimedia


25

Yeesh, Lisa. It’s one thing to call out the district and administration for their bad decisions, but it’s another to throw every hardworking teacher under the bus and recommend against attending SLOHS. And how did Ryan Pinkerton end up being the good guy in this article?


While we’re at it, take it from someone who worked with her for 4 years before retirement, Lisa wasn’t a very pleasant person to be around. If she was still teaching at SLOHS, I’d recommend my students not take her class.


-29

Lisa does not criticize the hard-working teachers. A system rots from the head and leadership at SLOHS and SLCUSD seems to be rotten to its core. They covered up the sexual misconduct of an athletic director at SLOHS. A predator. For YEARS.


The problematic principal, Leslie O’Connor, is now “Director for Secondary School and Adult Education” at SLCUSD. He was PROMOTED to a leadership position in the District after this scandal, maybe in spite of it, because Superintendent Eric Prater knew what was going on. That’s just crazy.


Lisa’s experience is the tip of the iceberg.


20

Certainly interesting you opt to criticize a woman’s personality rather than their character or teaching ability! I had Ms. Washmuth as a teacher the year before her retirement and she was amazing, most students I know said the same. It seems you could learn something from her rather than follow the lead of the boys club that is the SLCUSD and SLOHS “leaders”.


10

I’m surprised there are no comments on this article or support for Ms. Washmuth. I have no knowledge to know if what she is saying is true but my gut reaction is, yes she is telling the truth. It is very obvious the basketball coach was allowed to run amuck because a winning basketball season was the priority. When a principal and superintendent support bad behavior it begs the question, what other shenanigans are they capable of.


35

I hope news reporters ask that exact question. Their findings will shock the public. The immediate release of top administrators will be demanded.


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