Remove Principal Leslie Roach from Northwood High School

Principal Leslie Roach and Integrated Science at Northwood High are joined at the hip. You have to remove one if you want to remove the other.  We wouldn't have started this petition had a previous Student created petition to remove Integrated Science with 400 signatures was asked to be taken down. How many more years are we going to be debating this? How many more students need to suffer? If we don't take a stand now, we never will.

Principal Leslie Roach has lost all credibility and trust from the Northwood High School students and parent community. She misallocates precious funds without consulting the community thus denying students the opportunity to take necessary AP Science classes. She forces families to take blended learning courses, IVC classes, or private science classes instead of offering them at Northwood High School. Most importantly, she relies heavily on a private college counselor Paul Kanarek who uses the Irvine School District for his personal sales pipeline.

Northwood High School under Principal Leslie Roach adopted an Integrated Science approach several years ago. Time has proven that it doesn't serve the needs of the community. Majority of students polled do not want to take Integrated Science I or II.  Instead of listening to the students, Principal Leslie is adding on Integrated Science III to an already weak science curriculum.

The school under Principal Roach's leadership has ignored students feedback about bringing back AP Science classes starting in 9th grade. Many families are forced into financial hardship because they have to privately fund science class outside of the normal school curriculum. Those that can't afford these private science classes are negatively impacted with lower GPAs, their choice of college and career prospects diminishing. The amount of stress that Principal Roach has created for the community is reaching epic proportions.

At a meeting today (5/16/19), Principal Leslie continued to argue with parents who were scientists and STEM leaders in the community. She cut the meeting short without a plan of action to address the Integrated Science failed experiment. She talked down to anybody who tried to reason with her. She continued to push students and parents to talk to a private counselor.

Please remember NO ONE is going to win the debate of Integrated Science vs AP Science with Leslie Roach. IUSD is NOT forcing Northwood to do Integrated Science. The State of California is not requiring Integrated Science. Principal Leslie Roach is the only one who wants Integrated Science. No other school at IUSD has Integrated Science. Uni High tried it several years back and reverted back to traditional science.

Principal Roach has damaged the standing of the school with her ill-advised adherence to the Integrated Science curriculum against all feedback to the contrary. She relies on generic national statistics and anecdotal hearsay from consultants as opposed to scientific leaders in the community.

It's time for Irvine School District to bring new leadership to Northwood High School. We need a new Principal and Science team to take care of our children and bring back AP Science classes to all students. Principal Leslie Roach should be moved out of Northwood High.

Please pass this to as many social media channels, WeChat, WhatsApp, and News outlets. We need to make a change now!
https://www.change.org/p/irvine-remove-principal-leslie-roach-from-northwood-high-school

Leslie Roach implemented a sudden and drastic curriculum change affecting many next-year Juniors.  Students and parents are very upset about being required to take IS3 if they are science-driven in their course selection.  The fact that virtually NO ONE wants to take IS 3 speaks volumes about the IS program.  (And it is worth mentioning that IS 3 honors is ?weighted?, just like an AP, and students still reject it).  The IS program is deeply flawed, in the opinion of  NEARLY ALL students taking the classes.  Talk to the students and parents of students who have been in IS classes the past two years.  There is a legitimate reason no one wants to continue in it.  And when the better science classes started filling up, Leslie Roach DEMANDED IS3 for many Juniors.  Suddenly, rudely, without consideration.  When parents demanded a meeting, it sounds like Roach was not listening, didn?t care.  THAT?S what this is about.  A principal forcing sub-par science program on kids, not listening to parents, not taking parent and student concerns into consideration.  It is not about pushing your kids into many AP classes, entitlement, snotty teenagers, severe over-achievers,college credits... and all the other accusations being lobbed at concerned parents. 

For people who have no kids in the IS program, or have no kids currently at NHS, you can?t really say whether you would want your science-driven kid forced into IS 3.  The proof is in the pudding: almost no one wants to sign up for IS 3.  If the school were full of kids saying ,?The IS program is so good! I get such an interesting perspective on all the various disciplines in science!? we wouldn?t be here.  The ultimate question is this: why does Leslie Roach support and ENFORCE a science program that students and parents don?t want, as evidenced by the fact that no one CHOOSES it. As principal, why doesn?t she MAKE AN EFFORT TO OFFER THE SCIENCE CLASSES STUDENTS WANT?  And , this all begs the question, if the IS program is so great, as Roach declares, why is NHS the only school doing it? I understand being on the cutting edge, trying new things in education, but the mark of a good leader is also knowing when to say, ?This program isn?t going well. Students and parents don?t like it. Teachers have a hard time teaching it. No one chooses it. As such, I will now make the decision to change the program.?  Instead, Roach doubled-down and DEMANDED a program people don?t like.  Leaders are responsible for their actions, and leaders need to LISTEN to the ones they lead, not DEMAND and FORCE.  The petition is about getting IUSD to listen.  That?s the call to action here.
https://www.change.org/p/irvine-remove-principal-leslie-roach-from-northwood-high-school

This Petition is not about requesting 2 or more AP classes. It?s basically about the Integrated Sciences approach in NHS , this newly mandatory Integrated Science 3 and more importantly, the future of our children in NHS.

Yes Integrated Science has been implemented since 1999 but does that mean it?s good for our students?  Not really. If so why none of other high schools in Irvine adopts this approach and LAUSD abandoned it years ago?
Current NHS?s IS curriculum includes 50% Biology, 25% Chemistry and 25% Physics. For a 9th grader IS might be OK, but for a 10th grader, still the same constitution obviously is not solid enough to prepare students for next level science. If you do a survey for current and past graduates about IS, you will understand how ineffective it is and how struggling students are/were. Especially when they go to 11th and 12th grade and try to take AP science classes, they will realize how weak their basis is. But it?s too late to catch up at that time due to 11th grader?s tight schedule. Many of them struggled, depressed and failed in higher level science courses. This is especially unfair to those kids who intend to pursue STEM in the future. We have advocate multiple times for a school wide IS curriculum survey but rejected by school. This has a serious issue for so many years without solution and it?s time for a change.

Equally disconcerting is the qualification of IS teacher in NHS. All the NHS science teachers actually only have credential for one subject such as biology or chemistry. Per Principal, as long as they are science major they can teach IS in NHS. There are feedback from students that many times when they ask questions, teacher don?t know the answers. Ask yourself, how many teachers you know can be so versatile in bio/chemistry/physics at the same time? It?s challenging for teachers too to teach all three sciences mixed in high school.

With all this said, now came the fuse of this whole thing. Last Friday 5/10/19, all 10th graders got a notification from Principal Roach notifying them if they chose two science AP for 11th grader they must substitute one for the newly mandatory IS 3. So now two years ineffective IS education is not enough, students are forced to spend one more year on this newly mandatory and obscure IS 3.

The class choice a few month ago students/parents/counselor made together has to be thrown away and students have to make decision by the next Tuesday. There was a  ?we want two science petition? from a NHS student that gathered 400 signatures in two days but was forced to pulled down due to pressure.  That?s the cause of the meeting on Thursday 5/16/19 in NHS. But in the meeting Principal Roach ignored the concerns and requests from students and parents, simply insisted on her IS 3 curriculums. Her lack of communication, imposing IS 3 class and arrogance in the meeting was the cause of this petition.

NHS is a great school with great students. It?s award winning, but not because of this IS curriculum. Returning to traditional subject science, just like all other high schools would make NHS even better. Principal Roach helps implementing IS curriculum from the get-go and has turned a deaf ear to the adoption of subject science requests for many years. We don?t foresee her to change her mind anytime soon. Since the divergence is irreconcilable, changing leadership might be the best choice for all the parties.
https://www.change.org/p/irvine-remove-principal-leslie-roach-from-northwood-high-school

The following excerpt was written for Northwood?s student newspaper, but it?s publication was subsequently banned.  It was co-authored by Northwood?s Student of the Year:


Despite the almost-singular drive of Northwood students to ?get into a good college,? it turns out that Northwood High School is, in fact, not so good at getting students into those good colleges.

The anecdotal evidence is strong; Northwood hasn?t sent a student to Harvard in three years, Princeton in two. Others, like Caltech, MIT, Yale and Stanford are far and few between, and while such evidence is itself somewhat compelling, it does beg the question-is this just because these schools are so selective no one gets in, or is the dearth of acceptances a phenomenon unique to Northwood?

The data supports the latter. We took a look at historical Naviance data, which catalogs the admissions for Northwood High School and compared them to the school?s average acceptance rate. After some statistical analysis, (specifically, a chi-2 goodness of fit test), we found the generic Northwood student isn?t proportionally represented at elite universities; rather, there is evidence that suggests that we are underrepresented.

Consider a few examples-Harvard?s national acceptance rate is 5 percent-a low number, for sure, but nothing compared to the 1 percent of Northwood students who got in between 2016 and 2018. Princetons 6 percent national average might turn heads, but the 2 percent of Northwood students who get in is a far more selective number. In aggregate, when the observation data is assumed to be discreet (a somewhat useful but not statistically conclusive marker), we find that the average Northwood student bears a 43.72 percent ?disadvantage? during the admissions process for top 10 universities, and a 25.14 percent ?disadvantage? at top 20 ones. That?s pretty bad-and it may indicate Northwood as a high school is underperforming.

This discrepancy is particularly surprising-especially when you consider the fact that Northwood was recently ranked the sixth best high school in California.

If your goal is getting into an Ivy, I have a good friend who can hook you up for a small fee

There are two really important topics for consideration in this thread. The first is concerns integrated versus traditional science courses. It has been my experience that this issue will always be hotly contested, and that's fine. There should be meetings involving students, teachers, parents and the community to disseminate information, gather feedback, and arrive at consensus for what the plan will be moving forward. There should be program monitoring systems in place to ensure data is gathered on the success, or lack thereof, of the effort. If it?s successful based on student achievement data, great. If not, reconvene as a team and figure out what the next steps are. Pretty simple to do, but ironically, rarely done well.

My perspective on IS versus traditional science is simple. Great, highly qualified teachers can pretty much make any curriculum successful. The bigger issue here, I believe Sherri Gao mentioned it above, is finding teachers highly qualified to teach all three subjects (chem, bio, and physics) in an integrated fashion at a level that will be beneficial to students as they prepare for college is the challenge. There a very few teachers who have this background and training, and there are even fewer still who have the background and training and also have a proven record of success in the classroom. I believe that IS ultimately is a superior approach, but the fact is that we have many more outstanding teachers who are qualified to teach the traditional courses, rather than the integrated ones.

I trust outstanding teachers and I trust students. Listen to them.

The other issue, and to me the more important one, is that of leadership. Leaders are supposed to bring people together, to build coalitions, to create inclusive systems. Leaders who lack this skill cause division and conflict. I see it in the comments in this thread, and it feels very similar to what happened when the school (and the district) revised their math pathways several years ago. This is my issue with Dr. Roach. She has her small group of inner circle parents and other supporters, and the way she conducts her business is that she listens to them, and she treats all others who approach her to ask questions with disdain.

We need a leader for our children who will listen! We need a leader who has an open heart and an open mind! We need a leader who is interested in all points of view! Finally and most importantly, we need a leader who brings people together, rather than one who builds walls!

After being a part of the Northwood community for ten years and seeing my kids have to overcome unnecessary obstacles at NHS because of poor decisions, some not in Dr. Roach's control, but many that absolutely were and that most certainly were not for the benefit of students, it?s time for a change.

Integrated science? Let the conversation continue and hopefully we?ll come up with a plan that we can try, but only if we can find teachers highly qualified to teach our kids.

Dr. Roach? She is divisive, as proven over and over again in the decade I have known her, and as currently demonstrated in this thread. She must go!
https://www.change.org/p/irvine-remove-principal-leslie-roach-from-northwood-high-school

Is the science curriculum decided by the principal?

I thought it was an IUSD/Cali School board decision.

irvinehomeowner said:

Is the science curriculum decided by the principal?

I thought it was an IUSD/Cali School board decision.

Click to expand...

I guess part of the reason for wanting to remove her is because the state and district is not forcing Northwood to drive integrated science but the principal can make that call and is pushing for it.

Thank you everyone for your support.

Our request is to:
1)      Stop/Remove/Make Integrated Science 3 optional for everyone.

2)      Remove/Make Integrated Science 1 and 2 optional for everyone.

3)      Provide access on campus at Northwood High School to take basic Biology, Physics and Chemistry classes in 9th and 10th grade like the rest of IUSD (Follow Uni/Irvine/Portola as an example)

4)      Allocate funds for advance level Science classes from 9th grade for those that qualify and wish to do so (same like other IUSD schools).

5)      Remove restrictions on advanced classes so students can get the necessary G.P.A to at least make the minimum to get into UC Schools that have a competitive science department. (For example, UCLA engineering average entrant has a 4.59 weighted G.P.A. This is very hard to achieve at Northwood because of the restrictions placed on classes).

6)      Stop forcing science students to take AP humanities classes when they want to take AP Science classes. Sorry, our students don?t want to take AP World Geography when they?d rather learn AP Biology. It?s not the same.
We are not asking for something new, different or extra than any other school in IUSD. We are asking the right to be given the same science classes like other IUSD schools (Uni High, Irvine, Portola), the right to take class of choice, and the right for parents to be involved in decision making related to science curriculum, open and transparent financial disclosure, and parent and student involvement in funding of science classes.

We also want Principal Roach and her supporters to stop harassing the impacted science community by asking them to move to a different IUSD schools, or explore other educational options like IVC, blended learning, or private school. Every Northwood student has the right to attend their homeschool and take the same science classes in the security of their neighborhood.

The safety of our teenager?s is compromised when they have to take basic science classes in an Adult environment like IVC. The mental health of our teenagers is affected when they have to watch YouTube science videos, or attend private classes in the evenings or weekends just to learn basic science instead of spending time with their family and friends, or play sports. Asking science students to learn on their own under the guise of ?Independence? is like asking Brain Surgeons to learn Surgery on their own.  The list goes on and on.

Please feel free to start additional petitions that fit your needs, or have the proper legal language and title, or revive the student petition that got shut down. The more petitions the better! There are many parents and students with impact statements that highlight various issues related to G.P.A, inadequate experienced science teachers, boosting Humanities at the expense of Science, and much more at Northwood High.

This petition was started to highlight Principal Leslie Roach?s bigotry and bias when it comes to Science education at Northwood High. The issue is much more than just mandatory integrated science curriculum. It?s the systemic discrimination of the Northwood science community for several years, the marginalization of science students who want to pursue a high level of knowledge, and the lack of equal opportunity and access to classes of student choice. We want to remove the smoke and mirrors that Principal Leslie Roach has been leading us to believe with issues with funding. District has said that there is ample funding to serve the needs of the Northwood Science community. District has also said that they are there to advise, but not dictate what each school does. It?s up to the Principal who should take input from the community. We are taking a hard stance so that the issue doesn?t get kicked down the road for subsequent parents to deal with. Principal Leslie Roach is the captain of this ship and we hold her accountable for the dismal state of the science curriculum at Northwood High School and the negative impact it has had on our children.

Action:
Attend IUSD Board Meeting at 6:30 pm in the District Administration Center at 5050 Barranca Parkway, Irvine on May 28th 2019 (Tuesday - 5/28/19). We encourage Elementary and Middle School parents to attend as well because it?s hard to explain all the intricacies in writing.
Please read up on Education Equity on ACLU(American Civil Liberties Union) website. Also, educate yourself on science class offerings at other IUSD schools.

ACLU says ?You should demand the type of education you need to realize your dreams?. According to ACLU, Many studies show, that the standards school officials use in deciding on track placements are often based on racial and class prejudices and stereotypes instead of on real ability and learning potential.

Thank you.
https://www.change.org/p/irvine-remove-principal-leslie-roach-from-northwood-high-school

The pain is real and the helplessness is real. Please attend the Board Meeting TODAY at 5.45 pm and voice your concerns. If you have any stories on how IS has impacted your STEM hopes and dreams, please share it on this petition under comments. Inexperienced Teachers, useless books, and a Principal that is negligent in fixing these issues. Your help is needed if we need to make sure no child is ever impacted again by the poor execution of Integrated Science.

Regular Meeting of the Board of Education Irvine USD
May 28, 2019
IUSD Administration Center 5050 Barranca Parkway Irvine, CA 92604 5:45 p.m.
https://www.change.org/p/irvine-remove-principal-leslie-roach-from-northwood-high-school

IUSD parents all had a chance to review the adopted curriculum at the District Office. This could have been avoided by not allowing the district to adopt the textbooks in support of this curriculum.

NGSS is a mess in many districts no matter the program. Integration will be confusing, but those districts pushing physics for all will also have students with unique challenges.

The concerned parent can always use this as a reason to switch schools and districts, which usually gets the board?s attention.

Something does not make sense here, the IUSD is usually very involved, where is the input from the IUSD leadership?