Kids These Days:

If the local education system were a Star Wars movie, Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard would be telling us that there is a “disturbance in the force.� In the films, that news was never good.

The local disturbance is the very sad news that Judy Laakso, the principal of Victoria Elementary School in Costa Mesa, is retiring June 30.

By any standard, local or national, Victoria should be at or near the bottom percentile for test scores and average grades. After all, it is in a part of the city where English is often a second language, where both parents in many families work and where home environments do not always emphasize the importance of a good education. Earning enough to make a living is the order of the day for many of these homes.

But Laakso would have none of that. To her, every child has the ability to become a leader — it’s just a matter of nurturing that prospect.

Over the years, I have admired Laakso not just for her skills as an educator and superb administrator, but also because she never lost faith in any of the students at Victoria.

Laakso also put faith in her teachers. Over the years, they have been encouraged to become active not only in the school, but also in the community. Victoria’s teachers have applied for and been granted many thousands of dollars in grants funded by the Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation.

This knowledge is firsthand. Our two children were both students at Victoria, and I was fortunate to have served on the Site Council for one term for the school about 12 years ago.

During the years our kids were at Victoria, I saw how public education is supposed to work. I saw Laakso engaging parents, teachers and students in a partnership in which everyone benefits.

It takes a special person to do that, and when it works, it is truly amazing.

Laakso made it work so well that Victoria was designated a Blue Ribbon School — the state’s highest honor — in 2007.

If you asked her for the reasons behind Victoria’s success, Laakso would tell you that it is the staff, teachers and parents who have contributed. She would be right, of course, but it also takes someone to lead, someone not with a dream, but with a vision, a clear idea of how an elementary school is supposed to work, and a plan to make it happen.

“I think it’s just an incredible school,� Laakso was quoted as saying at the Blue Ribbon ceremony. “We have the best students, very dedicated parents, an amazing staff and a supportive district, and I really think it takes everybody’s efforts to make this happen.�

Laakso’s retirement is a loss not just for Westside Costa Mesa, but for anyone who understands that full engagement in the education process, accountability, consistent high standards, fairness coupled with appropriate discipline and the freedom to teach and learn are the keys to a successful school.

To say that Laakso will be missed is a gross understatement. The force will be disturbed for a long time.

Last week, I reported on the denial of a permit by the Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission to allow the Aztec basketball league to play on Sundays in Costa Mesa’s downtown gym. The permit would have displaced only an average of 22 people per day and netted the city about $40,000 in revenue.

A few days ago, commission Chairman Kurt Galitski posted a note after the column stating that the permit question would be revisited at the commission’s next meeting June 24, and he urged those with an opinion to appear and speak.

Opinions are important, but inflammatory remarks and suppositions can be dangerous. One of the obvious attempts at manipulation by fact-less speakers is posing what is a pathetic attempt at an honest question, which may go something like, “How do we know that this league isn’t filled with convicted child molesters?�

In this case, the facts were clear and pointed to a reputable organization with a history of reliability seeking a temporary home for its adult athletic program. Not one negative fact was presented.

This time around, the commission is urged to look solely at the facts and act accordingly, without emotion.

Galitski continues to beat the drum of community involvement and is setting a strong example for current and future commission members.

STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and a freelance writer. Send story ideas to [email protected] .