Legislators a bigger concern in public education than principals

Regarding last week's letter from John Barchilon of Thousand Oaks ("Zero tolerance for 'Zero Tolerance'"), Mr. Barchilon says, "Presidents can be impeached. Supreme Court justices can be impeached. Governors, senators, congressmen and sheriffs can all be recalled, but a principal cannot be removed from office by any administrative action of parents. Why is that? Why are taxpayer-supported principals somehow immune from taxpayer accountability, unlike everybody else?"

To answer Mr. Barchilon's questions, presidents, senators, sheriffs, et al. are elected officials; principals are not.

Principals, teachers and, in fact, all school personnel are hired by the school district with the final approval given by the board of education.

Principals, teachers, etc. are accountable to their employers in the same way that other professionals are held accountable to their employers. Additionally, school personnel are accountable to the state Department of Education just as doctors are accountable to the state medical board, attorneys to the state bar, etc.

Parents and others wishing to effect change can and should express their viewpoints not only by voting for the board members but also by paying attention to the many state Assembly and Senate bills that affect public education.

There are many bills that pass in Sacramento all the time that taxpayers are unaware of or don't even care about until it affects them personally. As one example, check out SB-777 and its many ramifications that will directly affect our public schools in the near future--i.e., gender-neutral locker rooms and restrooms. Lorna Maxwell Newbury Park