San Leandro High School fights graffiti

Oakland,CA,USA

By Chris De Benedetti, STAFF WRITER

SAN LEANDRO -- While a parents' group is inviting the community to pitch in for two upcoming "beautification" days, a new school administrator already has made cleaning up the campus his daily mission.

Dan Herrera, a new assistant principal at San Leandro High School, has quickly taken the reins as the school's anti-graffiti and tagging enforcer after being hired June 10.

Herrera, a former Tennyson High School science teacher, said he was hired to perform myriad duties, but "especially to clean up the school."

Retrofit construction done at the school last year forced faculty and students into portable classrooms, resulting in a dusty and overcrowded campus.

But with the renovation just about complete, the school community aims to turn over a new leaf come September.

"The superintendent (Christine Lim) said she wants the campus to shine on the first day of school, and to remain clean and shiny throughout the school year," said Herrera, 35. "She really has set high expectations for us."

Now the United Parents group is asking the community to get in on the act.

Two "Beautification Days" have been scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and one week later on Aug. 21. The events are timed just before students head back to school, with United Parents calling for volunteers to perform a wide range of chores at the high school -- including sweeping, painting hallways, washing windows, picking up trash and setting up classrooms.

"We're trying to make the grounds as attractive as they can be," said Anne Cawood of United Parents, "so students will know the community cares about them and their school."

Students also are more likely to take care of a campus once they're in an environment that makes them feel good, Cawood added.

"Actions speak louder than words," she said. "Many schools are in (a neglected) state because of the budget crunch. We're trying to make a difference by showing we do care how the campus looks."

Herrera agrees and is trying to crack down on graffiti vandals who leave spray-painted artwork -- or tags -- on campus walls.

"Dan is making it difficult for students to tag the campus," said new principal Amy Furtado. "He's caught several of our top graffiti artists in the last couple of weeks."

Herrera points to one school restroom in particular as the ground zero in his battle against vandalism.

"I was truly horrified because there was literally not one inch of open space on the bathroom wall," he said, adding that painters are scheduled to paint over the graffiti soon.

Herrera has begun rewarding students up to $50 for giving information leading to taggers' being caught. In addition, the new assistant principal has been posting reward posters on campus, featuring vandals' trademark graffiti or tags.

"We'll pull a student who's been named out of class and check their bag for a paint can and for an exact match of the tag in the student's notebook," Herrera said, adding that most taggers practice extensively before using expensive markers or spray paint to tag a building. "If they've been caught, then we call their parents to come in and pay the reward themselves."

The new administrative staff will include Linda Granger, Michael Hassett and former principal Dan Spence in associate or assistant principal roles.

Herrera credits Luis Torres, the school resource officer employed by the San Leandro Police Department, for his commitment to assisting school officials.

He also praises Furtado for encouraging new ideas from her staff.

"If I come up with something, she says, 'Yeah, let's do it. Let's get this school cleaned up,'" he said.