Jan 3, 2004

John Tabella takes over

Willow Glen Middle School gets new principal

By Carol Rosen
Editor

Willow Glen Middle School started 2004 on Jan. 5 with a new interim principal. John Tabella, who has been with San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD) since 1973, took over from former principal Darla Briggs, who left in December to become principal of Christa McAuliff Middle School in Lodi.

Tabella was selected by the SJUSD board to replace Briggs at the board meeting on Dec. 9. Before taking over, he met and talked with Briggs about the school and what was going on and how to keep the school going on the track she’d taken it.

“Willow Glen Middle School is moving forward, the API scores are up significantly and I want that to continue, I want to keep it on the same track that Darla had it going on,” he said.

“When you take over at this time of year, everything is in place, the school year is planned. I will be learning the ropes of the school, meeting all the staff and students and keeping the school going forward. This is quite a challenge for me. I like working with kids. I like solving problems. I want to bring the staff together so that we are all a team and continue moving forward.”

This is Tabella’s first position as a principal, but he comes with a strong background in secondary education. He began his career as a science teacher and water polo/swimming coach at Willow Glen High School in 1973. He was at the school about six years when Proposition 13 was passed. “I didn’t have enough seniority, I was close but it wasn’t enough” and the district let him go.

He became a substitute teacher at Peter Burnett Middle school for about two years before he was hired back at Willow Glen High. This time he taught U.S. history and coached boys in water polo/swimming and girls in swimming. He later transferred to Broadway High School, a continuing or alternative high school, where he taught for five years before becoming involved in a special program.

He set up a work/study program at O’Conner Hospital called O’Conner Academy. The students spent three hours in class and then a couple more working in the hospital. That lasted for about four years before he started a program at the Center for Employment Training with job training for at-risk students.

Tabella worked as a summer school administrator at Gunderson and Leland when he was asked to be the assistant principal at Broadway High School. There he worked with Principal Susan Botaw, and when she moved to Leland to become principal, Tabella joined her for about three and a half years.