Micaela Valentin Photo
Daniel Bonet-Ojeda: Out, for now.
Daniel Bonet-Ojeda, the principal at John C. Daniels School of International Communication, has been removed from the building, while an internal investigation into his conduct is underway.
Parents, meanwhile, say district leaders have left them in the dark.
Bonet, who was recruited from Puerto Rico, has served as principal since 2017. Up until Friday, he headed up the elementary school on Congress Avenue that’s widely known, far out into the suburbs, for its dual-language program.
Because of “personnel matters,” Bonet was initially reassigned to the school district’s central office, where he planned to work on programs for English language learners, Assistant Superintendent Iline Tracey wrote in a letter that went out on Wednesday afternoon. He planned to stay in that position “until further notice,” Tracey wrote.
Since then, however, Superintendent Carol Birks put Bonet on leave.
“After a couple of days, and further review, we have decided to place him on administrative leave with pay and without prejudice,” Birks stated in an email on Wednesday night.
Pedro Mendia-Landa, a supervisor for the district’s bilingual programs, will serve as interim principal, she added.
Mendia “has had previous experience providing school-level leadership in the absence of administration and is highly respected for his leadership skills,” Tracey wrote. “His ability to speak Spanish and other languages will be an asset to the school community.”
Paul Bass Photo
Sylvester Salcedo.
Aside from that three-paragraph note, parents at Daniels have been asking for more information about what’s going on and getting few answers.
“We’re obviously shocked and disappointed at these developments. We’re wanting to hear some definitive word from the leadership at 54 Meadow on exactly where go from here,” Sylvester Salcedo, the school PTO’s president, said on Tuesday night.
“I know if it’s a personnel matter, there are lawyers involved, negotiations with unions and all the rest of that,” Salcedo added. “Still, there is a school full of children and teachers who are looking for some guidance on exactly where we go from here.”
Specifically, parents seek to know the gist of what’s being investigated. They seek to know if Bonet could return. And they’re asking if Mendia will be splitting his time with district-level responsibilities.
So far, they said, the superintendent’s office has been largely unresponsive, finally sending a newsletter home in children’s backpacks on Wednesday, nearly five days after Bonet was moved from the position.
In that time, rumors overran the school, making it “very uncomfortable,” said Alberto Tabra, the school PTO’s vice-president. Some found that Daniels no longer had a principal from their kids, he added. At a PTO meeting on Tuesday night, parents said they felt abandoned.
“You can’t wait five days, especially in this day and age,” added Tina Lee Hadari, a parent at Daniels.
Superintendent Birks said she thought administrators had notified parents “in a timely manner, given the circumstances.”
Parents said they’ve felt ignored by the school district’s central office for a while. Administrators excluded them from the principal search that led to Bonet’s hiring two years ago, and top officials delayed explaining budget cuts that split the school’s library media specialist between two schools.
“It makes us feel like we are the bottom line of the New Haven school district,” Tabra said on Wednesday afternoon. “There should be more communication, out of respect, from Central Office before these things happen. There’s a better way to do this.”
Lucy Gellman Photo
Bonet, on his first day of school at John C. Daniels.
While several parents described Bonet as “kind-hearted,” few questioned the decision to remove him from the school. Several employees told the Independent that he couldn’t keep up with the work and made staff members uncomfortable.
When asked about the specific allegations against him, Bonet said he couldn’t remember any of them happening, saying he felt “surprised” and “caught off guard.”
“I truly trust that the superintendent is doing whatever is best for the schools and for me,” he said. He declined further comment.
Parents said that this personnel issue didn’t reflect on the school overall. “We have a very tight-knit group of very devoted parents who really want to see this community flourish,” Hadari said.
Though Bonet’s departure has been “unsettling,” causing “a lot of second-guessing,” Salcedo said he knows parents are willing to step in and support the school through any changes in leadership
“The kids are perfectly happy there, the parents are engaged, and the community is diverse,” he said. “The parents there are all willing to help where we can. We’re just asking for that word. It’s an opportunity to renew and reinvigorate or even grow the leadership already there at the school. We’re ever-hopeful, con mucha esperanza.”
Nowadays, there are lots of people on leave in NHPS, but this case is likely more deserving than most. One thing that seems consistent is the length of time - the process seems to take FOREVER, so John C Daniels best move on and do their best without a permanent principal for a while. Certainly a disadvantage, so good luck to all the staff and families during a difficult time. Bonet said it most eloquently, "I truly trust that the superintendent is doing whatever is best for the schools and for me."