nwasianweekly.com
June 23, 2007

Raj Manhas

Raj Manhas: a portrait of integrity

We can’t let Raj Manhas leave without saying how grateful we are for his leadership and integrity during his three tumultuous years as superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools.

Manhas has been subjected to plenty of criticism, condemnation — and even a well-documented racial slur during one raucous School Board meeting — but he has maintained his professionalism through and through. He is truly a class act.

The school district is inviting the public to a farewell reception for Manhas on June 26 at 3:30 p.m. at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence. It’s too bad the Asian community hasn’t organized a proper sendoff for the first Asian American superintendent in Seattle history. He deserves recognition and applause for pulling the district out of its multimillion-dollar financial fiasco and for putting the ship back on course again.

His job was never easy. To keep the district from going bankrupt, he had to make tough decisions regarding school closures and budget cuts. He wasn’t the most popular guy in the district, but that was never his goal. Manhas always put the needs of the Seattle Public Schools ahead of himself, his ego and his reputation.

He did what he had to do, even if it meant enduring yelling, screaming, crying and outrage from parents, teachers and community members upset over the closure of their schools. But the fact is, when you have more schools than you have students, then you have to close schools. It’s a practical and sound business decision.

Unfortunately, making that tough decision ultimately led to his resignation. We don’t blame him. A person can take only so much berating and shouting. How would you feel if a stranger stood up in front of a large audience, which included members of the media, and told you to go back to India?

When Manhas announced his resignation last October, he once again was choosing to do what was right for the district: He removed himself from the picture so the Seattle Public Schools could have the chance to heal itself.

We don’t think Manhas was the reason for the district’s myriad of problems, but at least his departure, and the arrival of new Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson, will allow the district to turn a new page.

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