Our Children Deserve Stability, Transparency, and Strong Leadership

We, the parents, families, staff supporters, and community members of Monte Gardens Elementary School, are deeply concerned by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District's decision to remove Principal Alex Bennett after only one year leading our school.

During his first year at Monte Gardens, Mr. Bennett earned the trust and respect of many students, parents, teachers, and staff. He was visible on campus, approachable, responsive to families, supportive of teachers, and committed to creating a positive learning environment. Many families saw meaningful progress in school climate, communication, and community engagement under his leadership.

Yet, despite the positive impact he made, the district has moved forward with a search for a new principal without providing the Monte Gardens community with a clear explanation of why this leadership change is occurring.

While we understand that personnel matters may limit the information that can be shared publicly, the lack of transparency surrounding this decision has left many families confused, frustrated, and concerned about the future of our school.

This decision is particularly troubling because Monte Gardens is now facing the prospect of having its third school leader in three years. Research consistently shows that frequent leadership turnover negatively impacts school culture, staff morale, student achievement, and community trust.

The timing also raises serious concerns. Conducting a principal search during the summer months significantly limits community engagement and occurs during one of the most challenging periods of the year to recruit top educational leadership talent. By the time school resumes, a new principal may have little opportunity to build relationships with families, staff, and students before the school year begins.

Our community deserves answers.

We respectfully ask the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and Board of Education to do one of the following:

Option 1: Reinstate Alex Bennett as Principal of Monte Gardens Elementary School.

Mr. Bennett should be given the opportunity to continue the work he began, build upon the relationships he established, and provide the continuity our students, families, and staff deserve.

OR

Option 2: Provide clear communication regarding this decision and a detailed plan for stabilizing Monte Gardens Elementary.

If reinstatement is not possible, the district should publicly address:

• Why this leadership change is occurring.
• How the district intends to minimize disruption to students and staff.
• How community input will meaningfully influence the selection of the next principal.
• What steps will be taken to ensure long-term leadership stability.
• How the district plans to attract and retain top leadership talent despite conducting the search during the summer. 

Our children should not bear the consequences of repeated leadership turnover. Families deserve transparency. Teachers deserve stability. Students deserve consistency.

Monte Gardens is a strong and caring school community. We ask the district to demonstrate the same commitment to transparency, stability, and partnership that it expects from our school community and  leadership.

Please sign this petition to support stable leadership, transparent communication, and the best interests of Monte Gardens students.

Sign today and help ensure that the voices of Monte Gardens families are heard.