Al Zeidman Passed Away Monday...

Sometimes the best part of the morning at Newport Elementary was stopping by the principal’s office and seeing Tris and Al smoking, while ostensibly reading the LA Times and exchanging comments. You see they weren’t really reading the Times in the usual sense. They were lasering in on the ads …all the ads… especially the ones involving cars. They were always happy to see everyone in that smoke-filled room, and if you were lucky they would give you a minute or two, and then go back to their latest, somewhat nefarious money-making scheme. It was the best.

Al was a great principal for kids and teachers because he was funny, unhurried, confident, and cared about his staff and his students. If a teacher needed something…he made sure they got it. If you had what you thought was a really good idea, but maybe a little Avant Guard, he would give it a thumbs up and cheer you along the way. Teachers at Newport El never worried about the principal having their back. Al Zeidman backed his teachers with truth, humor, and an eerie sense of calm and it felt great.

The teachers were a diverse group at Newport El in terms of personalities. Very diverse, and under other leadership had been known for having a squabble or two. After Al became the principal, it seemed that everyone took a breath and loved their job just a little more. He went around school and dropped in on every classroom multiple times a week. He would walk in your class with that little “Mona Lisa Smile”, talk to the kids, and tell you how great you were.

You have no idea how good that felt. Also, Al was the calmest person I have ever known.

There was that one time though, at a big PTA meeting when he shared his plan for the school in case Balboa Blvd was closed after an earthquake. The parent audience gasped audibly when he shared that he planned to confiscate boats and have the kids sail to safety. The more he talked about this unique plan, the deeper he got into a kind of doom and gloom situation. It didn’t end well. Everyone was worried except for the teachers who could not stop laughing.

Parents loved him though. He was a great listener. Parents, teachers, and kids were always welcome in his office to complain, request, and just plain vent. One teacher, whose name I can’t reveal (Marge) was famous for visiting his office EVERY MORNING, just to have Al calm her down. I think he liked it.

Before Al graced Newport El with his unique method of leadership, many principals had passed through. Al stayed for a long time… and it was unequivocally the best time Newport El ever had.

Al Zeidman’s Celebration of Life

October 18, 2019

2:00 PM

Pacific View

3500 Pacific View Dr, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625