Not quite a coup d’etat

Danette Goulet

COSTA MESA -- From the mundane to the chaotic, 10-year-old Elise

Wiesinger took the lead role at Kaiser Elementary School on Friday.

As principal for the day, Elise made motions and voted first thing in

the morning at a meeting of teachers, parents and administrators.

“I helped with the projected school improvement plan and economic

impact aide budget,” she said with an uncertain look. “It was kind of

boring. I didn’t really get it.”

But the day took a turn for the better for the fourth-grade

administrator who ran the morning flag deck, which begins students’ day

with the Pledge of Allegiance and announcements.

“I announced Rebecca Brown. She won a math, geology and vocabulary”

academic competition, Elise said.

The pint-sized principal also had the honor of introducing student

soccer players who participated in the Pilot Cup soccer tournament.

“It was fun because I got to go up there and talk instead of just

listening,” she said, completely confident about speaking in front of the

whole school.

Each year, Principal Daryle Palmer gives up her title to a student for

a day -- for a small fee.

At the annual Family Fiesta carnival, a school fund-raiser, a silent

auction is held.

One of the items students are invited to bid on is the role of

principal for a day.

“I try to involve them in some business and take them to the district

office, so that they see we are not isolated here, but a part of a bigger

corporation,” Palmer said.

And it is a coveted prize.

“I wanted to do it because I thought it would be fun and then I

wouldn’t have to do school work,” she said.

But she did have to look professional in one of her finest dresses,

handle some discipline issues, do some filing and care for several sick

students, including getting them water and ice packs, she said.