Facing the challenge at Santa Ana’s Spurgeon Intermediate School

Irving hustles students to class on an August morning at Spurgeon Intermediate school. Early this year, teachers filed a hostile work environment complaint against the school. Children were accosting adults, smoking marijuana, making sexual noises in class, the complaint said.   (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Discipline had broken down so badly at the Santa Ana campus that by the end of the school year, more than 40% of the students had been suspended for a total of more than 800 days.   (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Christine Costello, left, and Principal Todd Irving patrol the campus to make sure children are on time. Irving has two rules: First, enforce the small rules; second, give the troublemakers some attention.  (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Brian Salazar, left, and Angel Hernandez speak with Principal Todd Irving after their parents complained that students bullied the boys last year.   (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Principal Todd Irving greets every class every day at Spurgeon Intermediate. Teachers say Irving’s approach is paying off.  (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Principal Todd Irving speaks to student Brian Salazar about bullying that Salazar endured last school year. Part of Irving’s reform effort included meeting with 50 students considered most disruptive, and getting them and their parents to sign contracts agreeing to change their behavior.  (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Parent Laura Ramos, left, speaks to Principal Todd Irving on the first day of school.   (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Irving meets with security officers at the campus.  (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

Todd Irving had been working at the Orange County Department of Education when he came to miss the interaction with students and took the post at Spurgeon Intermediate this year.   (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)