Ch-ch-changes!

Our principal will not be returning next year. From the gossip and the tone of his letter to the staff, it sounds as though he was informed that his contract would not be renewed. I'm not quite sure where I stand on this. For one thing, he wasn't the most effective person. I've gotten upset with his repeated "promise - put off - stall" technique. I know that the committee that's supposed to be looking for ways to improve our (abysmal) graduation rate is extremely frustrated with him because they spent a lot of time looking for solutions and planning possible implementation and then he apparently has something already in mind and so their work is pretty much ignored.

However, among my department there is a certain cynicism that surprises me. Maybe it's because I'm a fairly new teacher, but I'm both curious and hopeful about what sort of new principal the new superintendent will choose. Based on what they know about the super, there've been proclamations that "she's going to appoint some kind of 'messiah' to come in and 'save' our graduation rates," with a bit of eyerolling thrown in.

I don't know. Wouldn't that be a good thing, if it worked? Or even if we got someone who was really committed to improving rates and wasn't coming from a district where he or she had already done so, maybe they'd be more likely to take an honest look at programs that have worked in areas with demographics like ours.

The other teachers are concerned about a principal who micromanages. IMO, I really don't see that being an issue, especially with our department. I think we're too much of a cohesive unit. I don't think a new principal would be able to move in on any of us without getting the whole group riled up! I maintain that we are our own union. If we think that something is unfair and we approach it as a united department, I bet we can get it changed. :D