Chicago Public Schools students will return to school Monday following a weeklong spring break. However, two principals will not be returning to their posts, at least for now.
Chicago Public Schools students will return to school Monday following a weeklong spring break. However, two principals will not be returning to their posts, at least for now. Clifton Hunt, who had been principal at Oglesby Elementary School, 7646 S. Green, since 2005, and Darreyl Young-Gibson, principal at Percy Julian High School, 10330 S. Elizabeth, since 2007, were both reassigned, effective April 3, for not meeting CPS expectations, said CPS spokeswoman Monique Bond. “There were specific reasons why they were removed,” Bond told the Defender. “Due process must first be followed, and until that legal process is complete, I don’t think it’s fair to give details of their removal. But if a problem exists, you have to identify it and take immediate action and that’s what we did.” Bond said both principals have been reassigned to administrative duties in other CPS areas. Gibson and Hunt were both unavailable for comment. Ron Huberman, chief executive officer for CPS, said he is committed to reviewing all district operations and taking action when needed. “Job one is educating our children. And at the school level, that starts with having a dedicated and effective principal,” he said in a written statement. In the interim, Careda Taylor, a former principal at Kenwood Academy high school and an administrator in the Office of High School Programs at CPS, will take over at Julian. Rebecca Watson, principal at Walter Reed Elementary School, will take over at Oglesby. Julian parents, students and alumni are upset over Gibson’s removal, especially since she had only been there a short time. “What do they expect her to do in one school year? She stepped into a nightmare when she took over at Julian, and now they want her to work a miracle,” said Rita Ross, whose daughter, Cherita Pruitt, attends the South Side high school. Pruitt said she agrees with her mom that Gibson didn’t have enough time to make a difference. “She was a good principal to me. She tried her best to improve the school, but there are a lot of bad kids at Julian,” the sophomore said. “The principal at Fenger High School has been there for years despite the school being on academic probation for the last 13 years,” said Craig Robinson, a Julian alum. Bond said Gibson’s tenure at Julian is not the issue. “Performance will outweigh any kind of time constraints,” she said. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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