Principal's Joining Transition Team Irks Parents

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee has hired a Northwest Washington elementary school principal to join her transition team, upsetting some parents who are concerned about finding a replacement just weeks before the school year starts in August.

Ximena Hartsock announced last week that she will leave Ross Elementary, where she has been for the past year, to work for Rhee on developing new principal support programs and performance evaluations, Rhee said. Hartsock has been named transition assistant for leadership and will be paid $115,000, according to officials in the office of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D). Hartsock's start date has not been determined because she will help Ross with its transition and selection of a new leader.

The vacancy at Ross follows another principal's departure, also announced last week. Jocelyn Drakeford told parents at John Eaton Elementary in Northwest that she is leaving because she is uncertain about the transition to a mayor-controlled school system, according to parents who attended an emergency meeting.

"She was unsure about the support and communication from the central office and felt that she couldn't continue in that type of environment," said Mark Boss, co-president of Eaton's Home School Association. Drakeford was not available for comment.

The school system has 16 principal vacancies, including five high school and nine elementary school positions. Rhee's transition team and two consulting companies working on back-to-school issues have set a deadline of Aug. 1 to fill the openings. Rhee has said she will appoint interim principals to all of the slots for this year and conduct a national search for permanent leaders next year.

In the meantime, parents are worried about not knowing who will greet their children when they return to classes Aug. 27.

"It's been hectic," said Boss, who has been leading nearly daily planning meetings of parents since learning that Drakeford won't be returning. "People are surprised and concerned because it's late in the year to find out about the loss of your principal." Eaton parents plan to hold a "meet and greet" at the school tonight for principal candidates.

In the case of Ross, several parents told Rhee in a community meeting Saturday that the school made great strides in the past year and that they are worried and upset about starting over with a new leader.

"This was very sudden and shocking," PTA President Rich Hancuff, whose son Daniel, 7, will be in second grade, said yesterday. "We had no warning."

Ross parents will hold day-long interviews with principal candidates today at the school. Parents have spent the past few days scrambling to draft sample interview questions for the selection committee.

"We're sad and surprised," said Maureen Diner, chairman of the school's local restructuring team. "At the same time, we derive a great deal of comfort that Michelle Rhee and Dr. Hartsock have promised that they will make this transition as smooth as possible. I'd like to believe we're going to be in a better position."

Parents said Hartsock worked tirelessly throughout the year on new reading and writing programs and on rearranging teaching schedules. Rhee said yesterday, however, that Hartsock had told her stories of working Sundays to collect trash in the building and performing other duties that exhausted her in the position.

"That was going to be a principal vacancy regardless, if she hadn't come on board with us," Rhee said yesterday. "What it says is that we as a system are failing to create the system and structures necessary so principals can focus on the things that matter most: being in classrooms and driving quality instruction."