Concerned parents at F.W. Howay Elementary School have started a petition to keep their principal, who is slated to move to another local elementary school in August.
The New Westminster school district recently announced plans to shuffle principals and staff at various schools, including moving Howay principal Ken Millard to Lord Kelvin Elementary and bringing in Jamie Sadler from Queen Elizabeth Elementary.
"It would be nice if we could keep him for one more year," Howay parent advisory council chair Marian Baseden said about Millard after the announcement was made.
The parents are also being encouraged to send this letter to superintendent John Woudzia:
"Since 2009 F.W. Howay Elementary has been through several administrators - three in four years - and experienced significant issues with the principalship (sic) of the school over the last decade. . It has taken many years to re-build trust with staff, students and parents and this has come about through action rather than words. Trust is always earned and after a long and recent history of distrust, complacency and lack of community involvement and spirit, we are not prepared to jeopardize the positive impact and spirit that has been created with yet another administrative change. . We believe it is in the best interest of our children and best educational practice to retain our current principal ."
Millard is in his third year at the Massey Heights school, which has about 130 students. Meanwhile, Kelvin hasn't had a full-time principal since January. Sandra Pace, the district's director of instruction, has been its acting principal. The new assignments are to start in August.
