Embattled principal announces leave

Marisa O’Neil

An elementary school principal who has been the target of harsh

parental complaints for weeks announced an immediate leave of absence

on Wednesday.

Newport-Mesa Unified School district officials announced to

parents on Thursday that Newport Heights Elementary School Principal

Judith Chambers had taken an immediate leave to work on her

dissertation. Rea Elementary School Principal Ken Killian, a 33-year

veteran of the district, will serve as interim principal for Newport

Heights.

“The teachers are very excited,” district spokeswoman Jane Garland

said. “Judith feels the time was right to do this and to bring the

community together.”

Parents concerns came to a head at last week’s district school

board meeting. After a popular teacher, who was hired on a temporary

basis, left the school parents blamed Chambers for her departure and

implored the district to reinstate her.

Once the teacher was rehired, their complaints focused on what

they called a “divisive” atmosphere and a “lack of leadership” at the

school. Newport Heights PTA president Julie Scharnell resigned at the

meeting, saying she did not want to be a “pawn” in the dispute.

About 100 parents met with district officials at the school last

Thursday, describing personality conflicts with Chambers and

complaining that she frequently did not respond to their phone calls

on school issues. They asked Assistant Supt. of Elementary Education

Susan Despenas to take action and restore harmony at the school.

Chambers could not be reached for comment, but sent a letter to

parents notifying them of her departure.

“These past four years have provided me with a lifetime of

heartwarming memories,” she wrote in the letter, dated Feb. 5. “I

have had the pleasure of working with the most committed and

outstanding parents who have shown their appreciation and support in

ways that never ceased to amaze me.”

After the announcement, parents expressed their satisfaction.

“I think this is very positive,” parent Robert Shaw said. “We’re

very pleased. We’re prepared to show the new principal all our

support. His credentials are impeccable, and what he’s done at Rea is

stellar.”

Terry Torres, the executive vice president for the school’s PTA,

is slated to take Scharnell’s place as president next week.

“We need to be a voice of reason, a voice of balance and a voice

of teamwork at the school regardless of its leader,” Torres said of

the PTA.

Killian, who has worked as a principal for 27 years in various

district schools, has encouraged the use of technology in the

classroom and is a member of the advisory board for the Principal’s

Center at Harvard University, Graduate School of Education. He plans

to retire at the end of the school year.

“I hope to get the community focused together on student

achievement and see what progress we can make before I leave,”

Killian said.

Rea Elementary School’s assistant principal, 33-year-old Kurt

Suhr, will act as interim principal for the remainder of the year. He

started working at the school as a teacher when it opened seven years

ago and has served as its assistant principal for nearly two years.

“I’m always up for a challenge,” Suhr said of his appointment. “I

know the staff really well, and I think the strength of our staff

will help see us through, and Ken’s expertise is jut a phone call

away.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.