Tuesday, April 11, 2000
Two schools get new leaders
Holmes Jr., 1st change principals
By Susan Vela
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — Students returning from spring break Monday were greeted by two new principals at Holmes Junior High and 1st District Elementary schools — the two most troubled schools in the inner-city school system.
Richard Poe, Covington's personnel director, is the new principal at the junior high school — a position he held until about five years ago. Toni Culbreth, assistant principal at Sixth District Elementary School, is the new principal at 1st District.
They replace Betty Wiley and Henley McIntosh, who learned they were being reassigned less than two weeks ago. The district is in the spotlight because of questions surrounding the quality of the students' education.
Ms. Wiley, the former principal of 1st District, has replaced Ms. Culbreth at Sixth District. Mr. McIntosh, the former head administrator at Holmes, has replaced Mr. Poe.
“Basically, these people are just swapping positions,” Superintendent James Kemp said.
He stressed that the changes are merely for the rest of the school year. Whether they remain permanent will be up to the district's site-based decision-making council, he said.
He thinks the position swaps are for the best.
“I'm trying to match personnel with personal strengths with schools that have particular needs,” he said. “I think it's a good move for each staff member (and) I have every confidence it is most appropriate for the district.”
He talked a little about Mr. Poe's former tenure at Holmes and why he appointed him to the school again.
“He's familiar with the school and knows many of the faculty members ... and has performed very successfully for that school,” he said. But “since this involves personnel, I'm trying to keep my comments as succinct as possible.”
A recent state report criticized Covington schools for creating a system of “haves and have-nots.” The report said years of inconsistent leadership and a tendency to focus on advanced learners over slow learners aggravated these inequalities within the school system. State education officials plan to conduct an audit of each school.
For last spring's state exam, 1st District placed last among all 659 elementary schools in the state.
Holmes Junior High placed 193 out of 199 schools statewide. The junior high school is the focus of at least five studies that aim to boost student achievement and the school environment.
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