Parents urge board to keep Amelia Earhart principal as district announces several administrator reassignments
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Summary
Two parents spoke at public comment urging the board not to move Ryan McCarty from Amelia Earhart Elementary; the superintendent announced multiple administrative assignments across the district, citing closed-session personnel discussions.
Several parents told the Provo City School District Board of Education on Feb. 20 that recent personnel reassignments announced by the district have unsettled school communities, singling out the planned transfer of Amelia Earhart Elementary principal Ryan McCarty.
Cammy Larson, who said she lives in the Amelia Earhart boundary, asked the board “please not move Ryan McCarty” and described him as a stabilizing presence for a Title I school where she said at least 40% of students live in poverty. Larson said McCarty “knows each of the over 400 students’ names” and that teachers and families rely on him. She said the announcement of his reassignment came “out of nowhere” and that parents and staff feel anxious and concerned about losing established leadership.
Brent Hutchison, a Franklin neighborhood parent and PTA officer, raised related concerns about an email announcing leadership changes that he said used “unclear and, at times, inaccurate language.” Hutchison said Franklin has made progress since it was designated a school in need of improvement in 2021 and that he worries the recent reassignments will produce a “cascading effect” on teacher retention and student supports.
Superintendent Wendy Dow addressed the public comments later in the meeting and explained the district’s personnel process. Dow said the district considers multiple factors and prioritizes students’ needs when making administrative assignments. She said many staffing conversations occur in closed sessions because they involve personnel matters. Dow announced several administrative assignments and new hires and invited the public to meet some incoming leaders at the end of the meeting.
Among the administrative changes she announced were: Nate Edelson as special education director; Mark Burge as principal at Canyon Crest Elementary; Deanna Lee as assistant principal at Rock Canyon; Ryan McCarty moving to Provo Peaks as principal; Brian Mangum to Lakeview (assistant principal); Brooke Ann Dalby to Franklin Elementary (principal) with Jeanette Marrera as assistant principal; Patricia Blanton to Amelia Earhart (principal); Brandon Dorothy to Sunset View (assistant principal); Shawn Edwards to Centennial Bridal (principal) with Teresa Tovar as assistant principal; Suzanne Parker to Provo High (assistant principal); Jason Benson to Tempe View High (assistant principal); and Becky Robinson to a district specialist role in Science and Social Studies.
Larson said some parents have been contacting area board representative Terry McCabe and asked board members to take parents’ emails “seriously.” Dow said the district would follow normal personnel notification and transition processes and that some details remain personnel matters handled in closed session.