Waverly community, teachers urge board to retain school leader after reassignment notice
Summary
Multiple teachers, parents and students told the board they want Waverly Elementarys current principal to remain, citing improved test scores, morale and stability; speakers said the reassignment occurred without sufficient explanation or teacher input.
Dozens of teachers, parents and students addressed the Baltimore City School Board during public comment on May 27 to press the board to reverse a reassignment of Waverly Elementarys principal and to preserve continuity for students.
Dior Brown, speaking on behalf of educators, staff and families at Waverly, said the school had "a great and impactful leader" and that reassignment "robs us of the ability and the opportunity to make informed career decisions." She urged the board to look at the schools results before making personnel changes: "Over 57% of our K-5 students were on or above grade level in reading, which is well above the district average of 46%."
Tracy Aberman, a teacher with 26 years in the district, described improved staff morale and student support under the current leadership. "She put our needs first...she made sure that we had the needs that we had," Aberman said. "When the letter came out last week about the reassignment, the kids were in tears."
Dr. Kimberly Ferguson, a special educator, said retaining the principal was "an investment in everything we say we value: student achievement, staff well-being, and long-term success." Teacher Timothy Smith II described the principals response to prior crises and said removing that leader now would be "not only shortsighted, but deeply unjust." Teacher John Glatz said the school was "on the cusp of greatness" and described recent student progress under current leadership.
Several speakers emphasized timing concerns: the personnel notice came after the voluntary transfer window, which they said limited staff mobility and undercut transparency. Speakers repeatedly asked the board for justification of the reassignment and for direct engagement with Waverlys school community before finalizing personnel moves.
The board did not take an immediate personnel vote during the meeting; members heard public comment and later approved a package of personnel items on the consent agenda but also announced some interim reassignments in the PEP appointments. The record shows several speakers reserved strong praise for the principals school-level gains and urged the board to reconsider any reassignment that would disrupt student progress and staff stability.
Ending: Board members thanked speakers for their comments and said they would follow up on public input. No formal board action to reverse the reassignment was recorded on May 27.
