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McKinley parent urges Wauwatosa board to appoint interim principal, cites staff exits and ‘manipulative’ leadership
Summary
A McKinley parent told the Wauwatosa School Board that two teachers are leaving and described declining staff morale under Principal Mr. Martin, urging the board to appoint an interim principal, release a staff survey, and hold a listening session for families.
Annie Marino, a parent of a McKinley student, told the Wauwatosa School Board on June 23 that persistent staff morale problems at McKinley have driven experienced teachers away and called for immediate leadership change. "Thus far, two of McKinley's excellent educators, Katie Pettit and Jenny Lee, are not returning in the fall because of Mr. Martin," Marino said, adding that staff survey data and written reports detail "dishonesty and unprofessional conduct" and "manipulative and retaliatory" behavior.
Marino described Mr. Pettit's 18 years with the district and said Jenny Lee, a 23-year teacher, retired early because of the principal's conduct. She urged the board to "immediately appoint a respected interim principal to stabilize the school, release the McKinley spring staff survey results, hold a listening session with McKinley families, and provide continual updates to the community." Marino emphasized she was not speaking to attack the principal's character but to report staff experiences and survey data.
Board rules limited member response during public comment; no board action or reply to Marino's specific requests was recorded during the public-comment period. The board will continue with its agenda and later moved to the superintendent update and consent items. Marino's remarks were part of a public-comment period the board holds near the start of regular meetings.
Next steps: Marino requested specific actions (interim appointment, survey release, listening session). The transcript does not record any district commitment in response and does not show whether those requests will be scheduled for a future agenda item.
