Parents and teachers urge transparency after repeated principal turnover at Greer and Baker Butler

Several parents, teachers and family-council representatives used the public-comment period at the Albemarle County School Board's May 14 meeting to urge transparency and faster action on principal hiring and school leadership, citing chronic turnover and its effects on students and special-education services.

"Where are we in the search for a principal for Greer? We want to know," said Jana Bailey, a librarian at Greer Elementary, who pressed the board for open dialogue about candidate numbers, interview panels and the timetable for a hire. Bailey said stable leadership is especially critical at Title I schools.

Multiple speakers focused on Baker Butler, describing repeated leadership changes and staff departures. "We are a school in absolute crisis," said Deborah Kidd, a Baker Butler parent, who told the board she had seen daily assaults on teachers, inconsistent disciplinary responses and a near loss of special-education staff. "We are going to be a squeaky wheel until you do right by us," she said.

Michelle Drago, a Baker Butler teacher, said the school is losing a large share of its special-education workforce and pressed for a principal with deep special-education experience. "We currently have seven full-time special education teachers. Only two are returning," she said, and described the effect of repeated leadership changes on staff morale and program stability.

Parents and staff at Greer sketched a related set of concerns. Lizzie Batman, co-chair of Greer's family council, described the school's diverse international student population and argued the next principal must be able to build trust quickly with immigrant and multilingual families. Holly Odum, a parent of a student with dyslexia, praised Greer's reading-intervention team and asked the board to ensure the next leader will sustain early literacy supports and strong IEP practices.

Speakers urged the board to involve school staff and families meaningfully in vetting candidates rather than perceiving the committee process as a formality. Christina Ra, a Baker Butler family-council representative, said the community is collecting its own survey data to define priorities and expects the board to use that information in candidate screening. "We expect to be involved in the hiring process and to have a principal in August who was chosen with us," Ra said.

Board members acknowledged the concerns publicly. During the meeting's closed session, the board voted to appoint a candidate to the principalship of Greer Elementary; Chair Rebecca Berlin said the board cannot release the name until the selected candidate notifies their current employer. The board also said it would return the achievement-gap charter item (5.7) to a future meeting for further discussion and professional development related to committee work.

The public commenters called for clear timetables, clearer communication about candidate pools and interview panels, and assurances that the next hires will prioritize stability and the needs of students with disabilities. The board did not announce any further public process steps beyond the pledge to share candidate information when legally appropriate.