Aug. 24, 2003 — The new principal of the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School says she and her administrative team will be ready to meet new and returning students on the first day of class.
Sharon McCollum Rogers says she began her new duties several days before the mid-August reporting date for school administrators. "Officially administrators reported Monday the 18th, but actually I think I've been on the job since the 8th or 9th of the month, working every day, Saturday and Sunday," the new principal said.
By meeting with her administrative team and doing some pre-semester troubleshooting, the new principal says she expects to oversee the first days of classes with few ripples. She invited parents to look over copies of the Eudora Kean student handbook, which she said is required reading for all students. And along with other members of the school's administrative team, the new principal stopped in on a radio talk show to introduce herself to the community.
Rogers said Eudora Kean students, parents and teachers can expect new standards and a new attitude on the administrative level. "I've been telling people I don't want congratulations for the job. I want congratulations in June, at the end of the school year," she said during a Friday appearance on the WVWI-AM talk show, "Afternoon Mix."
Rogers, a former middle school teacher and, most recently, administrator at the Joseph Gomez Elementary School, was chosen to replace acting Eudora Kean principal Lydia Lettsome. She was appointed to the position over the objections of St. Thomas-St. John District Superintendent William Frett, who said in speaking before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday he had chosen another candidate, but had his selection overruled by Gov. Charles Turnbull.
Frett tendered his resignation in protest, but remains on the job at the request of Education Commissioner Noreen Michael. "Because of the start-up of school, one of the things I had done was to ask Superintendent Frett to remain at least until the end of August and he agreed to do that," the commissioner said Friday.
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