Mr. Collins was my elementary school principal. Mr. Allison, my Jr. High Principal. Mr. Ferraro my High school Principal. All had been there before me- and were there after me. Management and team building works best when your leaders don’t change.

DPS leadership.

That’s not the way DPS will work under Superintendent Libbie Lolli. Continuity is her enemy. Relationships don’t matter. Corporate culture in her book is spelled F-E-A-R.

The one school Dayton has that is successful, Stivers, hasn’t had changes at the top- or the turnover that’s rampant everywhere else. You’d think that would be a lesson to learn from.

After pulling Melanie Walters from Belmont with 6 weeks left in the year- to be replaced with an ad hoc rotating principal du jour, she’s now making her new fantasy draft into reality- and we’re looking at a third of the buildings or more under new leadership.

This is a budding list- there are holes still not filled in. There has been no communication with the community. Competent PR would have properly positioned these moves and shared the rationale with the community.

Dr. Donetrus Hill from Meadowdale HS will be Belmont’s principal.
Nelson Stone who just went to Dayton Boys Prep at the beginning of this year- is now going to Meadowdale.
Carla Goins from Louise Troy will be at Charity Earley.
Shawna Welch is leaving Wright Brothers- Edison Principal Basharus Simmons is going to replace her at Wright Brothers Middle School.

Therman Sampson from Meadowdale PK-6 is going to Dayton Boys Preparatory – since Meadowdale PK-6 is now Valerie.

Do you need a scorecard… yet?

Ponitz is rumored to lose all Principal Ray Caruthers and both vice principals; Debra Corbin and Julie Nighswander. Former Belmont Principal Walters who is there as a Vice Principal now- was set to retire after this year.

Embattled Dunbar Principal Crystal Phillips is going to Wogaman.

Edison Principal Basharus Simmons is going to Wright Brothers Middle School.

No answers on Dunbar, Ruskin or Edison now. Ruskin still may lose their beloved Principal Jennifer Dearwester, even though the site either still has HR Chief Judy Spurlock listed as principal- or Spurlock is going back as principal- according to their website.

We’ll update this post as information comes through the back channels.

Another bone of contention- Summer School won’t be taught by DPS teachers under contract, but instead by temps hired for $3 hr less. This shows the kind of backstabbing disrespect Lolli has for the district staff and the impotence of DEA chief David Romick. Apparently, all Lolli had to do was hire Romick’s daughter to do social media for athletics and talk to Romick frequently to get him to side with the administration on this. I can’t even imagine hiring competent staff to teach on a temp 3 month contract, my own employees aren’t even ready for prime time until after 90 days most of the time.

And lastly, at the last meeting, the head of the bus drivers union mentioned that the district had so far failed to pay the retro-pay for other union contracts in a timely manner- and he was warning Lolli not to lollygag on paying his union. The retro pay was to make up for the negotiated raises to be paid retroactively to when the contract should have settled. We may still see a work stoppage or strike if Treasurer Hiwot Abraha doesn’t get her act together.

Chaos didn’t leave with the last board or last superintendent. The only hope for DPS parents is that enough of them sign up for Dayton Public Preparatory so they can take over the entire district and put students and staff first.