School-principal transfers cause some upset

West Seattle High School Principal Phil Brockman will hand over the reins to Garfield High School Principal Susan Dersé and become principal at Ballard High School next year, officials said yesterday.

Seattle Public Schools' Chief Academic Officer Steve Wilson delivered the news to West Seattle High's parents, staff members and students yesterday. At least one PTSA officer expressed dismay that they didn't have an opportunity to influence the selection process.

The district's principal-selection process has come under fire in recent months at public hearings, even as Superintendent Raj Manhas tries to fill a large number of principal vacancies in high schools.

This year three longtime principals retired, another left mid-year for a better job and one was removed after sexual-harassment allegations. A sixth principal, Wilson, was promoted. While new principals go through an interview process that involves the school's community, sitting principals who transfer to another school can be appointed by the superintendent without a similar process.

"In my opinion, that's a travesty," said Theresa Cardamone, a parent at AS#1 at Pinehurst. "The school communities must and should be consulted every step of the way whenever their leader is going to be replaced or hired or changed or transferred in any way."

Neither Wilson nor High Schools Director Ammon McWashington could be reached for comment yesterday. Other appointments: Interim Ballard Principal Chuck Chinn will become principal at Roosevelt High School. Ingraham High's Interim Principal Martin Floe has been given the job permanently. And Blaine K-8 Principal Kaaren Andrews will move to Madrona K-8, district officials said.

Brockman and Dersé both sit on the district's influential Student Funding Committee, which makes policy recommendations to the superintendent, and have made an impact at their schools.

Former Superintendent Joseph Olchefske pulled Brockman from McClure Middle School to lead West Seattle High starting in the summer of 2000. Brockman impressed parents at McClure, where he was credited for leading a turnaround over three years at a school once shunned by families.

During that time, the Association of Washington School Principals named him middle-school principal of the year for the Seattle region. Previously Brockman served as an assistant principal at Madison Middle School.

Dersé, who is half-Brazilian and speaks four languages, arrived at Garfield in July 2001 from Kentlake High in the Kent School District. She became Garfield's fifth principal in six years, following Al Jones, who resigned amid allegations of an improper relationship with a student.

She has been credited with keeping the school's academic programs vital and working to ensure that every student who wishes to take six classes can get them. Garfield's pass rates on the state math and reading tests are among the highest — yet the school did not make "Adequate Yearly Progress" last year due to very low numbers of African-American students passing the state tests.

Though Dersé said she was requesting the transfer for "personal reasons," some African-American parents at Garfield have complained to the School Board about their children being discriminated against and not getting the help they need to graduate on time.

Marysue Hildebrandt, an officer of West Seattle High's PTSA, said she was "appalled" by the lack of community comment on the decision to transfer Brockman and appoint Dersé.

"We have a principal who's been leading the transformation to break the school into small learning academies," Hildebrandt said. "The perception of building leaders is (district officials) don't know what our needs are or what we're doing or what we're looking for in a leader."

Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com