District names new Harbor Heights principal, declining staff request to reopen process
The Peninsula School district announced Friday that it had chosen Allison (Ali) Shepard as the new principal at Harbor Heights Elementary School., brushing aside complains from school staff about the selection process.
Shepard is the current principal of Chambers Primary School in University Place, which has 535 students in kindergarten through 4th grade. She will start in her new role on July 1.
Shepard is “a highly-skilled communicator who is passionate about building a school culture that encourages continuous improvements for teachers, students, and the community,” the district said in a news release.
The current principal, David Bentler, has announced he will be departing this year to take a new job as an assistant principal and math teacher at the TEDA Global Academy in China.
Shepard has been principal at Chambers since 2014. She had previously served as a principal and assistant principal in Tacoma Public Schools, a principal in North Thurston Public Schools, and a principal intern in the Peninsula School District.
She holds a master’s degree in education and a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from the University of Nevada. She completed her administrator certification at the University of Washington Tacoma in 2007.
Staff had concerns
Shepard’s selection comes despite a request from some teachers and staff at Harbor Heights that the process be halted.
In an unsigned April 5 letter to the district, the teachers and staff said there had not been a thorough vetting of candidates and inadequate opportunities for feedback. It was not clear how many employees the letter represented.
“Teachers and staff at Harbor Heights are highly disappointed in the principal interview process and candidates chosen for interview by Peninsula School District Administration,” the letter said. “Our concerns lay in both the current principal selection process coupled with the history of principal selection at Harbor Heights.”
The staff said they were concerned there had been “an extraordinary turnover of five principals in seven years.”
The staff letter expressed “concern for the vetting process,” noting that teacher panelists used Google to discover “two candidates with questionable records.” The letter did not name the candidates or go into more detail.
One candidate withdraws
“With only four candidates chosen for interview, a level of due diligence should have been executed,” the letter said.
After the letter was made public, one of the candidates withdrew her name, according to Superintendent Art Jarvis. The district did not respond to a request to identify the unsuccessful candidates.
There had been a series of public Zoom interviews with the four candidates, though the district told The Gateway they had not been recorded for those who could not attend. The final interview with Shepard took place on Thursday evening.
Teachers and staff complained they were not allowed to rank the candidates, something the district has said was “intentional.”
“Three interview groups were led by administrators, Harbor Heights staff, and parents/students,” Jarvis said. “None were asked to make a selection.”
While staff feedback was considered, the final choice, Jarvis said, was the prerogative of district administration.
Ask for a do-over
In their letter, staff and teachers called for the process to be reopened.
“We are here to ensure the success and well-being of our students and staff at our Harbor Heights school community. With the level of importance and the amount of concerns, we are asking for the position to be reopened and Harbor Heights staff and PEA should be involved with the vetting and screening process of applicants. We do not wish to repeat history — five principals in seven years.”
Jarvis denied there were any problems in the vetting and defended the process. In a response email sent to staff, Jarvis said “candidates have been researched and screened” with references “verified in a highly professional manner.”
“In the letter, staff noted that their school has had multiple principals in recent years,” he said. “It is apparent that the culture of the school must be addressed in order to proceed with new leadership and to support new leaders in a way they can be successful.”
Shepard told The Gateway on Friday she could not respond publicly to the staff’s concerns until she had consulted with the district.
This story was originally published April 9, 2021 at 11:21 AM.
