Administrative changes will stand, McCary says

By Lynn Hotaling

The assistant principal swap that will send Ellen Hunter to Smokey Mountain Elementary and Neal Sellers to Cullowhee Valley is "final and for good reason," Superintendent Mack McCary said Monday (June 4).

McCary, who came to Jackson County from Elizabeth City four months ago, expressed surprise at the level of community interest that has coalesced around his decision to move the two assistant principals.

"These are not dramatic changes," McCary said. "It's been more than strange. Other places I've been you don't get this kind of response just by swapping two assistant principals."

Sellers is needed at Cullowhee, the superintendent said, to assist newly-named Principal Theresa Peters.

"Neal is a hero here," McCary said. "He volunteered to do whatever is needed. And we need Ellen's skills and background in curriculum and instruction at Smokey Mountain."

His mission, McCary said, is to base decisions on what's best for children - primarily to put kids first.

"What we've got are adult issues that are more to do with fear of the unknown and distrust than with what's best for kids," the superintendent said.

The concern of some citizens in Cherokee about the assistant principal switch led Leon Jones, principal chief of the Eastern Band, to write McCary and ask him to "reconsider his decision" with regard to changing the assistant principals and allow Sellers to remain at SMES. Should that not be possible, the chief's letter continues, he requests that McCary name "someone familiar with the staff, students and parents" of SMES. Specifically, Chief Jones' letter asks the superintendent to assign Scotts Creek Assistant Principal Steve Jones to SMES if Sellers cannot remain.

"Mr. (Steve) Jones of Scotts Creek has previously worked with Smokey Mountain Elementary and has a good working relationship with the school. He is very knowledgeable in curriculum and in the field of special education," the chief's May 30 letter states.

The chief's letter went on to describe McCary's choice for SMES assistant principal (Hunter) as "not someone who is familiar with the students, parents or staff and is not in the best interest of the students whom this school serves."

Chief Jones' letter attributes community distress to "a change of assistant principals without the benefit of input from the staff" and alludes to the "growing perception" that SMES "has become a dumping ground due to the fact that it is inferior to other schools as a result of a higher percentage of low income and uneducated families whose children attend SMES, many of which are Indian children."

In his letter, Chief Jones does not attribute negative statements about the school to anyone, nor does he offer any explanation for his statement that SMES is perceived as a "dumping ground."

Chief Jones declined to comment on the letter Wednesday morning, but did say that several parents spoke of the perception of SMES as a "dumping ground" during a meeting. The matter has not been discussed at Tribal Council, Jones said.

The superintendent said he was in the process of scheduling a meeting with the chief to discuss the issues raised in the letter.

McCary said most of the rumors and much of the dissatisfaction over the decision to transfer the assistant principals is coming from school system personnel.

"I'm disappointed in the attitude of some of our own staff members who through their own fear are spreading rumors rather than treating each other as professionals," he said. "That shows me we have real work to do as far as building trust and good professional relationships."

The superintendent is allowed to make personnel transfers, said James Roper, vice chairman of the Jackson County Board of Education.

"I hope (the assistant principal swap) will work in the best interests of the students of Jackson County," Roper said.

"I'm really concerned about children here. That's my mission," McCary said. "Passing rumors and concentrating on personalities distracts us from the task of improving the educational systems - everything from instruction in the classroom to school improvement teams to how we deal with dropouts and unmotivated kids."

McCary announced the administrative changes through a prepared statement issued last Tuesday (May 29). His initial decision mandated a three-way switch that would have sent Steve Jones to Cullowhee Valley, Hunter to SMES and Sellers to Scotts Creek.

However, the superintendent changed that plan Wednesday morning (May 30) and decided to leave Jones at Scotts Creek. That decision was based on conversations with Scotts Creek's School Improvement Team, which asked him to reconsider, McCary said.

Back to Archive: 06/07/01.