At the March 5 School Board meeting, Coronado Schools’ governing board voted to approve two resolutions that will create change at Palm Academy. Board members voted to eliminate the position of principal at Palm Academy and they issued a layoff notice, or a pink slip, to the current Palm Academy Principal, Kevin Nicolls. Organizationally, this means that the principal at Coronado High School, Jenny Moore, will be the principal at both Coronado High School and Palm Academy. Whether these changes are positive or negative was at the heart of a passionate discussion between parents, students, teachers, and Board members. This vote was so controversial that School Board President Dawn Ovrom separated the discussion regarding Mr. Nicolls from that of other certified staff layoff decisions before the Board.
Understanding what makes Palm Academy so special is key to understanding both points of view. Palm Academy was, and is, essentially a continuation school. This is a school for students who do not thrive in a typical high school setting, and are, in most cases, at risk for dropping out of high school. Palm Academy, founded in 1998, out of care and concern for these students, provides a refuge from the main high school campus. It has a different way of delivering instruction and a different way of assessing learning. It is essentially a one-room schoolhouse. The approximately twenty students stay in one place and the teachers rotate in. Education is highly individualized, meaning that each student’s strengths, interests, and abilities are recognized and addressed.
This was not a discussion of whether or not to get rid of Palm Academy. Regarding concerns that Palm Academy would be eliminated, Ms. Ovrom stated: “We can’t, we won’t, and we wouldn’t want to.” She and Coronado Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Felix emphasized their commitment to Palm Academy and that the quality of education at Palm Academy would not change even though organizational changes will be made.
It is this last point that fueled disagreement from parents, students, community members, and Board Member Ledyard Hakes. Their belief is that if there is not a distinct principal position at Palm Academy, there will be a fundamental degradation of the quality of education offered. Board member Mr. Hakes felt strongly. With his voice shaky with emotion he stated, “This isn’t about Kevin, but if you notice what we are eliminating is … it is elimination of all such [principal] services at Palm Academy. Once we do that, we might never get it back.”
Praise for Mr. Nicolls, specifically, was overwhelming. Addressing the Board, student Isabella Miller expressed her respect and admiration for Mr. Nichols: “Kevin isn’t just a principal. He provides the support that the kids at Palm need…we just need Kevin.” Parent L. Williams said of Mr. Nicolls, “[he] has had a profound and positive impact on the students at Palm.” She went on to say, “the elimination of the principal will dramatically impact lives of students and families.”
Mr. Nicolls’ supporters expressed their belief that the loss of Mr. Nicolls would impact the District financially. They argued families would disenroll from Palm Academy and choose non-public options for schooling such as residential school options or private schools. Bill Seager, former CHS teacher, former Coronado Schools Board member, and one of the original founders of Palm Academy, said that he “worries that kids will leave and take their money with them.” Parent L. Williams argued that the amount used to support Mr. Nicolls’ salary at Palm Academy was insignificant given the greater cost to the District when families disenroll from Palm Academy. Dr. Keith Butler, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, acknowledged that the elimination of principal services at Palm Academy will have a positive financial impact on the District, but stated that potential cost savings was not the motivation for the elimination of the principal position.
So given these factors, why did the Superintendent recommend to the Board to vote for these changes?
The Superintendent believes that these changes will benefit all students of Coronado Schools, both those at Coronado High School and those at Palm Academy. The fundamental reason expressed by not only by Dr. Felix, but also by Claudia Gallant, Senior Director for Learning and Instruction at CUSD, Dr. Butler, and Ms. Ovrom was this: By integrating Palm Academy and Coronado High School, all that is innovative and good at Palm Academy can be brought to the traditional high school students and all that is good at the traditional high school can now be available to the students at Palm Academy.
Palm Academy’s experience and expertise in individualized instruction could be brought to the traditional high school. Ms. Gallant emphasized that the educational practices at Palm Academy can benefit all students. “We can’t bulk teach anymore,” she explained. Given that each student has unique interests and learning styles, educators would be remiss in ignoring ways in which practices at Palm Academy, such as an increased use of technology, can help them create Personalized Education Plans (PEP) for all Coronado High School students. Likewise, the benefits of a traditional high school (athletics, college counseling, and the arts) can become available to the students at Palm Academy.
One challenge in the this conversation is that opponents to change can articulate their desires specifically (do not eliminate the principal position, do not layoff Kevin Nicolls), while leaders in administration are pursuing a vision for the future in which the particulars are still evolving. A short video on the Palm Academy web page articulates this vision: CHS vision and mission.
While most school districts throughout the state issue pink slips in March only to rehire faculty when the budget is finalized in June, so while the services for a principal at Palm Academy have been eliminated, Mr. Nicolls, despite getting a pink slip, can easily be rehired again in the summer for a different position. Not one Board member disputed that Mr. Nicolls is an excellent educator and mentor. The issue before them was that they want to change his role. It was not clear, though, if Mr. Nicolls was interested in a change of role.
Mr. Nicolls was not available for comment and every administrator I spoke with declined to make a specific comment on Mr. Nicolls’ employment, acknowledging that this was a private matter between Mr. Nicolls and Human Resources.
What is clear is that all concerned care deeply about Palm Academy, and the situation remains fluid. The next School Board meeting is Thursday, April 16, at 4:00.
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Ann Marie Bryan
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
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