Lassiter High principal accepts job in Alabama
by Brandon Wilson
bwilson@mdjonline.com
May 13, 2010 12:00 AM | 6246 views | 14 14 comments | 26 26 recommendations | email to a friend | print
MARIETTA - Chris Shaw, Lassiter High School's principal, was among a large list of education leaders who have tendered resignations in the Cobb County School District. The school board approved the resignations and position changes Wednesday.

Shaw, 45, is going to be principal of Spain Park High School in Hoover, Ala., an affluent neighborhood outside of Birmingham.

"That's where I'm from and that's why I'm going back," said Shaw, who grew up in neighboring Homewood, Ala. "My parents are still there and I want to be close to them. It was a good opportunity for me to go home and be close to my family."

Shaw graduated from University of North Alabama, where he was on a football scholarship. After teaching, coaching football and holding other positions at various systems in Alabama, Shaw took an in-school suspension teaching position at Pope High School in 2002. He went on to work as assistant principal at North Cobb High School for three years before coming to Lassiter on July 1, 2006.

"I enjoyed working with the Lassiter community," Shaw said. "It's a great place and great place to be. I really enjoyed it. I truly mean that, and I m going to miss everybody."

Dr. Chris Richie will be the new principal at Lassiter. He is being transferred from his position as principal of McCleskey Middle School.

Other resignations and transfers throughout the district include:

High school principal retirements

* Dr. Kathie G. Elliott, Kennesaw Elementary School

* Betty Jo Jackson, Austell Primary School

* Dr. Carla W. Jones, Chalker Elementary School

* Peggy J. Pepper, Ford Elementary School

* Dr. Gerri A. Ray, Palmer Middle School

* Dr. Rebecca Rutledge, Tritt Elementary School

* Sylvia C. Lawhorn, who is assistant principal at Powers Ferry Elementary School

* Natalie Richman, Murdock Elementary School, who is resigning

Transfers to high school principal positions

* Robert Downs, from assistant principal at Sprayberry to assistant principal at Wheeler

* Peter Giles from assistant principal at Wheeler to assistant principal at Kell

* Camille Gomez from assistant principal at East Cobb Middle School to assistant principal at Kell

* Leigh Graham from assistant principal at Allatoona to assistant principal at Sprayberry

Transfers to middle school principal positions

* Claire Lyons from assistant principal at McCleskey Middle School to principal at McCleskey

* Cathy Wentworth from assistant principal at Wheeler High to principal at Palmer Middle

* Kelly Boler from assistant principal at McEachern High to assistant principal at McCleskey

* Antwane Nelson from assistant principal at Kell High to assistant principal at East Cobb Middle

Transfers to elementary school principal positions

* Dr. Marvin Bynes from principal at Allatoona Elementary to principal at Austell Primary

* Thomas Farrell from assistant principal at Hayes Intermediate School to principal at McCall Primary

* Peggy Fleming from assistant principal at Murdock Elementary to principal at Due West Elementary

* Wanda Floyd from principal at Hollydale Elementary to principal at Kennesaw Elementary

* Dr. Jami Frost from principal at Dowell Elementary to principal at Ford Elementary

* Karen Frost from assistant principal at Brumby Elementary to principal at Tritt Elementary Cynthia Hanauer from principal at Due West Elementary to principal at Murdock Elementary

* Janis Komara from director of special education at Lumpkin County Schools to principal at Dowell Elementary

* Lynn McWhorter from principal at Nicholson Elementary to principal at Hollydale Elementary

* Jo Ann Sappington from principal at McCall Primary to principal at Chalker Elementary

* Wanda Shue from assistant principal at Nicholson Elementary to principal at Nicholson Elementary

* Kimberly Custance from assistant principal at McEachern High to assistant principal at Murdock Elementary

* Leslie Mansfield from assistant principal at Blackwell Elementary to assistant principal at Nicholson Elementary

* Pam Roach from assistant principal at Addison Elementary to assistant principal at Blackwell Elementary

Teacher resignations

A number of teachers submitted letters of resignation in lieu of non-renewal of contracts. The school board voted on April 22 to cut 579 full-time teachers and all part-time educators to battle a $126.7 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2011. Teachers began being notified Monday that they will be let go. Continuing teachers must receive contracts by May 15.
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Comments
(14)
Comments-icon Post a Comment
LHS Supporter
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May 23, 2010
It is funny how anyone can post a comment and not be held accountable. I was a teacher that was RIF and Mr. Shaw and Mrs. Morse met with me individually and I was treated with respect and dignity. He and Mrs. Morse are a class act.
Reply
goodbye shaw
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May 22, 2010
Who will help run the LEAF now since Shaw is leaving???? Who will now help Sanderson decide what to do with all that SPLOST money?????
Reply
Bye Bye
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May 17, 2010
I say "Good Riddance" to Shaw. The teachers at Lassiter hate him! And, to top things off, he didn't even personally meet with the RIF'ed teachers....he sent notes to their classrooms VIA STUDENT AIDES!!!! How cowardly! Then, he met with them in a large group to say "you have all been RIF'ed." No DUH! Thank God he is leaving!
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CCSD employee
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May 15, 2010
Layoffs actually began last year, it just was not advertised. People were moved from the central office and replaced well-respected and effective teachers. This year is a disaster on so many levels. I can't give my name, because if you cause any tension, or even look like you disagree with the school system or administrators, that in itself is grounds for dismissal. I never really cared too much for unions, but Cobb County teachers----WAKE UP---they can't do this in other states where unions are there to protect you. Fred Sanderson is the least efficient and honest person in the school district---why did he get a sizable raise last year? The Board of Directors should be ashamed!!
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anonymous
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May 14, 2010
I lost my job with Cobb County while others are getting pay increases. I should have been an administrator instead of a teacher.
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teacher doesn't know
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May 14, 2010
To "teachers should know"

I wondered how quickly someone would bring up the artificial turf.

For the umpteenth time: "THAT IS A DIFFERENT POT"

No salaries were reduced for this and no teachers' positions were lost because of it. This is SPLOST money.

I'm so very sorry you resent the physical improvements being made to Cobb County schools, but please get it into your head that these improvements are not being made at the expense of teachers' jobs.

Reply
To Disgusted:
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May 14, 2010
You have GOT to be kidding me!! If you don't know why we have a huge deficit, then you're not paying attention to what's going on in the general economy. And to think that such uninformed citizens have the right to vote! Scary...
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Dowell Parent
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May 13, 2010
My daughter came home and told us Dr. Frost said she was going to another school. I am perplexed as to why Cobb hired someone from outside the district. There is a great AP who could have been promoted (as some others were on this list.) In addition, there is another administrator who could have had the AP job. So... instead, since his position is gone, he will replace which classroom teacher? So, a teacher was laid off so that we could have an outside principal hired? Why Cobb, why?
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anonymous
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May 13, 2010
Probably the smartest principal in Cobb. Leave before they RIF you. He must see the writting on the wall about 11/12 school yr. More cuts coming.
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@tcrs should know
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May 13, 2010
Yes, teachers should know about the open Administrative positions. If you go to the website and click on Employment, you will find that there is always an "open pool" listing for administrators....the positions are not listed separately as they are for teaching positions. Take a look!
Reply
Yikes in West Cobb
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May 13, 2010
I wish someone on the board would disapprove some of these revolving door principals. Every year they move principals from one school to another. Where is the continuity? When you move people around so much, you can't tell who is effective and who isn't. By the time any of the programs from these principals get put into play, they move on. It's like hitting a moving target. Don't stay still too long or you may be found out.

Here is my favorite: assistant principal at Murdock Elementary to principal at Due West Elementary - principal at Due West Elementary to principal at Murdock Elementary

Why not just promote the assistant at Murdock to the Principal spot and call it a day. This unnecessary change in administration causes such instability at the school!

Reply
disgusted in east co
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May 13, 2010
I have lived in Cobb for 50 years and am absolutely disgusted with the Cobb Board of Education! How did there get to be such a deficit anyway? It must have been happening for a while, why wasn't something done before it got so bad? I would move if I could sell my house!
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Teachers should know
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May 13, 2010
Oh yes, I was there for the meeting when Freddie,quoted "that all teachers have a chance to go into administration!" Well what happened, why were not all these positions posted before any decision was made?

Sanderson you are a liar! Liars always get caught too...you should really start thinking before you speak!

Also 9.3 million for astro turf, 8 million in perks for administrators and CC office personal.. adds up $17.3 million and 346 teacher jobs if you base it on a average of $50, 000 per year could of been saved. Thanks! Hope your bonus is worth it this year.
Reply
ladyorange
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May 13, 2010
Interesting that the district hired two principals from outside Cobb(mdj only lists one but I watched the meeting and there was another one.) With all the RIF'd educators, "demotions" and other job losses going on, surely we could have found two qualified educators right here in Cobb. Shame on the Board!
Reply
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