Parents Outraged After Removal Of Popular Principal
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Parents at a North Side elementary school are upset after their popular principal was suddenly removed.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports scores of Blaine parents expressed their support Monday morning for ousted principal Troy LaRaviere.
Sunday night, the local school council had an emergency meeting and today sent a letter to CPS expressing their "outrage" and recommendation that assistant principals Gary Norcross and Angela Brito take over instead of CPS's choice of a retired principal from Von Steuben.
"They know our school they know our kids, let's just make that the last two months of school this year smooth and seamless for our kids," said Betsy Melton of the Blaine Local School Council.
CPS removed LaRaviere last week. The popular principal was known for his public criticism of CPS and Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
CPS accused LaRaviere of "alleged actions of misconduct," but Clarice Berry, the president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, says CPS made a big mistake.
"This was a misunderstanding," she said.
A misunderstanding over a meeting of principals who gathered at Stevenson Grade School last week to hear LaRaviere campaign for the association's upcoming election.
"All it was was a meeting about his getting elected as president," Berry said.
Berry says CPS called the meeting illegal but she and others think the accusations was just an excuse to get LaRaviere out of the system.
The mayor denies the principal's removal was politically motivated. Earlier Monday he told reporters he does not get involved in CPS personnel decisions.
CPS leaders refuse to discuss why LaRaviere was removed, only saying they will talk to parents at a meeting Monday night at the school.
