He is looking very carefully who is in those slots. But he also acknowledged that the turnover could create some problems. And there could be even more personnel changes in the next few years. While 13 Detroit schools are considered low-performing by state standards, that number could jump to 54 by next year if test scores remain stagnant or continue to decline. Principals of those schools could lose their jobs.
Some people worry that too many principals are leaving in a short amount of time.
Diann Woodard, president of the Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors, said the last time this many principals left Detroit was in 1988 when there was an early retirement buyout. This is going to be devastating for us. That's where they'll have two weeks of workshops on instruction, community involvement and managing a budget. Some change may not be welcome, but sometimes change is good especially when you have people in there with innovative ideas of how to achieve student achievement. It's been a busy year for Detroit school principals as they've begun working with another level of high-ranking administrators.