Board votes to retain Cooley principal
By Ruth Marlow
After meeting in closed session for approximately two hours Monday evening, the Clarke County School Board unanimously voted to retain Brenda Jones as principal of D.G. Cooley Elementary School for the upcoming 2008-2009 academic year.Their decision came following a meeting at which an estimated 150 people turned out, and more than a dozen spoke in favor of retaining Jones.
The large turnout was sparked by a rumor that the board was considering asking Jones either to retire or to become a classroom teacher during the upcoming academic year, several of those who attended said.
Praising Jones as an excellent educator, some of the speakers accused the board of taking an illegal action and trying to damage her career and tear apart the school system.
At one point during the meeting, board chairman Robina Rich Bouffault directed the board’s clerk, Administrative Services Director Thomas Judge, to call the Sheriff’s office. She gave that instruction after Berryville resident Kenneth Liggins suggested the board was violating the federal Civil Rights Act. He did not stop speaking and sit down when she asked him to do so. Jones is black, a minority which is protected under that law.
"They (those who spoke in support of Jones) kept saying ‘You’ve made this decision;' well, we had not made any decision," Bouffault said early Tuesday.
"There was a recommendation from the superintendent,” she explained, emphasizing, “there was no decision made prior to us going into that closed session.”
Citing the privacy protections legally guaranteed personnel matters, Bouffault added that she could not provide any additional details. She also noted that board members were at a “disadvantage” during Monday’s meeting because they are legally bound from discussing personnel matters in public.
"People make false allegations, and we’re not allowed to say anything,” Bouffault said.
Acting Superintendent John Taylor said on Tuesday that he could not comment except to say, "The Superintendent's recommendation was that she (Jones) be reassigned." Taylor confirmed she will instead continue to serve as Cooley's principal next school year.
Asked about the controversy Monday night, Jones said that she also could not comment. But she expressed appreciation for the show-of-support.
"I was very overwhelmed by the support from the community and from parents and former educators in this county,” Jones said. “I just felt really good knowing I had that amount of support behind me.”
Jones, who graduated from Clarke County High School, has served as the elementary school’s principal since July 2000. The speakers had cited Jones’ several decades of experience as an educator in the school system and praised her professionalism.
In other personnel-related action taken after a closed-door meeting on April 9, the board accepted the resignation of Clarke County High School Principal Frances Ball, who confirmed that she will leave when her contract expires on June 30. Ball, a former math teacher, has served as principal since 2004.
Contact the reporter at rmarlow@timespapers.com