Leadership Change at Spinning Elementary Could Bring New Hope, Says Banned Parent

A Puyallup parent who started a campaign to remove Spinning Elementary School principal Laura King from her post sees potential for change in 2013, according to an article in The Tacoma News Tribune.

Andre Douglas, the parent of two children at Spinning Elementary, was banned from being on school grounds without an appointment after an incident in November, when he was found distributing unapproved fliers on campus that called for an investigation into the actions of Spinning principal Laura King, the newspaper reported.

Douglas hosted a parent meetup event at the library to address issues at the school and created a Facebook page that called for an investigation into King's actions. He also set up a petition for an investigation into King on the Care2 petition site, and has gotten 62 signatures in support.

According to Care2, King's leadership has created the following at Spinning Elementary:

The discouragement of extra-curricular activities, the diminishing of flexible styles of teaching, rumors started by the principal to manipulate new hire relationships, lack of willingness to work with supportive groups of parents such as the PTA, lack of responsiveness regarding student complaints about bullying and an overrall lack of respect regarding the necessary role of active parents needed to foster a healthy learning environment for our students. All of these are unfortunate behavior that have negatively impacted our students ability to learn in the most productive evironment possible at Spinning Elementary.

King has accepted an assistant principal position at Emerald Ridge High School and will move into her new post when school resumes Thursday, Jan. 3. Puyallup superintendent Tim Yeomans told the TNT the staffing change was not the result of complaints--King has wanted more experience at the secondary-education level.

Douglas has said he will continue to collect signatures for a petition into a larger investigation, because he wants "accountability and responsibility" from the Puyallup School District.

(Read more on the Tacoma News Tribune)

Do you think there has been a negative atmosphere at Spinning Elementary? Tell us in the comments.