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DPS pulls principal, brings in retired East High leader for MLK

By Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 22, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.

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Denver Public Schools abruptly replaced the principal at Martin Luther King Jr. Early College on Friday, bringing in retired veteran school leader Kathy Callum to take over.

DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet declined much comment on the ouster of Anthony "Tony" Taylor, who had been principal there since July 1.

"It's a personnel matter," Bennet said, adding, "I have every confidence that Kathy Callum is going to provide great leadership at that school in the spring semester . . . I can't comment further."

Taylor could not be reached for comment Friday.

Teachers at the school in northeast Denver were told Thursday to report for a mandatory meeting at 7 a.m. Friday. That's when Callum, who retired this past spring as principal of East High School, was introduced.

Kim Ursetta, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, said union leaders were supportive of the change.

"There were concerns raised by teachers at Martin Luther King, and we have been working with the DPS administration to resolve these concerns," Ursetta said, declining to elaborate.

Taylor, who earned an annual salary of $104,119, was hired by DPS on July 1. Published reports in two Florida newspapers state Taylor resigned from a principal's job there in June 2006 after an investigation found he had started "inappropriate relationships" with staff.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, in a Dec. 29, 2006, report, cited Broward County school district records in reporting Taylor dated several staff members while he was a school principal. A clerk alleged she received an inferior evaluation after their relationship had soured.

Bennet said DPS was aware of the allegations when Taylor was in Florida and talked with district officials there.

"We were persuaded by those conversations that, at worst, Mr. Taylor had engaged in a lapse of judgment," he said. "We took it very seriously and had conversations with him about how this was not something we would tolerate in the Denver Public Schools."

Bennet also said that, "in fairness to Mr. Taylor, there was no conduct similar to the alleged conduct in Florida that in any way related to his departure."

Other sources said Taylor's problems centered around poor judgment, citing examples such as telling teachers and students to remain in their classrooms when a fire started in a bathroom.

Teachers talked with students about the principal change on Friday, and students were given letters to take home to their parents. A school meeting is scheduled at 6 p.m. Jan. 10 to introduce Callum.

Martin Luther King, in Green Valley Ranch, is in the midst of reform. It enrolls 1,150 students in grades six through 10 and is adding a grade a year to become a six-12 school with an emphasis on college.

Some school staff members seemed upset by the principal switch, others less so. Teacher Lawrence Garcia said he welcomed the change.

"I do see it as a positive move," he said. "I think Kathy has an established reputation, and I think her being here brings hope to me as a staff member and, I think, to other staff members as well."

Comments

  • December 22, 2007

    10:26 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    jane writes:

    Here might be a case where all the teacher-union members need to think: if this was a problem, where else could they turn to have a voice without fear of repercussion? That's the value of teacher's unions - teacher voice when there is a valid concern.

  • December 22, 2007

    3:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jane writes:

    I meant to say teacher-union bashers, not members

  • December 23, 2007

    9:02 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    JCS1958 writes:

    I would have hoped that any a job candidate who exibits "poor judgement" woudn't have been considered for a position that requires GOOD judgement. I am not in the least concerned about a relationship with a subordinate except where it shows poor judgement.

    The example that DPS cites for his dismissal is just frightening. I can just hear it: "The building is on fire. Everybody remain in their seats!"

    Our educations system has been commercialized to the point that one's education credentials have little to do with one's intelligence and more to do with economic opportunity. I think that in the long term, this is a very bad thing. In many school districts there are degreed twits trying to educate our children. Is there any wonder that a public education is rapidly becoming worthless?

  • December 24, 2007

    1:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    So this man couldn't keep his pants zipped up ... Mr. Anthony 'Tony the Tiger' Taylor. Great job recruiting this standout winner of an administrator from 2000 miles away. Bet'ya we even paid for a house move too.

    You think these lax government managers could recruit a peer from inside Colorado? Nope. They go to FL for some odd reason ... like he probably met some bureaucratic criteria they had vs getting a real leader.

    This winner decides to motivate the teachers with his manly east coast prowess.

    Where are the students and my tax dollars benefiting from this leadership?

  • January 4, 2008

    5:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    wow writes:

    I don't know about Taylor, but Kathy Callum is the woman for the job. MLK is lucky to have her. Watch how fast MLK becomes a top school now.

  • January 6, 2008

    11:15 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Teresa writes:

    I wonder how many other "leaders" with such poor judgement have been hired from outside the District? I've seen several.

  • January 10, 2008

    7:52 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MrsDenise writes:

    There are three sides to every story. Unfortunately the media tends to take the one that gives the most press. The ironic thing is that once it is printed in the news it is taken as gospel and then the comments and slander begin and all the while it is based on the spin that is placed on a story. All of this is done without a thought to what it does to a person and their reputation. The ironic thing is once all is said and done the papers dont go back and correct what has been said. Think about what your saying, an educator who is responsible for an entire school refuses to evacuate a school when there is a fire, doesnt make any sense, There is A LOT that has been left out. It isnt a rocket science...

  • January 31, 2009

    6:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    victoria111491 writes:

    Ok I am a junior and I go to this school. I remember him. He did not let us go out of our classrooms the day that the fire happened! I thought it was strange to get a new principal. I wonder with what teachers he went out with. Many teachers I knew never came back this year! Wow what type of things are happening in our schools now!