Our Principal Resigned. Now What???

As most of you have probably heard by now, Duane Schupp has resigned as principal of MJHS effective June 2015. This was certainly a surprise to me, as I’m sure it was for many others. While there will be an appropriate time to discuss the role of parents in helping the students and school transition to new leadership next school year, I think that the more pressing topic is serious consideration of how we respond to this information in our interactions with other community members, teachers, and most importantly, our children. 

Naturally, our first instinct as parents is to want DETAILS! ALL THE DETAILS! And where do we look for details? Other parents? Teachers? SOCIAL MEDIA??!!! I get it, truly I do. But I want to challenge my fellow parents to use this situation as an opportunity to model for our children the importance of kindness, respect, and measured words in a spirit that builds up rather than tears down our administrators, staff, faculty, and students.

I do not know the circumstances surrounding Mr. Schupp’s decision, nor do I know at this point whether it is a good thing for Memorial, a bad thing for Memorial, or just something that was unavoidable for whatever reason. And the truth is I really don’t need to know the circumstances of the decision. It’s not my business and I don’t see how having this information would be of any help to my children, their school, or the community. Frankly, I only want to know because I’m nosey. That’s the truth, though it’s hard to admit. But since I try to encourage my children to stay out of people’s business and refrain from stirring up drama with their friends, I’m attempting to make decisions about my response to this situation based on rational thoughts instead of curiosity and feelings. I am continually pounding it into my children’s heads that we need to treat others the way we want to be treated. In other words, put yourself in the other person’s place. Now consider how you would want those around you to respond in a given situation and conduct yourself accordingly. So, I’m committed to modeling this for my children in a very relevant way as it relates to Mr. Schupp’s resignation. If you see my point and want to join me in this endeavor, here are some thoughts.

1     Don’t Assume the Worst- Why do our minds naturally go to the worst and most dramatic scenarios? Maybe it’s the media’s constant focus on the negative, the drama, the scandal. But here is what we know. Mr. Schupp’s resignation isn’t effective immediately, therefore we can rest assured that this resignation is not related to some gross neglect or harm that has come to a student at Memorial. I haven’t always agreed with Mr. Schupp on every detail and method, but I am convinced that he loves the students and has accomplished good things at Memorial. This resignation in no way negates that, and we would do well to remember that.

2   Don’t Speculate- There is really no value in speculating on all of the potential factors that have led to this decision. Speculation often times gives birth to rumors which can be damaging and even devastating to those involved.

3   Don’t Torture the School Board Members- Please remember that our school board and superintendent have legal and ethical obligations to protect confidentiality in situations related to employment. We also need to acknowledge that breaching that confidentiality is a liability to the district which can result in a lawsuit.   I value transparency in our leadership and their decisions and I think it’s truly important for accountability, but sometimes we take it too far and disregard the legal and ethical obligations to which our leaders must adhere.  And anyway, this was a resignation, not a termination of employment.  So accosting the board on this issue is futile.

4  Do Respect Privacy- Individuals in high profile or public positions of authority are often scrutinized, and to a degree that is reasonable and necessary. However, we also need to agree that a person has a right to their privacy regarding their career decisions. If Mr. Schupp would like to share his reasons for this decision with parents and the community, I have every confidence that he is capable and confident and will do just that. But he is under no obligation to do so, and we need to remember that.

Since the decision has been made and the resignation tendered, it seems the best course of action is to encourage our children to continue to respect Mr. Schupp’s authority for the remainder of his time at Memorial and foster enthusiasm in our children for welcoming a new principal next school year. We can begin to optimistically look forward to what this new leader will bring to the students and school.

This seems silly to say, but possibly needs to be said- We are not junior high kids, we are PARENTS of junior high kids. Involving ourselves in gossip and drama that is surely seen by our children would truly be a disservice to them, and to the entire community. I hope you will join me in fighting the urge to gossip and choosing instead to instill values in our children through a positive example.