HOUSTON — A principal was pushed out and parents were fed up. Families at HISD’s Lantrip Elementary are planning a protest Wednesday morning, over the district’s decision to suspect the principal. That principal's attorney questions why anyone would risk their career at Houston Independent School District.
Parents said a lack of transparency is another problem. They don't know why principal Valiza Castro was abruptly removed.
The Parent Teacher Organization arranged the protest, sharing concerns with the district's priorities. The PTO said there had been a 70% teacher turnover rate since June.
Lantrip parent Mark Garcia Prats says it's getting harder to keep the faith, but that doesn't mean you give up the fight.
"Letting the teachers know we believe them, and we support them," Garcia Prats said. "And this is bigger than Lantrip. It's not the first school that has gone through this."
On Monday HISD sent out a letter to parents saying principal Castro would be placed on administrative leave. The assistant principal would take over, as the district searches for yet another principal.
"The lack of transparency over this whole process. HISD has broken trust with the parents of our community repeatedly," said Garcia Prats.
Chris Tritico is Castro's attorney. And says he doesn't know for certain why his client was removed, especially after he says she was recruited for the role.
"I don't understand why anyone would risk their career right now and go to work there," said Tritico.
In that letter to parents, the district said it knows the shift was abrupt.
"We are committed to finding an interim leader and then a permanent leader who will team a high-performing team, sustain a positive high-performance culture, and guide intentional high-quality learning for each child, each day by design, not by chance," the letter read.
Parents and Tritico question the metrics the district uses to determine high performance.
"In HISD right now if you breathe the wrong way you're going to get fired," said Tritico.
Parents said Castro inherited a bad situation. She was then given very little time to turn around a major staffing shortage so shortly after a long-term principal's contract wasn't renewed.
"Part of the confusion It seems like it's a moving target every day. It just depends on the whims of who's making decisions," said Garcia Prats.
The district didn't provide information that led to Castro's suspension. In the letter to parents said they will work alongside families to build a principal profile to guide for the next principal hiring.