Ashley High
School has been in turmoil since Jackson Norvell was appointed as principal in
2013. Parents and teacher alike have complained about deteriorating conditions
at the school. Unofficial reports show that as many as 40 employees have left
the school since Norvell took over. A 2014 Teacher Working Condition survey showed Ashley teachers ranked working conditions at the school the worst of all county schools.
At this month’s New Hanover County School Board meeting, an Ashley teacher finally spoke out publicly about the problems as Ashley. She pleaded with school
board members to wait for the results of two more pending surveys about
conditions at Ashley before making a decision on renewing Norvell’s contract. With
all those issues, many at Ashley were in disbelief as they learned the New
Hanover County Board of Education renewed Norvell’s contract for another year
at this months Board of Education meeting.
What most do
not realize is the school board was left with little choice but to renew
Norvell’s contract. While there had been a lot of bad press about problems at Ashley,
the assumption is Principal Norvell has had no formal complaints filed against
him. Teachers repeatedly told the media and officials they feared retaliation
if they spoke out, and for that reason, it is not likely any teachers had filed
written complaints. Without formal written
complaints against Norvell, the school board risked a costly lawsuit by Norvell
if they failed to renew his contract.
What’s
important to understand is that while Norvell’s contract was renewed, the
renewal was essentially for a salary amount. It does not guarantee Norvell will
be principal at Ashley. With all bad press about conditions at Ashley, the
school board is left with little choice but to remove Norvell from Principal at
Ashley. They don’t have to fire him, they can simply transfer him to another
position somewhere else in the school system.
The renewal
of Norvell’s contract by the school board should not be mistaken as approval of
his job performance at Ashley. It should be viewed as a means to an end. They
renewed his contract because they had no choice. Now Norvell can be moved to
another position in the school system before the start of the new school year
without concern of a lawsuit, and Ashley High School can get it's much needed new leadership .
