School changes principal system

By ASHLEY LUTHERN

Several residents and school employees voiced concerns about the changes.

CANFIELD — Members of the Canfield Board of Education approved the creation of a two-principal system at the 990-pupil middle school to replace the previous principal and assistant principal system.

Ron Infante, who was the sole principal of Canfield Village Middle School during the last school year, was officially transferred to “unit principal,” meaning that he will be the principal for fifth and sixth grades.

Velina Jo Taylor was hired at an annual salary of $71,556 to be the other unit principal for grades seven and eight.

The decision did not come without complaint, however.

Several district residents and school employees who attended the Monday meeting voiced their concerns, causing the board to go into executive session to discuss Taylor’s hiring.

“There are 69 certified teachers and 32 of them have students from all four grades and, with this system, will have to answer to two bosses,” said Jim Volenik, middle school band director. “If the system’s worked this far, why change it now?”

Superintendent Dante Zambrini said that those teachers would have one principal assigned to them for evaluations and other administrative tasks.

He added that the creation of two principals would allow for a greater “personalization” of pupils’ education, but some opponents argued the current system already was providing that individual attention.

“There is no more personalized professional than Mr. Infante,” said Regina Reynolds, middle school nurse. “He learns the incoming students’ names from their pictures and knows everyone at that school.”

Reynolds also voiced concern that Taylor, having never worked as a principal before, would lose the mentor aspect of a principal-assistant principal system.

Mike Pavlansky, high school football coach, said that Infante deserved better.

“This is poor treatment to a very successful, well-respected educator. I think Ron [Infante] was blindsided,” said Pavlansky, who noted that the board reached this decision in less than a month.

An administrative job opening at the middle school was created when Cathy Mowry, the middle school assistant principal, was hired as the principal of Hilltop Elementary.

As superintendent, Zambrini decided to fill that position by adopting the dual principal system and hiring another principal.

After executive session, the board approved the hiring of Taylor unanimously.

“I was probably the one asking the most questions in executive session,” said Renee Gessner, board member. “I am satisfied with her qualifications, and I have to give way to the fact that the superintendent is in charge of personnel and we have to trust him.”