Since AISD Superintendent Jim Fox arrived here, over 40 of the district’s 96 principals have either been moved to another campus, promoted or parked into a central administration job, have resigned, or retired. With the notable exception of the much-celebrated case of former LBJ High School principal Eddie Orum, there has been nary a hue nor a cry about the exit of most of these folks. That is, until Casis Elementary School principal Amy Kincaide was transferred this month off that campus into central administration, pending the opening of one of AISD’s brand new elementary campuses. Parent after parent took the podium at citizens’ communications during the regular meeting on Monday of the AISD Board of Trustees to vent their outrage, their sadness, their feelings of betrayal. Chief among their complaints was that Kincaide, who had run the school for 12 years, was doing a great job and they trusted her implicitly. Security within a community is far more beneficial than capricious change, they argued. What’s more, Kincaide’s departure was not what a majority of Casis parents wanted. One speaker, Micheal Di Leo, suggested that a “cabal of mothers” who were anti-Kincaide may have set the thing in motion.
Several speakers complained about the timing of Kincaide’s transfer, which occurred after the end of school and left no opportunity for a smoother transition. Some complained about the abruptness of the process, and the message it sends to kids. “What are we teaching our children about change?” said Anne S. Wynne.
Unfortunately, some of their comments ran about as deep as those irritating bromides on the El Arroyo Restaurant outdoor message sign; as a matter of fact, on Monday night, the famous sign in front of that favorite Westside hot spot did jocularly refer to the transfer of the Casis principal. The Casis “family” will become broken and dysfunctional in Kincaide’s absence, some predicted. No chance for “closure,” others repeated. Some families may abandon Casis and follow Kincaide to her new assignment. Some of them may feel it necessary to put their children in private school instead!
But Eastside parents from Brooke Elementary (who likely have no such option at their disposal) were also on hand to protest changes on their campus. Like the Casis community, they lost their principal, but more importantly, they lost three bilingual teachers as well. As though to drive the point home even further, several of them addressed the board in their native language — Spanish.
What’s led to all this furor? There’s a school of thought (which Fox embraces) that says if a leader has been in the same position for more than about seven years, there’s nothing new happening; it’s time for that person to go on to something else or else share his talents with a new group. Now, tales of the lovable, adorable superintendent in any community are pretty few and far between, and Fox has openly stated he’s not here to be loved.
But perhaps he shouldn’t be here to be hated, either.
In board action: Trustees approved new procedures for grading and reporting, which include a controversial provision that no secondary school student will receive a six weeks’ grade lower than 50 if the student has five excused absences or fewer for the grading period and has attempted all tests and homework. Trustees will review the policy again in a year.
This article appears in June 13 • 1997 and June 13 • 1997 (Cover).