Denver Public Schools officials are removing a principal from one of two schools he oversees, a repeat of a similar situation last year— prompting some teachers to accuse the district of not informing them earlier before launching a search for a new principal.
District officials say it was the principal who neglected to tell the teachers about his departure.
Sheldon Reynolds, a former Colorado principal of the year, is being asked to leave his position overseeing a West Denver elementary school called the Center for Talent Development at Greenlee (CTD).
As “executive principal,” Reynolds oversees CTD and the Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High School in the northwest part of the city. The district told CTD teachers Tuesday that Reynolds will stay on as principal of Denver Montessori and the district will post the job for a new principal at their school.
Last year, the district tried to remove Reynolds from his position overseeing the two schools and make him principal of just one school, CTD. The decision stirred pushback and the district reversed its decision just days later. Reynolds remained the leader of both schools, though district officials said at the time the plan was still to make a change around January 2025.
This week, DPS sent a letter saying that it would be hiring a new principal at CTD in the months to come.
Some teachers who support Reynolds said the district didn’t give enough warning and are disappointed in the lack of communication.
“To drop it on us and the community without warning is unacceptable,” said teacher Nikkole Strahan. “It feels as if they knew it was coming all along, but held on to drop the bomb until it was too late for us or our community to do anything about it.”
They’re concerned as well because the district’s window for families choosing schools runs from Jan. 15 to Feb. 18.
“I felt like I've been slapped across the face,” said one teacher who wished to remain anonymous because she feared losing her job. “I was angry, heartbroken, confused.”
She said district officials made it sound like the community already knew about the impending departure. DPS officials say they discovered the principal hadn't informed the school community of the situation.
On Friday, district officials sent a letter to families informing them of Reynolds’ departure. They said due to a hiring freeze in the fall of 2024, plans to hire the new leader had been delayed until now. It said at that time, Reynolds was asked to stay until the end of this school year, and he accepted.
In a statement, the district said its process is to have the principal share information about departures.
“DPS assisted with the drafting of a communication last spring with the understanding that the school leader would send it to the community. We learned earlier this month that the message was never sent, so DPS sent a letter to the community and staff.”
Officials told families it recognized the impact the missed communication is having on the community.
DPS officials say their data shows that schools need a full-time leader in the building to ensure that the learning goals are being met and that the schools are successful.
“DPS believes that, by overseeing two stand-alone schools, neither school receives the focused leadership needed for their students to succeed and accelerate student trajectories.”
Community members will have the chance to weigh in on the new principal, through a survey about what they want in a new principal, a community forum and chance to meet principal finalists.
Some teachers say they will keep fighting the decision.
They fear the unique model they’ve worked hard to build may disappear. CTD, where nearly 90 percent of students qualify for free and reduced-price federal lunch, practices a “talent development model” philosophy of education championed by Reynolds. It considers all students gifted and builds on the strengths of each student. Teachers embrace the autonomy and innovation inherent in the model and say many families actively sought out that learning model.
“The impact this decision will have on students comes at a great cost,” said Strahan. “They (district officials) are always saying it's about putting students first, but what part of this is even good for students?”
The final decision for hiring a principal rests with the superintendent or deputy superintendent. The district is expected to announce a new principal March 10. That person would be in place by the start of the 2025 school year.
