Webb moves to Beechwood

Ginger Webb is moving on.

The Campbell County High principal who was informed last month by Superintendent Anthony Strong that she would not be welcomed back next year has been named the new principal at Beechwood High School in Fort Mitchell.

Webb will take over July 1 for Glen Miller, who is moving from principal to district superintendent. Miller is replacing Fred Bassett, who is retiring June 30.

"I really struggled with leaving Campbell. I felt like we were on our way to turning the corner and doing wonderful things," Webb said.

"But the truth is I work for the superintendent, and he made it clear that he wants someone else. I felt it was in the best interest of the school to move somewhere else."

This from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Campbell County Board would consider Webb

Superintendent outlines plan to replace principal

As principal of Campbell County High School, Ginger Webb had to introduce Superintendent Anthony Strong on Thursday to talk about item six on the school's site-based council meeting agenda: "Principal Selection."

"It was very uncomfortable," Webb said after the meeting.

Last month, Strong informed Webb, in her third year on the job, that her contract would not be renewed for the 2007-08 school year - a decision that has caused an uproar within the community...

...The job has been posted for two weeks and will be posted for about two more. Strong said he has 10 applications. He and a committee of district administrators and site-based members likely will screen applicants the first week of June. At any point, the council - which makes the final decision - can ask him for the resumes of qualified applicants.

Though Webb has not applied for the job, she said Thursday that she is strongly considering it - and the council would consider hiring her.

"If Mrs. Webb applies, I would definitely ask to see her resume," council member and special education teacher Roseann McCafferty said.

This from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Principal likely to re-apply

When Campbell County Schools posts the opening today for a high school principal to replace Ginger Webb, it is very likely to prompt an application from Webb herself.

Webb, who replaced Anthony Strong as Campbell County High principal four years ago, said Wednesday she is leaning toward re-applying after Strong, now the district's superintendent, declined to renew her contract last week.

If she does, her paperwork will eventually land on an important desk: Anthony Strong's.
Not enough twists?

Unless Strong rejects her application based on her qualifications to do the job - typically academic history or administrative certification - he will be required to forward it, as well as those of other qualified applicants, to the school's site-based decision-making council, which alone has authority to fill the position...

"She has that opportunity (to re-apply)," Strong said. And the high school's council has the right to reappoint her if it deems her the best candidate, he acknowledged.

"If they decide that, that's their prerogative," Strong said. " If she gets it, there's been other districts where this has happened. Certainly, if that happens, I'll work with her in a professional manner."

...The system for her reapplying is this: applications first go to the district's human resources department, which will submit a list to Strong. He can weed out any applicants who don't meet state standards.

But Strong is then required to submit that pool of qualified applicants to the council. He can make recommendations, but the decision on who replaces Webb, even if it's Webb herself, rests solely with the site-based council.

"I will try to get names to council as soon as possible," Strong said. "Somebody can start in that position July 1. Ginger is there through the end of June. There's three other assistants, so a lot of the (summer) work is done by a combination of the administrators."

Crowd wants principal back

Supt. let her go; council can rehire her

This from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

A raucous crowd of about 300 students, teachers, parents and alumni at Monday's board meeting could not convince Campbell County Schools Superintendent Anthony Strong to give Ginger Webb her job back.

But she may get it back anyway.

Webb, in her third year as principal of Campbell County High, was informed Friday by Strong that her contract would not be renewed for the 2007-08 school year.

Nearly three dozen people addressed Strong and the school board Monday, all in favor of Webb. Nobody spoke in favor of Strong's decision. Many speakers received standing ovations, including eight members of the site-based council.

If Webb reapplies for the job after Strong posts it, the council can essentially overrule Strong and rehire her.

"I'm leaning heavily toward reapplying," Webb said after the meeting, saying she would make a definite decision in the next few days.

And though Holthaus' term ends after this school year, he said he's confident the new council will rehire her.

Campbell Co. principal fired...or demoted?

Ginger Webb, principal of Campbell County High School, has been released from her contract, effective June 30.


"I really don't understand why this has happened," Ginger Webb said. "He told me he felt it was the best decision in order to move the school forward, but the school has moved forward in every respect."


Superintendent Anthony Strong said he could not comment on personnel matters. Administrative contracts are one-year contracts and can be renewed each spring for the following school year.


Webb said in Strong's last year as principal, the overall Commonwealth Accountability Testing System index for the school was 73.8. In her first year, she said it went up to 74.7. Last year it jumped to 77.4.


"We've also had less teacher turnover and less discipline incidents," Webb said.


Several teachers, parents and students have voiced their displeasure through e-mails, phone calls and visits to Strong last week, and several are expected to speak out at today's 7 p.m. board meeting at the central office.

This from the Cincinnati Enquirer.



Note: Administrative tenure was eliminated with KERA and principals can be demoted easily, but they retain their tenure, and consequently their due process rights, as teachers. Demoting principals has become more common in recent years. Firings...not so much. Strong's reference to an "administrative contract" leads me to assume this is really a demotion.

Seven students, driver sent to hospital after 3-bus crash

An accident involving three school buses Monday afternoon sent seven Campbell County Middle School students and one driver to the hospital.

The accident occurred about 2:30 p.m. in front of the Campbell County Schools bus garage on U.S. 27.

The three buses were driving south in line on U.S. 27 from the middle school to pick up students at Campbell County High School when heavy traffic forced them stop in front of the garage.

The first two buses stopped, but the third did not stop in time, according to Juli Hale, spokeswoman for the district.

Hale said the third bus rear-ended the second bus, pushing that bus into the first bus.

This from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Campbell Co cuts 13 jobs to afford mandated raises

The Kentucky Post reports that according to Superintendent Anthony Strong, "the district will need to cut $1.2 million from the budget this year and next year to stave off a deficit." The budget cuts are the result of legislative action last year.