The principal of Heidelberg High School in Germany has been reassigned to the school’s district office because of “discord between the administration and faculty” over “a number of issues,” Department of Defense Dependent Schools officials confirmed Monday.
One of the issues involved an alleged shoving incident between Principal Brenda Granger and a faculty member, but officials said there were other factors that contributed to the change.
Harvey Gerry, DODDS-Europe chief of staff, said the shoving incident “was simply one piece of information, one factor” among “a variety of different issues” that District Superintendent Elizabeth Walker looked at.
“I don’t think this allegation of pushing or shoving was the most relevant factor,” Gerry said in a telephone interview Monday.
The most important issue, and the most important responsibility of any school district, Gerry said, is the welfare of the students and the environment in which they and faculty members operate.
Granger, who has been an educator for at least 15 years, will serve as a special projects officer for the district. Succeeding her on an interim basis as principal will be Carol Kuzmick, currently the special education principal for the Mannheim complex.
“High schools are dynamic and ever-changing environments,” Walker said in a statement Monday. “An ongoing challenge for the school system is to match leadership skills and expertise with the specific needs of each school or program.
“There has been some consternation and discord between the administration and faculty at Heidelberg High School on a number of issues,” her statement said. “To prevent this discord from growing and undermining a concentrated focus on our educational mission, the superintendent determined that an immediate change was in the best interest of the principal and the school community.”
Heidelberg High School is one of the largest in all of Europe. As of Oct. 15, Gerry said, there were 757 students enrolled in the school, which includes the sons and daughters of soldiers and civilians assigned to U.S. Army Europe headquarters.
Gerry said details of the alleged shoving incident “are kind of sketchy,” and he reiterated that more went into the decision to replace Granger.
Faculty members learned of the change at a staff meeting on Friday. Parents will be receiving a letter on Tuesday, explaining the move, officials said.
“We hope the change will bring about a new sense of collegiality,” said Frank O’Gara, a spokesman for DODDS-Europe.
