In no way does Westwood High School need a “Dean of Students” to take the strain off of the Vice Principal.
Westwood High School, in addition to thousands of High Schools across the country, have operated successfully without a Dean of Students since their inception. There is no doubt in my mind that adding another layer of thick bureaucracy and red tape to the School Administration is the last thing the students need in order to excel academically. Additionally, this proposed new position would further strain an already tight budget, allowing this new “czar of students” to pull in around $78,000, while only working 10 months out of the year. Sadly, some of us don’t even make half that salary, working the full 12 month cycle like normal human beings.
Sadly, our current economic conditions don’t exactly promote growth, rather, it favors cost-cutting measures and reductions of services, just to make ends meet. Adding a frivolous position to Westwood High School will not only cause budgetary issues, but will further separate the students from people they should be regularly communicating with: the Principal and Vice Principal.
Photo Credit: Bobby Martin, Patch.com
School Committee Member Jack O’Brien commented that the position is highly paid and unnecessary. He also noted that just because other school districts may be exploring a similar post, Westwood should not follow along without careful deliberation. Westwood is continually a top school within Massachusetts, and neither the addition of a Dean of Students, nor the failure to hire a Dean of Students, will affect Westwood’s academic reputation within the community and beyond.
Surprisingly, the added position within Westwood High School was proposed by outgoing Principal Emily Parks, who formerly served as the Assistant Principal not long ago. Next school year, she will be elevated to the level of Assistant Superintendent, a move criticized by much of the Westwood community citing her lack of experience and supposed inability to work in cooperation with students. Observation of Emily’s service as Westwood High’s Vice Principal is evidence enough that she was well-equipped at the time to handle the needs of over 900 students on a daily basis, mostly without the help of other support staff.
Especially during these tough economic times, it seems a bit frivolous of an incoming School Administrator to propose a position that will add a burden to the already strained FY 2012 budget.
