Parents Upset Over Transfer Of Principal
Parents of Franklin Elementary School students lashed out at Spokane School District 81 officials after learning their principal is moving to another school.
Franklin’s Michael Cosgrove joins five other elementary school principals in transfers approved Wednesday night by the school board.
Some parents complained about not being consulted on the changes.
“It doesn’t feel like there’s very much of a partnership here,” said Kim Civil. “Our biggest issue is that no one came to us.”
Civil, whose son attends Franklin on the South Hill, said the principal shuffles appear to contradict the district’s stated goals of fostering parental involvement in school decision-making.
Cosgrove, popular among parents, students, teachers and staff, is headed this fall to Madison Elementary on the North Side. He will replace Shari Kirihara, who has been under fire from parents for about four years.
Last year, she was accused of ridiculing students, ignoring allegations of physical abuse of students and failing to tell parents when children were being psychologically evaluated. The district investigated the allegations and determined they were baseless.
Kirihara is moving on to Linwood Elementary.
In other principal moves, Linwood’s Jim Rogers is going to Cooper; Sonja Ault is switching from Cooper to Franklin; Val Chadwick is trading Adams for Hutton; and Pat Lynass heads to Adams from Logan.
Superintendent Gary Livingston said the changes are necessary for “growth and leadership.”
“This has not been done hastily,” Livingston said. “We would not be putting someone in the position if we did not feel they could do the job.”
That was no consolation to Civil’s third-grade son, Joshua.
“I want Mr. Cosgrove to stay,” the boy told the board. “He’s really fair, and he’s a good principal.”
Also Wednesday, the school board was told that sixth-grade achievement test scores this year are about equal to last year’s.
District 81 students again scored higher overall than the national average.
Scores were in the upper 50s and low 60s, with the only exception being the spelling score of 48. The spelling score is up three points from last year, but still below the national average of 50, said testing coordinator Joe Kinney.
Despite its score of 61, reading comprehension fell for the sixth straight year, Kinney said. Students scored highest with a 66 in mathematical concepts and applications.
Kinney said sixth-graders scored higher overall than eighth-graders in the achievement tests, 61-56.
“One of the biggest reasons is motivation,” Kinney said. “It’s harder to motivate the older kids because there are no consequences to the test scores.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: 1997 6th grade test scores