A coalition of Jefferson Parish’s black educators has come out againstthe controversial decision to select Christine Templet, who is white,as the new principal of Thomas Jefferson High School in Gretna,claiming the appointment excluded eligible African-Americanadministrators who might be interested in the post.
In a Monday letter to Superintendent Diane Roussel, members of the Jefferson Allianceof Black School Educators argued that the district’s current processfor selecting principals could be construed as discriminatory, becauseit had precluded qualified, under-represented African-Americancandidates from applying for the position at the helm of the WestBank’s only magnet high school.
“Our mission is about the education of all children in the district, “union President Janine Holmes said. “We just want to make certain theprocess is being done in a fair and equitable manner.”
However, district officials contend that Roussel has the solediscretion to make administrative appointments, a power granted by thedistrict’s desegregation order and affirmed by the School Board. More..[snip]
The appointment ofTemplet, wife of state Rep. Ricky Templet, R-Gretna, has prompted somerumblings among magnet school parents, who are frustrated by thefrequent leadership changes at Thomas Jefferson and question her lackof magnet and school-based administrative experience.
Meanwhile, members of JABSE noted that no black administrator has beenappointed principal at any of the district’s six academic magnets. Theyalso questioned Roussel’s decision to appoint a person with noschool-based experience, as opposed to an African-American principal inthe district “with proven academic success.”