Melissa Bailey Photo
After Principal Bob Rifenburg revealed a surprise resignation from the Hooker school, parents are asking to have a say in who will replace him.
A handful of parents and students sent that message to the Board of Education at its regular meeting Monday night at 54 Meadow St.
Veronika Northrup (pictured) said parents were surprised to learn last week that Rifenburg is stepping down effective June 30. He served as principal for the grades 3 – 8 Worthington Hooker School for the past two years, on the heels of Carol Kennedy’s long legacy. Northrup said she showed up to the board meeting to ask for a “fair and transparent” hiring process, one that keeps parents in the loop.
“Part of school reform is to have more engaged parents, and a better informed school,” argued Northrup, the mother of a rising second-grader at Hooker.
Parents reacted “with much surprise” to learn that Rifenburg resigned, said Anna Festa, but the “most surprising” part was “in the manner in which parents had to find out.” Festa has two young sons at Hooker and a third who is waiting his turn. She’s an active in the citywide Parent Teacher Organization, but she wasn’t among the few parents clued into the hiring process last week.
Melissa Bailey File Photo
Principal Bob Rifenburg
Parents said they didn’t have any idea Rifenburg was leaving until last Wednesday, when a few parent leaders got an email from the district inviting them to meet a potential replacement. An informal committee, including parents from the school’s PTA and SPMT, met Thursday with Sheryl Hershonik, who heads High School in the Community.
Schools Superintendent Reggie Mayo said he sent Hershonik there “to be interviewed” by the committee.
Festa and Northrup weren’t invited to that meeting. They said when they found out, they were disappointed that Evelyn Robles-Rivas, who heads the separate Hooker’s K‑2 school, wasn’t the one being interviewed. They both said she would be a great candidate to take over the big Hooker.
“Why not Dr. Robles?” Festa asked the board. Robles-Rivas has been with the school through many changes, she said. The school has been bounced around between swing spaces, and now will have two changes in leadership over the past three years.
“The Hooker community has gone through too many transitions in the past few years,” Festa protested. “Robles brings a sense of stability.”
“We really want someone caring who we can relate to … someone like Principal Robles,” chimed in 12-year-old Hooker student Lily Rose-Wilen. With all the transitions, “it’s been hard,” she said. “We want someone who will be able to stay.”
Festa noted that two years ago, parents were more involved in the process of finding a principal for Hooker. A committee of parents interviewed candidates and recommended Rifenburg. Festa, speaking on behalf of “many parents,” asked that parents be allowed to take a similar role this year.
After the meeting, Mayo defended the hiring process.
“I feel it’s pretty transparent,” he said.
Mayo said he did include parents by inviting them to the meeting last week. He said he didn’t post that specific job opening, because he considered it part of a general request for principals that the district routinely posts.
Mayo said he is “pretty close” to naming a new leader for the school.
“We’ll do the best that we can to get the best fit for that school,” he said.