You might remember my article about the turbulence at Keiller Leadership Academy, a noted charter school that has suffered leadership turnover and internal rancor since the departure of its first director, Patricia Ladd.
Some of that rancor centered on the University of San Diego and its partnership with the school, which is meant to bring teacher training and the resources of a respected educational school to Keiller. Several Keiller board members are directly affiliated with the university. Some teachers expressed frustration with the arrangement, saying the university’s research was interfering with their teaching.
When we last visited Keiller in November, a new interim principal had been appointed and expressed hope that trust would be rebuilt among staffers and the board.
But I just got an update that indicates those divisions have yet to heal: A group of teachers delivered a petition to the board in December asking for Keiller to cut off its relationship with the university, according to several teachers who asked not to be identified. I left a message with Keiller board President Maurice Wilson to discuss the board response and the future of the partnership.