Update: Armstrong Principal Reassigned, District Cites “Unified District Vision”
Armstrong Students Launch Effort to Keep Principal
The removal of Armstrong High School’s longtime principal at the end of the school year comes as a big surprise to some students and staff members. The move will happen a year before Principal David Dahl planned to retire.
Now, a student-led effort is underway to help keep the principal in his position.
“We’re up to 3,000 people and counting still, which is really amazing,” said Cassie Davis, an Armstrong High School senior. “In 36 hours, just to see so many people, such as teachers, alumni, and students, and parents of students just come together in that effort to help him save his position.”
Davis and fellow Armstrong senior Lauryn Caulley launched a petition drive on Change.org in support of Dahl.
They also started a Facebook group with a similar mission.
Monday night, the girls were part of a group that showed up at a Robbinsdale School Board meeting to protest the district’s decision to reassign Dahl to the role of “principal on special assignment.”
“Hopefully with the amount of people that have been in our support group that we have also created on Facebook — as well as the other events that we’ve both created — to raise that awareness and make change that way,” Davis said. “And hopefully keep him in that position for the last year that he’s here. Because we just think it’s unjust to do that when he was going to retire next year anyway.”
Meanwhile, the girls also said they’re thinking about organizing a walkout.
Dahl has been Armstrong’s principal since 2002. The district says a national search will take place to help fill that position.
Armstrong Principal Reassigned, District Cites “Unified District Vision”
Staff and parents involved at Armstrong High School expressed concern and frustration after news spread that the school’s principal will be reassigned at the end of the year.
In a letter to teachers, staff, and district parents, the superintendent of Robbinsdale Area Schools, Dr. Carlton Jenkins, says Armstrong High School Principal David Dahl will be reassigned. Jenkins says the decision came after “careful reflection about our Unified District Vision and Armstrong High School.”
The district says a national search will take place to fill the principal position. Dahl has been principal of Armstrong High School for 17 years.
Staff found out about the reassignment on Monday morning. Within six hours, an online petition for Dahl to keep his position gathered more than 1,500 signatures.
Armstrong High School
