A Promising Principal

     District officials announced on April 24 that Interim Principal Lisa Cooper will take over as the permanent principal next year. The announcement was the final step in a whirlwind of administrative changes throughout the school year that have confused many.

     At the beginning of the year, Dylan Farris was principal, and there were three assistant principals: Tina Gross, Lisa Cooper, and Lisa Michel.  Gross had just been hired this year, while Michel was in her third year, and Cooper, in her 9th year at CCHS.

     When Farris left in October to take a director position at El Segundo Unified School District, Cooper took over the position as Interim Head Principal. That left an opening for Assistant Principal, so web design teacher DuBois McMillan stepped out of his class to assume the position of Interim Assistant Principal.

      Soon after, Gross left her position for an unrelated circumstance from Farris because, as one office staff who would like to remain anonymous said, “She was just not a good fit.” In order to fill that vacancy, teacher Kelli Tarvyd left her Government Economic 12 class to become the second Interim Assistant Principal.

      The only administrative staff member who is still in the same position as in the beginning of the year is Michel. She was actually hired as an Interim Assistant Principal three years ago. Michel describes the amount of administrative changes this year as, “highly unusual”, but also says she is pleased with the way it all turned out.

    To make matters even a bit more confusing, Jon Chapman, who retired from his post as assistant principal last year, returned this year as an administrative consultant to help smooth things over during the transition period.

     As of now there are two assistant principal positions open for next year. Tarvyd, an alumnae, has spent 20 years total at CCHS. When asked if she is interested in the full-time position, all she had to say with a big smile on her face was, “I am certainly enjoying the experience.”

     McMillan said he is “absolutely” going to apply for one of the assistant principal positions.

     Despite the often changing facing of the administration, the school year is coming to a close without any major setbacks. Michel said, “(At first) I did not know how it would all pan out, but everyone in the office now is confident, cohesive, and strong together.”