Blair High School - New Principal

[Anonymous]

Renay Johnson, current principal of Takoma Park Middle School has been selected to be Blair High School's new principal. What do you think about Ms. Johnson as a principal? What programs did/does she support? What changes can you forsee at Blair under her leadership? It would be great to hear from current and former TPMS parents, teachers, etc.

[Anonymous]

TPMS has the middle school math/science magnet that prepares many students for the Blair magnet, so she has a track record. TPMS is not the most diverse school in the downcounty area, though, so it would be interesting to have some info. on how well Takoma's underperfoming students have fared at Blair.

[Anonymous]

Does Ms. Johnson support the magnet program?

[emilyjh]

Ms. Johnson is a very effective and able principal at Takoma Park and has done a fabulous job integrating the magnet program with the "home school" kids, especially when she is compared to the principal at Eastern Middle School where there is a lot of tension between these two groups.

While Takoma may not be the "most" diverse school down county, it has approximately one quarter each of Asian, Caucasian, Black and Hispanic population. Ms. Johnson has an extremely loyal staff. One of the guidance counselors who has been at Takoma for 14 years told me that she doesn't look for another job because she likes working for Ms. Johnson so much.

My son has been at the Takoma magnet for the past three years and will be at Blair next year in the magnet. I am thrilled that Ms. Johnson will be the principal. I believe that is a common opinion inside and outside the magnet.

[Anonymous]

I hear nothing but good things about Mrs. Johnson. However the student population will change from middle school students to teenage high school students with a student body going from 826 students to 2,860 students. The demographic changes also.
American Indian or Alaskan native .1% - .2%, Asian 19.5% - 16.1%, Black or African American 27.8% - 26.6%, Hispanic/Latino 14.9% - 29.4%, Native Hawaiian of Pacific Islander .0% - .1%, White 31.2% - 23.9%, Two or more races 6.6% - 3.8%, Farms 20.7% - 34.2%

If you take the Magnet and CAP students out of the mix the general school demographic changes even more dramatically.

The biggest question will be; Is Blair getting a Phillip Gainous who built up and developed Blair over 20+ years or a Darryl Williams who after 4 years stepped on to Community Superintendent?

[Anonymous]

I worked under 3 principals (this includes Phil) who were the "old school" types, staying put at one school for years. They are now a rare breed. Don't expect anyone to last that long, as any principal position is a revolving door these days.

I expect, however, that data will be the driving force. And unless any principal sees the faces behind the numbers, nothing positive will result from this shift in philosophy.


quote=Anonymous]I hear nothing but good things about Mrs. Johnson. However the student population will change from middle school students to teenage high school students with a student body going from 826 students to 2,860 students. The demographic changes also.
American Indian or Alaskan native .1% - .2%, Asian 19.5% - 16.1%, Black or African American 27.8% - 26.6%, Hispanic/Latino 14.9% - 29.4%, Native Hawaiian of Pacific Islander .0% - .1%, White 31.2% - 23.9%, Two or more races 6.6% - 3.8%, Farms 20.7% - 34.2%

If you take the Magnet and CAP students out of the mix the general school demographic changes even more dramatically.

The biggest question will be; Is Blair getting a Phillip Gainous who built up and developed Blair over 20+ years or a Darryl Williams who after 4 years stepped on to Community Superintendent?