Mendoza to Remain Principal of McPherson Elementary

Carmen Mendoza will remain the principal of McPherson Elementary School, but under goals of better communication with parents and the community.

The elementary’s Local School Council voted to renew the principal’s contract for another four years.

“We were really please that she’s staying another four years,” said Bob Farster, a McPherson parent and member of the LSC.

Farster, along with McPherson teacher Michael Gallagher and Sarah Evans, made up the Principal Retention Committee, charged with researching to renew or not renew the contract. Evans is a local resident and does not serve on the LSC.

The committee held a community forum for feedback on the principal and read past reviews by the Board of Education and the LSC.

“We wanted to do it right and make sure we gave her a fair appraisal of what she’s doing and her work and we fell like we did,” Farster said, adding this was the first time for the process in recent memory.

The LSC voted to extend the contract at a meeting Tuesday night at the school.  Seven members supported the renewal, with one nay vote and one abstention. Two members of the council were absent.

Gallagher abstained and voting no was Katie Osgood, the community representative on the council. 

In her blog, Osgood took issue with Mendoza’s proposal to lay off educators because of a longer school day mandate in the summer of 2012.

But on the whole, the council was pleased with Mendoza’s 12-year tenure as principal.

“During that period, McPherson has seen their test scores move up ad she’s helped create one of the premier special ed schools in the city, which we think is great,” Farster said.

Hiring quality teachers and navigating the Chicago Public Schools budget were other qualities the committee liked about Mendoza.

But there’s still room to improve, as the committee added an addendum to the principal’s contract.

“We felt there were spots she needed to work on, particularly communication throughout the school,” Farster said.

According to the report, the committee added two goals related to communication and the school’s International Baccalaureate program.

The communication goals include increasing volunteers, community outreach, parent meetings, and traffic to the school’s website.

Mendoza agreed to the addendums, and said some of the goals are already in the works.

Read more about McPherson:

• Schools Taking Second Look at Security after Sandy Hook Shooting
• McPherson Elementary Gets 600 New Books from Generous Donor
• Teachers Trade Books for Burgers at McTeacher's Night
• Committee Seeks Feedback on McPherson Prinicpal