Parents Fight To Keep Bayside Catholic School's Beloved Principal

BAYSIDE, QUEENS -- If leaders at the Sacred Heart Catholic Academy of Bayside want to oust the school's beloved principal, they won't do it without a fight from hundreds of the parents and alumni.

That much became clear on March 29 when parents launched a Change.org petition to keep Principal MaryAnne Cooke at Sacred Heart Catholic Academy of Bayside just a day after learning the school's board of directors had voted "without any explanation" not to renew her contract.

It's since been made clear again and again by hundreds more who've signed the petition. By Tuesday, "Mrs. Cooke Principal of Sacred Heart Catholic Academy cannot be let go" neared 1,300 signatures.

"Without her there is no Sacred Heart Catholic Academy," the petition reads. "Mrs. Cooke CANNOT be let go."

Linda Manukian told Patch she and other parents learned of the board's decision not to renew Cooke's contract via email on March 28, roughly an hour after students left for a weeklong Easter Break.

"We were blindsided by this notification," Manukian said. "We were shocked by this news."

She said the announcement was especially jarring considering the school board hasn't, to her knowledge, hosted an official meeting since its "Back to School" night in September.

"Many parents have reached out to the school board in response to this news with email letters and have, to date, received no response from the SHCA Chair, Bob Wieczorek," Manukian said.

In an email to Patch, an SHCA spokesperson said board members cannot comment on personnel matters at the school and instead issued the following statement:

"MaryAnne Cooke is a beloved and respected teacher. The board recognizes this and supports her in continuing her excellent work in the classroom. To that end, the superintendent of schools intends to offer Mrs. Cooke another teaching position at an academy in the Diocese of Brooklyn."

The petition - launched under a group by the name of "Sacred Heart Catholic Academy Parents" - highlights Cooke's 20-year history with the academy, first as an "award-winning teacher" and then as a caring principal.

"During the transition process from school to academy, Principal Cooke was at the forefront of guiding the existing school community along with bringing new families to school," the petition read.

Mother and petition signee Stephanie Lim McNeil even credited Cooke with her decision to enroll her daughter at SHCA in September.

"We chose Sacred Heart because we were completely won over by Ms. Cooke, the sitting principal," McNeil wrote in a post sharing the petition to a Bayside Facebook group.

"Her dedication to the school, the students and overall warmth she exudes was so refreshing and amazing after our experience at another school and we were looking forward to having her as our principal...then we were forwarded the petition below that she is being let go!"

Cooke did not immediately return Patch's request for comment.

This story was updated on April 9, 2018, with a statement from a Sacred Heart Catholic Academy spokesperson.

Lead photo via Google Maps.