SMN News learnt that the Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell appointed four of the candidates to positions by Ministerial decree. Those appointed are Silveria Jacobs as Principal of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School, Rita Bourne-Gumbs as Principal of the Genevieve De Weever School, Glenda Mathew –White as Principal of the Lionel Connor School and Alice Samuel as Principal of the Charles Leopold Bell School.
The appointed candidates along with Stuart Johnson applied for the vacant positions and they were interviewed by a special committee. SMN News has been reliably informed that the head of public education informed Johnson that he was selected by the committee for the Lionel Conner School before sending the advice they prepared for the Minister of Education to make the actual appointments.
Glenda Mathew White a principal for 17 years they said was on two years sick leave from her position at the Lionel Conner School, while an acting Principal who managed the school for at least two years was not nominated. Sources close to the Lionel Conner School said the acting principal ran the administration for two years because the current principal does not believe in Foundation Based Education and has refused to participate in any of the trainings for the new system. They said Glenda Mathew White is not participating in the management course that is currently taking place.
Several teachers at the school felt that the Minister handpicked the Principal of Lionel Conner School while not taking into consideration the advice of the committee. Questions are now being asked how the Minister of Education could go against the advice of the committee or the head of the department of education to make the appointments even after the legal process had taken place.
Nine persons applied for the four available positions as school managers for the public schools. Johnson reportedly scored the highest, and persons have questioned if he wasn't selected because of him being the only male applicant or if it was because he ran as the number 7 candidate on the Democratic Party slate during the 2010 elections.
Several teachers also expressed concerns that persons were hand-picked to attend the teacher's management courses while others who showed interest were denied the possibility.