Principal makes a sudden departure
ONLY 3½ years after the Essington School was embroiled in drama surrounding the departure of 20year principal David Cannon, another leader is leaving.
Brian Kennelly was brought in as acting principal at the end of 2018 amid reports of an internal conflict between Mr Cannon and members on the school board.
Mr Cannon then resigned in January 2019 and Mr Kennelly took on the role permanently.
But now, 3½ years on, a new principal has suddenly been announced.
Current deputy principal Karen Rohrs will take on the role in a matter of weeks, school board chairman Nathan Reichstein said in a statement.
It is understood Mr Kennelly was brought out of retirement to become principal in 2019 and is now planning to retire again.
Speaking to the Sunday Territorian, Mr Reichstein said the principal’s time at the helm was “never going to be a long-term thing” and the school had been working with him over the past 12 months to “ensure a smooth transition”.
He said the departing principal had provided “outstanding leadership" and oversaw “a major school improvement process across all areas”.
“During these 3½ years, the turnaround in Essington has been remarkable and is attributable to the leadership of Brian and the significant board, senior executive, staff, and community support provided,” Mr Reichstein said.
Ms Rohrs has been a teacher for 31 years, including in Hong Kong and Copenhagen.