New Atmore Principal Quits After A Week On The Job

June 7, 2010

After being on the job less than a week, the new principal at Escambia County High School in Atmore has called it quits.

Joseph Dean, 38, resigned Monday for what he termed “personal issues and concerns”. He first day on the job was June 2.

“I would like to begin by thanking you for the opportunity you have extended to me in your school district. It is with deep regret that I must offer my resignation to you at this time. I feel that the opportunity Escambia County High School offers is excellent, but I have personal issues and concerns that stand in my way. I hope you will accept my resignation and find the right administrator to lead the students, faculty and community of Atmore,” Dean said in his resignation letter.

Dean was hired unanimously by the Escambia County Board of Education on May 27 to replace Harvey Means after the board failed to extend Means’ contract.

Dean,38, is a native of Monroe County and most recently served as interim superintendent in Butler County, Ala. During a 15 year career in Butler County, he served as an assistant principal at Greenville High School, principal at Georgiana High School and principal at Butler County Magnet School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Alabama State University and a master’s degree in education leadership from ASU.

The Escambia County Board of Education will start over in their search for a new principal, advertising the position for 14 days .

Comments

24 Responses to “New Atmore Principal Quits After A Week On The Job”

  1. hmmm.... on June 14th, 2010 4:35 pm

    This is just sad! What that place needs is a good leader. I wish that someone would step up and stand up for the students. After all, the kids are the ones suffering and they certain deserve better than what they are being given at the point.

  2. ECHS Student on June 10th, 2010 5:56 pm

    It hurts me to my heart to know that people of this area would talk down so badly about our school. I am a student at ECHS that tries my absolute hardest to be respectful and keep up my OVER 4.0 avg. So after all the hard work that not only me, but my friends also do to make ECHS look good (well better) it doesn’t feel good to see these rude comments. You so-called adults should be ashamed. Please try and be more optimistic about our school instead of being pessimists. There are good things that go on at ECHS.

  3. Lawful Citizen on June 10th, 2010 2:11 pm

    Dictatorship and not Leadership…… That is what is going on in Escambia County Alabama, on the school board. The school board could not dictate to Mr. Means as to whom to hire, and how to run ECHS. Therefore, his contract was not renewed. All he wanted to do was be a leader, and a very good one he is. I am sure that Mr. Dean took this job in hopes of coming to ECHS and making a difference, but IF the dictatorship is still being handed down then, he should have walked away, with his background, he will be employed soon if not already hired someplace.
    The school board in Escambia County should be MORE concerned with how many scholarships the senior class can get and what the freshmen need to do from day one to break the last class record for scholarships, then THE RANKING OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM. I know that all of that is important, and it bring scholarships, but could someone tell me the ratio of the # of football scholarships given, and the # of these students that actually finish college. Then give the ratio of the academics for the same. Focus on the academics in sports.

  4. wondering on June 10th, 2010 10:31 am

    I want everyone to watch the board meeting tonight. I have a feeling that most, if not all the positions filled tonight will be for coaches. Then you should go back and see who all got pink slipped. I bet the numbers match up perfectly. They are sending a clear message…..Sports before school!!!

  5. Blessed on June 9th, 2010 2:48 pm

    Here we go again a good person runned off, if the system will let these individuals do their job and not the board trying to make puppets out of them the school could be a good one. Also, since the board is looking for someone else please let it be someone who can relate to the students even the one’s that is a discipline problem. There are alot of kids that have parent problems and if this is the situation get the necessary authorities involved so these kids can learn and be good productive citizens. Mr. Dean possibly could have been the answer we need and Mr. Means was the answer, but because he didn’t let the sports dept. be the head he got booted. I don’t have anyone over at the high school now, but in one year I will have a nephew there and in three years my son and you better believe the middle school has matured them and made them responsible students (hats off to Mr. Byrd). To all of you that is so judgmental stop and think about what happened a couple of months ago and after that the contract for Mr. Means wasn’t renewed. This is why I stated earlier about the sports dept. and the need to realize the PRINCIPAL is the head and not the tail.

  6. parent on June 9th, 2010 7:55 am

    I am a parent of a senior at escambia county high school. My daughter is the one who showed me these comments. People please remember that the kids are reading this mess. And to my knowledge he has not even been around any students so how could that be the reason. Before you make such a horrible comment about children you need to think about what your saying. You might think things are bad at this school but keep your comments about our kids to yourself.

  7. mel on June 9th, 2010 12:52 am

    interesting………=\ wonder what REALLY happended???

  8. Samantha on June 8th, 2010 7:36 pm

    I am with “wondering” and “FYI” maybe he left due to family issues or health issues. However, even if it was something to do with the way that school was run or bc of parents or community officials, that is his business.
    Nobody truly knows but him so let’s give him respect and not talk rudely about him.
    Hopefully, he will find a job soon enough that he is happy with.
    (:

  9. mark on June 8th, 2010 10:00 am

    some parent or communtiy leader probably called or visited him after he was hired and told him to get out of town….this such thing has happened in the past and someone good was run off….parents run that school most of the time

  10. meforone on June 8th, 2010 9:17 am

    Get the Devil off the water tower people.

  11. oh well on June 8th, 2010 6:04 am

    Well thats another fine mess you got us in Olie.

    Somebody needs to take things in hand, but crap slides down hill,
    so parents if you think your doing a great job, wait till the crap
    comes back and slaps you right in the face,.

    It’s time you cleaned up your own messes.
    Go to the school and take charge of your own delinquent.
    Make sure their part of a good system and not the part of the problem
    with the system.

    Wake up ppl

  12. Joe on June 7th, 2010 10:15 pm

    the kids need a strong leader. they also need a school board that will stand behind the leadership. I know first hand of the problems that are there. often times in the past the leadership was a joke. these kids deserve an education but need a leader who will take control and remove the rif-raf. they deserve an education but also need a safe environment. I can not tell you how many students “withdrew” last school year due to racial tensions or other “stressful” situations. this is a real problem and needs to be addressed and corrected quickly. I think an outsider, someone who is not from the education area would be a better choice for leadership. better luck finding a new replacement.

  13. Karyn36502 on June 7th, 2010 9:17 pm

    Why not choose Mr. Dailey as a principal. He is a good person tthat will take control of the situation and help the kids to understand their place.

  14. nudo on June 7th, 2010 8:32 pm

    I don’t blame him. Didn’t take him long to figure out what a joke it is over there….

  15. bama on June 7th, 2010 6:06 pm

    ECHS needs the National Guard there to straighten out their problems with the students.

  16. TJ on June 7th, 2010 5:42 pm

    Always find out how deep that water is before
    jump in !!!! that goes both ways so for you neg. people too find out before you run your trap to much..

  17. Dag Gumet on June 7th, 2010 5:37 pm

    Tough decision ?? Come on…7 days and he is out of here…thats not a tough decision guys…probably figured out the kids are running the school anyway

  18. jlh on June 7th, 2010 4:43 pm

    Or maybe he realized how bad that school is.

  19. FYI on June 7th, 2010 4:34 pm

    Maybe he is having health issues? If so, I wish him well. Or maybe, he got offered a better, higher paying job elsewhere. I’m sure whatever it was, it wasn’t an easy decision after just a week on the job.

  20. David Huie Green on June 7th, 2010 3:49 pm

    JohnMolino,
    Interesting. Detroit put a former Special Ed student in as the president of the city’s school board.

    There’s hope for all of us, if we are willing to move to Detroit and battle the heavy competition.

  21. David Huie Green on June 7th, 2010 3:38 pm

    decisive

  22. wondering on June 7th, 2010 3:30 pm

    I wonder if the personal concerns have anything to do with the fact that one of his employees is a new head coach that seems to be getting everything he wants!

  23. JohnMolino on June 7th, 2010 2:38 pm

    This is excellent news for the kids. Nobody likes a quitter.
    Maybe he is like this guy:

    The Detroit School District President, Otis Mathis, who cannot write a coherent sentence,spell or read…

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/05/detroit-school-leader-sends-wrong-message-parents-say/

  24. hopeful on June 7th, 2010 2:17 pm

    Sounds like it was a tough decision. God Speed!