McHale takes lead amidst administrative turnover

By Mattias Apse,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Over the summer, Davis High’s vice principal Tom McHale took the reins as interim principal in the wake of Will Brown’s departure to the West Contra Costa Unified School District in the Bay Area.

“I am very honored to serve as interim principal, […] and I am dedicated to helping every student enjoy a rewarding year,” McHale said.

Since the year began, McHale and his administrative team have been hard at work “to achieve a smooth opening.”

Some of the duties McHale has taken up include implementing a master schedule with the counselors, maintaining the Site Council’s presence in school policy, partnering with a variety of extracurricular programs and clubs as well as ensuring the completion of the All Student Center.

Meanwhile, the Davis Joint Unified School District is in the midst of a hiring process to replace Brown. Derek Brothers, former principal at Holmes Junior High, has been leading the search.

The vacancy has been advertised on EdJoin, a website hosting employment opportunities related to education. There have already been several applicants (though for reasons of confidentiality, no further information could be revealed).

To ensure satisfaction with the new principal, DJUSD will ask for feedback from students, teachers and the community about what they want in the new head of DHS.

Brothers expects that “if the process goes smoothly, it’ll take about six weeks [to finish the hiring process].”

He also noted the unusual circumstances DJUSD has been in this year.

“A lot of people moved up – we have new principals at the middle schools: Holmes, DaVinci, Emerson and also at [Davis School for Independent Study],” Brothers said.

Of course, principal turnover is a part of life in Davis, with replacements occurring usually every four to six years, according to Brothers.