WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |School system shuffles administrators

School system shuffles administrators

By Keitha Nelson - bio | email

BAKER, LA (WAFB) - Suspensions, resignations and transfers were made among administrators within the Baker School System Tuesday night. It's an apparent trickle-down effect, aimed at turning things around at Baker Middle School.

For months, Baker Middle has been in the headlines after a series of escalating issues, including allegations of students setting fires on campus, one kid bringing a BB-gun to school and a teacher being arrested for having inappropriate relations with a student.

During the school board meeting, some teachers stormed out after the official vote to move Principal Earl Langlois, currently at Baker Heights Elementary, to Baker Middle. Langlois isn't the only administrator forced to make a move. Harry Wright, the assistant principal at Baker Middle, was suspended. Principal Charles Johnson of Baker Middle officially resigned.

"I just feel like we're having too many shuffles," said George Gallman, a school board member. "It just makes me very nervous."

One person confident about the move to transfer several principals is the head of the Baker School System, Superintendent Estes Taplin.

"It's not about you, it's not about me," he said. "It's about our kids."

Taplin believes Langlois can turn things around at Baker Middle, but the apparent concern among many people is a lack of communication.

"It would have been nice, possibly, if the superintendent would have kindly given some explanation, rather than just presenting this," Gallman added.

Taplin put in place a safety commission at Baker Middle to help get a handle on things there. He says he believes the changes made Tuesday night will benefit Baker schools.

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