Following a slew of violent incidents at East Hamilton Middle School, the most recent being a fight Thursday between two students that resulted in one of the students being transported from the school for medical treatment, Principal Kristen Childs has asked for a reassignment.
Childs sent an email to students and families Thursday announcing she'd requested to be reassigned.
"I am writing this afternoon to inform you that I have requested to be reassigned for next school year," Childs said in the email. "I love East Hamilton Middle and our students, and I want only what is best for them."
Childs added she believes the decision is in the best interests of students.
"My entire career I have dedicated myself to acting on behalf of the best interests of students, and I am making this decision through that lens," she said. "I feel that at this moment in time, it is in the best interest of students and the learning environment of East Hamilton Middle School for a new leader to be identified for next school year.
"I have not made this decision lightly, but in my heart I believe this is best for EHMS," she said. "The district has supported my leadership here, and they are also supporting and granting my request to be reassigned. I am announcing this decision early in the hiring season so the district will have ample time to select a new principal. District leadership will spend this spring finding the best leader for East Hamilton Middle School for next school year, and I anticipate a smooth transition between leadership teams."
Michael Beasley, a parent to a seventh grade student at the middle school, said he believes Childs' decision is the right one.
"I think her resignation is the right thing to do as many parents have lost faith in the leadership at the school and are wanting changes implemented sooner rather than later to stop the disciplinary issues that have plagued this school since the beginning of the school year," Beasley said in an email. "This kind of violence never happened during the 2021-22 school year."
But another parent, Sara Diruscio, said she isn't sure Childs' departure will make a difference.
"I just don't know what Childs could have done (Thursday) to avoid that fight," Diruscio said in a text message. "I just don't trust the district to make a change the right way. Her announcement came the day of the fight. It's a (public relations) stunt."
Incidents at the school have reportedly become so frequent, parents and teachers demanded intervention and organized a meeting in December.
Around 200 parents attended and called on the administration to enforce its own disciplinary policies, saying that most incidents have been handled with too much leniency.
At the meeting, Childs assured parents the school was following procedure, but many parents outspokenly disagreed.
Parent Billy Stewart said the district's Code of Acceptable Behavior is not being followed.
"My role in this is to discuss the inconsistencies between the discipline requirements of the COAB and its execution down to the middle school, and what might be intentional manipulation with discipline agreements to minimize the severity of the discipline to make the middle school look better to third parties," Stewart said at the December meeting.
District officials in an email said they support Childs' decision.
"Hamilton County Schools appreciates the work done at East Hamilton Middle by Principal Childs," district spokeman Steve Doremus said. "We continue to support the East Hamilton community with appropriate district resources, and we are already searching for the best leader to continue moving EHMS toward being the school everyone wants it to be."
Childs has served as principal of East Hamilton Middle for less than a year. Prior to that, she was assistant principal at Soddy Daisy High School for the 2021-22 academic year. She has been an educator since 2005.
Contact Carmen Nesbitt at cnesbitt@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327.