MacArthur Principal Announces Retirement After 36 Years
Alexandria City Public Schools will search for a new principal beginning in March.
Douglas MacArthur Elementary School Principal Deborah Z. Thompson has announced she will retire at the end of the current school year.
Thompson began her teaching career with Alexandria City Public Schools in 1973. After leaving the division in 1990, she returned and was appointed principal at MacArthur in 1994.
“We thank Debbie for her more than 36 years of combined service as a teacher and principal to ACPS,” said schools Superintendent Morton Sherman in a news release. “We appreciate her service and leadership, and we wish her a gratifying retirement.”
Thompson wrote, in a letter to her school community, “MacArthur and ACPS will always be in my heart. I will cherish the memories, friendships and hundreds of students.”
Her announcement comes less than a month after a MacArthur student was charged with brandishing a weapon by the Alexandria police following an incident on involving a toy gun on a school bus.
Earlier this week, the child's mother, the Alexandria chapter of the NAACP and others criticized the handling of the incident by school officials and the police in a story in The Washington Post.
ACPS will begin the search for a new principal to lead MacArthur in March. The school's parents and staff will have the opportunity to meet the prospective candidate as he or she visits the school prior to a final selection and appointment.
“Our goal is to have a highly qualified principal selected and ready to begin the 2013-14 school year,” Sherman said. “We want to ensure a smooth transition and spectacular opening for MacArthur students and parents.”
The timeline for the new principal search is as follows:
- March 1: Advertise the vacancy, accepting applications through March 29
- March 18-29: Online survey allows respondents to provide feedback on most desired attributes.
- March 18-22: Conduct staff and parent meetings to obtain feedback on most desired attributes
- Week of April 15: Panel interviews
- Week of April 22: Final interviews with ACPS superintendent
For more on Douglas MacArthur, see:
Neil Wolfe
1:15 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
If she was behind the decision to have a little boy with a toy gun arrested than MacArthur will be better off. Alexandria PD also embarrassed our city with the way in which that was handled.
Neil Wolfe
1:16 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
then*
AVAMOM
3:08 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Thank you Debbie Thompson for all your years of service to ACPS, particularly at MacArthur Elementary. You were our children's first ever principal: an open minded, no drama, work with the families type of leader. We appreciated you then and we still do. Our family wishes you all the best in retirement.
Pam
9:53 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I think posters should say if they have any direct knowledge of the fact
s or people involved or are just speculating. I know and greatly respect Mrs. Thompson from being a parent and community volunteer over the last 13 years. I don't have information about this incident, but many of these decisions are made by higher ups in the school/police with I hope more information than in news reports.
Gail G
7:25 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
My daughter has fond memories of Ms. Thompson and so do my husband and I.
Neil Wolfe
1:08 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Pam- I can only assume you are referring to my post since it's the only one here that could be perceived as critical. You suggested I should say if I have any direct knowledge or if I am merely speculating. The use of the word 'if' in my original post implies I am not privy to information that would implicate Mrs. Thompson directly. however I think as the Principal of the school, it's reasonable of me to assume that she indeed was involved in this decision. If she wasn't involved, as the Principal, I think she should have been. If she deferred this decision to higher authorities in the school system then I would contend that action in and of itself escalated the situation beyond an appropriate level of response considering the infraction and the age of the perpetrator. So I reiterate that IF Mrs. Thompson indeed played an active role in having this ten year old boy arrested by the police then this city's school system will be better off without such an unreasonable administrator. IF however Mrs. Thompson had nothing to do with this situation then my post is a moot point and not applicable to Mrs. Thompson's capacity to lead.
Henry
1:51 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Why are people still bleating on about the reaction? It's state law. There is no local leeway. None. The procedure that was followed is dictated by Virginia statute. If you have a problem with what occurred than call your representative and beg for change. But as for cr@pping all over those that simply followed protocol and did their job, well ....... shut up already.
Thank you for your service Ms. Thompson. I wish you a long, healthy and happy retirement.
CMurphy
3:12 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Many of us acknowledge the state statute but disagree about the schools' ability to exercise more leeway and discretion than the state statute would allow. Does the state dictate that Ms. Thompson call the APD and set up a next-morning sting operation to catch the 10 year-old without notifying his parent? Why didn't they go out to the bus stop to remind him he shouldn't be bringing toy guns into school or on school buses. If a principle like Debbie Thompson can't call a parent and preempt the arrest of a ten year-old, then something is ridiculously wrong in this City. I can't imagine Lucretia Jackson letting this happen. Your mileage may vary...
And stop telling folks what to do and what to think..... you should avail yourself of your own advice.
Lee Hernly
3:58 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Current statute is very vague and is left up to the Board of Education to issue a regulation/rule which was probably followed. While I agree the Police should have used a little common sense, there was a similar toy gun incident at Woodbridge High some years back. The Police came, lectured the student involved, and were going to leave it alone until they found out a fellow student was in fear over the incident (Much like the MacArthur incident).
This is where the following code comes in:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-282
Henry
3:55 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Again, there is no leeway. It's a zero-tolerance policy. Thompson was bound by law. End of. It's really not a difficult notion to grasp. I get the emotion behind a little kid getting arrested over a toy, but stop blaming the actors. Blame Richmond. Or the voters. Or not. I don't really care if people choose to be willfully obtuse.
Henry
4:09 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
Imagine, for a moment, the outrage that this city would be boiling in had Thompson not notified the police and the toy wasn't a toy? It's a "what if" situation of course, but just imagine. Heads would be rolling down Janneys Lane. The statute and procedure exists to protect the kids. It's my understanding that no one knew the toy was a toy and his mother was unreachable. Were they just to assume it was a toy? A few weeks past Sandy Hook? Get real.
Edmund Lewis
9:43 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
The ACPS central office administration still has not held a security and policy meeting with ACPS parents. One recently scheduled at Mrs. Thompson's school was abruptly cancelled. Two months after Sandy Hook and the administrators in ACPS have done nothing substantial to improve the safety of our children or communicate clear security and response policies. Look no further than last week's mess at GW and the incident involving the 10 year old. ACPS administrators are unable to handle toy guns and smoldering power lines. Heaven help us all. Mrs. Thompson is wise to enjoy the benefits of retirement. One of which is severing ties with ACPS central office.
herbert berg
4:29 pm on Sunday, February 24, 2013
Debbie: Thank you for your many years of professional dedication. You are amazing! HMB