Editor's Note: This letter was sent to parents, faculty and staff of West Seattle High School last week.
Dear West Seattle High School Community:
Over the past several years, one of the great joys of my life has been my involvement with West Seattle High School and my connection to its staff, students, parents, and surrounding community. West Seattle High School is an outstanding school because of the wonderful people who comprise it, who dream for it, and who work together to continually improve it. You are the best of the best.
I have been honored to be principal for West Seattle High School. When I accepted this position I had every intention of being a part of this synergetic development for a long time into the future. However, over this past year my health has suffered, and this has caused me to reflect seriously on the quality and dimensions of my remaining years of service to Seattle students, prior to retirement. I have a lot more to give and, at the same time, I acknowledge that the high school principalship places particular stresses and burdens on my health.
After four years as a high school assistant principal (San Francisco and Juneau), two years as a middle school principal (Juneau), and eighteen-and-a-half years as a high school principal (Shoreline, Kent, and Seattle), at this time, I have asked for permission to become an assistant principal for one of the high schools or middle schools in our district. My family is strongly supportive of my decision to "climb down the career ladder!" Being an assistant principal again will allow me to spend more time one-on-one with students and will give me greater opportunity to work directly with teachers on instruction; these are sources of great joy to me. I will also be able to support the principal in a number of other leadership areas.
I will report to West Seattle High School again tomorrow (Friday), and should learn sometime tomorrow about my new assignment. I expect to begin the new assignment on the first day of the second semester (February 5, 2007.) I wish I had more information to share with you, right now, about the plan for leadership for West Seattle High School for the remainder of this school year. I will keep you posted, as the district's plans evolve.
Thank you for your many personal kindnesses to me over this past year. I have great admiration for your work, your spirit, and your commitment on behalf of West Seattle High School and its people and programs. I will miss you.
My gratitude, fondness, and respect to each of you,
Susan Ders/
West Seattle High School