The details
Two new principals were selected to lead Harvard Elementary in the span of a few days after the campus’ previous principal, Shelby Calabrese, was recommended for termination last month.
District officials had initially selected Sharon Pe Benito to take over as principal at the elementary. However, in a Nov. 11 letter sent to Harvard Elementary parents, HISD Central Division Superintendent Luz Martinez announced Pe Benito would no longer be accepting the position.
“Even though [Pe Bonito] accepted the Harvard Elementary principal position last week, after extensive bullying on social media, she determined this job was no longer in her personal or professional best interest,” Martinez said in the letter.
Martinez added the district has selected Stefanie Spencer, who previously spent 18 years as a principal in Goose Creek ISD and Spring Branch ISD, to take over as interim principal at the campus for the remainder of the school year.
Some context
The principal turnover at Harvard Elementary is coming amidst a broader staffing shakeup at the campus that also included the reassignment of assistant principal Alejandra Perez and magnet coordinator Daisha Huntley. While former Memorial Elementary assistant principal Molly Lashway has been selected to take over as assistant principal at Harvard Elementary, officials have not yet announced a replacement for Huntley.
What they’re saying
Many of the more than 130 individuals who signed up to speak during the public comment portion of the Nov. 14 meeting criticized the recent turnover at Harvard.
William Wrigley, a fifth grade student at the campus, said the carousel of administrators at the school has been difficult for students.
“It's confusing when the people who run the school keep changing,” Wrigley said. “This does not feel like the school that I love.”
Quynhthy Bui, a parent of Harvard Elementary students, said she was speaking on behalf of a teacher at the campus who could not speak publicly due to fear of retaliation.
“Recently, teachers were blindsided by the replacement of their leaders ... not once, but twice,” Bui said. “Please do better. ... They deserve a stable and supportive work environment.”
However, Anar Abasov, president of the Harvard Elementary PTA, said he was optimistic about the selection of Spencer to lead the campus.
“Despite the obstacles, our community is starting to feel optimistic with the recently selected leaders at our school,” Abasov said. “We're committed to continually working with you to achieve the goals of the Harvard community.”
Still, Abasov said he believes district leadership needs to improve their engagement with community members moving forward.
“The current level [of engagement] has been so insufficient that our community felt compelled to sacrifice its needs by voting down the [$4.4 billion bond election on Nov. 5],” Abasov said. ”We urge you to take meaningful steps.”
What’s next
In the Nov. 11 letter, Martinez noted district officials would work with the campus’ parents and community members before hiring a new principal to take over in the 2025-26 school year.
