Principal Financial Group Inc. stock falls Monday, underperforms market - MarketWatch

Ecorse High School assistant principal arrested for sex crimes involving relative - FOX 2 Detroit

ECORSE, Mich. (FOX 2) - An assistant principal at Ecorse High School was arrested at the school on Monday, FOX 2 has learned, on sex crimes related to a case that is roughly eight years old.

Melven Conway, the assistant principal at Ecorse High School was arrested at the school Monday morning on criminal sexual conduct charges. The crimes allegedly happened about eight years ago and involved a relative of Conway who was 10 years old at the time.

The 45-year-old assistant principal was arrested by Detroit Police with assistance from the Wayne County Sheriff.

According to the Wayne County Prosecutor, the investigation started in the spring of 2021 when the now teenage girl came forward and said he sexually assaulted her when she was 10 inside a Detroit home. 

The warrant was submitted in September 2021 and Conway was charged on Feb. 1, 2022 but was not in custody until Monday, Feb. 28.

Superintendent Dr. Josha Talison released a statement to FOX 2 regarding Conway's arrest.

"The Ecorse School District has been made aware of the arrest of Assistant Principal Melven Conway. We are going to work collaboratively with all law enforcement agencies involved as this investigation continues. As always, the security of our students and staff is our number one priority," Talison wrote.

FOX 2 is working to learn more about Conway, including his background which includes an arrest in 2007 where he pleaded guilty to false imprisonment. Check back to this page for more information.

14 January 2020, Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel: A police car with the blue light on is on the verge of a demonstration in Kiel. Photo: Carsten Rehder/dpa (Photo by Carsten Rehder/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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Ecorse High School assistant principal arrested for sex crimes involving relative - FOX 2 Detroit
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Looking Back for Feb. 28: Ila Prickett is the new principal of Manistee Middle School - Manistee News Advocate

The Manistee Area Public Schools Board of Education selected Ila Prickett as the new principal of the Manistee Middle School beginning in the fall of the 2002-03 school year at Wednesday study session. Prickett is currently serving as principal at the Washington Kindergarten Center for several years.

Related content:

60 YEARS AGO

Drive total

The New March of Dimes drive in Manistee County neared the $8,000 mark today with additional contributions boosting the total to $7,934.89, it was reported by Treasurer Walter Zimmerman of the local chapter of the national foundation. 

St. Patrick’s event planned

Plans are now underway for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the Eagles Lodge, according to an announcement from President Harry Nowak, who has named Owen McAndrews and Harry McNary as co-chairmen to head up the committee in charge of arrangements. The social event will be in the form of a dinner-dance with serving of the traditional Irish dish of corned beef and cabbage to start at 7 p.m. Dancing to the music of the Bob Meyers Trio at 9 p.m. will follow dinner.

80 YEARS AGO

Manistee boys in Philippines

Because there has been no opportunity to receive news to the contrary, parents and relatives of at least three young Manistee residents who were stationed in the Philippine islands before the outbreak of the war with Japan believe they are still taking part in the epic battle against the invaders. The three Manistee County soldiers who are in the islands when war was declared are Robert Miller, Dennis Shea and Harlan Swanson. 

Welsh coal-mining village on screen

Carrying coals to Newcastle is the normal business in Hollywood. When 20th Century Fox came to make “How Green Was My Valley,” the film due Sunday at the Vogue Theatre which is based on Richard Llewellyn’s best-selling novel of a Welsh coal-mining village, Production Chief Darryl  Zanuck and Director John Ford looked around California for a place that looked like Wales. They found it only an hour’s ride from Hollywood. Showtimes for the feature will be 2:25 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:25 p.m.

Compiled by Mark Fedder at the Manistee County Historical Museum

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Looking Back for Feb. 28: Ila Prickett is the new principal of Manistee Middle School - Manistee News Advocate
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High school principal slammed for suggesting students need 'better breeding' to improve their grades - Daily Mail

High school principal sparks outrage for claiming 'better breeding' is needed to improve student grades

• Former relief principal suggested 'better breeding' needed to improve grades
• Staff member worked at Lithgow High School in the NSW Central Tablelands
• One Nation MP Mark Latham slammed 'slur' as 'nasty, elitist and condescending' 

By Olivia Day For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 14:27 GMT, 27 February 2022 | Updated: 14:59 GMT, 27 February 2022

A former high school principal has been slammed for suggesting 'better breeding' is required in order to improve students' grades at a NSW public school. 

The acting principal at Lithgow High School had been in a meeting with the director of educational leadership in September 2020 when they made the accusation. 

They were asked by the director: 'What will it take to move students from Band 4 to Band 5 in each HSC course?' to which they replied 'better breeding'. 

Their contentious response, which was recorded in the minutes of the meeting, has been unearthed by One Nation MP Mark Latham, the Daily Telegraph reports. 

The former relief principal was asked by the director: 'What will it take to move students from Band 4 to Band 5 in each HSC course?' to which they replied 'better breeding' (pictured)

One Nation MP Mark Latham (pictured) condemned the 'slur' as 'nasty, elitist and condescending' to the people of Lithgow as well as the students enrolled at the school

Mr Latham condemned the 'slur' as 'nasty, elitist and condescending' to the people of Lithgow as well as the students enrolled at the school.

The MP stumbled upon the comment when reviewing documents about a School Excellence Policy, following a parliamentary call for papers.

Mr Latham said the 'nasty' slur was the last thing the Lithgow community needed as it entered an economic transition following a loss of jobs in the mining sector. 

'Is this really how schools in Lithgow are being run? With elitist, condescending, nasty reflections on the breeding of this working class community? he said.

'These are leaders who are supposed to have effective ways of improving school results – yet instead they are sneering at the school community by saying there's something wrong with their breeding.'

 Lithgow High School (pictured) is located in the NSW Central Tablelands, about a three hour drive west from Sydney, and has close to 900 students enrolled

The Department of Education has responded to concerns by launching a formal investigation into the comments. 

Underneath the initial response of 'better breeding' the relieving principal goes on to suggest grades could be improved by choosing the correct maths course. 

'We have the small numbers to allow students to push themselves to achieve mathematically in a higher course,' they wrote. 

'This means we achieve bands 3 and 4 in Advanced courses rather than bands 5 in the Standard course. This gives our students more scope to access university courses.'

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said she was 'shocked' that such a statement had come from a staff member. 

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell (pictured) said she was 'shocked' that such a statement had come from a staff member

While it is unclear who made the 'elitist' remark the department of education has stated it came from a former relieving principal at the school. 

'The Department unreservedly apologises for the comment, which was inappropriate and doesn't reflect the standards we expect of our principals,' a spokesperson said. 

'The comment was made by the then relieving principal, who is no longer in the role or teaching at any school.

'The matter was immediately addressed by the local director. It has been referred to the department's Professional and Ethical Standards Unit.'

Lithgow High School is located in the NSW Central Tablelands, about a three hour drive west from Sydney, and has close to 900 students enrolled.  

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After lengthy inquiry, former principal of Hawaii School for Deaf and Blind to be reinstated - Hawaii News Now

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The former principal of the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind is getting his job back.

In 2019, the state Department of Education complex superintendent recommended that Angel Ramos, who was principal at the time, be demoted. The department brought in a temporarily assigned principal and transferred Ramos to another campus.

At that time, DOE said they would not talk about personnel matters.

But a state arbitrator has now said he must be reinstated.

Ramos says he’s thrilled to be returning to the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind. He said it’s the start to a new beginning and is ready to rebuild the school again.

“To be honest with you, three years has been tough ... but I’m happy it’s over,” said Ramos.

Ramos is looking forward to seeing his students and teachers again.

“I missed everything about the school,” said Ramos, who is deaf and fluent in ASL.

Students and staff say the school regressed after he left.

“When Dr. Ramos left, of course, all the students were sad,” said HSDB student Eva Silva-Ewan. “You know, our mental health went down. We weren’t happy as we used to be, sometimes people were missing classes.”

And now they’re looking forward to seeing him around campus again following a state arbitrator’s orders.

“He’s very encouraging to students,” said HSDB student Dane Silva-Ewan. “He encourages them to do well and do their best in school.”

“I am very happy, I am excited that he will come back to where we left off, we may have to play a little bit of catch up,” said former Vice Principal of Steve Laracuente. “Because it looks like this school has stopped a few programs.”

Moving forward, Ramos and his former colleagues want to establish their own board of directors with majority of them deaf.

“People who are experts in deaf education, representatives from the deaf community, perhaps even students who can give feedback to the school on how they can improve.”

“We must get away from DOE management, make us independent,” said Ramos. “Let us run the school, we know what’s best for deaf students.”

A spokeswoman from DOE released the following statement:

“The Department is in receipt of the arbitrator’s report and is reviewing and discussing next steps. We cannot discuss further details of this personnel matter at this time.”

Copyright 2022 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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New York City Ballet Promotes Three Men to Principal Dancers - The New York Times

Harrison Ball, Jovani Furlan and Peter Walker were elevated to replace a trio of retiring — or soon to retire — dancers.

New York City Ballet announced on Saturday that it was promoting three dancers to the role of principal, replenishing its roster of male dancers after a series of retirements.

Harrison Ball, Jovani Furlan and Peter Walker were elevated from soloists to principal dancers, the company said in a news release. The promotions come as the company concludes its winter season, which was delayed because of disruptions caused by the spread of the Omicron variant, but then proceeded uninterrupted.

The City Ballet veteran principal Ask la Cour retired in the fall; and another, Gonzalo Garcia, retires on Sunday. Amar Ramasar, who was temporarily fired and then reinstated after a nude photo-sharing scandal, will leave in the spring. Last year, Unity Phelan and Indiana Woodward were promoted; four female principals have recently left the company.

Furlan, who joined the company in 2019 as a soloist from Miami City Ballet, said he was informed of the promotion on Saturday, but he had had a sense it might be coming because he had recently been partnered with some of the top principal dancers at the company, including Tiler Peck and Sterling Hyltin.

“It gives me peace with my position at the company where I can truly just focus on the work,” Furlan said.

Furlan, 28, was born in Brazil and started training at 11 years old at the Bolshoi Theater School there. After competing in an international ballet competition in Mississippi, he received a scholarship to train at the Miami City Ballet School and soon joined the company. He was promoted to principal there in 2017.

Soon after Furlan joined City Ballet, the New York Times dance critic Gia Kourlas wrote of his “Swan Lake” performance that he was “noble, fluid and musically sensitive” in his dancing and that he “proves his worth with each new role.”

Soon after he performed in “Swan Lake,” the pandemic bore down on New York City and because of a visa issue, Furlan had to move back to Brazil, returning 14 months later and rushing to get vaccinated before starting rehearsals again (vaccines were far less accessible in his home country).

“It was a very tough year,” he said.

Walker, 29, is one of the few City Ballet dancers to have choreographed works for the company. Growing up in Fort Myers, Fla., Walker started tap dance training at 8 and then moved on to ballet. He started as a full-time student at the School of American Ballet, City Ballet’s academy, in 2007 and joined the company in 2012.

Walker’s first work for City Ballet, “ten in seven,” debuted in 2016; he followed it with another ballet, “dance odyssey,” two years later.

Ball, 28, rose up in the ranks of City Ballet at the same tempo as Walker. Born in Houston, he began his dance training at 4 in South Carolina, moving to New York City in 2007. Ball joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2012 before he was elevated to soloist in 2017. The Times’s Alastair Macaulay described Ball as “elegant and notably buoyant” in “Symphony in C.”

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Professional allegations withdrawn against fired local school vice-principal - West Lorne Chronicle

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Allegations of professional misconduct have been withdrawn against a former St. Thomas vice-principal who was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a female student.

Article content

The misconduct charge against Michael George Dennis was withdrawn Thursday following a closed hearing to determine if he’s fit to work in education, according to Ontario’s regulatory body for teachers.

“Fitness-to-practise hearings relate to a member’s incapacity and the panel is referred to sensitive medical information involving members,” Ontario College of Teachers spokesperson Gabrielle Barkany wrote in an emailed statement.

A second Dennis hearing also held Thursday was a brief session before the college’s discipline committee to withdraw allegations, she said.

“In light of the fitness (to practise) outcome, there was no reason to hear the related discipline allegations,” Barkany said.

The decisions were not posted or published, but Barkany said a notation will be posted eventually that will “provide as much information as we can in order to inform the public of the outcome without sharing more sensitive medical information than is necessary to protect the public interest.”

Dennis was terminated by the Thames Valley District school board in August 2017, according to a college hearing notice.

A hearing was originally scheduled for the fall of 2019.

Dennis was alleged to have had a relationship with a female student during the 2014-15 school year that included inappropriate communication of sexual or adult content and inappropriate physical contact. It was also alleged that he removed the student from school property without parental permission and gave the student money and gifts.

Per the Ontario College of Teachers registry, Dennis was first certified to work in Ontario schools in 1994. He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Guelph and from teachers college at what was then the University of Western Ontario.

His teaching licence is listed as “inactive/non-practising.”

hrivers@postmedia.com

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DHS is looking for a new principal - WDHN

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DHS is looking for a new principal  WDHN
DHS is looking for a new principal - WDHN
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Is there a new principal at your kid's school? Catholic board sees new principal transfers and appointments - ThePeterboroughExaminer.com

There are few different faces leading area Catholic schools.

During its regular board meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 22), Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board trustees approved a number of vice-principal appointments and transfers presented by superintendent of human resource services Stephen O’Sullivan.

The appointments and transfers are effective immediately and include:

•. Krista McEwen — appointed vice-principal at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough. McEwen was previously a teacher at Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough

• Heather Michel — appointed vice-principal at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School in Newcastle. Michel was previously working as a learning consultant at the Catholic Education Centre in Peterborough.

• Sherri Slade-Brady — transferred to the vice-principal post at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg. Slade-Brady was previously the vice-principal at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School in Newcastle.

As well, Karen Procyk will serve as acting principal at St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough until June 30.

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Please Let Abbott Elementary's Principal Ava Stay Terrible - Vulture

Photo: Gilles Mingasson/ABC

There is a moment in the pilot episode of Abbott Elementary, Quinta Brunson’s warmhearted half-hour mockumentary comedy about the teachers and students of a Philadelphia public school, that illuminates the genius of Janelle James’s portrayal of the self-obsessed principal Ava Coleman. Willard R. Abbott Public School is aging and underfunded, with threadbare rugs and flickering lights, and the documentary crew Ava has invited in is primarily there to document the school’s struggles. But you wouldn’t guess that from Ava’s treatment of the camera as a chronicler of her fabulousness.

In between throwing a smile at the camera after saying, “Aides cost money, and we don’t have that,” and revealing that she used $3,000 from the school system to make a gigantic sign of herself, Ava thanks longtime teacher Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) for her resignation to Coleman’s uselessness — which the principal misreads as support. The breezy way James delivers “So understanding!”, the cocky hand-on-her-hip pose, and her deliberate stroll away from another teacher begging for help come together to make Ava Coleman one of the most entertaining TV villains in recent memory. In a show that is primarily about selflessness, Ava’s ability to twist any situation into one that serves her self-interest is the hard edge that has made Abbott Elementary such a delight to watch each week. And after nine episodes of James’s scene-stealing performance, including this week’s Ava-spotlighting episode “Step Class,” I deliver a plea: Let principal Coleman stay terrible!

Since its premiere on ABC on December 7, Abbott Elementary has steadily amassed a devoted following thanks to the precision of Brunson’s vision, the dimensionality of the series’s ensemble, and the amusing way these characters tackle the challenges public schools have faced for years. Mockumentary comedies like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family amassed audiences and awards over time, but it’s arguable whether any of those series was as confident in its first season as Abbott Elementary. Within the pilot episode, the series efficiently establishes the school’s old and new guards, including longtime Abbott teachers Barbara and Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) as part of the former, and new-to-the-field Janine Teagues (Brunson) and substitute Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), Janine’s will-they-or-won’t-they love interest, in the latter. And standing on the outside of both groups, smirking at their antics and daydreaming about how to wield her power over them, is Ava.

Abbott Elementary is clear from the beginning that Ava is “bad at her job,” as Melissa exasperatedly says during a talking-head interview, and “just the latest in a long line of people who do absolutely nothing,” according to Barbara, and the principal’s ineptitude serves two functions. Broadly, any realistic depiction of an American workplace needs a bad boss, and specifically, positioning Ava as an id-like figure causing mayhem at Abbott also avoids any possibility of mistaking the school’s students as the teachers’ burdens, irritations, or enemies. The long-running hardships faced by the faculty and staff come from bureaucratic and systemic failures outside of their control, and the series is realistic in its quiet observations that much of this, from outdated textbooks to produce-lacking school meals, is unfixable from the bottom up. But the day-to-day chaos manifested by Ava’s immaturity and spontaneity? That’s easier for the teachers to solve, and Abbott Elementary’s episodic format allows James to charm as an ever-flowing fountain of mayhem while the other characters get sketched out through how they grapple with her actions.

If you watched James’s episode of The Standups on Netflix, you’re aware of her talents: the ease with which she can jump from coy flirtation to brusque observations (after batting her eyelashes at the portraits of “white Jesus” that decorated her grandmother’s house, “What a fucked-up religion. Why was Jesus so fine? What was the point of that?”); the liveliness of her physicality (her wide-eyed, loose-limbed recreation of an unnerving altercation with an Uber driver that ended with James “farting for my life in the back” of the car). On Abbott Elementary, Ava is the constant villain of myriad B stories, and James’s performance, as exuberant as it is impish, teases out her standup strengths.

Is there an episode of Abbott Elementary that doesn’t involve some kind of impetuous pettiness from Ava? There is not. The character is designed to play to the cameras, and James is excellent at selling fourth-wall-breaking cutaways as uncontrollable moments of ego: her dead-eyed stare when she asks Janine, “Can you twerk? You don’t look like you can, but I could be wrong”; the snarling way she rejects Janine’s wish of a nice day with “Don’t tell me what kind of day to have. Getting all presumptuous and rude.” James’s line deliveries are always punchy, whether Ava is exasperatedly admitting that of course she plans to sell school equipment for personal gain, realizing that one of the students in the school’s gifted program is aware of how little she works (“We shutting this down. He’s getting too smart!”), or excitedly referencing pop culture in which no one else expresses interest. A running list of things Ava likes: Train to Busan, X-Men, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, The Fast and the Furious franchise, and Pixar movies; this woman, whose video-editing skills are so good that she is convinced people will one day have to differentiate between herself and the other Ava (DuVernay), has taste!

Ava’s variable slyness and jauntiness, coupled with the character’s physical reactions, make her an absurdist counterbalance to the series’s more somber depictions of our overwhelmed public school system. Her mini-arc in the eighth episode “Work Family,” in which she goes from laughing into collapse when she learns about Janine’s boyfriend since eighth grade (“Somebody get me a chair … So he broke? Somebody get me a fresh chair!”) to later acknowledging that Tariq (Zack Fox) “got bars,” is a real journey. And while the side-eye the principal recurrently throws at Janine evokes another classic mockumentary moment — Lucille Bluth’s door-closing on her son Gob, which has experienced its own long social-media life in GIF form — Ava has become a highly memed character in her own right. If getting called into the principal’s office at school is such a bad thing, why does hanging out with Ava seem so fun?

All of that serves as a buildup to “Step Class,” in which Ava finally steps into the A story by volunteering to lead Abbott’s newly formed step club alongside Janine. Ava’s involvement in an optional activity is an unexpected development that both seems to go against her personality (James’s disgusted “I hate school” is a series-best line delivery) and shocks Barbara and Melissa, who have seen Ava pull a George Costanza and push kids out of the way during fire drills. But in a smart move, Abbott Elementary doesn’t soften Ava past recognition. Yes, she easily teaches the student steppers a complicated routine, is revealed to be taking care of her ill grandmother, and tells Janine she appreciates her support of the club, but she also calls Janine “dorky,” refuses her apology for seeming self-serving, and shoves the teacher aside instead of returning a hug. “Step Class” made Ava a person, but refreshingly, it didn’t make her a hero. Abbott Elementary already has enough of those.

To transform Ava into someone who genuinely believes the “children are our future” line from Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love Of All” instead of semi-ironically singing it for the cameras would be a misunderstanding of what makes the character so appealing in the first place. In a series where everyone else is trying to do the right thing, Ava’s single-mindedness in prioritizing herself is a luxury, and James’s performance is a comedic boon. Without Ava as an acerbic anchor, Abbott Elementary’s sincerity could turn into, as the character herself scoffs against, the treacle of a “very special episode” — a narrative turn that isn’t so unusual for mockumentary comedies. After Steve Carell announced his exit from The Office, the series gave its characters collective amnesia and tried to rebrand Michael Scott as a beloved mentor, not someone who terrorized and abused everyone under his thumb. In its fan-service-inundated final season, Parks and Recreation committed itself to fully sanding off Ron Swanson’s prickly edges and flattening the eccentric April Ludgate into a domesticated mom.

But both approaches made the mistake of confusing niceness for worthiness, as if we should have felt bad for being amused by Michael, Ron, or April when they were acting their worst. Here’s hoping Abbott Elementary will continue to sidestep that conflation when it comes to Ava and keep in mind what “Black Bobby Fischer” Malcolm (Jayce B. Johnson) says in the final moments of Abbott Elementary’s sixth episode, “Gifted Program”: “I like Principal Coleman. She’s like a big kid. She’s silly, and she doesn’t have a job.” In her abandon and authenticity, Ava Coleman is living the dream. Let her stay that way.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors - MarketWatch

Brussels Philharmonic Names New Principal Guest Conductor - The Violin Channel

(Photo Credit: Astrid Ackermann)

The 45-year-old conductor Ilan Volkov has been engaged as a new music specialist with the Brussels Philharmonic and will focus on expanding the scope of the orchestra's contemporary repertoire.

Volkov found early success, becoming the Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the age of 19. Since that time, he has worked with a wide range of different groups, notably the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, where he was the Principal Conductor between 2003 and 2009.

Alongside his orchestral conducting, Volkov has done a great deal of work in the contemporary music space. He is the founder of the Tectonics Festival, which has been running since 2008 and also co-founded the I&I Foundation alongside violinist Ilya Gringolts.

Volkov's appointment comes as part of a great deal of turnover for the Brussels Philharmonic. Kazushi Ono was recently named as the orchestra's new Music Director, and ten new players have also been engaged for the coming season.

"I am thrilled to embark on this adventure with Brussels Philharmonic," Volkov said. "During the several projects that I was able to work on with the orchestra last year, I felt the openness and appetite to discover new musical ground."

"The level of the orchestra and the individual musicians is so high that as Principal Guest Conductor I will have all the ingredients necessary to explore new horizons," he added. "Together we will build a laboratory – a dynamic hub for the development and performance of new music.”

"Ilan's energy and curiosity are fully in keeping with the orchestra's DNA: the dual role of performer and researcher fits him like a glove," said Brussels Philharmonic General Manager Gunther Broucke. "Besides conducting concerts, he will launch new collaborations with a wide variety of artists and will explore the boundaries of the orchestral machine."

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Longtime Olds high school principal retiring - MountainviewToday.ca - Mountain View Today

OLDS — École Olds High School (ÉOHS) principal Tom Christensen is retiring after a 38-year career at the school. Twenty-two of those years were spent as its principal. 

His retirement will take effect on June 30.  

He will be replaced by Meaghan Riest beginning in the 2021-22 school year. 

Riest, a graduate of ÉOHS, has had a lengthy career in the Chinook’s Edge School Division, this year as acting principal of École Deer Meadow School . 

Before that, she served as vice-principal at ÉDMS and at Bowden Grandview School.  

Christensen announced his decision to retire in a message sent out on Feb. 17. 

“I have been a part of this school for 38 of my 61 years and feel so honoured to have worked with the students and families of Olds,” he wrote.  

“This community has accepted my wife and I as a young couple, helped raise my three girls from birth, stood by us as we mourned and struggled, and taught us what it means when we say the word ‘community.’    

“I have had the privilege of teaching over 4,000 students in my time at ÉOHS and have learned so much from each of them.   

“I have been humbled at the trust given to me over the past 22 years that I have served as the principal of ÉOHS and have appreciated the growth that we have done together. The colleagues that I have worked with will forever be an inspiration in my life as I have seen their selfless love for the students in their care."

In an interview with the Albertan, Christensen said he considers his work to help create the CLC "and what it has meant to the community" as a major highlight of his career.

He and his wife plan to settle in Edmonton because all of their children and grandchildren are in that area.

École Olds High School will be in good hands with Riest at the helm, Christensen indicated. 

He noted that Riest, who served as a student leader at ÉOHS, has always had the school close to her heart. 

After obtaining an Education degree from the University of Lethbridge, Riest taught in Cremona and joined the ÉOHS staff in the fall of 2007.    

“She quickly established herself as a master English teacher and leader for staff and students,” Christensen wrote.  

“Meaghan was a part of our planning, building and transition to the CLC (Community Learning Campus) and understands the culture and foundation of what makes ÉOHS the amazing place it is.” 

Riest and her husband Jared have enjoyed raising a family in Olds. 

Christensen said she’s excited to “come back home to her high school roots.”   

“Having known Meaghan as a student, friend, colleague, and mentor, I am excited for the future of ÉOHS,” he said.   

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‘I know how good Alpine can become’ says new Team Principal Szafnauer, after launching 2022 challenger - Formula 1 RSS UK

Newly-installed Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer has vowed to bring success to the Enstone/Viry-based outfit, after he helped launch the team’s A522 challenger for the 2022 season.

Having departed Aston Martin in January, it was announced last week that Szafnauer would take over the role of Team Principal at Alpine, with the outfit having undergone a restructure over the winter that saw the departure of Executive Director Marcin Budkowski and four-time F1 champion and Non-Executive Director Alain Prost.

READ MORE: Szafnauer named Alpine Team Principal as Rossi confirms new structure

And with Szafnauer having revealed the new A522 at an event in Paris, he spoke of his pride at being asked to head up the Alpine team, with whom he’s frequently sparred in the midfield over the years.

“I’m exceptionally proud to be joining BWT Alpine F1 Team as Team Principal,” said Szafnauer. “I’m very grateful to Laurent [Rossi, Alpine Chief Executive Officer] for the trust to lead this team in my role and I’m looking forward to beginning this new journey.

“I know a lot about the team as they were fierce competitors from my previous roles. I know just how good this team is, and, indeed, how good it can become. The personnel on board, and both drivers, are so strong and I’m excited to get down to business.

READ MORE: Alpine unveil blue and pink 2022 challenger, the A522

“We have to be passionate about what we do, whatever the task,” added Szafnauer. “A high-performing team’s key to success has, and always will be, teamwork. We’ll control what we are able to control, we’ll enjoy our journey, and we’ll enjoy the racing because that is what we’re here to do. As a team, we’re all racers and that is why we enjoy our work in Formula 1. With this passion and teamwork, I know success will come.”

Szafnauer’s new role will see him team up once more with 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner Esteban Ocon, who drove for him previously at Force India and Racing Point in 2017 and 2018 – with Szafnauer keen to be reunited with the Frenchman, while also looking forward to working with two-time champion Fernando Alonso.

ANALYSIS: How Rossi aims to make Alpine world title contenders

“I know Esteban very well from his two seasons at Force India,” said Szafnauer. “Back then, he was young, raw, hugely talented and very quick on-track. In fact, not much has changed since. His talent is clear to see, and I was very happy and proud to see him claim his first Grand Prix win last season. It’s great to team up with Esteban again as I have a good relationship with him already.

“Everyone knows Fernando’s exceptional qualities. His experience is invaluable, and I thoroughly believe the team’s line-up is amongst the strongest on the grid. It’s going to be enjoyable to work with a motorsport legend in Fernando and to reunite with Esteban.”

Alpine reveal: 2021 vs. 2022

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‘I know how good Alpine can become’ says new Team Principal Szafnauer, after launching 2022 challenger - Formula 1 RSS UK
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Two Ellis Tech principals were placed on leave this month. Here's what we know. - Norwich Bulletin

Principal Financial Group ® Announces New Compliance and Investor Relations Leadership - Stockhouse

Principal Financial Group® today announced two new leadership hires within compliance and investor relations.

Noreen Fierro joins Principal as senior vice president, chief compliance officer, effective February 21, overseeing all regulatory compliance operations for the global company. Fierro previously served as chief ethics and compliance officer at Guardian Life (2016-2021), where she was co-executive sponsor of Guardian’s Women’s Leadership Network and was an advisory member of their enterprise Inclusion and Diversity Council. Prior to Guardian, she held a number of different compliance leadership roles at Prudential (2006-2016), including chief compliance officer for both retirement solutions and group benefits. Most recently, she served as chief compliance officer for BetMGM. Fierro joins the company following the decision of Betsy Happe to retire effective March 31.

“In addition to being a strong cultural fit, Noreen brings extensive compliance leadership experience and a collaborative approach to her role,” said Chris Littlefield, executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary. “I am pleased to welcome her to Principal and want to thank Betsy for her leadership and contributions to our company’s success over her 23-year career with Principal.”

Humphrey Lee has been named vice president, head of investor relations for Principal, effective February 28. In this capacity, Lee will be responsible for guiding the company’s investor relations strategy, providing analysts, investors, and rating agencies updated information and insight into the strategic direction of the company through quarterly earnings calls and regular updates. Lee comes to Principal from Dowling & Partners (2014-2022) where he served as partner and head of life insurance and retirement services research. In this role he served as the lead analyst on 15 U.S. and Canadian life insurance and retirement companies. He brings experience to the role including valuation, financial modeling and assessments of key industry data and trends, as well as advising and supporting institutional investors. Lee takes on the position from John Egan, who was recently named vice president and chief financial officer for Principal International.

“Humphrey comes to Principal with a seasoned understanding of our business and the industry,” said Deanna Strable, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Principal. “Humphrey’s insights and expertise will provide value to all our stakeholders, and I am happy to welcome him to Principal.”

About Principal Financial Group®

Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 18,500 employees1 passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping more than 51 million customers1 plan, insure, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, improve our planet, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal® is proud to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies2, a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a Top 10 “Best Places to Work in Money Management3.” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to sustainability, inclusion, and purpose at principal.com.

1 As of September 30, 2021
2 Ethisphere Institute, 2021
3 Pensions & Investments, 2020

Principal, Principal and symbol design and Principal Financial Group are trademarks and service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220221005069/en/

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Waco ISD principal collaborates for new book on Black principals' experiences - Waco Tribune-Herald

G.W. Carver and Indian Spring Middle School Principal Isaac Carrier shares the experiences of Black school principals in the new book “Fighting the Good Fight: Narratives of the African American Principalship,” which he co-edited with Aaron Griffen.

Rod Aydelotte, Tribune-Herald

Carl Hoover

G.W. Carver and Indian Spring Middle School Principal Isaac Carrier co-edited the new book "Fighting the Good Fight: Narratives of the African American Principalship," but he probably could have provided a chapter or two from his 27-year career in education.

If the stories from the 35 participants in the book serve to inspire others to stay the course at a time when public education is under multiple stresses and attacks, it will have achieved what Carrier intended for it.

"We want our readers to pull from that, that 'fighting the good fight' is a whole bunch of individual fights. It's a matter of keeping your focus," he said. "We want it to be an inspiration and motivation to stay in the fight."

Carrier and Aaron Griffen, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Denver-based DSST Public Schools and a mentor, created the book over three years, asking Black principals from across the country to share their experiences.

The idea spun off of Carrier's 2017 doctoral dissertation at Texas A&M University, which looks at the experiences and leadership of Black male school superintendents. A common thread for many were their years as principals, and that led the two men to consider a book focusing on principals.

"It turned into much larger than we envisioned," Carrier said.

The COVID-19 pandemic compounded the challenge.

The importance of individual adults in changing students' lives is highlighted in many of the principals' lives and careers, something Carrier resonated with and which forms a major part of his philosophy as an educator.

A Beaumont native, Carrier was on his way to a degree in agricultural business at Stephen F. Austin State University and a possible job with Dupont Agricultural Products. His eighth grade agriculture teacher, who became a mentor, and his mother, a school secretary and superintendent's secretary, urged him to secure a teaching certificate as well. A job as a high school agriculture teacher resolved a last-minute complication to his graduation, and Carrier started what would be a long career in education in 1995.

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"I graduated on a Saturday morning and Monday morning I was in the classroom," he said.

Older teachers and administrators coached and supported him as a young teacher, steering him to a graduate degree that opened the door to life as a school administrator, first as a principal, then district superintendent. In his career, Carrier has worked as principal in the Aldine Independent School District, executive director of school leadership in the Dallas Independent School District and an assistant superintendent in the Spring Independent School District.

He came to Waco in July 2020 to head G.W. Carver Middle School, a Transformation Waco charter school within Waco ISD, after the death of its previous principal, Phillip Perry.

"I've loved it here in Waco," Carrier said. "It's not something I thought of doing, but working with kids is the joy of my life."

His time at Carver has had unexpected challenges. The pandemic has forced closures at the school. A fire in late July left the school campus unusable just as teachers were preparing for students to return for a new school year, and that led to the emergency merging of Carver students and faculty with those at Indian Spring Middle School and its building.

Beyond that are the stresses experienced by public schools across the country, including students in poverty and unstable home situations, overworked teachers, limited opportunities for advancement, tight budgets, lack of support from state and national legislatures and a public criticism for decisions made by school administrators and boards. Add to that the discrimination encountered by teachers and administrators of color and one sees why Carrier feels a book of shared experiences can help those caught in the middle.

"For a principal, on the campus level, the buck stops there," he said. "Both (principal and superintendent positions) are singular and both can be very lonely. You've got to shoulder all that."

Still, the realization that an adult educator can make a difference offsets the challenges.

"A lot of our kids move a lot and it's difficult to sustain and maintain relationships, but there's that desire to be that one teacher at some time that a student has such a strong connection to," Carrier said.

He said he searched out his kindergarten teacher and finally found her though some 40 years had passed since their time in a classroom.

"She remembered me as if it was yesterday and I told her, 'If it wasn't for you, I would not be where I am today,'" Carrier said. "I hope every educator hears something like that."

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Newton school buildings get new principals next year - Newton Daily News

Following the upcoming early retirements of two principals, the Newton Community School District is filling the open positions in-house and transferring current principals to new buildings by the 2022-2023 school year.

According to the district’s Feb. 14 human resources update, principal Jolene Comer will be transferred from Emerson Hough Elementary to Aurora Heights Elementary, replacing the retiring Jim Gilbert. WEST Academy Principal Tara Zehr will then be transferred to Comer’s position at Emerson Hough.

Bret Miller, director of teaching and learning, will be taking over as principal of Berg Middle School following the retirement of Lisa Sharp. Amy Shannon, assistant principal at the middle school, will be transferred over to Miller’s role. The only principal position left to fill is at WEST Academy.

In December 2021, Newton News reported 18 teachers with a combined total of 523 years experience with the Newton school district were accepted into the voluntary early retirement program. Gilbert and Sharp will be officially retired by June 10 and June 17, respectively.

Comer has been principal of Emerson Hough from 2008 to 2010 and from 2016 onward when the elementary reopened its doors following realignment. One of the things Comer is most proud of during her time at Emerson Hough is the positive relationships built among staff, students and families.

“I’m also extremely proud of our teachers and the work they’ve done in their collaborative teams,” Comer told Newton News. “They have worked incredibly hard to analyze their grade level standards, plan instruction, assess students, and then reteach and extend student learning.”

Teachers meet in their teams weekly to accomplish these tasks and engage in a data protocol for math and reading at least once per month, Comer added. As a result, faculty are seeing Emerson Hough students grow in their math and reading skills “due to the hard work of our teachers.”

Comer is looking forward to the move to Aurora Heights and getting to know the new students, families and staff.

“I’m proud to be a Newton Cardinal and want to see our district continue to grow and succeed together,” Comer said. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work in this amazing district and build relationships with the Aurora Heights community.”

Miller has worked as the director of teaching and learning for the past three years. In that time, he has been involved in classroom instruction, the curriculum and materials used and state and district assessments. He also oversees TAG and ELL programs.

Prior to this district administration role, Miller was principal of WEST Academy. Now that he’s making a return as a principal, he is looking forward to the direct interactions with students and teachers. He has been in classrooms more this past year in an effort to improve classroom observations for instructional growth.

“I’m really excited to do that more regularly and work more closely with all of the teachers,” Miller told Newton News. “The experiences I’ve had the last five years have given me a much broader perspective of education. I hope I can use them to be a more effective leader returning to the principal role at Berg.”

Zehr took over as principal of WEST Academy after Miller moved to director of teaching and learning. The best part of her job, she said, is interacting with staff and students. The structure of WEST Academy allows them to form strong relationships and become more like family.

“Just like any family, there are ups and downs, but we get through everything together and come out stronger,” Zehr said. “One of our missions was to improve the image of WEST Academy and its students in the eyes of the general public, and hopefully that positive growth will continue in the years to come.”

Zehr is looking forward to her next venture as principal of Emerson Hough. She, too, is excited to start making connections with the staff and building relationships with students and their families.

“I’m also looking forward to learning a lot and getting to work with people I haven’t had the chance to yet,” she said. “Not to mention recess and classroom parties and assemblies and concerts and all of the other fun elementary events!”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com

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Principal Deane hosts employee townhall ahead of Feb. 28 return to in-person campus operations - queensu.ca

Principal Patrick Deane hosted a townhall for faculty and staff to discuss the return to in-person classes on February 28, and the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on the university’s operations. The event, attended by over 600 employees from across the institution, covered array of topics, including employee health and wellness, student experience, remote work arrangements, and more. 

Principal Deane was joined by several senior administrators who spoke to their respective areas of leadership, including Mark Green, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic); Donna Janiec, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration); and Ann Tierney, Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs.

Sam Buttemer—Queen’s Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences and Public Health Advisor for the Faculty of Health Sciences—was also on hand to give an update on the state of COVID-19 in the Kingston region, the latest information about vaccines, and what to expect as the university moves gradually toward standard operations. 

You can watch a recording of the Principal’s Feb. 16 employee town hall in its entirety on YouTube. For the latest information on COVID-19 health and safety, and about changes to campus operations, visit the Safe Return to Campus website. 

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Assistant Santa Maria principal resigns after alleged sex at school - Cal Coast News

February 18, 2022

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Righetti High School Assistant Principal Gene Rickman submitted his resignation on Wednesday amid outcry from some parents over an alleged sexual encounter on campus with another male staffer.

A walk-on basketball coach and Rickman were having sex in an office when a pair of Righetti cheerleaders peered through a window and caught them, parents allege. The cheerleaders allegedly video recorded the men having sex and posted footage on Instagram. The Instagram video was reportedly taken down after being on the social media platform for a short time.

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District administrators responded by placing the two staffers on leave and launching an investigation.

Last week, parents protested outside the Santa Maria high school district board meeting, holding signs with statements like, “Public sex is not a private matter.”

Now, officials say Rickman has submitted his resignation, and the walk-on basketball coach is no longer an employee of the district. Rickman had been employed by the school district since July 2015.

The investigation into the alleged sexual encounter remains ongoing. District officials say they have notified the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing about the investigation.

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Wellmark® Selects Principal® as Workplace Retirement Plan Provider - Business Wire

DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal Financial Group^®, a global leader in retirement plan services and investment management, announced it has been selected by Wellmark as its retirement and income plan provider. Principal will help Wellmark to continue to provide its 1,800 employees in Iowa and South Dakota with tools and resources to focus on their financial health goals.

Wellmark names Principal^® its plan provider at an important time in the health insurer’s 80+ year history as its employees continue to navigate through the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wellmark conducted an extensive review of its employees’ retirement and financial wellness needs before selecting Principal. The relationship brings together two companies with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa coupled with strong legacies of providing best-in-class health and world-class financial security, respectively.

“Finding the right provider to deliver a key employee benefit is essential to attract and retain a talented workforce,” said Cory Harris, President and CEO of Wellmark. “We are excited to work with Principal, a company that shares our deep Iowa roots while bringing world-class expertise and service to our retirement offerings for current and future employees.”

Wellmark employees will benefit from Principal^® Total Retirement Solutions with the backing of a single, experienced provider to help them manage multiple retirement plans. Through its integrated offerings and services, Principal will provide defined contribution, defined benefit (including actuarial services), and nonqualified deferred compensation services customized to help improve retirement saving outcomes.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with this company that has done so much good for communities in the states of Iowa and South Dakota,” said Dan Houston, chairman, president, and CEO of Principal. “We look forward to helping Wellmark employees feel more secure in their retirement planning and overall financial well-being. Principal will be their provider as they continue to help as many people as possible in Iowa and South Dakota have access to premium health insurance and care.”

The retirement solutions offered to Wellmark employees will include:

• Retirement plan onboarding and management services proven to increase participation rates.
• Experienced retirement specialists to assist participants virtually and onsite.
• A premier investment program, including easy-to-use asset allocation tools.
• Educational webinars covering a variety of topics.
• A Retirement Wellness Planner and Retirement Wellness Score—providing a holistic look at every individual's retirement savings.
• An award-winning participant website and mobile app.¹

Recent Principal surveying of plan sponsors shows that employees view retirement plans as a top three workplace benefit, and over half of plan sponsors offer them to attract and retain employees.² Wellmark’s commitment to offering retirement and other quality benefits is an important step in recruiting, rewarding and retaining talent at a time when employee retention is at a premium.

About Wellmark

Wellmark, Inc. (Wellmark.com) does business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Wellmark and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, including Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota, Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc. and Wellmark Value Health Plan, Inc., insure or pay health benefit claims for more than 2 million members in Iowa and South Dakota. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota, Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc. and Wellmark Value Health Plan, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Principal Financial Group^®

Principal Financial Group^® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 18,000 employees^[1] passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping more than 49 million customers^[2] plan, insure, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, improve our planet, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal^® is proud to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies^[3], a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a Top 10 “Best Places to Work in Money Management^[4].” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to sustainability, inclusion, and purpose at principal.com.

^[1] As of September 30, 2021.
^[2] As of September 30, 2021.
^[3] Ethisphere Institute, 2021.
^[4] Pensions & Investments, 2020.

© 2022 Principal Financial Services, Inc.
Principal® , Principal Financial Group® , and Principal and the logomark design are registered trademarks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a Principal Financial Group company, in the United States and are trademarks and services marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., in various countries around the world.
Wellmark® is the registered mark of Wellmark, Inc. Blue Cross®, Blue Shield® and the Cross® and Shield® symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.
The Retirement Wellness Planner information and Retirement Wellness Score are limited only to the inputs and other financial assumptions and is not intended to be a financial plan or investment advice from any company of the Principal Financial Group® or plan sponsor. This calculator only provides education which may be helpful in making personal financial decisions. Responsibility for those decisions is assumed by the participant, not the plan sponsor and not by any member of Principal®. Individual results will vary. Participants should regularly review their savings progress and post-retirement needs. ​Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.​

---

¹ NMG Consulting, Retirement Services Intermediaries 14, April 2021. Results from retirement-plan focused financial professionals.
² Principal Retirement and Security Survey, Plan Sponsor Results, Q2, Q3, 2021.

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Alpine appoint ex Aston Martin boss Otmar Szafnauer as team principal - ESPN

11:34 AM ET

Former Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer has joined rivals Alpine as their new team boss as part of a wider restructuring of the French Formula One outfit's management, the Renault-owned manufacturer said on Thursday.

The Romanian-American, who left Aston Martin last month, will assume the role of team principal, which was shared by Marcin Budkowski and Davide Brivio last year.

Brivio, a former Suzuki MotoGP team boss, will move into a broader role, identifying and developing talent for Alpine's young driver academy and wider racing operations.

Budkowski left Alpine in January.

The Enstone-based team, whose drivers are Spanish double world champion Fernando Alonso and Frenchman Esteban Ocon, also announced the signing of Bruno Famin to lead their power unit operations headquartered at Viry-Chatillon near Paris.

Otmar Szafnauer is Alpine's new team principal. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Famin, most recently deputy secretary general of sport at governing body FIA, led Peugeot to three consecutive Dakar Rally victories as head of its sporting division from 2016-2018 and a Le Mans 24 Hours triumph in 2009 as technical head of its endurance programme.

Alpine said the management changes replace a shared-responsibility structure at the top with a more streamlined approach, which would "maximise its performance" in F1's new rules era.

"With Otmar and Bruno joining the team, we move to a new level for 2022," said Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi.

Szafnauer is a long-time Formula One insider, who previously worked with Honda before moving to the Vijay Mallya-owned Force India team, which was bought out of administration by billionaire Lawrence Stroll in 2018 and rebranded as Aston Martin last year.

Media speculation had linked him with a move to Alpine as far back as November last year, with the team's signing of Austrian water technology company BWT as title partners earlier this week only adding to it.

BWT previously sponsored Aston Martin, with the partnership going back to the team's Racing Point and Force India days.

"My attention is focused on preparing for the start of the season in Bahrain," said Szafnauer.

"As one of the three car manufacturers involved in Formula One, Alpine is fully armed to achieve its ambition, I can't wait to start the journey."

Alpine, winners with Ocon in Hungary last year, finished the 2021 season fifth in the overall standings.

The team, who are set to launch their 2022 car on Feb. 21 in Paris, beefed up their technical department earlier this month promoting F1 veteran Pat Fry to the role of chief technical officer and Matt Harman, formerly of Mercedes, to technical director.

The team's target is to fight for the championship within 100 races of the introduction of the sport's radical new rules this year.

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