Hundreds of students, parents, and community members walked out of Eastwood Academy High School, voicing their displeasure over the abrupt removal of several key staff members. Their protest reverberated through the corridors of the highly-ranked institution, which houses approximately 400 students.
The core concern that galvanized the students and their supporters is the sudden departure of their principal, Dr. Ana Aguilar, vice principal, guidance counselor, and librarian.
Students and parents alike have expressed their deep concerns about the impact of these staff removals on the school’s academic and administrative capabilities.
For a school of Eastwood Academy’s stature, this challenges meeting the students’ academic and emotional needs. In a time when college applications and future planning are pivotal, the absence of their guidance counselor amplifies their worries about the college admissions process.
“My concern is not so much the HISD takeover changes… it’s the second time they’re going through a principal change, and among the chaos, the seniors are left high and dry,” said Annette Chavez, grandmother of an HISD student. “My granddaughter is a senior… she was more focused on the college readiness person. They left, and now the people who were helping her with the college applications and financial aid, none of those people are going to be around.”
The announcement of Aguilar’s removal was delivered via an automated phone call from HISD Central Division Superintendent Luz Martinez. In the message, Martinez stated the change was made to “ensure a high-quality education environment.” The district spokesman later issued a statement reiterating HISD’s unwavering commitment to student safety, but again failed to elaborate on the reasons for the removals or the nature of the investigation.
HISD’s statement did little to quell the growing unrest among students, parents, and community members. The statement asserted that the staff changes resulted from an investigation into incidents at the school but omitted any specifics regarding the nature of these incidents or the details of the investigation.
HISD officials said the district reassigned staff to cover the positions and will hire permanent staff.
Eastwood Academy High School parent Teresa Gonzales, however, isn’t confident in the individuals HISD chooses to replace the recently removed staff.
“Are these counselors capable of handling the almost hundred seniors and getting these recommendations [for early decision] out on time?” she asked. “Are they going to be personalized? This school is specialized and we need that.”
Sophomore Xavier Williams was just getting adjusted to the school and staff until he heard about the news. He felt the people who he “trusted” and made him feel at home were “ripped away” from him.
“We haven’t had much time to settle in,” he said. “A lot has changed and it’s way too fast. I hope we can at least get back to normal.”