Anitra Jones will take over at Adams Elementary next school year, after being removed from Rainier View Elementary.
SEATTLE — Some Seattle Public Schools parents are upset about getting a new principal who was removed from another school.
A crowd of parents gathered at a school board meeting Wednesday evening to voice their concerns about Anitra Jones’ appointment at Adams Elementary School.
Earlier this month, Superintendent Benjamin Shuldiner announced Jones would replace Doug Sohn at Adams Elementary starting next school year.
That sparked backlash from parents who are familiar with Jones’ past. She was previously the principal at Rainier View Elementary School, where public records show she was accused of creating a “toxic” environment.
In 2024, Washington’s Public Employment Relations Commission found Jones retaliated against staff members for union activity. The district then transferred her to an administrative position.
At Wednesday’s school board meeting, parents said they are concerned about the teachers at Adams Elementary under her leadership.
“The relationship between parents and teachers we have at Adams is unusually tight-knit,” parent Mike Lynd said during public comment. “We simply cannot afford to lose these cherished teachers if our staff do not feel valued by their administrator or scared of retaliation.”
According to the Public Employment Relations Commission, the Seattle Education Association found that 77% of staff left Rainier View Elementary during the 2022-2023 school year while Jones was principal. Some parents referenced this during public comment to the school board.
“It is unclear why our community or any elementary school should have to withstand their principal after a documented history of discrimination and a toxic work environment that resulted in astounding staff turnover,” parent Christine Tryba said.
On Monday, Adams Elementary parents met with Jones at a separate meeting about her appointment, where they expressed similar concerns. Parents interrupted Jones multiple times during the meeting, including after she was asked if she would have done anything different in her previous role.
“Let’s take this opportunity to move forward just with Adams Elementary,” Jones said, before asking the crowd if she could finish answering the question. “I want to be that principal who works for this community.”
During Wednesday’s board meeting, Shuldiner criticized the outbursts at the earlier meeting, calling them “disappointing.”
“I appreciate that this is an important conversation, but I will say it is uneasy when I look at [Adams], when you look at the equity chairing, it was the seventh-richest school in the district,” Shuldiner said. “The people in the audience were, at least presented, almost as all white, and you had a Black principal saying these things and being interrupted.”
At Monday’s meeting, Shuldiner told parents that Jones’ appointment is part of contractual obligations for principals under state law. He also said no other candidates were formally evaluated for the job.
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
