HOUSTON – Frustrated Lantrip Elementary parents will gather Wednesday morning to protest the abrupt dismissal of their principal, calling for transparency and stability in Houston Independent School District.
The protest will be held outside the school on Nov. 20 from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m., demanding answers from Houston ISD regarding the sudden removal of Principal Valiza Castro.
This marks the second principal turnover at Lantrip this year and comes amidst broader concerns about leadership instability, with a reported 70% teacher turnover rate since June.
BACKGROUND: Mike Miles addresses Harvard Elementary staff changes, Houston ISD board meeting live on KPRC 2+
Parents describe Castro as an extraordinary leader whose removal after just three months has left the school community shaken.
“Her dedication has transformed our school. Removing her without explanation after just three months is unacceptable,” said Jannica Palmer, a Lantrip parent. “This takeover is harming our children and schools—we demand the superintendent be removed and local control be restored.”
HISD’s decision to place Castro on administrative leave follows a string of leadership changes across the district, sparking frustration among parents who are calling for increased transparency and stability.
“I have seen Principal Castro’s leadership firsthand, and there is no one I trust more to oversee my special needs child’s education and care,” said Leah Garabedian. “She has a rare gift—warmth and strength in equal measure. My son loves her and listens to her. I don’t know what to tell him when he asks where she is.”
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Here is the district’s official response regarding the leadership change at Lantrip Elementary:
Dear Lantrip Elementary School families, Principal Valiza Castro has been put on administrative leave effective today, November 18, 2024. Assistant Principal Valdez is leading the school’s operations today, and an interim principal will be assigned within the next few days. District Leadership will work alongside Lantrip families to build a principal profile to guide the hiring of a new permanent principal for the next academic year. We know this shift is abrupt and that parents will have questions and concerns. Ultimately, we believe this shift will best support your child’s learning and the workplace experience for Lantrip teachers and staff. This leadership change will NOT impact any programming at the school, including the Environmental Science magnet program. We are committed to finding an interim leader and then a permanent leader who will team a high-performing team, sustain a positive high-performance culture, and guide intentional high-quality learning for each child, each day by design, not by chance. We will send an update when the interim principal is named.
Some are also calling for the removal of HISD Superintendent Mike Miles and a return to local control over the district.
The protest is the latest expression of discontent with HISD leadership after recent controversies at other schools, including Harvard Elementary, where parents have voiced concerns over repeated principal changes and lack of communication.
Parents told KPRC 2′s Corley Peel that the school improved from a B-rating to an A-rating in the past year. They said Castro started her principal role two weeks before school started and prioritized students’ education. They also mentioned she has a 92% approval rating.
“Principal Castro was really enthusiastic, dedicated, put an absolutely overwhelming amount of work in to be resourceful, to find ways to keep the environment stable and enriching and keep our kids learning. And for her to be dismissed suddenly with no notice and no discussion and no community input, it really makes you worry about your future in the district and at the school,” Kelsey Gilmore-Innis said.
“Our community is pretty outraged. She has been just nothing but a go-getter since she was hired,” parent Lauren Zentz said.
“The number one fight today, right now here at this school is to keep our principal,” Vanessa Rodriguez said.
Lantrip is not the only HISD school with abrupt principal changes. HISD has previously mentioned that more than 100 principals were being re-evaluated earlier this year. Harvard elementary school named two new principals in the span of a week. Pershing Middle school also appointed a new principal while reassigning four of its assistant principals to other HISD Schools.
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Lantrip parents voiced their concerns about the district possibly incorporating its New Education System model into the school’s curriculum following the principal change. HISD said the leadership change will not impact programming at the school, including the Environmental Science magnet program.