BREA : New Principal Hired at Brea Olinda High
A new principal has been hired at Brea Olinda High School. The former principal, John Johnson, was removed from the post two months ago after failing to tell school district officials about widespread grade changes.
Kathy Beard, currently an assistant principal at Chaffey High School in Ontario, was selected Tuesday during a closed-session meeting of the Board of Education.
Beard, 46, of Upland said she hopes to “enhance the integrity and quality of education at Brea Olinda, build on its strengths and move forward beyond the publicity of the grade-changing issue.” Beard was among 24 candidates who applied for the position. She is scheduled to begin her new job this week after interim Principal John Seeland leaves.
Seeland, a retired Fullerton Joint Union High School District administrator, was hired in December to temporarily take over Johnson’s post while district officials searched for a permanent replacement.
According to a district investigation last summer, former counselors at the award-winning high school made about 600 alterations to student records over the past several years, changing letter grades to pass notations, switching course titles and giving students double credit for classes.
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