Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.
Suzanne Blake Principal of JF Kennedy HIgh School
*UPDATED
Suzanne Blake, whose three-years as principal at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills have been marked by one controversy after another, has moved from the school to a new position at a district educational center.
Teachers at the school said they learned of the change before graduation ceremonies last evening. They also said the new principal will be Richard Chavez, who is currently principal at Columbus Middle School in Canoga Park.
Blake, whose chose to leave her post, according to district officials, will become Lead Operations Coordinator at LA Unified’s Educational Service Center-North.
Shortly after arriving at Kennedy, Blake evoked outrage among some parents after she fired coaches of the school’s football, baseball and softball teams and ended several sports programs.
More recently, she brought back a teacher-librarian who is under investigation for reportedly mishandling and manipulating the record-keeping of ARC, an after school program.
Problems aside, during her tenure at Kennedy, the schools’ API scores improved 5 percent over three years, to 748 from 711.
She did not respond to a message seeking comment.
*The version reflects an assertion by LA Unified’s Communications Department that Blake “chose” to leave Kennedy.