Durham's Hillside High gets new principal
Two months after Hillside High School Principal Earl Pappy resigned for unknown reasons, the school has hired a new leader.
Posted — UpdatedHans Lassiter has been named the new principal at Hillside, which has struggled with academics.
He comes to Durham Public Schools from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction where he served as a high school turnaround consultant for the past year.
“Hans Lassiter brings a rich tenure of experience in high school education and administration to his role as principal of Hillside High School,” said Superintendent Carl Harris. “Serving as both a principal at this level and as an evaluator of high school programs statewide have prepared him well for working with the Hillside High School teaching staff, students, parents and broader community as they strive for continued improvement.”
Pappy resigns, reason unknown
Pappy, the school's former principal, resigned in June. School officials declined to elaborate on the move, citing personnel privacy rules.
Pappy, 51, could not be reached for comment after the announcement.
The school system hired him in 2006 after he spent four years as a high school principal in Richmond, Va. He had improved student performance in Richmond, and Durham officials said they saw his no-nonsense, goal-oriented approach as the path to improving Hillside High.
A state judge has threatened for years to shut down the Durham school because of poor student performance.
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