All department heads at West Potomac High School must reapply for their jobs. At first glance, the number of jobs open for department heads seems excessively high. But there's a reason.
"No one is necessarily leaving the school but each department head must reapply for his or her job,” said Paul Regnier, the director of Community Relations for the Fairfax County Public School system. “Sometimes it's just time to make a change.”
Some thought perhaps that the change was because of West Potomac’s new principal, Henry Johnson.
“He has made some changes,” said one parent. “He appears to be a lot stricter both with students and teachers. That’s not a bad thing.”
The school is one of the most diverse in Fairfax County. As of September, 2001, 47 percent of the students at West Potomac were white, 25 percent were black, 16 percent were Hispanic, 9 percent were Asian/pacific islander, 1 percent was multiracial, .4 percent were American-Indian/Alaskan and .1 percent was undesignated. The school, which is located on Quander Road, is home to students from very high socioeconomic homes to those who receive free and reduced lunch. There are 1,941 pupils.
Principal Henry Johnson’s message on the web site is clear. “The school’s motto is Excellence is a Tradition. This year’s variation is Attitude, Achievement and Excellence.”