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Sacked Wakatipu High principal Lyn Cooper – who controversially returned to the job last month – took a holiday during her reinstatement.
Mountain Scene has been told by several sources that Cooper spent the past week in Australia during the final days of the school year, despite being back at school for just three weeks.
Cooper – who was told to leave in September after a series of damning reports and investigations into the school’s management – couldn’t be contacted for comment.
The man who fired her, Ministry of Education-appointed limited statutory manager Peter Macdonald, says he can’t talk: “I can’t confirm any comments in relation to Lyn, on legal advice.”
It’s understood Cooper’s resignation from the school is imminent. She’s been sharing the top job with stand-in principal Paul O’Connor since November 14. O’Connor reportedly told staff back then that she wouldn’t be returning next year. Cooper hasn’t commented on this.
Cooper was axed by Macdonald after she refused to accept his exit strategy as part of a school management overhaul and abruptly walked from the job. The axing came after a damning Education Review Office report critical of Cooper and senior management.
At the time, Macdonald said he was also guided by feedback from staff and the board who’d “voted overwhelmingly that they’d lost trust and confidence in their principal”.
Cooper later lodged an Employment Relations Authority claim over her dismissal.
The past few weeks have been a “circus” at school, one source says.
“Nobody knows anything because we’re not told anything. It’s like, who’s in charge today?”
Board member Greg Turner says he has huge sympathy for staff at the school.
“Unfortunately all we can do is assure them that the instant we’re officially informed of anything [by Macdonald]
we’ll communicate immediately.”
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