A Principal Switch-Up: Principal Dr. Scott Sherman is leaving East after the 2021 school year to become the new Director of Secondary Services for SMSD

Current East Principal Dr. Scott Sherman was appointed by the SMSD Board of Education as the district’s new Director of Secondary Services on March 22. 

Sherman will leave his position as East Principal following the 2021 school year and will assume the new position beginning July 1, 2021. In his upcoming role, Sherman will oversee the administrative and organizational sides to the middle and high schools in the district. 

He has been involved in the district for many years in various roles, including as a teacher and counselor before taking on the role of principal at Indian Hills Middle School, and ultimately becoming the Shawnee Mission East principal.

An email was sent out to East parents and students on March 22 announcing Sherman’s new position, as well as expressing on Sherman’s behalf his gratitude for the East community. 

“I truly appreciate all the support in the seven years, both at Indian Hills and Shawnee Mission East, that I have received,” Sherman said in the email. “Shawnee Mission East is a special place with great students, staff and community.” 

After applications for the Director of Secondary Services position were posted on the district’s website, Sherman took notice and began a series of application procedures, leading up to being offered the job and getting approved by the board. Although sad about leaving East, he believes that the new position will suit his administrative skills on a large scale throughout the district.

“Having experience in middle and high school and being the individual that oversees all the middle schools and high schools, I have backgrounds in both areas,” Sherman said. 

According to SMSD’s Associate Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Michael Schumacher, the application process for the position was extensive, with at least two rounds of interviews conducted along with looking over multiple screenings and references of the applicant.

“That particular position serves not only high schools but middle schools, so someone who [had] experience with both of those levels [was] a plus,” Schumacher said. 

Since 2021 will be Sherman’s last year as principal, there is currently an opening for someone to fill East’s principal position. Similar to the process for hiring the Director of Secondary Services, there will be a posting for the job with a screening and interview process for the prospective candidates.

“Same basic process, but the people that will be involved are different for each job,” Schumacher said. “At the building level, we will, at some point in the process, engage in a teacher committee or maybe a counselor.”

Following the announcement of Sherman’s new position, some East students have voiced their opinions on who they would like to see assume the role for coming years. 

Senior Anabelle Merchant has been advocating for current Associate Principal Susan Leonard to receive the position of principal by asking students to write emails to the district in support of Leonard. Merchant has been reaching out to fellow students through social media and class group chats in an effort to get as many students as possible to support Leonard’s candidacy.

“Because she’s done so much support and advocating for [students], I think we should do the same,” Merchant said. “It would be really awesome if we got a lot of the East voices, kids, teachers, parents [to write letters].”

In doing this, Merchant hopes the letters sent to the district will send a positive message and system of support to the district for Leonard to be hired as East’s next principal, although it is not guaranteed due to the lengthy and unbiased hiring process.

As Sherman approaches his transition to the new position, he reflects on his time growing with the current student body at East. He feels his time moving through the years with the current senior class from their middle to high school years will serve as a lasting memory throughout his career.

“Getting to know the students so well, like the seniors I’ve known for five of the six years really — I just wasn’t here their freshmen year — so seeing how they were as seventh graders and where they are now as seniors and how much they’ve grown and matured has just been incredible,” Sherman said. “It’s really cool that I had that opportunity to see that and be around them.”