DEARBORN – In mid-August, no matter how hard they try to fight it, the thought of going back to school starts creeping into the backs of kids’ minds.

In Dearborn, many of them will see some new faces when they go back in September.

A major shift in principals and administrators throughout the district has taken place this summer in a domino effect that officials said was the result of a number of retirements and other vacancies.

Officials also said shifting administrators around gives them an opportunity to grow and gain experience in the district.

Radewin Awada

Radewin Awada, who was principal of DuVall Elementary School, has been moved to Oakman Elementary School, where he’ll replace Danene Charles, who has been named an assistant principal at Fordson High School.
DuVall parents tried holding onto Awada, pleading their case at a July school board meeting, but the decision stuck. Glenn Maleyko will be DuVall’s new principal. He was principal at Salina Intermediate.

School Board Vice President Aimee Blackburn said officials wanted to give Awada a new challenge after a strong year at Duvall. He’s headed to a larger school with more at-risk students and non-native English speakers at Oakman.

Parents did convince officials to scrap one move. Long Elementary Principal Veronica Jakubus and Snow Elementary Principal Kathleen Klee will both stay put, after pleas from parents. The two were initially ordered to switch positions.

Other changes were made at Bryant Middle School, where Assistant Principal Shannon Peterson was promoted to principal, and Salina Intermediate, where Majed Fadlallah has been moved up from assistant principal to principal.

Steven Saleh

Stout Middle School English teacher Steven Saleh has also moved up in the district, being placed as an assistant principal at Fordson High School.
Saleh completed an internship as an assistant principal at Fordson in 2008.

“He was very well liked at Stout and he did a great job as an intern,” said Blackburn about Saleh. “He’ll be an excellent addition there.”

Scott Casebolt, who was an assistant principal at Fordson High, will be the new principal at O.L. Smith

Heyam Alcodray, who was an assistant principal at Dearborn High School, will be principal of Henry Ford Early College.

Henry Ford Early College is a special five-year program where students simultaneously take high school and college curriculum, allowing students to earn both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree.

Early in the summer, officials appointed Charles Baughman to principal of Dearborn High School, and Norma Jean Sass as the district’s new associate superintendent of elementary education, special education and assessment, replacing Wageh Saad, who retired after 32 years with Dearborn Schools.

Sass previously worked in the Farmington School District. Baughman was an assistant principal at Edsel Ford.

Most recently, Chadi Farhat, a Fordson math teacher, was appointed an Edsel Ford High School assistant principal and Dearborn High teacher Mary Varady was named a new assistant principal at the school.