The changes have been subtle, but nevertheless troubling, Marrina Jacka and Morgan Johnson Quamina alleged this week, ever since the Ross School brought in Charlie Abelmann as its interim head-of-school.
In response to the change in administrators, Marrina and Morgan, co-presidents of the school's student body, led a walkout on Monday, during which 50 or so students streamed out of classroom buildings and walked around the campus, holding signs and chanting: "Hey hey, ho ho, this head of school has got to go!"
While Mr. Abelmann is still technically the interim head, as he has been since October, students said his appointment as its new top administrator seems imminent. He was to address the school's board of trustees, faculty, and parents on Tuesday night about his vision for Ross's future; his remarks were not available by press time. Morgan and Marrina were invited to the presentation.
"The issue isn't Ross. We love our school," Marrina said Monday evening, several hours after the walkout. "That's why we're protesting. We will fight for the school, but it's the interim head that's causing all the uproar."
"We feel that he's just not a good fit for this position at Ross," Morgan said. "It's a compatibility issue more than anything. There are some controversial issues surrounding him. We don't want to slander him — we just want to talk about how he is not the best fit for this community."
Mr. Abelmann arrived at Ross last October, coming from the Laboratory Schools at the University of Chicago after serving there as director for three years. The Laboratory Schools' faculty came together for a "no confidence" vote in February 2019, saying in an open letter that he "attempted to divide the community by damaging the relationships between families and faculty," and that his decisions "are poorly planned and cause disruption to the schools."
Ross retained a search firm to find the best candidate for the head-of-school position once its previous head, Bill O'Hearn, retired in December after 10 years in that role. In announcing Mr. Abelmann's interim appointment, the Ross School board pledged "broad community involvement" in selecting Mr. O'Hearn's permanent successor. Students have said they felt left out of that process.
Morgan and Marrina say they have received dozens of complaints from their peers via social media. In screenshots they shared with The Star, one student wrote that Mr. Abelmann "very clearly ignored me in a conversation." Another said that "though change can be good, everything he's done seems either frivolous or antagonistic." "Never stops to listen to anything students say — concerns are fully ignored," wrote another.
In a statement emailed to The Star on Monday, Mr. Abelmann described the students' walkout as a "peaceful and safe demonstration."
"While out of respect for those involved, we are unable to speak specifically to the matters at the core of the student concerns," he wrote, "we want to share how deeply we celebrate our students' voices and welcome their activism. We will continue to do all we can to listen, learn, and work together. And, as always, we stand ready to discuss with our parents, families, and students how we work to fulfill our mission in a way that is enriching, inclusive, positive, and safe."
On Saturday, Mr. Abelmann had written to parents and other members of the Ross community to say he'd learned of the students' walkout via Instagram. "While I understand that students may be seeking more information or clarity, there are some issues where it is not appropriate to consult with students in the decision-making process," he wrote.
He also addressed one of the students' specific concerns. "Yesterday the school added a staff member to one of our boarding homes, as it periodically does when helpful," he wrote. "I ask our community to demonstrate respect and support for one another and refrain from speculation or gossip."
The two student body presidents had an audience with a couple of board members after the walkout, describing their concerns.
"We felt listened to by the board," Morgan said, "and hope to see in their actions if this is true."
Marrina said students are planning more demonstrations. "We know that this situation can be resolved."