Manager insists principal's resignation still stands

By AINSLEY THOMSON

The limited statutory manager appointed to help run Cambridge High School is adamant controversial principal Alison Annan has resigned.

In yet another twist to the ongoing saga at the troubled school, Mrs Annan now claims she is not sure if she has resigned.

On Friday it appeared certain that she had quit her job when she told staff she had resigned. Her resignation was announced shortly afterwards to a school assembly.

Mrs Annan also released a statement to the Waikato Times on Friday which said "today I have resigned".

But after the show of support from students on Monday, when they marched through the town to vent their anger at her treatment, Mrs Annan changed her mind.

She said she had no signed letters, no date of resignation and did not know if her resignation to the board had not gone through the proper process because on Friday the school's board was not her employer.

Her solicitors have written to the school's statutory managers.

However, limited statutory manager Dennis Finn, who is now in charge of employment at the school, said he had discussed Mrs Annan's resignation with those involved, including a PPTA representative who witnessed Friday's events and personnel adviser, and he was sure it was effective.

"In my opinion and based on the advice I have, Alison Annan resigned on Friday. I have clarified my position and I am satisfied that she resigned. She clearly stated it in front of a number of people. She met the staff and told them and it was announced at a student assembly."

Mr Finn said he had contacted Mrs Annan to say her resignation had been accepted.

Mrs Annan refused to talk to the Herald yesterday, despite earlier promises she would do so.

Her sister Linda Braun, a former Southland Girls High School principal with whom Mrs Annan has written a series of Principal's Guidebooks that included information on how expenses could be legitimately claimed, said Mrs Annan had said everything she wished to say.

Mrs Annan's legal position is unclear and experts the Herald spoke to were uncertain what she was trying to achieve by her latest move.

Yesterday Mrs Annan denied she was trying to engineer her dismissal.

Employment lawyer Andrew Scott-Howman, a partner at law firm Bell Gully, said if she argued the resignation was forced on her, it could lead to a case of constructive dismissal.

"That is where you say you had no reasonable alternative but to resign, that overwhelming pressure was placed on you. But normally an employee would say that they were bullied, that they had no other alternative."

Mrs Annan has made no such public assertion.

Mr Finn said the school is back to "business as usual", but it had several issues spread around curriculum and employment-related matters.

"I'm not in a position to say how bad these issues are yet," he said.

"But suffice to say they are of sufficient concern to warrant the intervention that has taken place."

The extent of the problems will not be known until a series of reports - from Dame Augusta Wallace, the Education Review Office and the Qualifications Authority - are received.

Mr Finn said Mrs Annan's husband, Ron, was still employed at the school as international student director, but had taken a week's leave.

He said assistant principal Martin Blackburn had not stood down from his position, but had expressed that he may wish to do so. He is currently on sick leave.

Mr Finn said he was optimistic the problems at Cambridge High School would be solved.