Interim D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson last week appointed a temporary principal to Rose L. Hardy Middle School, which has been embroiled in a leadership controversy. Daniel Shea started the job Monday. But no one should think the majority of parents, students or faculty are satisfied. Two days before he took over the Georgetown school, several students appeared before the D.C. Council. They expressed concerns about the rapid decline of the school under Dana Nerenberg, who had replaced previous principal Patrick Pope. Students complained about changes in class schedules and the erosion of the school’s award-winning arts program. They also urged Chairman Kwame Brown to push for Pope’s reinstatement. But Brown asked students to give Shea time “to get Hardy back on track.” Who better to restore the school’s stellar reputation than Pope? He was pulled from Hardy last year by then-Chancellor Michelle Rhee. She said she wanted him to plan a citywide performing arts middle school. In reality, she was reacting to demands made by some parents at nearby elementary schools who wanted a more traditional and rigorous academic program.

Interestingly, under Pope, Hardy consistently met annual academic performance goals. Its faculty had received numerous awards. Last week, Henderson told me “Patrick Pope was a good principal who performed well.” But she said Shea is “best equipped to lead Hardy for the remainder of the school year.”