minneapolis

The new North High School in Minneapolis doesn't have an entering class yet, but now it has a principal. She's Shawn Harris-Berry, who has been principal at the district's Whittier International Elementary School.

The district announced the appointment of Harris-Berry Friday. She's expected to start her duties later this month. The city's oldest high school is scheduled to enroll its first class under a revamped program this fall.

"She is an exceptional principal with an unwavering commitment to student achievement," Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson said.

Harris-Berry is in her fifth year as Whittier's principal. She's held assistant principal jobs at four schools, after joining the district in 1987 as a middle school business teacher. She'll be joined at North by Vernon Rowe, an assistant principal at Sanford Middle School, who will have the same job at North.

Current North Principal Peter Christensen, who came out of retirement last spring, will stay while North's existing program is phased out by 2015. Current Assistant Principal Carly Jarva will move to the same job at Edison.

North is being revamped in a new program with the Institute for Student Achievement, a consulting firm that specializes in school turnarounds. Student applications are due by Feb. 29 for the freshman class that will start next fall.

The school narrowly escaped closing in 2010 as enrollment dwindled, administrators turned over frequently and test scores ranked among the worst in the state. Instead, Johnson decided to hire the institute to revive the school.

The naming of Harris-Berry represents a milestone in North's transformation. The district quoted the 49-year-old city resident as saying her priorities are recruiting students, hiring qualified staff and working with parents and other partners. She couldn't be reached for comment. District spokeswoman Rachel Hicks said the district is working to identify an interim replacement at Whittier, and will work with the school on hiring a longer-term successor.

Meanwhile, the district is losing its current dean among principals for longevity at the same school. That's Steve DeLapp, who has spent his entire 20-year Minneapolis career at Clara Barton Open School. DeLapp, 64, is retiring at the end of the school year but said he'll spend some time helping his successor when that person is hired.

DeLapp himself is a product of the Minneapolis schools. He's a graduate of Washburn, one of two high schools where his father, Rollie, was a principal.

The irony in DeLapp's long tenure is that he didn't even get hired when he first applied for an open position in Minneapolis. But Barton parents and teachers heard of him after he'd been passed over for Marcy Elementary and coached him through the district hiring process.

Open schools employ a philosophy of education that emphasizes hands-on studies tailored to a student's learning style and interests. Minneapolis once had five such elementary schools, but it's now down to Barton and Marcy open schools, plus South's high school open program.

Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438