By Dan Murphy
Parents of students at Maria Regina High School, in Hartsdale, are confused and upset over the recent termination of popular Principal Rosemarie Decker. Decker, who worked at the school for 18 years, working her way up the ladder to Principal. was terminated June 30.
Parents found out through an email from the high school which reads, “The Board of Trustees writes to advise you that Rosemarie Decker will not be returning as Principal of Maria Regina for the 2020-2021 academic year and that her active service as Principal ends today. The Board thanks Mrs. Decker for her 18 years of service at our school, and wishes her the very best of everything in the future.
“The Board is committed to excellence in all things at Maria Regina. Our first priority has and always will be the academic sucsess, as well as the spiritual and physical well being of your daughters. We strive every day to make Maria Regina a stronghold in the educational community, and we constantly keep in mind our school’s motto of scholarship, service and spirit. With these goals in mind, we will immediately begin the search for a new Principal. Our President Anna Parra will communicate with you this summer to discuss plans for the next academic year, including the enhancement of our distance learning program and safely re-opening our school,” wrote the Board of Trustees at MRHS.
Parents were not satisified with the letter for several reasons. First and foremost, Principal Decker was a well respected educator, and through her years at the school, became one of the reasons that parents sent their daughters to the all girls High School.
“I completely trusted my daughter’s eduation and time at the school, in the hands of Rosemarie Decker. When the Coronavirus hit Westchester in March, we all began remote learning, and Principal Decker was part of that. There was no indication from her, or the school that she was going to leave,” said one parent, who wanted to remain anonymous because her daughter is preparing to return in the fall.
Students and parents held a rally outside the school for Decker, with signs that read, “Doing This for Decker.” The emotion and support at the rally for Decker is just one indication that students and parents will not accept the non-explanation of the adminstration for her departure, and some are calling for and demanding her return.
A petition, on Change.org, has received more than 2,000 signatures, in support of Decker. It reads, “As of Tuesday, June 30th, Mrs. Rosemarie Decker was fired from her position as Principal of Maria Regina High School. I, as a parent of an alumni and current student, do not agree with this decision. Mrs. Decker has been with the school for 18 years and has held just about every position at Maria. The role that she was most successful at was Principal. The definition of a Principal is as follows. The person with the highest authority or most important position in an organization, institution or group. Mrs. Decker is and was that person. She was always readily available for a call or a meeting. She was always seen in and out of the hallways. Engaged in everyone of her students emotionally, spiritually and educationally. Sporting events, she was front and center in the Tiger Zone. Mrs. Decker was always there to support her girls. She was not only our biggest cheerleader, she was our leader. Academically, spiritually and educationally, she was our leader.”
“Now, in the middle of a pandemic, our leader is no more. Our girls have had a rough couple of months and the uncertainty of the upcoming school year already has our girls nervous. The Board has decided with all that is going on now is the time to remove the most stable structure of our beloved Maria Regina. We need our leader now more than ever, we need our leader to navigate these troubled times, our girls need their Principal, Mrs. Rosemarie Decker. Please join me in signing this petition to have her reinstated as our leader and our Principal. Maria Regina pray for us!”
One thing we heard from parents again and again was that they would need an answer, or an explanation, as to why Decker was let go. “You can’t get rid of a principal who is this trusted and this beloved, without telling us what happened. Many of us will not accept this, either they tell us what happened, or bring her back, or else a lot of us will be looking for another school for our daughters to attend,” said another MRHS parent.
Maria Regina High School opened in 1959, and for the past 60 years, has been Westchester oldest Girls Catholic High School.
