The principal of Toronto’s Africentric school has decided to leave

There are changes afoot at Africentric Alternative, Toronto’s controversial school-within-a-school geared toward black students. After several days of rumours and speculation, the Toronto District School Board has confirmed that the school’s principal since its inception, Thando Hyman, has requested a transfer to another post. The community is wondering whether she was pushed out, despite Hyman’s and trustee Howard Kaplan’s insistence that the request came from her, not the board. Hyman has been a controversial figure, praised by some parents for her committed leadership and criticized by others who felt the curriculum was not African enough. She’s also been scrutinized, as an editorial in the ethnic magazine Share suggested, by those who disagree with the entire notion of racially segregated schools. [Toronto Star]