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A Dallas high school has been rocked after a principal reportedly pulled a group of black students aside to blame them for the school's lower academic rating. Principal Chandra Hooper-Barnett took a group of black students into an assembly to discuss their academic performance, The Dallas Morning News reported. The Texas Education Agency assigns schools an A through F rating, considering student achievement and progress, and how well they prepare students for success beyond high school. '[My son] said that Principal Barnett stated that those students, the black students, were the reason why the school had a B rating,' Jennifer Bush told the outlet. 'She said it in a derogatory manner,' Bush told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. 'I was really shocked she would say something like that.' She added that her son currently holds a 3.5 GPA. In a letter sent to parents on Sunday, Hooper-Barnett, who is black, apologized for hosting the meeting and admitted it was 'not appropriate.' 'I take full ownership and responsibility for what occurred, and I want to assure you that it was never my intent to single out or cause harm to any group of students,' she wrote. 'I understand my actions and decisions have caused disappointment and frustration, and for that, I sincerely apologize.' It is unclear what Hooper-Barnett's current employment status is but the school has since appointed Danielle Petters as interim principal. The Executive Director of the Woodrow Wilson Vertical Team, Aaron Aguirre-Castillo, said Hooper-Barnett's actions do 'not reflect the values and expectations of our school community.' Bush said the students need to 'know that they're enough.' 'I don’t even know how you resolve this and take it back, because the damage has been done,' she told The Dallas Morning News. 'There is a trust that is broken between parents and students.' She is hoping the school will hold a meeting, so parents and educators can 'put our heads together and get this taken care of.' 'Because if you guys do want to come up to an A rating, you have to put in the work as an administration, as a community. If we’re all striving for a goal, let’s do that together, and let’s not single out children,' she told the outlet. Hooper-Barnett had been the principal of the 1,800 students for the last three years and has been an educator in the school district for 22 years. She has won several Teacher of the Year awards. Black students make up 7.3 percent of the student population at the East Texas school. Hispanic students make up 62 percent, while white students make up 27.7 percent. The high school received an 83 out of 100 points on this year's rating. In the 2023-24 school year, the school scored an 87. The year prior, it scored an 88. All the scores were of B ratings. The Daily Mail has reached out to the school, district, and Hooper-Barnett for comment.
