Waltham High principal-in-residence submits resignation effective June 30
John Barnes, who has served as Waltham High School’s principal-in-residence since July, submitted his resignation effective at the end of the school year. He will be the fourth principal to leave WHS since 2020.
No reason was given for his departure.
Barnes was selected as part of a trial of the principal-in-residence model.
Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa created this model after the district failed to find a permanent principal for the 2025-26 school year. The model allowed for a less experienced candidate to take the helm of WHS, with the idea that the individual would learn on the job with support from senior administrators. “[We’re] hoping this could lead to retention and stability in the role as well,” Mendonsa said last July when she introduced the model.
As principal-in-residence, Barnes participated in a contentious new schedule proposal process at the high school, which Mendonsa ultimately postponed until 2027.
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I heartily second the call for continued investigation and reporting! It’s hard not to see education as a major problem in our city that we should be focusing our attention and resources on as a matter of urgency. If we don’t get this right, we should also plan to give up on economic vitality, public safety, quality of life– our future here in general. I would like to know on a timely, continuous basis what the responsible leaders are planning, how we are doing against plan, and how the rest of us can either support or change the current direction. A shiny new school can’t mask near-bottom rankings in state metrics and chronic leadership instability.
It’s so unfortunate that WHS can’t seem to find a leader who will actually stick around. What is going on there?? Are they continually clashing with the school committee? The superintendent? Teachers? I hope The Waltham Times will continue to investigate and report. We need answers!