The Department of Education was accused of “flagrant disregard” by the Association of School Principals (ASP), as uproar followed what the teachers’ group said was an unexplained and disruptive reform of leadership.An Education spokeswoman last night confirmed that, effective Monday, a new Temporary Executive Principal, Terry Cox, will be assigned to Prospect Primary School, to work in partnership with existing principal Shangri-La Durham-Thompson.The school’s public relations officer, Terrence Flood, described the move as an insult to Dr Durham Thompson, adding that the Prospect Primary’s executive body would meet on Tuesday to discuss further action.The ASP also said it has filed two grievances against Education Commissioner Wendy McDonell.The Department of Education, meanwhile, offered no comment in response to the ASP’s announcement.The move followed widespread rumours that the Department intended to shuffle leadership in at least two public schools.Last night, concerned parents of Harrington Sound Primary students filled the gymnasium at Whitney Institute to discuss fears that the school’s popular principal, Lisa Clarke-Smith, was to be moved.According to the ASP, Ms McDonell informed the group on Wednesday that plans were underway to appoint Ms Clarke-Smith “executive principal” at Prospect Primary School.The placement, they said, was declared as part of “a new reform model”, to be implemented on Monday.The ASP said they had rejected the proposal because the Department could not provide “substantial data”, written details or documentation to support it.The group said it “flagrantly disregards the ASP’s opposition to this model, as well as the ASP’s collective bargaining agreement”.No changes at Harrington Sound Primary were mentioned in last night’s announcement from the Department of Education, and President of the school’s Parent Teacher Association Diallo Sharreiff said the group was not prepared to comment.According to the ASP, Department of Education officials, led by Ms McDonell, yesterday “descended upon Prospect Primary to inform the staff of their decision to go ahead and implement their model” appointing Ms Cox, the Department of Education’s Acting Staff Development Officer, to assume “the daily roles and responsibilities of the appointed Principal who will still be on site”.In response, the Department said Ms Cox’s appointment had been in accordance with the Education Act, and with recommendations in the Hopkins Report.The Department said Ms McDonell holds authority under the Act to make changes in “principal or teaching staff”, adding: “The Commissioner has developed the strategy of using an Executive Principal to partner with an Existing Principal so as to significantly improve student outcomes and change the culture of student performance.”However, speaking on behalf of the Prospect school executive, Mr Flood vowed: “We will not take this lying down. We will support the principal that we have.”He said: “In my opinion, she is doing fine on her own. This announcement came as a shock. The Department have been weak in not notifying parents or the PTA before doing what they did.”Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons, meanwhile, called for the Department to clarify matters.“The Minister of Education needs to explain to parents and the public why they are proceeding with this action, why they are doing it in the middle of the school year in what would appear to be very short notice, and what other options were considered,” the One Bermuda Alliance MP said.“The ASP’s complete rejection of this move raises a great many concerns.”Dr Gibbons said he had also been receiving distraught calls from parents of Harrington Sound Primary students concerned at the possibility of losing a highly respected principal.Bermuda Union of Teachers secretary Mike Charles called for calm, saying: “It has been rumoured that the principals of Prospect and Harrington Sound are to be moved. I don’t know who started it. The Minister has not moved anybody, or indicated that they would be moved.”Mr Charles said Harrington Sound head Lisa Clarke-Smith had been providing coaching to principals in other schools.“The Minister has been using her expertise to help others on a part-time basis,” Mr Charles said. “I believe it is around an hour and a half a week.”However, Mr Charles said it would have been “the height of stupidity” for school principals to be moved in the middle of the school year.“People just need to think a little,” he said. “If someone comes up with some rumour, why not question it?”Prospect principal Dr Durham-Thompson and Harrington Sound principal Ms Clarke-Smith were unavailable for comment.