Principal losing teacher support

On the same day Principal Michael Vossen discussed taking the Newport Harbor High School athletic program in a new direction after firing one longtime athletic director and seeing the other one resign because of it this week, Vossen said he is aware some of those coaches he met with Friday morning want him removed from his job at the school.

Vossen said he learned from an administrator of a vote faculty took at the school, resulting in a no-confidence in Vossen by a majority of tenured teachers.

Teachers and coaches are troubled Eric Tweit was let go Monday after serving 20 years as an athletic director at Newport Harbor. Tweit’s colleague Fletcher Olson resigned two days later because she said Tweit shouldn’t have been fired a year before he planned to step down. Both maintain their teaching jobs.

Tweit and Olson shared athletic director duties the past 10 years, overseeing the boys’ and girls’ programs, respectively. During their time as athletic directors, the Sailors won CIF Southern Section championships in multiple sports.

Vossen also fired baseball coach Evan Chalmers after four years. Chalmers, who finished with a 35-62-1 record and failed to lead his team to the playoffs, maintains his teaching post.

A letter voicing the teachers’ displeasure with Vossen’s decisions was sent to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District office, and Vossen said he is not surprised by the move.

“People are reacting to a tough personnel decision,” said Vossen, who has been the principal at Newport Harbor the last nine years. “People are going to rally around something when they’re not happy with the decisions made about someone they are close to. I respect that. That’s a normal reaction, especially with a tough personnel decision.

“Principals know what they’re signing up for when they become principal,” Vossen said.