This year, as with the five previous years, Southfield High has a new principal to lead the way. And, this year, as with the previous several, the question on everybody’s mind is, “How long will the new principal stay?”

While we don’t really know much about the new guy yet, we do know that it would be nice to have some stability in the internal ranks of Southfield High. It’s become somewhat of an embarrassing Southfield High tradition to meet a new principal every year, to conform to a new set of standards and expectations. The tradition is getting old.

So far Principal Michael Horn seems OK. His “Principal’s Council” idea is a brilliant one and can only help improve student-faculty relations. He plans to bring together about two dozen of the top student leaders for monthly Blue Jay meetings with him. This would mean a council of team captains, organization president, and club leaders who could dialogue with the principal about the direction of the school and what’s on everybody’s mind. It’s a great idea. Even if this principal doesn’t last, we hope his Principals’ Council idea does endure.

We also like how he gets around the school. We see him in the hallways between classes and in the classrooms while they’re in session. It appears that he will make himself visible to the students and staff, rather than hibernating in his office, mired in paperwork.

His image suits us, too. His conservative suits and ties set a professional tone, unlike one previous principal who once came to parent teacher conferences dressed like an ice cream man.

We could also use stability among our assistant principals. We are a month into the school year and are still interviewing for an assistant principal to fill the spot left vacant now that Kellie Cunningham has left us to go to Southfield-Lathrup High School.

In Cunningham’s absence, English teacher Robert MacFarland is stepping in for the vacant assistant principal’s position. This unfortunately means that the students in his Advanced Placement English Language classes, as well as his Senior Composition & Literature classes, are being instructed by a substitute to whom they will have grown accustomed, only to have to reacclimate themselves to another system when MacFarland returns.

While some change is good some of the time, changing everything all the time is too hard on the students. Southfield High could use some consistency and stability at the top. Those of us at the bottom are weary of trying to figure out how to please the principal of the month, the assistant principal of the month, or even the substitute of the month.