Parents demand answers over Wooranna Park Primary principal’s suspension

A year after the suspension of Wooranna Park Primary’s principal and his deputy, parents say the education department has “turned a blind eye”.

Ray Trotter retired as principal of Wooranna Park Primary School with his registration status unclear. Picture: Jason Sammon

Furious parents are demanding details about the suspensions of a high-profile principal and his deputy at a Dandenong North school.

Wooranna Park Primary School’s long-serving leader Ray Trotter and deputy principal Janet Whittle were suspended on an interim basis by the Victorian Institute of Teaching in 2021, pending the outcome of an investigation by the Department of Education.

Ms Whittle’s interim ban has now been upgraded to a full suspension, while Mr Trotter retired at the end of 2021 with his registration status unclear.

Neither the reasons for the suspensions nor the findings of the department’s investigations have been revealed.

Wooranna Park Primary assistant principal Janet Whittle has been suspended by the VIT. Picture: LinkedIn

Rhonda Garad, a former parent at the school and a past chair of the school council, said she spent a week giving evidence about what she claims was Mr Trotter’s mismanagement of the school as part of the department’s investigation.

She is calling for the findings of the probe to be made public.

Ms Garad, a Monash University academic and City of Greater Dandenong councillor, said many parents and staff members had raised concerns about the school’s leadership.

“There were people lined up at the door” to complain about Mr Trotter, Ms Garad said.

Mr Trotter was the principal of Wooranna Park Primary for 30 years and was the pioneer behind the school’s specialist technology curriculum.

He also has a flexible learning centre named after him at Deakin University.

But Ms Garad said there was “no accountability to the school community” with regard to his leadership.

“He retired without anything being said. The DET should publish the report. They turned a blind eye for years and chose not to act.”

There is no suggestion of criminal offences committed by Mr Trotter or Ms Whittle despite police investigating two break-ins at the school in 2021 which led to a range of technological equipment being stolen.

A spokesman for the Department of Education said they “take any complaints about staff seriously and take action where appropriate”.

The department referred questions about the registration status of Mr Trotter and Ms Whittle to the VIT.