The director of Jemicy School, a private school for dyslexic children, has resigned because of disagreements with the board of trustees.
Ellen Kelly will leave the school Aug. 31 after six years as director. Mark Westervelt, middle school director for the past three years, will serve as interim director.
Parents and friends of the Owings Mills school received word of the change in a mailing July 17 that included a letter from Kelly and a letter from the chairman of the board of trustees. In her letter, Kelly said: "I am writing with real sadness to tell you that I have resigned."
She went on to say that although she has enjoyed working with the children, parents and teachers during the past six years, "it has become increasingly clear that the board and I disagree about matters of governance, policy and style of management. We therefore have concurred that Jemicy School should seek new leadership."
The letter from Harry Rosenthal, chairman of the board of trustees, said the board had accepted the resignation with regret, but gave no further explanation for the departure of the school's director.
The board has appointed a search committee headed by trustees Richard F. Blue Jr. and Taylor White.
Jemicy was founded 28 years ago as one of the first schools in the nation for children with dyslexia, a neurological condition that creates difficulty in processing words that are read, heard, spoken or spelled. It is estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of the population has dyslexia.
Parents pay about $20,000 a year to send their children to the school, which uses alternative teaching methods and has a low student-to-teacher ratio.
Kelly declined to comment, and school officials did not return phone calls yesterday.
