Deborah Phelps Recommended for Education Foundation

Deborah Phelps, mother of Olympian Michael Phelps, has been recommended for transfer as a director for the Baltimore County Public Schools Education Foundation.

Phelps had been principal of the struggling Windsor Mill Middle School since its opening in 2006. School system spokesman Charles Herndon couldn't immediately confirm if the school's failing standards had anything to do with the reassignment.

Phelps' departure from the school was first reported by The Baltimore Sun.

Herndon said Superintendent S. Dallas Dance made the recommendation to move Phelps but the Board of Education would still need to approve the appointment.

"The superintendent has made reaching the business community a priority," Herndon said. "Anyone that knows [Phelps] knows that she is very high-energy."

If approved by the board, Phelps' responsibilities for the Education Foundation, which fundraises for the school system, would include promoting fundraising initiatives. Although, the full job description has yet to be determined.

"It's a position that's still somewhat evolving," Herndon said.

Phelps shared the news of the reassignment in a letter posted on the school's website.

"Remembering the day that I was appointed to serve as the principal of Windsor Mill Middle School will always be one of the most exhilarating moments of my life," Phelps wrote in the letter. "As the newest middle school to open its doors in Baltimore County Public Schools in more than two decades, it was an honor and a privilege to open my arms and heart to each and every one of you."

Assistant principal JoAnn Rich will serve as interim principal at Windsor Mill.