Pete Cahall is out as Principal of Wilson

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ouch! When the teachers describe the working atmosphere as “toxic” at what is supposed to be DC’s best high school, then there is a huge problem which should be front and center on the chancellor’s desk. I don’t know whether removing Mr. Cahall is the complete solution (I suspect not), but this problem needs immediate attention, focus and solution.

To be fair, I'm not sure that we have heard from the teachers, but rather the head of the Washington Teachers Union. There would probably be complaints if she didn't think the atmosphere was toxic. So far, Cahall has been criticized for failing to lift academics. Now, it is the toxic atmosphere within the school. Pressure to address the first could certainly result in the second. That highlights the difficult position of Wilson's principal.

Maybe it's both failure to lift academics and a toxic atmosphere -- at least among teachers -- which I have heard about in private conversations but not on any public forum.

Many DCPS teachers across the city are afraid for their jobs and thus unlikely to speak up - especially after seeing what can happen to teachers who do.

I agree that there could be both a failure to lift academic and a toxic atmosphere. But, it is possible that pressure to improve academics contributes to -- and is possibly the cause of -- a toxic atmosphere. In theory, efforts by Cahall to raise academics further might have increased the toxicity beyond what allegedly exists. In a system that appears to believe that student achievement is almost entirely dependent on teaching staff, increasing academic achievement necessarily involves pressuring that teaching staff. So, Cahall would have been caught between a rock and a hard place. If Henderson now has to choose between a principal that will put academic achievement before all else and a principal who will concentrate on an improved atmosphere for teachers, I'm afraid the WTU is going to be disappointed. Of course, someone might be able to do both things, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

It IS possible to do both.

Find a school leader that has *gasp* a significant amount of classroom teaching experience, especially in a core subject.

The problem is that DC promotes leaders after just 2 years of teaching experience. They usually don't know how to raise achievement themselves. Therefore, they're neither credible nor good coaches. So all you're left with are chest-pounding 'I just wanted to boss people' types who hammer teaches without knowing how to grow or guide them.

[Anonymous]

Cahall had been both a teacher and administrator in MCPS before coming to DC.

At Wilson, some of the kids are doing extraordinarily well - mostly high SES kids -- and they continue to thrive once they go on to high-ranking colleges, so you can't blame Wilson for bringing them down. Meanwhile other kids, mostly low SES, are not doing well at all and haven't all the way through school, up to and including Wilson.

Now they're in an environment where they're all together, so there's a big "achievement gap' obviously not caused by Wilson, but it's suddenly the responsibility of Wilson to close it.

Firing teachers hasn't helped, a new building hasn't helped, IMPACT hasn't helped, so obviously, from Henderson's point of view, it's time to fire the Principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cahall had been both a teacher and administrator in MCPS before coming to DC.

At Wilson, some of the kids are doing extraordinarily well - mostly high SES kids -- and they continue to thrive once they go on to high-ranking colleges, so you can't blame Wilson for bringing them down. Meanwhile other kids, mostly low SES, are not doing well at all and haven't all the way through school, up to and including Wilson.

Now they're in an environment where they're all together, so there's a big "achievement gap' obviously not caused by Wilson, but it's suddenly the responsibility of Wilson to close it.

Firing teachers hasn't helped, a new building hasn't helped, IMPACT hasn't helped, so obviously, from Henderson's point of view, it's time to fire the Principal.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cahall had been both a teacher and administrator in MCPS before coming to DC.

At Wilson, some of the kids are doing extraordinarily well - mostly high SES kids -- and they continue to thrive once they go on to high-ranking colleges, so you can't blame Wilson for bringing them down. Meanwhile other kids, mostly low SES, are not doing well at all and haven't all the way through school, up to and including Wilson.

Now they're in an environment where they're all together, so there's a big "achievement gap' obviously not caused by Wilson, but it's suddenly the responsibility of Wilson to close it.

Firing teachers hasn't helped, a new building hasn't helped, IMPACT hasn't helped, so obviously, from Henderson's point of view, it's time to fire the Principal.

+100

And bring in a Rock Star principal who will turn around Wilson!

but that has never worked in the past, and Kaya must know that by now, right? So what else could be in the works for Wilson? Something that benefits the growth of Charters? That eases the overcrowding? that benefits DCPS high schools in other wards? Something that eases the way for a bold new initiative not yet tried in DCPS (therefore not yet unsuccessful, like the other bold initiatives of the recent past)?

[Anonymous]

At least one can assume a logical rationale for Cahall's firing.

There was absolutely no rhyme or reason for getting rid of Seiber. His minority students were doing so well a group of minority parents emailed Rhee, the mayor and everyone else about it. And a petition for his reinstatement had well over 900 signatures.

No petitions for Cahall, I see. He should've remained quiet and taken the high road like Seiber did. But nope! He wants to throw a public tantrum.

Good riddance!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cahall had been both a teacher and administrator in MCPS before coming to DC.

At Wilson, some of the kids are doing extraordinarily well - mostly high SES kids -- and they continue to thrive once they go on to high-ranking colleges, so you can't blame Wilson for bringing them down. Meanwhile other kids, mostly low SES, are not doing well at all and haven't all the way through school, up to and including Wilson.

Now they're in an environment where they're all together, so there's a big "achievement gap' obviously not caused by Wilson, but it's suddenly the responsibility of Wilson to close it.

Firing teachers hasn't helped, a new building hasn't helped, IMPACT hasn't helped, so obviously, from Henderson's point of view, it's time to fire the Principal.

+100

We have been working with a Wilson student that lives off Benning road. He lives that far away because he was an OOB student at Hardy. He has immediate family members in prison and a parent that is intermittently unemployed. This kid is actually scoring quite well, but the reality is that his grades have declined this semester because he is not sure if he will soon be homeless because his mother lost her waitress job. These are problems our schools can't solve, they have become the whipping boy of our income inequality, unless that is addressed we will continue to run through talented, dedicated people and not really change the trajectory of our schools. I understand Henderson does not have a lot of control over DC employment issues, but maybe we need hold our elected officials more accountable and let our teachers and principals actually educate rather than think they are the next guy to be blamed.

[Anonymous]

The last rock star principal at Wilson was a white male principal that was married to a black woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The last rock star principal at Wilson was a white male principal that was married to a black woman.

who resigned just as Rhee was coming in to take a job in the Baltimore suburbs. Or did he? perhaps he got the same mid-year heads up that Cahall got and decided to leave quietly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cahall had been both a teacher and administrator in MCPS before coming to DC.

At Wilson, some of the kids are doing extraordinarily well - mostly high SES kids -- and they continue to thrive once they go on to high-ranking colleges, so you can't blame Wilson for bringing them down. Meanwhile other kids, mostly low SES, are not doing well at all and haven't all the way through school, up to and including Wilson.

Now they're in an environment where they're all together, so there's a big "achievement gap' obviously not caused by Wilson, but it's suddenly the responsibility of Wilson to close it.

Firing teachers hasn't helped, a new building hasn't helped, IMPACT hasn't helped, so obviously, from Henderson's point of view, it's time to fire the Principal.

+100

We have been working with a Wilson student that lives off Benning road. He lives that far away because he was an OOB student at Hardy. He has immediate family members in prison and a parent that is intermittently unemployed. This kid is actually scoring quite well, but the reality is that his grades have declined this semester because he is not sure if he will soon be homeless because his mother lost her waitress job. These are problems our schools can't solve, they have become the whipping boy of our income inequality, unless that is addressed we will continue to run through talented, dedicated people and not really change the trajectory of our schools. I understand Henderson does not have a lot of control over DC employment issues, but maybe we need hold our elected officials more accountable and let our teachers and principals actually educate rather than think they are the next guy to be blamed.

This is such common sense that it's hard to believe that those influencing public education didn't know it - or haven't figured it out by now, after all this failed reform. So what are they up to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not feeling too badly for Cahall after reading about his firing of the popular, effective singing science teacher, Eric(?) Siebens, whose firing resulted in petitions.

This is nothing but a visit from Karma whose been on her way to see him since he controversially had the Martel teacher transferred.

Cahall, what goes around comes around. Be careful how you treat people in your next position.

Cahall purged effective teachers from every department many of whom had been "Teacher of the Year" before he arrived. Siebens was for example was amazing; a quirky desenter who was difficult to manage, but nevertheless an amazing teacher. The kind of teacher who inspired others to arrive early, work through lunch breaks and to stay late. Cahall purged the school of any and all potential dissenters. Vis a vis' Cahall being kind and universally adored he is not. For any act of kindness he ever demonstrated his Assistant Priincipals distributed equal or greater acts of cruelty all of course with his knowledge and encouragement.

He surrounded himself with self-promoting lackeys and created a cult-of-personality at the school. That whole Mini-Me thing he created and standing in the hall with broom in his hand in a Michelle Rhee-esk stance demonstrating he planned a "clean sweep" of Wilson's teachers were narcissistic and patiently offensive.

As an institution nothing has changed. The high achieving students are still being accepted at disproportionately high numbers to elite universities and the low achieving students are still falling through the cracks.

Inasmuch as the overall academic success of the school has not significantly changed since his arrival we'll never really know if by purging the school of inspiring but professionally challenging teachers like Siebens had any impact on the school's standardized test scores. By eliminating all dissent and creating an environment of fear did Cahall improve or harm Wilson High School? Did Cahall eliminate dissent and create unity or did he force compliance and stifle creativity.

[Anonymous]

Yup! Karma!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not feeling too badly for Cahall after reading about his firing of the popular, effective singing science teacher, Eric(?) Siebens, whose firing resulted in petitions.

This is nothing but a visit from Karma whose been on her way to see him since he controversially had the Martel teacher transferred.

Cahall, what goes around comes around. Be careful how you treat people in your next position.

Cahall purged effective teachers from every department many of whom had been "Teacher of the Year" before he arrived. Siebens was for example was amazing; a quirky desenter who was difficult to manage, but nevertheless an amazing teacher. The kind of teacher who inspired others to arrive early, work through lunch breaks and to stay late. Cahall purged the school of any and all potential dissenters. Vis a vis' Cahall being kind and universally adored he is not. For any act of kindness he ever demonstrated his Assistant Priincipals distributed equal or greater acts of cruelty all of course with his knowledge and encouragement.

He surrounded himself with self-promoting lackeys and created a cult-of-personality at the school. That whole Mini-Me thing he created and standing in the hall with broom in his hand in a Michelle Rhee-esk stance demonstrating he planned a "clean sweep" of Wilson's teachers were narcissistic and patiently offensive.

As an institution nothing has changed. The high achieving students are still being accepted at disproportionately high numbers to elite universities and the low achieving students are still falling through the cracks.

Inasmuch as the overall academic success of the school has not significantly changed since his arrival we'll never really know if by purging the school of inspiring but professionally challenging teachers like Siebens had any impact on the school's standardized test scores. By eliminating all dissent and creating an environment of fear did Cahall improve or harm Wilson High School? Did Cahall eliminate dissent and create unity or did he force compliance and stifle creativity.

The broomstick in the hallway? Boy he really thought he was untouchable.
Yet he cries when he gets swept away.
The guy sounds like a moronic ass clown.

[Anonymous]

what on earth does this mean, "high achieving students are still being accepted at disproportionately high numbers to elite universities"?

as compared to what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what on earth does this mean, "high achieving students are still being accepted at disproportionately high numbers to elite universities"?

as compared to what?

as compared to most other DC public high schools, but not Walt Whitman

[Anonymous]

I think DCPS was trying to do Cahall a favor by letting him know ahead of time that he was not going to have his contract renewed. However, this whole episode--him going off the deep-end, sending a ranting, not very professional letter to the City Council--just shows to Henderson that they can't take a chance on this sort of thing and just let principals know right near the end of the year. Also, I think Cahall's behavior during this undercut his ability to get a good future position as he seems like a loose cannon--and whether or not he is, we all know that perceptions are often what matters.