Sidwell LS Principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a new comer to DCUM and one with no dog in this race (i.e., not a Sidwell Parent), I am surprised by the tone of the comments here. Can we tone it down please?

PS. It rather sounds like the last few comments have all been posted by the same angry 16.56 poster.

Not true. Must be several of us who disapprove.

[Anonymous]

Ignore the haters, OP. If they don't like the fact that the posts here are anonymous they can leave. And perhaps identify themselves first to bring their actions in line with stated principles?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ignore the haters, OP. If they don't like the fact that the posts here are anonymous they can leave. And perhaps identify themselves first to bring their actions in line with stated principles?

No identification needed for those who enjoy reading posts and contributing to this forum without targeting specific people. Don't know how you could describe the people objecting to a person being criticized by anonymous posts in a public form as haters. Do you always suggest that those who disagree with you go away?!

[Anonymous]

20.50 poster here. I'd say this one (16.56) is a hater:

"You sound like a dud--entitled, insecure, and self-righteous. If he did blow you off and it wasn't just your eternal middle school mindset, I'm going to give him credit for sniffing out a back-stabbing social climber and keeping his distance."

Wouldn't you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20.50 poster here. I'd say this one (16.56) is a hater:

"You sound like a dud--entitled, insecure, and self-righteous. If he did blow you off and it wasn't just your eternal middle school mindset, I'm going to give him credit for sniffing out a back-stabbing social climber and keeping his distance."

Wouldn't you?

A few points:

1. In all honesty, I read the 16.56 post as (1) frustration at the OP's continued insistence that her actions were not only acceptable, but somewhat laudable; and (2) in the vein of giving the OP a "taste of her own medicine." Not kind, but making a point.

2. There is not one poster who objects to the thread -- there are more than one, and hard to call all of those objecting "haters."

3. The OP herself seems frustrated--what's so bad about criticizing this one guy's public persona? As several posters have noted, though, the existence of the thread invited additional posts that upped the ante with much more serious statements (some of which the DCUM administrators later removed). So there's an issue to whether starting a thread devoted to "calling out" one specific person like this is responsible, given that others may escalate with really irresponsible/false/outright defamatory material. It shouldn't be like that, but this is the internet, after all, and Sidwell seems to be a hot button issue these days.

4. All of the side arguments aside, is this the type of stuff that people want ending up in the CityPaper . . . say, described as another "prissy Sidwell flame war"? (To paraphrase the mean CityPaper article on Sidwell this fall.) That's one thing that surprises me about a Sidwell parent (assuming OP is one) starting such a thread.

[Anonymous]

Think about all the message boards that complain about Obama or any number of elected officials. That's America, folks. We are free to discuss our opinions.

Clearly, this guy gives the cold shoulder to many parents and it is completely fair to talk about it - whether at a picnic or on a message board.

If you don't like it, leave the thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Think about all the message boards that complain about Obama or any number of elected officials. That's America, folks. We are free to discuss our opinions.

Clearly, this guy gives the cold shoulder to many parents and it is completely fair to talk about it - whether at a picnic or on a message board.

If you don't like it, leave the thread.

Do you really not see the difference between a school principal and the president of the USA? And you think this is a First Amendment issue? What about Quaker values? Or the Golden Rule? Or setting an example for our kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Think about all the message boards that complain about Obama or any number of elected officials. That's America, folks. We are free to discuss our opinions.

Clearly, this guy gives the cold shoulder to many parents and it is completely fair to talk about it - whether at a picnic or on a message board.

If you don't like it, leave the thread.

Do you really not see the difference between a school principal and the president of the USA? And you think this is a First Amendment issue? What about Quaker values? Or the Golden Rule? Or setting an example for our kids?

Well said!

[Anonymous]

Agree with the spirit of the points that 22.20 has made. But 22.48 makes equally important points. Surely we shouldn't censor our opinions over the worry that anything positive or negative we say here will end up in the City Paper. That would shut all conversation altogether. And, if it ended up in the city paper -- so what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the 1.12 poster: Surely this logic doesn't hold: Do you think college teachers or university professors get evaluated by the students "to their face"? No, it is anonymous evaluations at the end of the year.

Why? Because of the implicit power imbalance within the situation between the parties. Your argument taken to its logical end would suggest that we all shut up with our opinions on different schools on this forum since we aren't standing in front of the schools making these comments openly.

I agree with some other PPs. The Principal does have a twinkle in his eye and the kids seem to adore him. Terrific and I praise the Principal for it. Could his bedside manner could use improvement? Yes. If this is seen as unacceptable criticism because it is anonymously delivered, I am not sure I know what to say!

PS. Not everyone at the school knows board members that they can discuss these issues with. Also, not everyone would want to bother to raise a stink about this formally.

No, not "to their face", but privately in writing that admin of the school reads( to themselves) They don't put it on flyers and paste them up on billboards, trees , bar front doors,etc.. all over campus ....in other words they review the info shared in confidence in privacy. And I am not a Sidwell parent, but I met enough of them like you on my DD's tour to withdrawl my DD's application.

[Anonymous]

Quaker values? Setting an example for our kids? So we shouldn't discuss our criticisms on online forums devoted to this type of discussion? Is this some kind of joke? As several PPS have pointed out, within the field of education, faculty routinely get evaluated anonymously by students and these are posted online. Nothing wrong with this at all. Nothing un-quakerly. And nothing that breaks any golden rules.

And the criticism I have seen on this thread is really mild by most professional standards.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell parents need to get a grip. The guy is deficient in his job. Instead of acknowledging the problem, they choose to attack other posters.

Circling the wagons just ensures the problem persists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell parents need to get a grip. The guy is deficient in his job. Instead of acknowledging the problem, they choose to attack other posters.

Circling the wagons just ensures the problem persists.

I'm betting you are not a Sidwell parent. Have you ever even met the guy you're criticizing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quaker values? Setting an example for our kids? So we shouldn't discuss our criticisms on online forums devoted to this type of discussion? Is this some kind of joke? As several PPS have pointed out, within the field of education, faculty routinely get evaluated anonymously by students and these are posted online. Nothing wrong with this at all. Nothing un-quakerly. And nothing that breaks any golden rules.

And the criticism I have seen on this thread is really mild by most professional standards.

"Do unto others as ye would have them do unto you." That's the Golden Rule I was taught from an early age. I think the spirit of this thread is far from following the Golden Rule. And almost every religion has their own form of that rule as a guide to ethical behavior.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell parents need to get a grip. The guy is deficient in his job. Instead of acknowledging the problem, they choose to attack other posters.


There are few to none real sidwell parents who say he is deficient in his job. Sidwell parents are just saying he is a gruff person. The kids love him, the lower school is great. This comes from a parent who never got a pleasant word from him. You my friend are obsessed. I feel sad for you.