Wilson principal search

[Anonymous]

Hopefully the new principal, who may well be a good fit, will introduce herself to the community and use the correct title. It's embarrassing for her as well if DCPS jumps the gun in such a pretentious fashion. Like, "…IN YOUR FACE --I introduce DOCTOR blah blah blah". So lame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would bet money that this is DCPS's screw up. They're obsessed with titles calling and people Dr. of Dubious Distinction Whatever all the time. It's part of the stupid insecure culture downtown. I would not remotely blame her for this.

Not at all--how many people in the DCPS leadership have a doctorate? Neither Henderson nor Rhee did nor were they attempting to. The central office, because they are at-will employees, do not pay extra for any additional degrees either, by the way, as most studies point out that advanced degrees in education don't correlate highly with effectiveness per se.

Hence part of the problem with hiring a bunch of book "smart" people to run things (especially a school). Does 'research' have to dictate every decision or can we use some commonsense?

There is something to be said about an educator who commits to being a (lifelong) learner. They should be compensated for the additional degrees. Of all the fields to place no value on (additional) education. In my husband's field, earning his masters led to an increase in salary. Just when I want to respect the powers that be in DCPS I'm assaulted with this type of foolishness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geesh folks give the lady a year. Her resume is quite impressive.

Please tell me what's impressive about it.

Good question.

But let's not use the Dr. thing that was clearly not her fault to bash her.

???

You (or someone else) said her resume was quite impressive.

I repeat my question. Please tell whats impressive about it.

[Anonymous]

I think it's been said several times that the misstatement of her advanced degree IS DCPS's fault. She was very clear in her resume and interview that she has been working on her doctorate since 2005-06. No one is holding this against her. Although the kids at Wilson don't know where the blame lays and think that she has lied on her resume. And that is not the case. DCPS needs to take responsibility for this screw up so that she is NOT tainted.

[Anonymous]

Just received new email:

Letter from the Chancellor Introducing Wilson's New Principal

June 2, 2015

Dear Wilson Senior High School Community:

As you know, every year we conduct a nationwide search for the best principals to lead our schools. To deliver a high-quality education to all students, it takes a strong school leader who is singularly focused on raising student achievement. Astounding advances are possible when the right leader is at the helm of a school.

The Wilson school community supported this search by examining potential candidates and making their recommendations, and we sincerely appreciate your time and efforts on behalf of our students. After balancing your input and recommendations with the needed experience and skills that research links to success, we concluded that your recommendation, Kimberly Martin, is the strongest candidate to lead the Wilson school community.

I am happy to report that Ms. Martin has accepted the offer to be the Wilson High School principal. Her official appointment begins on June 29, 2015.

Kimberly Martin has over 16 years of experience as an educator. She began her career in Lorain, Ohio where she spent five years teaching high school English and history before being promoted to the principal of Lorain Admiral King High School in 2003. She spent two years there before transferring to lead Thomas W. Harvey High School in Painesville, Ohio in 2005. Ms. Martin spent seven years as the principal of Harvey High School before being tapped to lead Aspen High School, Colorado's number one public high school in 2012. Ms. Martin has a bachelor's degree in English and history from Case Western Reserve University, a master's degree in education from John Carroll University, and is in the process of completing her doctorate in urban education from Cleveland State University.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the principal selection process, especially the school community panel that reviewed a number of quality candidates. Ms. Martin is excited to meet all of you, and I hope you will give her your warm welcome and support as she leads your children toward success.

Sincerely,

Kaya Henderson
Chancellor

[Anonymous]

Does urban education allow for honors classes and stimulating the top students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it sounds like she might have a HS aged son-I wonder if she will be able to afford to move in-boundary for Wilson or will she set up her household in MoCo or Arlington

Given her self-proclaimed commitment to impoverished communities, I have no doubt her son's school will be in the middle of one.

Obnoxious

[Anonymous]

I don't blame her at all for the Ph.D. misstatement--I have no doubt that came from Central. Just embarrassing that they did it (but not surprising).

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I don't blame her at all for the Ph.D. misstatement--I have no doubt that came from Central. Just embarrassing that they did it (but not surprising).

Also strange that it took an entire day to fix the error.

[Anonymous]

Instead of sending a second email it would be nice if DCPS admitted their mistake with the credentials. Total bunch of idiots downtown, with Kaya at the helm.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps DCPS just wanted to get her in the system now and this was the easiest slot to fill at the moment. DCPS, like other school districts, needs a multi-year pipeline of leaders on tap. Maybe DCPS thinks they can transfer her to a more high-needs school after one year of "success" at narrowing the gaps at Wilson.

We're at a feeder for Wilson. I'm trying to be open-minded. While I trust that the 20 panelists and DCPS believe this is the best candidate at the moment, it seems hard to justify why someone who only has personal and professional experience with much smaller high schools in CO and OH would rise above the internal administrators and fellows that DCPS, Georgetown U, and private donors seem so willing to bankroll.

How do 7 years at one of the worst-performing high schools in Cleveland and only 3 years at a high school in Aspen translate into improving a school 2-3 times larger, like Wilson? How long will it take to implement changes? How can Wilson compete against selective public, private, and charter schools for talented students living in DC?

I'm not criticizing the hiring decision per se. Just curious about how this candidate was superior to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of sending a second email it would be nice if DCPS admitted their mistake with the credentials. Total bunch of idiots downtown, with Kaya at the helm.

And yet it is interesting that the current Chancellor has had the most stable leadership in terms of tenure since the 1980s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just received new email:

Letter from the Chancellor Introducing Wilson's New Principal

June 2, 2015

Dear Wilson Senior High School Community:

As you know, every year we conduct a nationwide search for the best principals to lead our schools. To deliver a high-quality education to all students, it takes a strong school leader who is singularly focused on raising student achievement. Astounding advances are possible when the right leader is at the helm of a school.

The Wilson school community supported this search by examining potential candidates and making their recommendations, and we sincerely appreciate your time and efforts on behalf of our students. After balancing your input and recommendations with the needed experience and skills that research links to success, we concluded that your recommendation, Kimberly Martin, is the strongest candidate to lead the Wilson school community.

I am happy to report that Ms. Martin has accepted the offer to be the Wilson High School principal. Her official appointment begins on June 29, 2015.

Kimberly Martin has over 16 years of experience as an educator. She began her career in Lorain, Ohio where she spent five years teaching high school English and history before being promoted to the principal of Lorain Admiral King High School in 2003. She spent two years there before transferring to lead Thomas W. Harvey High School in Painesville, Ohio in 2005. Ms. Martin spent seven years as the principal of Harvey High School before being tapped to lead Aspen High School, Colorado's number one public high school in 2012. Ms. Martin has a bachelor's degree in English and history from Case Western Reserve University, a master's degree in education from John Carroll University, and is in the process of completing her doctorate in urban education from Cleveland State University.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the principal selection process, especially the school community panel that reviewed a number of quality candidates. Ms. Martin is excited to meet all of you, and I hope you will give her your warm welcome and support as she leads your children toward success.

Sincerely,

Kaya Henderson
Chancellor

Amazing. Good, long letter. Yet, not a single accomplishment by Ms Martin, not a single strong reason why she should be Wilson's principal.

[jsteele]

Q and A with Wilson Beacon:

http://thewilsonbeacon.com/question-and-answer-with-kimberly-martin/

She has certainly mastered the skill of brown-nosing.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Q and A with Wilson Beacon:

http://thewilsonbeacon.com/question-and-answer-with-kimberly-martin/

She has certainly mastered the skill of brown-nosing.

Actually that wasn't so bad, Jeff. I liked how she talked about figuring out the answers together with the staff.