Swanson - surprise choice for new principal

[Anonymous]

Another Swanson thread, but probably few want to have this discussion on AEM. Any reactions from current parents or feedback from older parents? I thought she had been well liked at Swanson before, but then seems like she bombed as the Asst Superintendent during COVID?

The school feels like it’s in such disarray that I’m trying to figure out what’s behind this decision. Promoted Harbor to a job she wasn’t qualified for and demoted Loft? Saying nothing about the, as individuals, focusing on them as principals

[Anonymous]

Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

[Anonymous]

From what I have heard from staff Loft was a very good principal, which is what Swanson needs right now. Perhaps it wasn’t really a demotion but being called to her strengths or what she really loves. It’s not uncommon for admins to move back to teachers in my experience so I’m not surprised to see someone from central office going back to admin. Sometimes you don’t know how much you like something until you leave it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

Another WMS parent. When our kids teammates tell us what’s going on at some other APS middle schools they are honestly shocked! Of course there’s normal tween/teen shenanigans, but my kids are not scared to be in the classroom like they’re hearing from some of their friends! Yes, phones are in lockers all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

Loft IS the new principal. “Demoted” from admin, back to Swanson. I hear she was good before, hopefully she can get things straightened out. They need a firm hand!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

We are in Q4 and Swanson kids still do not have lockers. They carry everything with them every day. That's part of the problem right there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

We are in Q4 and Swanson kids still do not have lockers. They carry everything with them every day. That's part of the problem right there.

What, why? We don’t have enough lockers at WMS but many kids are having to share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

It’s some version of the same shit everywhere, the Swanson stuff just got brought to the media and this board and blew up. My child and his friends are not scared to be at school and never were. I’m sure some group of kids in direct contact with the student with the issue were, which sucks and is unacceptable. But not some widely held experience.

My kid does know some WMS kids who use the N word, text anti-Semitic content, use their phones to bully other kids, and 6th graders who are already vaping though. I have seen it with my own eyes. The kids have been blocked from my child’s phone.

Point is it’s middle school. This stuff is going on. Maybe stop buzzing about everyone else and focus on your own kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

We are in Q4 and Swanson kids still do not have lockers. They carry everything with them every day. That's part of the problem right there.

What, why? We don’t have enough lockers at WMS but many kids are having to share.

Swanson said it was covid in the beginning. Not sure why anymore. Too late in the year to bother?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

It’s some version of the same shit everywhere, the Swanson stuff just got brought to the media and this board and blew up. My child and his friends are not scared to be at school and never were. I’m sure some group of kids in direct contact with the student with the issue were, which sucks and is unacceptable. But not some widely held experience.

My kid does know some WMS kids who use the N word, text anti-Semitic content, use their phones to bully other kids, and 6th graders who are already vaping though. I have seen it with my own eyes. The kids have been blocked from my child’s phone.

Point is it’s middle school. This stuff is going on. Maybe stop buzzing about everyone else and focus on your own kid.

I was actually referring to some of the stuff going on at Kenmore…

[Anonymous]

Wasn’t Swanson also where the kids were filming each other in the bathroom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

It’s some version of the same shit everywhere, the Swanson stuff just got brought to the media and this board and blew up. My child and his friends are not scared to be at school and never were. I’m sure some group of kids in direct contact with the student with the issue were, which sucks and is unacceptable. But not some widely held experience.

My kid does know some WMS kids who use the N word, text anti-Semitic content, use their phones to bully other kids, and 6th graders who are already vaping though. I have seen it with my own eyes. The kids have been blocked from my child’s phone.

Point is it’s middle school. This stuff is going on. Maybe stop buzzing about everyone else and focus on your own kid.

I was actually referring to some of the stuff going on at Kenmore…

That is odd since you didn’t reference Kenmore at all and directly referenced problems at Swanson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loft got demoted?

Hope new principle is good on discipline.

How is Williamsburg and Hamm or are they just better at hiding problems?

My kid is at WMS and they have nothing like the problems at Swanson. From friends at Hamm, I hear it is wonderful. It is also the smallest. Swanson needs a strong admin and they need to lock down student cell phone use. At WMS cell phones are supposed to be in your lockers except lunch. At Swanson, almost the whole class has them in their pockets.

It’s some version of the same shit everywhere, the Swanson stuff just got brought to the media and this board and blew up. My child and his friends are not scared to be at school and never were. I’m sure some group of kids in direct contact with the student with the issue were, which sucks and is unacceptable. But not some widely held experience.

My kid does know some WMS kids who use the N word, text anti-Semitic content, use their phones to bully other kids, and 6th graders who are already vaping though. I have seen it with my own eyes. The kids have been blocked from my child’s phone.

Point is it’s middle school. This stuff is going on. Maybe stop buzzing about everyone else and focus on your own kid.

I was actually referring to some of the stuff going on at Kenmore…

That is odd since you didn’t reference Kenmore at all and directly referenced problems at Swanson.

Oh sorry I was a different PP above, not the one you quoted.

[Anonymous]

We had a kid at Swanson who we had to transfer to WMS when we bought a new house. We much preferred Swanson. WMS is full of rich kids and the social scene is dominated by the snooty Jamestown crowd.