GWMS Principal Departure

[Anonymous]

I'm somewhat disappointed to hear that he is leaving. I thought he was ok - not amazing, but ok. Anyone know why he is changing to become a hearing officer? Seems like an unusual shift.

[Anonymous]

He must be absolutely exhausted. It’s a huge overcrowded school with many challenges and the pandemic has been incredibly tough on educators and administrators. I wish him and his family well! Being a hearing officer is going to be a much more mundane job with more predictability.

[Anonymous]

Mid year? How unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

Didn't he spend a long time getting his PhD?

[Anonymous]

Didn't he spend a long time getting his PhD?

Yes, I believe so, and good for him for getting it. But was a PhD necessary to become a hearing officer? Sounds unlikely, but I don't know for sure. Maybe it was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Didn't he spend a long time getting his PhD?

Yes, I believe so, and good for him for getting it. But was a PhD necessary to become a hearing officer? Sounds unlikely, but I don't know for sure. Maybe it was.

He started on that in the before times, and like many of us, probably had a lot of his own plans derailed as a result of the pandemic. I imagine he had aspirations of higher level administrative positions but maybe needs a break from the day-to-day chaos for a while. He also has teenage kids of his own, and who knows what family struggles they may be grappling with at home. It’s been a tough time for all of us..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Didn't he spend a long time getting his PhD?

Yes, I believe so, and good for him for getting it. But was a PhD necessary to become a hearing officer? Sounds unlikely, but I don't know for sure. Maybe it was.

He started on that in the before times, and like many of us, probably had a lot of his own plans derailed as a result of the pandemic. I imagine he had aspirations of higher level administrative positions but maybe needs a break from the day-to-day chaos for a while. He also has teenage kids of his own, and who knows what family struggles they may be grappling with at home. It’s been a tough time for all of us..

One of those fight videos that students posted last year included him in the middle of one of the fights. Student were saying that he was punched but it wasn't on the video so who knows for sure.

I can see why he'd need a break.

Central office staff said that Hutchings hated him (no reason given) so interesting that he only outlasted him by three months or so.

[Anonymous]

I thought his open communication and transparency were refreshing in ACPS. A hearings officer sounds like a step down but he is likely burnt out. I am concerned though. I think he was a good fit for GWMS. I don't know if others would be so open about what is going on at the school. He advocated for the staff and parents and supported the SROs, when based on his thesis, I'm sure that wasn't something he was gungho about. Watching those fight videos, he seemed calm, and also like he had dealt with this a thousand times. I also heard that Hutchings disliked him and thought he was afraid of Black students. The other rumor was that the teachers and staff disliked him. As a parent, I found him to be a breath of fresh air in ACPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mid year? How unprofessional.

That is unusual but he may have seen the writing on the wall or just felt abused from central. Teachers leave mid year more often now, its a free market and ACPS is underfunded compared to FFX and ARL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mid year? How unprofessional.

That is unusual but he may have seen the writing on the wall or just felt abused from central. Teachers leave mid year more often now, its a free market and ACPS is underfunded compared to FFX and ARL.

What's your measure for ACPS being underfunded compared to FFX and ARL?

Per pupil cost at GW is 17K, pp cost at arlington middle schools is 19K, Fairfax is 16K.

According to last week's school board meeting ACPS is sitting on $33 million in COVID federal funds.

So I'm genuinely curious about your measure for underfunding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mid year? How unprofessional.

That is unusual but he may have seen the writing on the wall or just felt abused from central. Teachers leave mid year more often now, its a free market and ACPS is underfunded compared to FFX and ARL.

What's your measure for ACPS being underfunded compared to FFX and ARL?

Per pupil cost at GW is 17K, pp cost at arlington middle schools is 19K, Fairfax is 16K.

According to last week's school board meeting ACPS is sitting on $33 million in COVID federal funds.

So I'm genuinely curious about your measure for underfunding.

adding - It's true that the CIP has been underfunded for at least a decade but that is a city council decision and the reason for the terrible physical condition of schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought his open communication and transparency were refreshing in ACPS. A hearings officer sounds like a step down but he is likely burnt out. I am concerned though. I think he was a good fit for GWMS. I don't know if others would be so open about what is going on at the school. He advocated for the staff and parents and supported the SROs, when based on his thesis, I'm sure that wasn't something he was gungho about. Watching those fight videos, he seemed calm, and also like he had dealt with this a thousand times. I also heard that Hutchings disliked him and thought he was afraid of Black students. The other rumor was that the teachers and staff disliked him. As a parent, I found him to be a breath of fresh air in ACPS.

But he also would tell kids it was their fault when their stuff got stolen or almost stolen.

What was his thesis about? It sounds like it was anti SRO in schools. If true, that should have endeared him to Hutchings. He wrote a book partially about getting rid of police in schools while advocating for police in schools.

[Anonymous]

Teachers leave mid year more often now, its a free market and ACPS is underfunded compared to FFX and ARL.

I don't believe it is underfunded, but I don't think the pay scale for teachers is competitive, due to the residual effects of past freezes.

In any event, I don't know if a principal would have those same pay issues.

I thought he was fine. I had nothing against him. I didn't think he was as wonderful as some did (for example, I was annoyed that he kept promising outdoor lunch this year, but never delivered. It would have been better for him to just say it likely couldn't happen due to staffing). But, in other aspects, he certainly did an adequate job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mid year? How unprofessional.

That is unusual but he may have seen the writing on the wall or just felt abused from central. Teachers leave mid year more often now, its a free market and ACPS is underfunded compared to FFX and ARL.

What's your measure for ACPS being underfunded compared to FFX and ARL?

Per pupil cost at GW is 17K, pp cost at arlington middle schools is 19K, Fairfax is 16K.

According to last week's school board meeting ACPS is sitting on $33 million in COVID federal funds.

So I'm genuinely curious about your measure for underfunding.

Teachers underpaid compared to our neighbors, no doubt about that. Maybe the $33 million in COVID funds earmarked for the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Revolutionary ED, LLC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Teachers leave mid year more often now, its a free market and ACPS is underfunded compared to FFX and ARL.

I don't believe it is underfunded, but I don't think the pay scale for teachers is competitive, due to the residual effects of past freezes.

In any event, I don't know if a principal would have those same pay issues.

I thought he was fine. I had nothing against him. I didn't think he was as wonderful as some did (for example, I was annoyed that he kept promising outdoor lunch this year, but never delivered. It would have been better for him to just say it likely couldn't happen due to staffing). But, in other aspects, he certainly did an adequate job.

Not paying teachers enough is a problem but isn't the same as the district being underfunded. ACPS is not underfunded.

Some administrative salaries at central office are higher than the top teacher salary. Central office is bloated and teachers pay is too low.