A quarter of the teachers at Lakewood Elementary are leaving.

[Anonymous]

We moved to this neighborhood because of the school district. I've really liked the teachers my son has had; they have all been helpful, caring and communicative with me. But I know at least two of them are leaving! When I heard that, I told my husband that we should just sell our house, move to a condo and send the kinds to private school.

I'm told the new principal is making it a toxic workplace. Does anyone know what the f*** is going on?

[Anonymous]

How did you get from "I know at least two of them are leaving" to "A quarter of the teachers are leaving"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you get from "I know at least two of them are leaving" to "A quarter of the teachers are leaving"?

There are 9 out of 40 teachers leaving and more to follow, including some 20+ year long term teachers. The new principle is toxic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you get from "I know at least two of them are leaving" to "A quarter of the teachers are leaving"?

There are 9 out of 40 teachers leaving and more to follow, including some 20+ year long term teachers. The new principle is toxic.

That's 22.5%

[Anonymous]

Public schools are tanking... on purpose.

[Anonymous]

Wayside is seeing a similar turnover and I have also been told it is due to the new principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you get from "I know at least two of them are leaving" to "A quarter of the teachers are leaving"?

There are 9 out of 40 teachers leaving and more to follow, including some 20+ year long term teachers. The new principle is toxic.

That's 22.5%

So 2.5% short of a quarter makes it acceptable?

The principle also made 8 out 18 grade teachers to change grade next year, plus the ones leaving, which would make more than half of the grade teachers new to the grades they will teach next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you get from "I know at least two of them are leaving" to "A quarter of the teachers are leaving"?

Hi, OP here. I meant that two of the teachers that I personally know (having had them myself) are leaving; I got an email last night from another concerned parent that 9 out of 40 teachers had announced that they are leaving. I spoke to another teacher who told me she is leaving as well but hasn't publicly announced it yet -- so THERE, that's at least 10/40, 25%, a quarter, whatever you want to call it -- that are leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you get from "I know at least two of them are leaving" to "A quarter of the teachers are leaving"?

There are 9 out of 40 teachers leaving and more to follow, including some 20+ year long term teachers. The new principle is toxic.

That's 22.5%

So 2.5% short of a quarter makes it acceptable?

The principle also made 8 out 18 grade teachers to change grade next year, plus the ones leaving, which would make more than half of the grade teachers new to the grades they will teach next year.

Right, I don't understand why this change was made?! I know there's probably some reasoning about encouraging the teachers to develop their skillset further to better accommodate more diverse students or whatever, but c'mon! With a quarter of the teachers outright leaving, that's a huge loss of institutional knowledge for a principal that literally started this year. These kids have been through some wacky years lately with the pandemic affecting their schooling... why are we messing with what has widely been regarded as an excellent school?

[Anonymous]

I would be interested what the numbers are county wide including how many positions were not filled for the FY23 school year.

Dr. McKnight and Central Office have done little to improve staff morale in schools. Teachers are overworked, micromanaged, and underpaid. You add the appointment of a toxic principal (something that should have been weeded out during the principal training and appointment process) teachers on the edge of quitting will simply go ahead and quit.

How many of the Lakelands teachers are transferring to other schools and how many are leaving MCPS altogether? That number would give a better measurement of how much of the wave of resignations fall on the principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be interested what the numbers are county wide including how many positions were not filled for the FY23 school year.

Dr. McKnight and Central Office have done little to improve staff morale in schools. Teachers are overworked, micromanaged, and underpaid. You add the appointment of a toxic principal (something that should have been weeded out during the principal training and appointment process) teachers on the edge of quitting will simply go ahead and quit.

How many of the Lakelands teachers are transferring to other schools and how many are leaving MCPS altogether? That number would give a better measurement of how much of the wave of resignations fall on the principal.

This is the question to ask. I’d also want to know how many are family related. Sometimes you have years where everyone is having a baby at the same time and electing to stay home for a year.

[Anonymous]

What is the principal doing that is "toxic"?

[Anonymous]

Yeah but what’s the GreatSchools rating? I mean, that’s what made you think it was a great school, right?

Test scores aren’t everything, people.

[Anonymous]

Just curious, when teachers leave one district, do they also forfeit those years toward their retirement?

[Anonymous]

This happens. The entire Math teaching contingent of Richard Montgomery school left when the new principal joined (who has now been replaced I believe).

the whole math Dept - every single teacher