Why are dozens of principals leaving Fairfax Co. schools?

[Anonymous]

Interesting article on WTOP today:

Why are dozens of principals leaving Fairfax Co. schools?

https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2023/11/dozens-of-principals-have-left-fairfax-co-schools-since-2020-data-show/%0A

[Anonymous]

Exactly what they said. It’s a terrible working environment and dr. Reid doesn’t care.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher, my impression is that principals do not have nearly enough oversight or supervision. They pretty much seem to do what they want. I know they get way too much pressure about test scores and are pressured to minimize behavior statistics.

[Anonymous]

I feel like health care and public education are very similar in that the people at the top are so far removed from the daily grind that they have no concept of what is going on. And they are the ones making all the decisions and implementing policies that do not make sense.

[Anonymous]

Send Dr Reid back to the West Coast.

[Anonymous]

Dr. Reid always seems nice to me in public. Is she not so nice in private, or is it more an issue of issuing directives with no real clue as to what principals would actually have to do to satisfy her demands?

[Anonymous]

The surrounding counties have more administrative support in schools, higher pay, more vacation time, and less expensive insurance premiums. It’s a no brainer and the data show it. Why wouldn’t they leave?

[Anonymous]

At least some of them are retiring to get FCPS pensions while collecting a salary in a new division.

I get the impression Reid actually expects some results from principals and the ones who quit were used to Brabrand’s do-nothing style.

[Anonymous]

I'd be curious to see the employee satisfaction surveys from the principals who recently left. I suspect a few of them were given the "retire or get fired" ultimatum.

[Anonymous]

here are the top reasons IMO:
- the overly litigious nature of some families who have unreasonable expectations of public school and special education.
-the limits placed on disciplining students because some parents fight back and avoid discipline with excuses like discrimination or disabilities.
-not enough staff in elementary schools.
-people are politicizing education.
-parents don’t respect educators and see them as low class stupid babysitters instead of intelligent, skilled, (but human) professionals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least some of them are retiring to get FCPS pensions while collecting a salary in a new division.

I get the impression Reid actually expects some results from principals and the ones who quit were used to Brabrand’s do-nothing style.

What is she expecting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:here are the top reasons IMO:
- the overly litigious nature of some families who have unreasonable expectations of public school and special education.
-the limits placed on disciplining students because some parents fight back and avoid discipline with excuses like discrimination or disabilities.
-not enough staff in elementary schools.
-people are politicizing education.
-parents don’t respect educators and see them as low class stupid babysitters instead of intelligent, skilled, (but human) professionals

Wow. Hope you are never a parent. Private schools paying teachers less are growing. Somehow they also have discriminatory parents and confident principals. Maybe they spend less time worrying about parents and more time making a school they are proud of. Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Reid always seems nice to me in public. Is she not so nice in private, or is it more an issue of issuing directives with no real clue as to what principals would actually have to do to satisfy her demands?

She is nice in private as well, but it is clear that she really has no clue how Fairfax works over a year into the job. She is good at smiling, nodding, and saying “I’ll look into that.” She doesn’t truly listen to school leadership or teachers. She’s great at word salad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least some of them are retiring to get FCPS pensions while collecting a salary in a new division.

I get the impression Reid actually expects some results from principals and the ones who quit were used to Brabrand’s do-nothing style.

+1. I also get a strong sense from community meetings that Reid is out here pushing for real results - especially for the most disadvantaged and those lagging far behind the norm. I think some principals, specifically those closer to retirement, realize it's going to be hard work to fix the failing schools and jumping ship to a system with less expectations is an easy way out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least some of them are retiring to get FCPS pensions while collecting a salary in a new division.

I get the impression Reid actually expects some results from principals and the ones who quit were used to Brabrand’s do-nothing style.

+100