DCI Parent Petition

[Anonymous]

https://c.org/ndFYMGjBWM

[Anonymous]

This petition is so light on specifics, how can you expect anyone to take it seriously.

I’m a DCI parent and I have no earthly idea what the concerns are other than that there was a letter with concerns, like for all I know he got rid of the espresso machine in the lounge (a thing that got a letter of concern circulating at Dell!)

[Anonymous]

If you click on the link about what the staff submitted you can see more specifics.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CtQkImW-3e63OCR5cJS9vXUJ3pwPN9fc/view

I would hardly say this SEVEN PAGE letter to the board was light on specifics.

[Anonymous]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CtQkImW-3e63OCR5cJS9vXUJ3pwPN9fc/view?usp=drivesdk

Urging all DCI community members to read

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CtQkImW-3e63OCR5cJS9vXUJ3pwPN9fc/view?usp=drivesdk

Urging all DCI community members to read

Eh this just reads like sour grapes from some staff and teachers towards a new ED trying to impose some accountability on the school and figure out how to improve IB score outcomes.

None of this appears that serious, and some of it- complaining about progressive discipline for tardiness- feels like staff who are rebelling against basic professional standards.

[Anonymous]

"Basic professional standards" and it's humans with lives who are being threatened with docked pay and consequences if they experience human needs like flat tires, cranky kids who won't move quickly in the morning, late busses. I'm on the outskirts of the DCI community but also in the DC education world, and I've NEVER heard of a school with a clock in system for grown adults. And that's just one aspect of admin infantilizing staff. The school used scare tactics on staff when the opportunity to unionize came up, spreading lies and making staff members feel like their jobs were at risk. The ED took a massive salary while working to ensure support staff like facilities barely make a living wage. The admin has a history of disrespecting their teachers and showing no faith in them. Saying that none of this appears serious is very much misunderstanding the matter and showing the same disrespect to staff that admin is doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Basic professional standards" and it's humans with lives who are being threatened with docked pay and consequences if they experience human needs like flat tires, cranky kids who won't move quickly in the morning, late busses. I'm on the outskirts of the DCI community but also in the DC education world, and I've NEVER heard of a school with a clock in system for grown adults. And that's just one aspect of admin infantilizing staff. The school used scare tactics on staff when the opportunity to unionize came up, spreading lies and making staff members feel like their jobs were at risk. The ED took a massive salary while working to ensure support staff like facilities barely make a living wage. The admin has a history of disrespecting their teachers and showing no faith in them. Saying that none of this appears serious is very much misunderstanding the matter and showing the same disrespect to staff that admin is doing.

Teachers are mad because they're expected to show up on time? Seriously?

Clocking in/out is a pretty normal in lots of the working world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CtQkImW-3e63OCR5cJS9vXUJ3pwPN9fc/view?usp=drivesdk

Urging all DCI community members to read

Eh this just reads like sour grapes from some staff and teachers towards a new ED trying to impose some accountability on the school and figure out how to improve IB score outcomes.

None of this appears that serious, and some of it- complaining about progressive discipline for tardiness- feels like staff who are rebelling against basic professional standards.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Basic professional standards" and it's humans with lives who are being threatened with docked pay and consequences if they experience human needs like flat tires, cranky kids who won't move quickly in the morning, late busses. I'm on the outskirts of the DCI community but also in the DC education world, and I've NEVER heard of a school with a clock in system for grown adults. And that's just one aspect of admin infantilizing staff. The school used scare tactics on staff when the opportunity to unionize came up, spreading lies and making staff members feel like their jobs were at risk. The ED took a massive salary while working to ensure support staff like facilities barely make a living wage. The admin has a history of disrespecting their teachers and showing no faith in them. Saying that none of this appears serious is very much misunderstanding the matter and showing the same disrespect to staff that admin is doing.

Teachers are mad because they're expected to show up on time? Seriously?

Clocking in/out is a pretty normal in lots of the working world.

Do you clock in and out of your professional role? It's maybe normal in hourly, waged roles, but not for professionals who can be trusted to do their jobs and be humans. Odd that previous poster's small example is what people are latching onto when, if you read the seven page doc, there are so many more egregious issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Basic professional standards" and it's humans with lives who are being threatened with docked pay and consequences if they experience human needs like flat tires, cranky kids who won't move quickly in the morning, late busses. I'm on the outskirts of the DCI community but also in the DC education world, and I've NEVER heard of a school with a clock in system for grown adults. And that's just one aspect of admin infantilizing staff. The school used scare tactics on staff when the opportunity to unionize came up, spreading lies and making staff members feel like their jobs were at risk. The ED took a massive salary while working to ensure support staff like facilities barely make a living wage. The admin has a history of disrespecting their teachers and showing no faith in them. Saying that none of this appears serious is very much misunderstanding the matter and showing the same disrespect to staff that admin is doing.

Teachers are mad because they're expected to show up on time? Seriously?

Clocking in/out is a pretty normal in lots of the working world.

Do you clock in and out of your professional role? It's maybe normal in hourly, waged roles, but not for professionals who can be trusted to do their jobs and be humans. Odd that previous poster's small example is what people are latching onto when, if you read the seven page doc, there are so many more egregious issues.

My staff are all union employees in professional roles. They clock in and out daily.

[Anonymous]

Point of clarification: ED reported salarly on the school's 990 in 2024 is $267k. I have seen people saying it is $400k, which appears to be false.

[Anonymous]

If you read the full letter and have ever worked under similar leadership, whether in a public or corporate setting, you’ll understand exactly what it’s describing. The fact that more than 100 teachers have left since the ED started speaks for itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Basic professional standards" and it's humans with lives who are being threatened with docked pay and consequences if they experience human needs like flat tires, cranky kids who won't move quickly in the morning, late busses. I'm on the outskirts of the DCI community but also in the DC education world, and I've NEVER heard of a school with a clock in system for grown adults. And that's just one aspect of admin infantilizing staff. The school used scare tactics on staff when the opportunity to unionize came up, spreading lies and making staff members feel like their jobs were at risk. The ED took a massive salary while working to ensure support staff like facilities barely make a living wage. The admin has a history of disrespecting their teachers and showing no faith in them. Saying that none of this appears serious is very much misunderstanding the matter and showing the same disrespect to staff that admin is doing.

Teachers are mad because they're expected to show up on time? Seriously?

Clocking in/out is a pretty normal in lots of the working world.

Do you clock in and out of your professional role? It's maybe normal in hourly, waged roles, but not for professionals who can be trusted to do their jobs and be humans. Odd that previous poster's small example is what people are latching onto when, if you read the seven page doc, there are so many more egregious issues.

My staff are all union employees in professional roles. They clock in and out daily.

so you do as well?

[Anonymous]

I believe the clock in/out system is just one of many issues if you do research into what these teachers (and students, and many families) are saying. People seem very stuck on this point and are unwilling to read the letter, which outlines the larger problems:
1. Mr. Rosskamm has reduced support and resources for the programs and personnel that enable the IB for All Mission.
2) Weakening Infrastructure and Student Outcomes of Language at the Core PIllar
3) Failure to Uphold DCI’s Socially Just Community Pillar
4) Continual Reorganization of Middle Leadership and Unclear Organizational Vision
● In particular, Mr. Rosskamm has caused a collapse of the Student Support Team (SST),
undermining DCI’s ability to meet the needs of DCI’s most vulnerable students.
5) Damage to Culture and Staff Morale & Belonging

read the letter or talk to people in the community instead of poo-pooing staff members' thoughts about the disrespect and lack of trust around a clock in/ clock out system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Basic professional standards" and it's humans with lives who are being threatened with docked pay and consequences if they experience human needs like flat tires, cranky kids who won't move quickly in the morning, late busses. I'm on the outskirts of the DCI community but also in the DC education world, and I've NEVER heard of a school with a clock in system for grown adults. And that's just one aspect of admin infantilizing staff. The school used scare tactics on staff when the opportunity to unionize came up, spreading lies and making staff members feel like their jobs were at risk. The ED took a massive salary while working to ensure support staff like facilities barely make a living wage. The admin has a history of disrespecting their teachers and showing no faith in them. Saying that none of this appears serious is very much misunderstanding the matter and showing the same disrespect to staff that admin is doing.

Teachers are mad because they're expected to show up on time? Seriously?

Clocking in/out is a pretty normal in lots of the working world.

Do you clock in and out of your professional role? It's maybe normal in hourly, waged roles, but not for professionals who can be trusted to do their jobs and be humans. Odd that previous poster's small example is what people are latching onto when, if you read the seven page doc, there are so many more egregious issues.

In most professional jobs, where people are salaried, they work however many hours it takes to do the job. One week that might be 40 hours, the next week it might be 70 hours. You just do it, and no one keeps track of how much time you spent working. That doesn't happen in teaching. The number of hours and days they work is specifically prescribed by union agreements. If you told teachers you were canceling professional development day or adding days to the school year because their students' test scores were terrible, the union's head would explode.