Shake Up at SSMA?

[Anonymous]

self-serving question - my niece is going to summer camp sited at SSMA. is it really having trouble with the A/C or just a couple classrooms? sorry for the troubles for full-time students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:self-serving question - my niece is going to summer camp sited at SSMA. is it really having trouble with the A/C or just a couple classrooms? sorry for the troubles for full-time students.

The Air is back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also incoming SSMA parent-- is it 1-2 parents stirring stuff on DCUM or are there really systemic school-destroying issues at play?

Some parents are extremely angry and airing all of SSMA's dirty laundry. I'm not sure what the motivation is. Do they want the school to fail? Do they want to humiliate the administration in a public forum? Do they want to prevent families from choosing the school, and if so, why? Or are they doing a public service by warning people away from a nightmare school?

I know families at SSMA who are very happy. I also know a family who isn't. I could say the same thing about our IB school last year, though our IB drama wasn't posted all over DCUM. Please don't make any school decision (SSMA or otherwise) based solely upon what you read on this site. I'm not saying SSMA isn't a disaster, by the way. I have no objective way of knowing. Maybe you can talk to current families in person, visit the school, if you haven't already, and trust your instincts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also incoming SSMA parent-- is it 1-2 parents stirring stuff on DCUM or are there really systemic school-destroying issues at play?

Some parents are extremely angry and airing all of SSMA's dirty laundry. I'm not sure what the motivation is. Do they want the school to fail? Do they want to humiliate the administration in a public forum? Do they want to prevent families from choosing the school, and if so, why? Or are they doing a public service by warning people away from a nightmare school?

I know families at SSMA who are very happy. I also know a family who isn't. I could say the same thing about our IB school last year, though our IB drama wasn't posted all over DCUM. Please don't make any school decision (SSMA or otherwise) based solely upon what you read on this site. I'm not saying SSMA isn't a disaster, by the way. I have no objective way of knowing. Maybe you can talk to current families in person, visit the school, if you haven't already, and trust your instincts.

Calling public attention to a school's shortcomings is one of the only strategies available to parents when the board and leadership are not doing an adequate job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The latest at SSMA: most parents don't know this yet but there is a mass exodus of teachers and administrators coming. The way this situation with the principal was handled has had a massively negative impact on retention.


If you have a good relationship with your child's guide, ask your guide if he or she is coming back next year.

I’m a parent of an incoming Pk3 and I’m so nervous after reading this thread, I’ve put our IB school back on our lottery list. My child is in the 30s on other waitlists, but I don’t know we’ll get any other offers by fall.

Besides the mass exodus of great teachers, what’s the worst case scenario of what could happen at SSMA by the time classes begin in the fall?

This is a response to you and to a few other resent posters.

SSMA has the makings of a really good school. It has dedicated guides, a diverse student body and a strong parent community. What's more is it provides a free quality Montessori education. Those are huge positives. I have nothing negative to say about the quality of instruction.

But, of course, the school also has some huge negatives. And that's why there are people on DCUM stirring the pot. SSMA has a Facebook group and a lot of private discussions occur there for people in the SSMA community. These back and forths can be heated but they're private. Not everyone uses Facebook though. So I suspect some people have taken to DCUM to express their concerns for that reason and as a way of warning people outside the SSMA community of the issues at play.

The heating, air conditioning and turnover issues are all symptomatic of the core issue at SSMA which is admin. The ED really does care about education. There's no question about that. She has dedicated her life to it. And this is her third attempt at setting up or leading a PCS in the DC school system. But unfortunately she is a disaster as an administrator: unorganized, thin-skinned, and sometimes downright rude and nasty. The reason guides are leaving en masse is the same reason that the school has had 4 principals in five years: when people see how the ED operates up close, they become alarmed. She operates first and foremost by instilling fear. Ask anyone who works there. Seriously.Just ask, "Does Shining Stars have a culture of fear?" And see what response you get. Anyone not loyal to her -- and she has brought in a few people from her personal life like friends, Uber driver, babysitter, friend's personal trainer, etc, etc -- had better show loyalty to her or she will tear them apart. And either she ejects them or they leave of their own accord. This year will be particularly bad. Think about how the principal left: mid-year, mid-day, 5 weeks before school ended. Why? It goes to the ED's character. This was shockingly mean-spirited.

When the next year begins, it's basic organization that will be the problem. The worst case scenario is chaos on the organizational level: not enough teachers, classes out of ratio because they have no subs, classrooms not ready for students, air conditioning breaking again, no one at carpool to take children into the classrooms, school supplies not ordered. The ED is disorganized and the principal masked that disorganization. With her gone, the chaos has already started. And so some very good people are going to not be there next year. And when those people leave, other people will leave too - because that's how organizations work; people stay because of other people and leave because of other people.

So the worst case scenario is not just disorganization but also a loss of qualified teachers. And it's all so disappointing, heartbreaking even. Shining Stars is a great school in so many ways. But the ED is her own worst enemy.

P.S. - She did lose a son this year and she lost her mother last year too. I can't say if that has affected her behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The latest at SSMA: most parents don't know this yet but there is a mass exodus of teachers and administrators coming. The way this situation with the principal was handled has had a massively negative impact on retention.


If you have a good relationship with your child's guide, ask your guide if he or she is coming back next year.

I’m a parent of an incoming Pk3 and I’m so nervous after reading this thread, I’ve put our IB school back on our lottery list. My child is in the 30s on other waitlists, but I don’t know we’ll get any other offers by fall.

Besides the mass exodus of great teachers, what’s the worst case scenario of what could happen at SSMA by the time classes begin in the fall?

This is a response to you and to a few other resent posters.

SSMA has the makings of a really good school. It has dedicated guides, a diverse student body and a strong parent community. What's more is it provides a free quality Montessori education. Those are huge positives. I have nothing negative to say about the quality of instruction.

But, of course, the school also has some huge negatives. And that's why there are people on DCUM stirring the pot. SSMA has a Facebook group and a lot of private discussions occur there for people in the SSMA community. These back and forths can be heated but they're private. Not everyone uses Facebook though. So I suspect some people have taken to DCUM to express their concerns for that reason and as a way of warning people outside the SSMA community of the issues at play.

The heating, air conditioning and turnover issues are all symptomatic of the core issue at SSMA which is admin. The ED really does care about education. There's no question about that. She has dedicated her life to it. And this is her third attempt at setting up or leading a PCS in the DC school system. But unfortunately she is a disaster as an administrator: unorganized, thin-skinned, and sometimes downright rude and nasty. The reason guides are leaving en masse is the same reason that the school has had 4 principals in five years: when people see how the ED operates up close, they become alarmed. She operates first and foremost by instilling fear. Ask anyone who works there. Seriously.Just ask, "Does Shining Stars have a culture of fear?" And see what response you get. Anyone not loyal to her -- and she has brought in a few people from her personal life like friends, Uber driver, babysitter, friend's personal trainer, etc, etc -- had better show loyalty to her or she will tear them apart. And either she ejects them or they leave of their own accord. This year will be particularly bad. Think about how the principal left: mid-year, mid-day, 5 weeks before school ended. Why? It goes to the ED's character. This was shockingly mean-spirited.

When the next year begins, it's basic organization that will be the problem. The worst case scenario is chaos on the organizational level: not enough teachers, classes out of ratio because they have no subs, classrooms not ready for students, air conditioning breaking again, no one at carpool to take children into the classrooms, school supplies not ordered. The ED is disorganized and the principal masked that disorganization. With her gone, the chaos has already started. And so some very good people are going to not be there next year. And when those people leave, other people will leave too - because that's how organizations work; people stay because of other people and leave because of other people.

So the worst case scenario is not just disorganization but also a loss of qualified teachers. And it's all so disappointing, heartbreaking even. Shining Stars is a great school in so many ways. But the ED is her own worst enemy.

P.S. - She did lose a son this year and she lost her mother last year too. I can't say if that has affected her behavior.

Quality of instruction has been affected a great deal. Parents with kids in PK3-K ages know very little about instruction.They just got to the school. Most are just happy if their kid gets thru the day without an accident. The kids that have been there for two plus years are the ones that have been impacted the most. Some of those kids have had 3 guides in the 3 years. There is no way optimum results can be obtained that way. The Upper El is just in shambles.

There are a few parents that seem to be chiming in and saying "those" parents have issues. Perhaps you should get involved, i.e. attend a meeting, and figure out what is actually going on. It does concern you kid too. You have no idea what you don't know. Some parents have been at the school since the beginning and have seen all of the dysfunction and are just tired. You can thank "those" parents for the HVAC repairs. But perhaps the "school fairy" made it all work in a magically fashion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone seen this job posting on Indeed?

https://www.indeed.com/company/Education-Talent-Recruiters/jobs/Montessori-Elementary-School-Principal-e10875423b75af45?fccid=0aecfacb292e62d2&vjs=3

It's from "Education Talent Recruiters" which I Googled and couldn't find anywhere on the Internet. I think it's an advertisement for the SSMA job. It sounds like the way SSMA phrases stuff. But it's UNBELIEVABLY long... to the point of being bonkers.

And notice it was posted 14 days ago, which is May 3rd, 6 days before the departing principal's last day. I guarantee you the SSMA ED wrote this job posting.

Crazy stuff, really.

That has got to be SSMA. All that for $75k, good luck!

It definitely is SSMA. See this SSMA job posting for the Principal from 2015 http://www.shiningstarspcs.org/images/pdf/career/principal_15.pdf

The same Education Talent Recruiters company is now advertising for Guide positions too using the same terms https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Education-Talent-Recruiters/jobs/Montessori-Lead-Guide-f23d71fbc81d357f?sjdu=QwrRXKrqZ3CNX5W-O9jEvQeryoiJaXlQSJ8TMgRxAZWbSXxRNghoZfu0yAhfrJIuU0wpLVkh0eycywzsFxp0yseZy3Xgf4LdIXbncJNvdNghkT4USyYBsfFZJZ98SahIvAXFwtOydFY9lCSgNQPVwQ&tk=1cdqa3794414rdua&vjs=3

Some of the phrases in the Guide job are identical to the 2015 Principal opening: "A passion for growing independent, confident and intellectually curious children" "A love of children and a sense of humor"

So some Guides might be getting fired too?

The Principal position also now says "This job posting is no longer available on Indeed." So maybe they found someone

Also notice the 2015 Principal opening: "A passion for growing independent, confident and intellectually curious children" has been replaced with "A demonstrated passion for advancing educational opportunities in low-income communities" in the now defunct 2018 position description.

That's a clear signal if you ask me

Basically, after hiring two white principals, she has decided she wants someone of color to be the principal. That's what this is all about.

No. The new Principal hired for next year is a white woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also incoming SSMA parent-- is it 1-2 parents stirring stuff on DCUM or are there really systemic school-destroying issues at play?

It is not just 1-2 parents stirring up trouble. Why are 3/4 of Guides leaving? Because there are serious issues that need to be addressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also incoming SSMA parent-- is it 1-2 parents stirring stuff on DCUM or are there really systemic school-destroying issues at play?

It is not just 1-2 parents stirring up trouble. Why are 3/4 of Guides leaving? Because there are serious issues that need to be addressed.

Is this true, that 75% of the guides are leaving?

[Anonymous]

On their staff page (http://www.shiningstarspcs.org/our-school/meet-our-staff.html) there are two blanks...one was the principal...not sure who the other one is...and there has been a new UE teacher for each of the two years they have had an UE....there is also a job posting for UE - someone said it was in shambles...changes seem to be already happening....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also incoming SSMA parent-- is it 1-2 parents stirring stuff on DCUM or are there really systemic school-destroying issues at play?

It is not just 1-2 parents stirring up trouble. Why are 3/4 of Guides leaving? Because there are serious issues that need to be addressed.

Is this true, that 75% of the guides are leaving?

Yes. Everyone that can get another position elsewhere is leaving. Between the beginning of SY2017-2018 last August and the beginning of the next school year in 2018, there will probably be a dozen departures between admin and guides. The situation with the principal crystallized the dissatisfaction and job insecurity the SSMA staff is now feeling.

In Upper El, there have been three teachers in three years. That's not a good learning environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The latest at SSMA: most parents don't know this yet but there is a mass exodus of teachers and administrators coming. The way this situation with the principal was handled has had a massively negative impact on retention.


If you have a good relationship with your child's guide, ask your guide if he or she is coming back next year.

I’m a parent of an incoming Pk3 and I’m so nervous after reading this thread, I’ve put our IB school back on our lottery list. My child is in the 30s on other waitlists, but I don’t know we’ll get any other offers by fall.

Besides the mass exodus of great teachers, what’s the worst case scenario of what could happen at SSMA by the time classes begin in the fall?

This is a response to you and to a few other resent posters.

SSMA has the makings of a really good school. It has dedicated guides, a diverse student body and a strong parent community. What's more is it provides a free quality Montessori education. Those are huge positives. I have nothing negative to say about the quality of instruction.

But, of course, the school also has some huge negatives. And that's why there are people on DCUM stirring the pot. SSMA has a Facebook group and a lot of private discussions occur there for people in the SSMA community. These back and forths can be heated but they're private. Not everyone uses Facebook though. So I suspect some people have taken to DCUM to express their concerns for that reason and as a way of warning people outside the SSMA community of the issues at play.

The heating, air conditioning and turnover issues are all symptomatic of the core issue at SSMA which is admin. The ED really does care about education. There's no question about that. She has dedicated her life to it. And this is her third attempt at setting up or leading a PCS in the DC school system. But unfortunately she is a disaster as an administrator: unorganized, thin-skinned, and sometimes downright rude and nasty. The reason guides are leaving en masse is the same reason that the school has had 4 principals in five years: when people see how the ED operates up close, they become alarmed. She operates first and foremost by instilling fear. Ask anyone who works there. Seriously.Just ask, "Does Shining Stars have a culture of fear?" And see what response you get. Anyone not loyal to her -- and she has brought in a few people from her personal life like friends, Uber driver, babysitter, friend's personal trainer, etc, etc -- had better show loyalty to her or she will tear them apart. And either she ejects them or they leave of their own accord. This year will be particularly bad. Think about how the principal left: mid-year, mid-day, 5 weeks before school ended. Why? It goes to the ED's character. This was shockingly mean-spirited.

When the next year begins, it's basic organization that will be the problem. The worst case scenario is chaos on the organizational level: not enough teachers, classes out of ratio because they have no subs, classrooms not ready for students, air conditioning breaking again, no one at carpool to take children into the classrooms, school supplies not ordered. The ED is disorganized and the principal masked that disorganization. With her gone, the chaos has already started. And so some very good people are going to not be there next year. And when those people leave, other people will leave too - because that's how organizations work; people stay because of other people and leave because of other people.

So the worst case scenario is not just disorganization but also a loss of qualified teachers. And it's all so disappointing, heartbreaking even. Shining Stars is a great school in so many ways. But the ED is her own worst enemy.

P.S. - She did lose a son this year and she lost her mother last year too. I can't say if that has affected her behavior.

The question by the poster at 10:35 suggests your worst case scenario is already happening. What can we do to stop the departures? I know people are going to say make the ED step down. I just don't see that happening. What else can Shining Stars do to retain guides for next year? This much turnover will kill the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are watching the waitlist with much confusion on what we'd do if we got a spot, but how weird is that that someone with no doctorate would be called "Dr."? I need to read the reports more carefully. I actually wouldn't care whether or not a school director had a doctorate as long as they were competent. Why falsify?

I really want this school to succeed.

That's a great question. I don't know if she has one or not but this document from National Collegiate, another PCS she co-founded, says she does: "Ed.M and Ed.D in Educational Administration, Planning and Social Policy"

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/National%20Collegiate%20Prep%20PCS%205%20Year%20Review%202013-2014.compressed.pdf

But neither her Alma Mater nor Shining Stars say anything about a doctorate. They only mention a Master's.

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/ed/09/09/construction-101
https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/2016-2017%20Annual%20Report%28GKYO%29%28ShininStarsMontesAcademPCS%29.pdf

So I wonder if she has a doctorate too. If she does, why wouldn't that degree appear in the annual report. If she doesn't, why are people calling her Dr? It's a bit strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are watching the waitlist with much confusion on what we'd do if we got a spot, but how weird is that that someone with no doctorate would be called "Dr."? I need to read the reports more carefully. I actually wouldn't care whether or not a school director had a doctorate as long as they were competent. Why falsify?

I really want this school to succeed.

That's a great question. I don't know if she has one or not but this document from National Collegiate, another PCS she co-founded, says she does: "Ed.M and Ed.D in Educational Administration, Planning and Social Policy"

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/National%20Collegiate%20Prep%20PCS%205%20Year%20Review%202013-2014.compressed.pdf

But neither her Alma Mater nor Shining Stars say anything about a doctorate. They only mention a Master's.

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/ed/09/09/construction-101
https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/2016-2017%20Annual%20Report%28GKYO%29%28ShininStarsMontesAcademPCS%29.pdf

So I wonder if she has a doctorate too. If she does, why wouldn't that degree appear in the annual report. If she doesn't, why are people calling her Dr? It's a bit strange.

It's really uncommon someone would go by Dr if they're not. I mean, most Drs don't even do that. I already am suspicious of anyone using that title who's not an MD. Like, we really don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On their staff page (http://www.shiningstarspcs.org/our-school/meet-our-staff.html) there are two blanks...one was the principal...not sure who the other one is...and there has been a new UE teacher for each of the two years they have had an UE....there is also a job posting for UE - someone said it was in shambles...changes seem to be already happening....

Someone must be making changes to the website because the Board of Directors page has changed too. Now there are only seven board members:

http://www.shiningstarspcs.org/our-school/board-of-trustees.html

My understanding is that this violates the school's bylaws. They must have nine board members.

Anonymous wrote:
The question by the poster at 10:35 suggests your worst case scenario is already happening. What can we do to stop the departures? I know people are going to say make the ED step down. I just don't see that happening. What else can Shining Stars do to retain guides for next year? This much turnover will kill the school.

I think there's the answer. The Community Association needs to select two new board members who will provide proper oversight.