Mad at the Board

[Anonymous]

Well, the parents are impossible but that’s nothing new.

Parents need to act if they are dissatisfied. Have any of you read the governance documents? Contacted the Board directly? Really, anything?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at the same school as OP and treasure the community but are troubled with the board.

I think the board president needs to resign and the majority board should be reconstructed in order to facilitate future trust.

They made a mistake. Own it.

Another family weighing in here, and I agree completely. I was disappointed that the HOS was leaving and creating the resulting uncertainty and instability, but I'm even more disappointed in the lack of transparency from the Board about this all. They clearly made a mistake in selecting this HOS. If that's not the case, explain why. If it is in fact what happened, own it and tell parents how you will do better in this next search. The fact that they weren't proactive in planning a town hall, parent/Board meeting or listening session, etc. tells me they're resting on their laurels and planning business as usual, and that's really unfortunate. They had time to go out and pick a new interim head of school to include in the carefullly orchestrated announcements, but parents get a "we'll be in touch after Thanksgiving with more"?

I mean, either you can be upset the HOS is leaving or upset they chose poorly, but you shouldn’t be both.

It could be the HOS is leaving because the parents are impossible.

Could be, it’s a problem common to all private schools judging by your tone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at the same school as OP and treasure the community but are troubled with the board.

I think the board president needs to resign and the majority board should be reconstructed in order to facilitate future trust.

They made a mistake. Own it.

Another family weighing in here, and I agree completely. I was disappointed that the HOS was leaving and creating the resulting uncertainty and instability, but I'm even more disappointed in the lack of transparency from the Board about this all. They clearly made a mistake in selecting this HOS. If that's not the case, explain why. If it is in fact what happened, own it and tell parents how you will do better in this next search. The fact that they weren't proactive in planning a town hall, parent/Board meeting or listening session, etc. tells me they're resting on their laurels and planning business as usual, and that's really unfortunate. They had time to go out and pick a new interim head of school to include in the carefullly orchestrated announcements, but parents get a "we'll be in touch after Thanksgiving with more"?

I mean, either you can be upset the HOS is leaving or upset they chose poorly, but you shouldn’t be both.

It could be the HOS is leaving because the parents are impossible.

Could be, it’s a problem common to all private schools judging by your tone.

Nope, a very happy private school parent here.

But I don’t know why you Maret folks are so bent on staying at an obviously toxic place!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at the same school as OP and treasure the community but are troubled with the board.

I think the board president needs to resign and the majority board should be reconstructed in order to facilitate future trust.

They made a mistake. Own it.

Another family weighing in here, and I agree completely. I was disappointed that the HOS was leaving and creating the resulting uncertainty and instability, but I'm even more disappointed in the lack of transparency from the Board about this all. They clearly made a mistake in selecting this HOS. If that's not the case, explain why. If it is in fact what happened, own it and tell parents how you will do better in this next search. The fact that they weren't proactive in planning a town hall, parent/Board meeting or listening session, etc. tells me they're resting on their laurels and planning business as usual, and that's really unfortunate. They had time to go out and pick a new interim head of school to include in the carefullly orchestrated announcements, but parents get a "we'll be in touch after Thanksgiving with more"?

I mean, either you can be upset the HOS is leaving or upset they chose poorly, but you shouldn’t be both.

It could be the HOS is leaving because the parents are impossible.

Could be, it’s a problem common to all private schools judging by your tone.

Nope, a very happy private school parent here.

But I don’t know why you Maret folks are so bent on staying at an obviously toxic place!

You hide very well your happiness.

[Anonymous]

A senior staff member once encapsulated how the schools think about parents.

“Parents come and parents go. But the Alumni are with us forever.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at the same school as OP and treasure the community but are troubled with the board.

I think the board president needs to resign and the majority board should be reconstructed in order to facilitate future trust.

They made a mistake. Own it.

Another family weighing in here, and I agree completely. I was disappointed that the HOS was leaving and creating the resulting uncertainty and instability, but I'm even more disappointed in the lack of transparency from the Board about this all. They clearly made a mistake in selecting this HOS. If that's not the case, explain why. If it is in fact what happened, own it and tell parents how you will do better in this next search. The fact that they weren't proactive in planning a town hall, parent/Board meeting or listening session, etc. tells me they're resting on their laurels and planning business as usual, and that's really unfortunate. They had time to go out and pick a new interim head of school to include in the carefullly orchestrated announcements, but parents get a "we'll be in touch after Thanksgiving with more"?

I mean, either you can be upset the HOS is leaving or upset they chose poorly, but you shouldn’t be both.

It could be the HOS is leaving because the parents are impossible.

I didn't say I'm upset they chose poorly. I said I'm upset that, assuming that's the case, the Board decided not to own it and proactively demonstrate how they're working to make sure that doesn't happen this time around.

[Anonymous]

A lot of what is being asked was actually done by the board. They worked with a firm, they asked for feedback. It is the purview of the board to select the Head. Serving on other boards, there are times when parents want a say in places that is not their purview at all. That being said, this was a bad choice and the board has not owned it. I am also aware that faculty is upset with the board and had not owned it with faculty either. They did not do s great job being the boss of the Head of School. He made a big mess in s number of areas.

[Anonymous]

Are they really getting an interim head or will the interim actually be the next HOS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they really getting an interim head or will the interim actually be the next HOS?

Formally is the interim.

[Anonymous]

Worth mentioning that this specific Board member also had some overlap in the venn diagram of the issues that led to some of the current discontent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Worth mentioning that this specific Board member also had some overlap in the venn diagram of the issues that led to some of the current discontent.

In plain English?

[Anonymous]

No need for plain English. If you’re at the school and impacted, you fully understand. If not, it’s none of your business.

[Anonymous]

So this is about Maret?

[Anonymous]

Tough look for Maret, but following Marjo was always going to be difficult.

It will cause some short term churn, some teachers and administrators will leave, day to day experience of students will likely not change.

Maret will maintain its niche within the DMV independents and still be a great school.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes hiring decisions don’t work out, even after care and diligence by the board. Lighten up people. Maret will survive and get through this. Signed, a Maret parent.