Hearst Principal Leaving/Washington Post

[Anonymous]

ITA. For parents who don't want their children speaking like this, it has to concern you. We're leaving DCPS and going charter so we've escaped too

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh. Why is Kaya saying "ain't"?

Wonderful spokesperson; yikes! Is she trying to be 'just folks'? Not the right moment in a situation meriting a serious, reasoned response.

--former DCPS teacher who give thanks every day for my good fortune in escaping....

So many take-aways in this article. Good on the Principal for putting his real thoughts out there.

That said, when I read "ain't" coming out of the Chancellor's mouth in an on-the-record interview with the Post, my first thought was: she should be fired just for that.

Can you imagine a CEO being interviewed in, say, the WSJ, about a key executive's departure and hearing the word "ain't" in her answer. Please!! Just ridiculous. Standards are set from the top. What a joke.

[Anonymous]

This story illustrates a really dysfunctional aspect of DCPS. Here you have a principal, Mr. Kerlina, who has high expectations for student behavior. It is the key to creating the best learning environment for students to learn and teachers to teach. This is what we should expect from our administrators; this is their job. And it is the job of DCPS central office to bend over backwards in support of them. How does an administrator implement these high standards, follow through on consequences when they get central office interference? Is it any surprise he's leaving? What a loss for students.

DCPS is shooting themselves in the foot. Setting behavioral standards and following through is key to creating an excellent learning environment. They were so lucky to have someone like Mr. Kerlina. What a loss for the students.

Perhaps if principals like Mr. K were allowed to do their jobs the NW neighborhood communities they're trying to recruit would feel more confident about buying in.

[Anonymous]

DC is sending dozens of violent kids back into schools. The kid at Hearst was a known discipline problem before stabbing another student with a pencil. There's also the story of the student who attacked a Spingarn teacher who only told the student to quiet down. That teacher now needs reconstructive surgery on her face. How will DC schools ever get better if there isn't a serious effort to ensure that schools are safe by removing students who threaten school safety?

I completely understand Principal Kerlina's frustration. However, I feel the most for the families without the means to go elsewhere and the teachers who have to work in these conditions.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-schools-insider/post/was-vicious-attack-on-spingarn-teacher-avoidable/2011/06/24/AGPyoBjH_blog.html

[Anonymous]

Soon, the only students attending DCPS schools will be those attending elementary in ward three and perhaps the capital hill cluster. Charter students currently make up approximately 40% of the student public school population. I have no idea the percentage of public school students attending private school with vouchers. As the central office continue to make a clusterfuck of DCPS, the only students they will have to account for are the troublemakers, the wealthy they currently cater to in the special ward, and the pg county free-loaders. how will central justify their positions then?

[Anonymous]

Relatively new DCPS teacher here. I just do not understand why these discipline problems are not met with strict consequences like they are in successful school districts. How would student pencil stabbings and teacher attacks be addressed in Montgomery County? Would Fairfax County allow ED students to be mainstreamed? Would past records of these students be kept from classroom teachers?

Do you know what it takes to get a student expelled or even suspended (and all the paperwork/hurdles involved) in DCPS?

Why do we have different standards in DCPS? Is it because these students are predominantly AA and low income? Is this a race thing? Why the exception? Why aren't we allowed to make these students and their families accountable? Is it really the teacher's problem exclusively? If a principal can't handle these issues effectively how can a teacher be expected to do so and teach the children who want to learn? Does this process advocate for them?

Until we get a grip on disruptive learning environments in failing schools we will not move forward.

PS. Is this an example of high expectations for all? Not only do we not address bad behavior effectively, we promote students to the next grade level who have no business being there.

[Anonymous]

Hearst is such an odd duck school anyway. It only goes to third grade, correct? So as a parent why would I want my child to be Separated from their friends after third grade to either go to Murch or eaton for 2 years? If no one from the neighborhooD even attends, why is it still open?

[Anonymous]

Hearst now goes through 5th like the other schools in the neighborhood.

As a tax payer and parent of children in DCPS, I am frustrarted that we continue to bend over for non-resident families that break the law and send their children to our schools. I am sure that most of the children who are here illegally are nice kids - but that is not the point.

How can we get our city to take a stand and stop being a doormat? The situation at Thompson earlier this year, the case that was highlighted in the article. How do we stop this and figure out how to take care of our own kids?

[Anonymous]

Contrarian viewpoint here. That principal sounded incredibly immature. It seemed like he had an excuse for everything. The neighborhood parents are racist. Parents are demanding. Central is pushy. Sidwell is too much competition. The bad child is from PG County. MoCo was better. Whine, whine, whine.

What part of the "District of Columbia Public Schools" in his contract did he not understand?

But then there's that little matter of scores dropping. Maybe he should have brought cupcakes during testing.

Yes, it was disappointing to read that Kaya used the "a" word. But I'm not one to judge. We've all made mistakes and I'm sure she's regretting it.

[Anonymous]

The principal may be immature and a whiner. Does that make his concerns invalid?

[Anonymous]

The scores dropped because the year before he came all the classrooms were flagged for cheating. Kerlina is clearly honest which makes him unfit for the mess that is dcps.

[Anonymous]

Just gotta ask, 15:25 you work for the central Office,right?

Those dccas score better be soaring this year or some heads need to roll downtown.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately the heads downtown don't take responsibility for anything. If scores don't soar, the teachers will be blamed.

[Anonymous]

"he is leaving education altogether ... to go into the gourmet cupcake business"
what more do we need to know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately the heads downtown don't take responsibility for anything. If scores don't soar, the teachers will be blamed.

. Yup. That's 'school reform' in a nutshell.

[Anonymous]

Two thoughts i had while reading the article: why is Hearst even still open? It is such a small school - it can't be cost effective and the neighborhood doesn't even support it.

The other thought i had (and i know i am missing something you all seem to know) - why is a kid from PG county attending school in DCPS? He was investigated and proven to be a PG resident and then central office brought him back. Why would they do that?