Coolidge High School Principal Resigns

[Anonymous]

I was a teacher there for few years a decade ago. Morale was always an issue. The students knew they weren't in a choice school and many of the teachers were beyond burnt out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher there for few years a decade ago. Morale was always an issue. The students knew they weren't in a choice school and many of the teachers were beyond burnt out.

Agreed. I know many teachers there who cut out of work early, show movies all day. There are some great teachers too- but the great ones want a strong leader who will drive the lazy ones out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't combine Coolidge and Roosevelt without bloodshed, I hear

This is how it was in my day. Sad to hear it's still an issue.

Is there any proof it's that bad? We're not talking about Anacostia vs. Ballou - these kids are still multi-generational middle class in NW. Is there really no way for academically ambitious students outside the Wilson catchment to go to class without gang fights? Or is this, perhaps, overblown hype in the interest of serving specific, undisclosed agendas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't combine Coolidge and Roosevelt without bloodshed, I hear

This is how it was in my day. Sad to hear it's still an issue.

Is there any proof it's that bad? We're not talking about Anacostia vs. Ballou - these kids are still multi-generational middle class in NW. Is there really no way for academically ambitious students outside the Wilson catchment to go to class without gang fights? Or is this, perhaps, overblown hype in the interest of serving specific, undisclosed agendas?

They aren't "gangs" it's just that your not from my "hood", therefore we don't like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't combine Coolidge and Roosevelt without bloodshed, I hear

This is how it was in my day. Sad to hear it's still an issue.

Is there any proof it's that bad? We're not talking about Anacostia vs. Ballou - these kids are still multi-generational middle class in NW. Is there really no way for academically ambitious students outside the Wilson catchment to go to class without gang fights? Or is this, perhaps, overblown hype in the interest of serving specific, undisclosed agendas?

They aren't "gangs" it's just that your not from my "hood", therefore we don't like you.

Is this a problem at charters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't combine Coolidge and Roosevelt without bloodshed, I hear

This is how it was in my day. Sad to hear it's still an issue.

Is there any proof it's that bad? We're not talking about Anacostia vs. Ballou - these kids are still multi-generational middle class in NW. Is there really no way for academically ambitious students outside the Wilson catchment to go to class without gang fights? Or is this, perhaps, overblown hype in the interest of serving specific, undisclosed agendas?

They aren't "gangs" it's just that your not from my "hood", therefore we don't like you.

Is this a problem at charters?

I don't believe so since they are citywide. Charters weren't even heard of when this type of behavior was the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher there for few years a decade ago. Morale was always an issue. The students knew they weren't in a choice school and many of the teachers were beyond burnt out.

Agreed. I know many teachers there who cut out of work early, show movies all day. There are some great teachers too- but the great ones want a strong leader who will drive the lazy ones out!

Are you kidding?? Many teachers? I attended not so stellar public schools and also saw Waiting for Superman, but I can't believe this could still be going on.

[Anonymous]

No, I am not kidding. Sometimes I really have to wonder what the hell DCPS have been fed regarding their schools. If you are a special education inclusion teacher, and you are not tied down to a room- you can easily cut out. And I am friends with a few Coolidge teachers who do just that.
Wise up to your school system- or keep listening to the hype kaya Henderson shoves down your throat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I am not kidding. Sometimes I really have to wonder what the hell DCPS have been fed regarding their schools. If you are a special education inclusion teacher, and you are not tied down to a room- you can easily cut out. And I am friends with a few Coolidge teachers who do just that.
Wise up to your school system- or keep listening to the hype kaya Henderson shoves down your throat.

The teacher can just cut out? And not one student in any of the classes she/he didn't show up for will report that to a parent or the principal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't combine Coolidge and Roosevelt without bloodshed, I hear

This is how it was in my day. Sad to hear it's still an issue.

Is there any proof it's that bad? We're not talking about Anacostia vs. Ballou - these kids are still multi-generational middle class in NW. Is there really no way for academically ambitious students outside the Wilson catchment to go to class without gang fights? Or is this, perhaps, overblown hype in the interest of serving specific, undisclosed agendas?

They aren't "gangs" it's just that your not from my "hood", therefore we don't like you.

Is this a problem at charters?

No. Parents enroll their children in privates and charters to avoid situations like this.

[Anonymous]

The teachers who cut out are special education teachers. They are 'co teaching'. So no, no one reports. And what would the admin do? The principal last year was suspended for fighting and this one resigned.
Get to know your DCPS. It's different than you'd think.

[Anonymous]

Through my reliable sources it was a family issue and it was in best interest for the principal to resign. The leave of absence would have been too much of an inconvenience.

Recruiting from all over the city for Eastern with the result of 99% being FARM is not death sentence. Considering the majority of our specialty schools are well over 50% FARM. Then there's Wilson HS that is the largest HS and they too have a large FARM population. If people stop looking at the word FARM like crime-scene tape and judge the entire school. As Eastern approaches their first graduation class in 4-years they have NOT failed by any means necessary. Again, aiming for the black students to get an education is not a failure.

[Anonymous]

I just looked at the Coolidge alumni FB page. Someone posted, "Mr. Jackson is the new principal. He is back at Coolidge."
PLEASE tell me this isn't the same Mr. Jackson that embezzled tens of thousands of dollars in grant money, left to be a principal at Booker T. Washington and was never held accountable for any of it. It is a common name, so please let it be a different Mr. Jackson. Does anyone know about this?

[Anonymous]

Never mind, I looked it up and yes, it is the same one who stole from the school in 2003-2004. Only in DC can we accept this kind of behavior as normal and pretend it didn't happen. Disgusting.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Never mind, I looked it up and yes, it is the same one who stole from the school in 2003-2004. Only in DC can we accept this kind of behavior as normal and pretend it didn't happen. Disgusting.

I assume you are referring to this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/08/AR2007110802506.html?sid=ST2007110802581

"Within months, almost all the money from the foundation was gone. School auditors later determined that Coolidge officials "misused and/or misappropriated" almost $47,000 of the grant."