New Wilson Principal and the Beacon paper

[Anonymous]

Good for them for calling her out on it. I don't see why she would institute such a policy when there is no problem thus far.

[Anonymous]

Could the students set up an independent paper not affiliated with the school, and publish online? Not a Wilson parent, but I am appalled by the principal's actions. Very disappointing. If they needed some start up money to help secure a website, I'd contribute.

[Anonymous]

Ms. Martin is going to learn a big lesson from this. Just watch.

[Anonymous]

Red flag...control freak. Imagine what the teachers must be getting on their end.

[Anonymous]

DC kids are not going to stand by and let an unqualified principal whitewash the news coming out of Wilson. This is the first shot in a war that might get ugly.

[Anonymous]

It's a poor way to start the year and first impressions are everything. The beacon should be left alone and I'm sure the principal has more important things to focus on than the student newspaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a poor way to start the year and first impressions are everything. The beacon should be left alone and I'm sure the principal has more important things to focus on than the student newspaper.

Right! I was trying to figure out when she would have time to do all of this reading? That school is massive and anyone who has worked for DCPS knows that free time to do anything other than DCPS mandates is few and far in-between. Especially coming in fresh. Good luck with this one!

[Anonymous]

A very ill informed stance by a new principal who must know all eyes are on her every move until she has proven herself. Perhaps she should have sent her son to another school if she intends to make adversaries of the student body. Must be tough for the child (

[Anonymous]

Whoa! I thought she wouldn't last a year before being chewed up and spit out....now I think it could be months. What a stupid move on her part. The kids are making her look like an idiot...that editorial was so well written.

[Anonymous]

Another Wilson parent here. I've had a generally favorable impression of Dr. Martin - despite some concerns about her being in a bit over her head - but this decision makes me really question her judgement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a poor way to start the year and first impressions are everything. The beacon should be left alone and I'm sure the principal has more important things to focus on than the student newspaper.

Right! I was trying to figure out when she would have time to do all of this reading? That school is massive and anyone who has worked for DCPS knows that free time to do anything other than DCPS mandates is few and far in-between. Especially coming in fresh. Good luck with this one!

I guess while she is taking breaks from drafting her doctoral thesis and pursuing her PHD, which she is also planning to do during her tenure as Wilson principal

[Anonymous]

Her placement at Wilson was a marriage of convenience. Take it from a parent who has BTDT with DCPS principal hiring at more than one high profile school. I wasn't on the panel for this principal, but it sounds a lot like some others I have dealt with. The hiring process post-Rhee, at least on PowerPoint presentations from DCPS, is more professional and inclusive. And Henderson should get credit, IMO, for getting rid of some serious bad apples and undoing some bad models that Rhee didn't for whatever reasons.

However, DCPS has yet to become the destination of choice for the best-and-the-brightest administrators. The performance-based 3 year contracts and MJP fellowships should, in theory, help develop and retain strong school leaders eventually.

This is what we were told, unofficially, by DCPS hiring staff. They keep a few principal candidates from "urban" or school reform backgrounds in the pipeline because low-performing schools will always need leaders looking to "close the achievement gap." Wilson was not on their radar, given the urgent need in 40/40 schools, but they had to put in someone who was vetted. Based on parent and student activism, Roosevelt could wait, but Wilson could not.

The other part of the equation is getting ambition people from out of the region who may not realize (or haven't done their homework) on the instability of education reform and politics in DC. I've seen quite a few candidates who were sold a bill of goods to follow Rhee and/or Henderson to be at the supposed forefront of education reform in the nation's capital. It's been disappointing to see how many candidates, even within the city, don't do their homework on the demographics and culture of the schools they could lead.

DCPS, as a system, has to keep a pipeline of administrators in place until there's a more stable professional career path in the city. Cahill's resignation was unanticipated, as other schools like Oyster-Adams and Powell. DCPS went to its pipeline to sell high-profile posts to known, vetted candidates. Whether or not the potential hires knew what they were getting into.

Addressing the Yale-or-Jail outcomes of Wilson will take a lot more leadership than that from someone who's concerned with the student paper.

Don't be shocked if she leaves before the end of the school year to return to Ohio or Colorado for "personal" reasons or if DCPS asks her to lead Roosevelt or another school that "aligns with her skills."

Signed,
BTDT Parent of DCPS students

[Anonymous]

First, bravo to the Beacon stuff for writing such an eloquent and clear editorial. I think this decision by the principal and the response by the students could easily turn into a news story that will attract a fair amount of play. So any of the Beacon staff who really want to be journalists should really be thanking principal Martin because this situation will turn into a wonderful college entrance essay opportunity. Truth to power, baby. In all seriousness, Martin really needs to reverser decision and apologize publicly. Otherwise this will not go well for her. As another PP mentioned, running Wilson is in an enormous job and I am frankly concerned but she think she has time to review the student newspaper and all online articles before publication. She really should not move to Washington DC and expect to tinker with things like freedom of speech without expecting that the students, as well as their highly educated parents, will push back. And I Think most of us can agree that any leader he uses a "it's the way I've always done it "excuse to explain their actions is not going to be a good, innovative, or effective leader. This does not bode well for Wilson and I'm watching closely because we'll be there (maybe) in 4 years.

[Anonymous]

I predict this will backfire terribly for the principal. If she does not change her decision I think she should expect to read the controversial issues she's hoping to avoid in the student paper in the Post instead. It would be very easy for the student journalists to become reliable sources for "real" reporters. What the principle seems to be missing here is that the students are working on their craft. The newspaper is in a gossip column to them, it's where they are learning to be the writers and journalists many of them aspire to be. She needs to back off and realize that she is not an editor but an educator and what she has done absolutely counter to what a good educator should do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I predict this will backfire terribly for the principal. If she does not change her decision I think she should expect to read the controversial issues she's hoping to avoid in the student paper in the Post instead. It would be very easy for the student journalists to become reliable sources for "real" reporters. What the principle seems to be missing here is that the students are working on their craft. The newspaper is in a gossip column to them, it's where they are learning to be the writers and journalists many of them aspire to be. She needs to back off and realize that she is not an editor but an educator and what she has done absolutely counter to what a good educator should do.

Or perhaps on social media....