Shepherd principal leaving after this year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you wonder why Dr. Barber reneged, this thread has some insight:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/809250.page

Great find. Guess they did make him an offer he couldn't resist.

Our loss. Anyone hear anything about what’s next? Can anyone paste the letter about him retracting his acceptance? We are a new family and didn’t receive anything.

That letter was not made public. The info was shared at the PTA meeting.

June 12, 2019

Dear Shepherd Elementary School Community,

As many of you may be aware, the candidate selected to lead Shepherd Elementary School for next school year recently rescinded his acceptance of the position. We share your surprise and disappointment that Dr. Barber changed his decision, and we are committed to quickly securing a new principal who will help usher Shepherd into its next phase of excellence.

As shared at the community information session held on May 9, DC Public Schools values community input on principal candidates. Even though we are quickly approaching the end of the school calendar year—with principals beginning service at their new schools on Monday, June 24—we believe that the best way to honor this priority is to convene the Shepherd community panel again to consider additional candidates. Our hope is that, upon receiving community input on these candidates, we can move quickly to naming a new principal for Shepherd who is fully committed to the school’s success.

We apologize for the extension of this process, it is out of interest of ensuring the community’s contribution to the selection of Shepherd’s next principal. Please be assured that we have continued to review and consider candidates to ensure that the strongest and most committed principal is selected to lead Shepherd into School Year 2019-2020.

Thank you for your patience as we continue to coordinate the search and selection of a new school leader.

Sincerely,

Carolyne Albert-Garvey
Interim Instructional Superintendent (outgoing)
Kim Jackson
Instructional Superintendent (incoming)

What a mess

Such a mess! The school needs an experienced principal committed for at least year especially with these construction plans.

[Anonymous]

Oh, the irony that you want a principal to commit for more than a year when DCPS won't give principals contracts that are any longer than a year. This practice, more than anything else, fundamentally destabilizes DCPS schools and keeps the nexus of power in central office. And it's bad policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, the irony that you want a principal to commit for more than a year when DCPS won't give principals contracts that are any longer than a year. This practice, more than anything else, fundamentally destabilizes DCPS schools and keeps the nexus of power in central office. And it's bad policy.

I’m new to SES and wondering if any parents organized around this issue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, the irony that you want a principal to commit for more than a year when DCPS won't give principals contracts that are any longer than a year. This practice, more than anything else, fundamentally destabilizes DCPS schools and keeps the nexus of power in central office. And it's bad policy.

I’m new to SES and wondering if any parents organized around this issue

I’m new to SES and wondering if any parents are organized around this issue

[Anonymous]

Wait- you want to know if Sheppard parents have organized around changing employment contracts? I’m not saying it’s a bad idea- but by nature collective bargaining is between Union & employers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait- you want to know if Sheppard parents have organized around changing employment contracts? I’m not saying it’s a bad idea- but by nature collective bargaining is between Union & employers

Not the contracts / but working to get a principal for Shepherd for the full academic year. My interpretation of the current plan is that there will be two in 1 year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait- you want to know if Sheppard parents have organized around changing employment contracts? I’m not saying it’s a bad idea- but by nature collective bargaining is between Union & employers

How can someone misspell a name so badly when it’s the title of the thread?

[Anonymous]

Any update
On this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any update
On this?

Maybe ask the PTA....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait- you want to know if Sheppard parents have organized around changing employment contracts? I’m not saying it’s a bad idea- but by nature collective bargaining is between Union & employers

How can someone misspell a name so badly when it’s the title of the thread?

Because... someone is typing on an iPhone & doesn’t give AF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait- you want to know if Sheppard parents have organized around changing employment contracts? I’m not saying it’s a bad idea- but by nature collective bargaining is between Union & employers

How can someone misspell a name so badly when it’s the title of the thread?

Because... someone is typing on an iPhone & doesn’t give AF.

Someone is angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, the irony that you want a principal to commit for more than a year when DCPS won't give principals contracts that are any longer than a year. This practice, more than anything else, fundamentally destabilizes DCPS schools and keeps the nexus of power in central office. And it's bad policy.

I’m new to SES and wondering if any parents organized around this issue

Parents are well engaged in the principal search and participated in the panel to select a new one. They also encouraged the plan to use an interim at the beginning of the year rather than scream through the panel again in a day before the teachers left for summer.

As for DCPS contracts changes - that's above the PTO's pay grade. Like most policy decisions, there were likely good intentions and unintended consequences. Only having a 1-year contract allows flexibility on the part of the District to cut loose an underperforming principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, the irony that you want a principal to commit for more than a year when DCPS won't give principals contracts that are any longer than a year. This practice, more than anything else, fundamentally destabilizes DCPS schools and keeps the nexus of power in central office. And it's bad policy.

I’m new to SES and wondering if any parents organized around this issue

Parents are well engaged in the principal search and participated in the panel to select a new one. They also encouraged the plan to use an interim at the beginning of the year rather than scream through the panel again in a day before the teachers left for summer.

As for DCPS contracts changes - that's above the PTO's pay grade. Like most policy decisions, there were likely good intentions and unintended consequences. Only having a 1-year contract allows flexibility on the part of the District to cut loose an underperforming principal.

Sure but it’s unrealistic to expect a principal to show results in 1 year. I would say at least 3-4 years. What it does is create instability at schools with either a lack of principal or another new principal yet again. DCPS’s 1 year contract IMHO is hurting schools more than helping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, the irony that you want a principal to commit for more than a year when DCPS won't give principals contracts that are any longer than a year. This practice, more than anything else, fundamentally destabilizes DCPS schools and keeps the nexus of power in central office. And it's bad policy.

I’m new to SES and wondering if any parents organized around this issue

Parents are well engaged in the principal search and participated in the panel to select a new one. They also encouraged the plan to use an interim at the beginning of the year rather than scream through the panel again in a day before the teachers left for summer.

As for DCPS contracts changes - that's above the PTO's pay grade. Like most policy decisions, there were likely good intentions and unintended consequences. Only having a 1-year contract allows flexibility on the part of the District to cut loose an underperforming principal.

Sure but it’s unrealistic to expect a principal to show results in 1 year. I would say at least 3-4 years. What it does is create instability at schools with either a lack of principal or another new principal yet again. DCPS’s 1 year contract IMHO is hurting schools more than helping.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, the irony that you want a principal to commit for more than a year when DCPS won't give principals contracts that are any longer than a year. This practice, more than anything else, fundamentally destabilizes DCPS schools and keeps the nexus of power in central office. And it's bad policy.

I’m new to SES and wondering if any parents organized around this issue

Parents are well engaged in the principal search and participated in the panel to select a new one. They also encouraged the plan to use an interim at the beginning of the year rather than scream through the panel again in a day before the teachers left for summer.

As for DCPS contracts changes - that's above the PTO's pay grade. Like most policy decisions, there were likely good intentions and unintended consequences. Only having a 1-year contract allows flexibility on the part of the District to cut loose an underperforming principal.

Sure but it’s unrealistic to expect a principal to show results in 1 year. I would say at least 3-4 years. What it does is create instability at schools with either a lack of principal or another new principal yet again. DCPS’s 1 year contract IMHO is hurting schools more than helping.

+100

Fair point, but this isn't unique to Shepherd. It's a DCPS-wide thing.