Shake Up at SSMA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
One school is still going. The other was never started. In 2009, she was a co-founder and original head of school of National Collegiate in SE, which is an IB school. She was a co-founder with the present Head of School. The IB certification for the school mentions her prior experience and her PhD: Assistant Headmaster and Director of Operations and Student Affairs at New Mission High School in Boston, MA, ten years experience as a middle and high school teacher in New York, Boston and Washington, D.C, Ed.M and Ed.D in Educational Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University Graduate School of Education

Here's the link:

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/National%20Collegiate%20Prep%20PCS%20-%20Charter%20Review%20Appendix.compressed.pdf

The second DC PCS was Washington Day School PCS. It was supposed to be a K-8 schhol. And it had a final charter application in 2012 but was never approved. It also has the same bio details including her PhD.

Here's the link:

http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/241812526-1-Washington-Day-School-Application-Copy.pdf

So SSMA is the 4th Charter School she has worked for, including the one in Boston, Mew Mission.

She clearly has a lot of experience in education. But a lot of it is as a researcher and consultant (including as a charter school consultant). From what I can tell she has never worked in a school with pre-school or elementary kids. The sense I get is that she feels comfortable in an established bureacracy. But her lack of organization, poor interpersonal skills and aloofness make running a new school for younger kids a lot more challenging. Just my opinion

She was forced out of National Collegiate for using some of the same bullying there that she uses at Shining Stars after staff turnover. If you do some research on National Collegiate, you won't see her name anywhere after the first year. There's a reason for that.

See this NPR story from June 2009 when she and the other co-founder of National Collegiate were excited to start the school https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105461716

Basically, she got the school up and running and that was it. When she tried to run it, it was a disaster there too. She clashed with everyone and she was forced out and her co-founder took over as ED. If the Shining Stars board weren't captive, they would do the same thing too.

Huh. That is really sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
One school is still going. The other was never started. In 2009, she was a co-founder and original head of school of National Collegiate in SE, which is an IB school. She was a co-founder with the present Head of School. The IB certification for the school mentions her prior experience and her PhD: Assistant Headmaster and Director of Operations and Student Affairs at New Mission High School in Boston, MA, ten years experience as a middle and high school teacher in New York, Boston and Washington, D.C, Ed.M and Ed.D in Educational Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University Graduate School of Education

Here's the link:

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/National%20Collegiate%20Prep%20PCS%20-%20Charter%20Review%20Appendix.compressed.pdf

The second DC PCS was Washington Day School PCS. It was supposed to be a K-8 schhol. And it had a final charter application in 2012 but was never approved. It also has the same bio details including her PhD.

Here's the link:

http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/241812526-1-Washington-Day-School-Application-Copy.pdf

So SSMA is the 4th Charter School she has worked for, including the one in Boston, Mew Mission.

She clearly has a lot of experience in education. But a lot of it is as a researcher and consultant (including as a charter school consultant). From what I can tell she has never worked in a school with pre-school or elementary kids. The sense I get is that she feels comfortable in an established bureacracy. But her lack of organization, poor interpersonal skills and aloofness make running a new school for younger kids a lot more challenging. Just my opinion

She was forced out of National Collegiate for using some of the same bullying there that she uses at Shining Stars after staff turnover. If you do some research on National Collegiate, you won't see her name anywhere after the first year. There's a reason for that.

See this NPR story from June 2009 when she and the other co-founder of National Collegiate were excited to start the school https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105461716

Basically, she got the school up and running and that was it. When she tried to run it, it was a disaster there too. She clashed with everyone and she was forced out and her co-founder took over as ED. If the Shining Stars board weren't captive, they would do the same thing too.

Huh. That is really sad.

The schhol may be Tier 2 but it is doing pretty well https://www.wsbradio.com/news/national/school-entire-senior-class-attend-college/QN4NSIiJPqmlOPm3uPGVXO/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
One school is still going. The other was never started. In 2009, she was a co-founder and original head of school of National Collegiate in SE, which is an IB school. She was a co-founder with the present Head of School. The IB certification for the school mentions her prior experience and her PhD: Assistant Headmaster and Director of Operations and Student Affairs at New Mission High School in Boston, MA, ten years experience as a middle and high school teacher in New York, Boston and Washington, D.C, Ed.M and Ed.D in Educational Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University Graduate School of Education

Here's the link:

https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/National%20Collegiate%20Prep%20PCS%20-%20Charter%20Review%20Appendix.compressed.pdf

The second DC PCS was Washington Day School PCS. It was supposed to be a K-8 schhol. And it had a final charter application in 2012 but was never approved. It also has the same bio details including her PhD.

Here's the link:

http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/241812526-1-Washington-Day-School-Application-Copy.pdf

So SSMA is the 4th Charter School she has worked for, including the one in Boston, Mew Mission.

She clearly has a lot of experience in education. But a lot of it is as a researcher and consultant (including as a charter school consultant). From what I can tell she has never worked in a school with pre-school or elementary kids. The sense I get is that she feels comfortable in an established bureacracy. But her lack of organization, poor interpersonal skills and aloofness make running a new school for younger kids a lot more challenging. Just my opinion

She was forced out of National Collegiate for using some of the same bullying there that she uses at Shining Stars after staff turnover. If you do some research on National Collegiate, you won't see her name anywhere after the first year. There's a reason for that.

See this NPR story from June 2009 when she and the other co-founder of National Collegiate were excited to start the school https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105461716

Basically, she got the school up and running and that was it. When she tried to run it, it was a disaster there too. She clashed with everyone and she was forced out and her co-founder took over as ED. If the Shining Stars board weren't captive, they would do the same thing too.

Huh. That is really sad.

The schhol may be Tier 2 but it is doing pretty well https://www.wsbradio.com/news/national/school-entire-senior-class-attend-college/QN4NSIiJPqmlOPm3uPGVXO/

Sorry but that has nothing to do with her. She left that school years ago. What's more, the school she says she helped found in Boston was failing under her leadership. That's what this article about the school says

http://www.nationalblueribbonschools.com/summarydocs/2013/ma/new-mission-high-school-13ma1.html

It says: "In 2006, New Mission looked nothing like it does today. The school was performing below the district average in nearly all-academic areas." That's when Shining Stars' ED was the assistant principal there. So it's not clear to me at all she knows how to run a school successfully - and particularly not an elementary Montessori school.

I've been hearing a lot of stories about her now that this is out in the open -- like for example that she has cameras installed in all the classrooms and monitors the tapes at night to see what's going on. Why not just visit the classrooms? Very creepy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also incoming SSMA parent-- is it 1-2 parents stirring stuff on DCUM or are there really systemic school-destroying issues at play?

It is not just 1-2 parents stirring up trouble. Why are 3/4 of Guides leaving? Because there are serious issues that need to be addressed.

My child's guide hasn't been in the classroom for the past two school days. I think it's really odd because we had a big event for 1st graders today. With all of the rumors swirling, now I'm afraid the guide won't be back next year. Does anyone have an update on who's staying next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also incoming SSMA parent-- is it 1-2 parents stirring stuff on DCUM or are there really systemic school-destroying issues at play?

It is not just 1-2 parents stirring up trouble. Why are 3/4 of Guides leaving? Because there are serious issues that need to be addressed.

My child's guide hasn't been in the classroom for the past two school days. I think it's really odd because we had a big event for 1st graders today. With all of the rumors swirling, now I'm afraid the guide won't be back next year. Does anyone have an update on who's staying next year?

Mistyped: I meant kindergarteners, not first graders

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also incoming SSMA parent-- is it 1-2 parents stirring stuff on DCUM or are there really systemic school-destroying issues at play?

It is not just 1-2 parents stirring up trouble. Why are 3/4 of Guides leaving? Because there are serious issues that need to be addressed.

My child's guide hasn't been in the classroom for the past two school days. I think it's really odd because we had a big event for 1st graders today. With all of the rumors swirling, now I'm afraid the guide won't be back next year. Does anyone have an update on who's staying next year?

That person won't be there next year. Guaranteed. What I am hearing from multiple sources is that ED is fabricating 'charges' against every person who spoke out against her in order to fire them if they're an employee or to be able to de-certify the PTO board if it comes to that.

Every person involved in the boardroom clash will be gone next year. She is cleaning house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I've been hearing a lot of stories about her now that this is out in the open -- like for example that she has cameras installed in all the classrooms and monitors the tapes at night to see what's going on. Why not just visit the classrooms? Very creepy.

Is that even legal? If true. I thought you could only have cameras in the hallways.

[Anonymous]

I unfortunately also heard the same thing. Some guides had still not heard whether their contracts would be renewed.... in June! I truly wonder if there will be any guides left. In the primary classes 3 out of 6 will be gone, and SSMA did not send any representatives to hiring fairs this year.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone one know what happened to the other two executive board members at SSMA? Their names are no longer listed in the website. Unsurprisingly there has been no communication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I've been hearing a lot of stories about her now that this is out in the open -- like for example that she has cameras installed in all the classrooms and monitors the tapes at night to see what's going on. Why not just visit the classrooms? Very creepy.

Is that even legal? If true. I thought you could only have cameras in the hallways.

I don't know if it's legal but it's the tip of the iceberg. Over the past year, there have been a lot of controlling things like that:

The gate in the back of the playground has been locked - total fire hazard.
The 3rd floor bathroom has been locked to prevent kids from going in there unsupervised.
There are no paper towels in any bathroom to prevent kids from shoving them down the toilet and clogging it - unhygienic.

I have also heard that PAs have video program 'spyware' on cell phones that the school bought them. They can then use that to report teachers. Don't know if that's true.

So yeah, there probably are cameras in all the classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone one know what happened to the other two executive board members at SSMA? Their names are no longer listed in the website. Unsurprisingly there has been no communication.

Good question. Here's another one: What is the board going to do about the three board members who have been on the board for two consecutive terms. The bylaws of the school say board members can serve a max of six years.

But I count three of the seven board members were on the board in the 2012-13 school year http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XZPqA03SbYoJ:www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/EpicenterFiles%25202015-09-02(121237)/2012-2013%2520Annual%2520Report(GKY)(ShininStarsMontesAcademPCS).docx+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b

So legitimately there need to be at least 5 new board members elected in the next year. Something to think about, since everyone wants new board members. Also notice the board had 14 members back then. Now it only has seven.

[Anonymous]

Parents just received an email from the board about corrective action it plans to take in trying to communicate better with the SSMA community. The letter also outlined some steps SSMA admin will take to make sure employee grievances are heard and looked into.

While I welcome these measures, I am skeptical. And the reason I'm skeptical is because of the way the board email described a situation at SSMA which I'm familiar with.

They said "A quick synopsis, during a period encompassing the first quarter of the 2017/18 school year: It was observed that the policy guidelines and practice for nap time was not being observed. The complaints were troubling indeed. Parents and staff who observed the discretions followed the reporting guidelines, unfortunately the reporting official did not take corrective action at the time of reporting. This occasioned a reassignment of responsibilities, retraining and reassignment of personnel and confirmed retraining of new staff on assignment in the nap room."

That's false. The people who oversaw nap when these things occurred are STILL overseeing nap right now. I know this for a fact.

So it's clear to me that SSMA admin is feeding the board false information to protect itself. The admin person overseeing the PAs responsible for the nap problems - people yanking kids by their arms, forcing kids to stand with their faces against the wall, and not allowing kids to read if they can't fall asleep - is still in her role.

The more I write this, the angrier I get. It's a travesty these things happened. And it's more galling that the party responsible is not being reprimanded or reassigned.

People need to know what's going on at Shining Stars. Even the board doesn't know. Or they wouldn't have written these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I unfortunately also heard the same thing. Some guides had still not heard whether their contracts would be renewed.... in June! I truly wonder if there will be any guides left. In the primary classes 3 out of 6 will be gone, and SSMA did not send any representatives to hiring fairs this year.

I asked an SSMA admin if reports were true, and the response was that only one is leaving. So who is right? Where are you getting your information from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I unfortunately also heard the same thing. Some guides had still not heard whether their contracts would be renewed.... in June! I truly wonder if there will be any guides left. In the primary classes 3 out of 6 will be gone, and SSMA did not send any representatives to hiring fairs this year.

I asked an SSMA admin if reports were true, and the response was that only one is leaving. So who is right? Where are you getting your information from?

I'm not the PP but I also know that several guides are leaving. Admin is going to be the last to know since they are the problem. Guides leaving will tell admin when it is most convenient financially to do so because they fear retaliation.

Ask your guide if he or she is coming back if you have a good relationship with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I unfortunately also heard the same thing. Some guides had still not heard whether their contracts would be renewed.... in June! I truly wonder if there will be any guides left. In the primary classes 3 out of 6 will be gone, and SSMA did not send any representatives to hiring fairs this year.

I asked an SSMA admin if reports were true, and the response was that only one is leaving. So who is right? Where are you getting your information from?

I'm not the PP but I also know that several guides are leaving. Admin is going to be the last to know since they are the problem. Guides leaving will tell admin when it is most convenient financially to do so because they fear retaliation.

Ask your guide if he or she is coming back if you have a good relationship with them.

One more thing: some guides were not asked back. And admin knows this. They are not being straight with you.