Springbrook HS Staff Letter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at Springbrook, and am aware of the letter but do not have a copy. The morale of the staff is abysmal, with constant micromanaging by the principal and her assistants. Armed with her two years of teaching art, it is laughable when she tries to dictate pedagogy to content areas. She shuts down and silences students who question administration. Any bad publicity is covered up, from fighting and vaping, to mold in classrooms, to the three teachers dismissed in the last calendar year for inappropriate interactions with children. We have contacted the union for support, but we just get told to be patient and follow the process. Please, parents: complain. Complain about everything you don’t like, and send it to the superintendent, the Board of Ed, and probably the media at this point.

She is not the only MCPS HS principal who does this. It appears to be the playbook for all of them.

This is going on in a lot of high schools. The staff who speak out are dismissed by administrators as being negative. Principals especially seem only worried about their positions, the appearance of greatness, and fudging graduation rates. There is a huge failure to hold students accountable, clean up the mess going on, or keep people safe (passing students who never show up -- except maybe to sell drugs - there is Fentanyl in schools!!!!, allowing for "credit recovery" which really means that parents or someone else can do minimal "work"/assignments on the students behalf in an online platform outside of school with no supervision to "earn" credits for failed classes, there are 18-21 year old students in schools but year after year failing to make progress toward graduation, but wait - then they are suddenly promoted so that the data looks good, leadership funnels an exorbitant amount of resources to select populations, dismissing data that shows anything negative, bullying teachers into passing students, and on an on.) It's hard to believe them when they profess to "care" about students when you see the inner workings and decision-making. Is anyone trying to improve things for ALL of our children or consider the long term impact of graduating students ill-prepared for the world? The county has lost focus and there are a lot of us who feel helpless yet do the best we can in some pretty toxic environments.

I often wonder how many problems would be fixed if administrators were required to still teach a class or two.

Show you can do more with less, just like you demand of teachers. Demonstrate how you can build relationships with students and how that minimizes disruption in your classroom. Be responsible for meeting each new initiative and requirement, right along with the teachers you manage.

I think administrators would quickly meet teachers with solidarity and understanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at Springbrook, and am aware of the letter but do not have a copy. The morale of the staff is abysmal, with constant micromanaging by the principal and her assistants. Armed with her two years of teaching art, it is laughable when she tries to dictate pedagogy to content areas. She shuts down and silences students who question administration. Any bad publicity is covered up, from fighting and vaping, to mold in classrooms, to the three teachers dismissed in the last calendar year for inappropriate interactions with children. We have contacted the union for support, but we just get told to be patient and follow the process. Please, parents: complain. Complain about everything you don’t like, and send it to the superintendent, the Board of Ed, and probably the media at this point.

She is not the only MCPS HS principal who does this. It appears to be the playbook for all of them.

This is going on in a lot of high schools. The staff who speak out are dismissed by administrators as being negative. Principals especially seem only worried about their positions, the appearance of greatness, and fudging graduation rates. There is a huge failure to hold students accountable, clean up the mess going on, or keep people safe (passing students who never show up -- except maybe to sell drugs - there is Fentanyl in schools!!!!, allowing for "credit recovery" which really means that parents or someone else can do minimal "work"/assignments on the students behalf in an online platform outside of school with no supervision to "earn" credits for failed classes, there are 18-21 year old students in schools but year after year failing to make progress toward graduation, but wait - then they are suddenly promoted so that the data looks good, leadership funnels an exorbitant amount of resources to select populations, dismissing data that shows anything negative, bullying teachers into passing students, and on an on.) It's hard to believe them when they profess to "care" about students when you see the inner workings and decision-making. Is anyone trying to improve things for ALL of our children or consider the long term impact of graduating students ill-prepared for the world? The county has lost focus and there are a lot of us who feel helpless yet do the best we can in some pretty toxic environments.

Wonderfully written. The depressing thing is this behavior is either encouraged or ignored all the way up to the top.

Do not be fooled: Taylor knows what’s going on and he just rehired many of the same people in the roles they’ve been failing in. Change is not coming.

And the BOE and the County Council are standing by and doing nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can confirm. I am a survivor of her bullying and reported to union and Central office, heard "crickets."

Just unbelievable! Did you file an administrative complaint?

This will have to rise to the level of Joel Beidleman, for the psychological abuse I mean, before the media picks up on this and the cycle of public revelations begins again. In the meantime, many staff continue to suffer. She is doing so much harm that the evidence will be plenty.

[Anonymous]

This has NOTHING to do with race or culture. Valentine is an equal opportunity bully and if anything, may even be a bigger bully to black staff than white staff. It’s highly unfortunate that people are making excuses for her poor behavior, including those who have never stepped foot in Springbrook. The amount of current and former staff celebrating this letter should be telling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at Springbrook, and am aware of the letter but do not have a copy. The morale of the staff is abysmal, with constant micromanaging by the principal and her assistants. Armed with her two years of teaching art, it is laughable when she tries to dictate pedagogy to content areas. She shuts down and silences students who question administration. Any bad publicity is covered up, from fighting and vaping, to mold in classrooms, to the three teachers dismissed in the last calendar year for inappropriate interactions with children. We have contacted the union for support, but we just get told to be patient and follow the process. Please, parents: complain. Complain about everything you don’t like, and send it to the superintendent, the Board of Ed, and probably the media at this point.

She is not the only MCPS HS principal who does this. It appears to be the playbook for all of them.

This is going on in a lot of high schools. The staff who speak out are dismissed by administrators as being negative. Principals especially seem only worried about their positions, the appearance of greatness, and fudging graduation rates. There is a huge failure to hold students accountable, clean up the mess going on, or keep people safe (passing students who never show up -- except maybe to sell drugs - there is Fentanyl in schools!!!!, allowing for "credit recovery" which really means that parents or someone else can do minimal "work"/assignments on the students behalf in an online platform outside of school with no supervision to "earn" credits for failed classes, there are 18-21 year old students in schools but year after year failing to make progress toward graduation, but wait - then they are suddenly promoted so that the data looks good, leadership funnels an exorbitant amount of resources to select populations, dismissing data that shows anything negative, bullying teachers into passing students, and on an on.) It's hard to believe them when they profess to "care" about students when you see the inner workings and decision-making. Is anyone trying to improve things for ALL of our children or consider the long term impact of graduating students ill-prepared for the world? The county has lost focus and there are a lot of us who feel helpless yet do the best we can in some pretty toxic environments.

Yes. HS teacher here and this is true. I once had a Principal tell me - our job is not to prepare them to be adults, it’s to get them across the stage. Which is precisely why many of these problems are occurring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems there are a lot of rumors and assumptions circulating. It’s important to note that not everyone at Springbrook agrees with the letter. While it represents a group of teachers, it does not reflect the views of all teachers.

I believe cultural differences and misunderstandings are at play. Yes, she is flawed—like all people—but everyone deserves the opportunity for redemption. Now that their voices have been heard, she should be given the chance to address the concerns and make the necessary changes.

Just as teachers are placed on improvement plans, she should be given a plan to develop her leadership skills. While her tactics may not work for everyone, data shows some positive outcomes: there are fewer students in the hallways, graduation rates have improved, and she has created opportunities for educators who might have otherwise been overlooked.

“Fewer students in the hallways,” “graduation rates have improved”… these two lines right here show me that you’re not an employee here if you believe these two things. Massive groups of kids are in the hallways skipping class constantly. Kids have no rush to go to class because there are no consequences. And graduation rates are fudged because teachers are threatened into passing kids who don’t even attend class or don’t do work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never said I worked there. I’m sure that if it were a white man acting the same way, no one would care. But as you stated, it’s only a group of white teachers targeting a Black female leader because their feelings are hurt. Of course, there will always be a negative narrative about the school. It’s unfortunate that these white teachers are upset simply because a Black leader is holding them accountable for ensuring that Black and Brown students have the same opportunities and advantages as their white peers. How ironic — this group of teachers wants to attack anyone who supports Valentine, yet they expect everyone else to offer them unwavering support.

You are absolutely delusional if you think Valentine is leveling the playing field for students of color. Every decision she makes is widening the gap between our black/hispanic and Asian students. She keeps lowering the academic bar — there is absolutely no rigor and no high standards expected of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That email is terribly written- are you sure these are teachers?

I get it- they were intentionally vague if trying to avoid retaliation. You can also tell it was written by multiple people as the voice changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Valentine’s flunkies are trying to weaponize race to shield her from valid criticism. There are PLENTY of Black people in the Springbrook community who find Valentine to be a bully and abusive. Cut the crap.

Translation: How dare a black woman tells us what to do.

Way to deflect from a real issue. Black, white, or purple doesn’t give anyone the right to bully.

This is exactly how Beidleman got away with so much for so long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s been nearly two weeks since the send date of the letter. Can anyone report if they’ve seen Central Office Support or any changes in the school?

We have not seen anyone from central office to our knowledge. We received an email with the ILT agenda in which it looks like she plans to discuss the letter with Resource Teachers; perhaps she is doing her own investigation. There has been no change in behavior, however.

The letter senders did not receive a response to their letter from the BOE or MCEA leadership???

No. No response from anyone yet

Not surprising, a teacher that left our school wrote an email to our administrator and cc’d her director and never got a response. Our union rep also presented them both a letter on behalf of the staff and never heard back. Bullying and intimidation continues at the school. Climate surveys reflect the concerns of the staff and many teachers either went to a different MCPS school, “retired” earlier than expected, went to another county, or quit teaching altogether.

This is at an MCPS elementary school that feeds into Northwood HS. Great school annd community, awful admin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The concerns outlined in the letter pale in comparison to the reality of the situation. Valentine’s actions have repeatedly harmed both students and staff, creating a toxic and demoralizing environment. For instance, after a certain time of day, she refuses to allow students back into the building—even those returning from legitimate obligations like medical appointments. This is not a matter of discipline but a disregard for students’ well-being. Additionally, she has driven out numerous dedicated staff members, berates employees in front of students, and embodies the very definition of a bully.

The impact of her leadership is evident in how students feel about their school. Many have said that attending Springbrook feels like going to a prison every day. When students view their school as a place of confinement rather than a space for learning and growth, it speaks volumes about the environment being fostered.

The issues with Valentine are not new. Central office has been aware of her behavior for years and has allowed it to continue, leaving staff feeling hopeless and unsupported. Despite this, the educators and employees in this building remain committed to the students and community, striving to provide them with the care and education they deserve. It is disheartening that MCPS has not done better for them.

Unreal. Where is the MCEA????

MCEA doesn’t have the power that DCUM likes to think it does. It’s actually very weak and many would refuse to pay dues except they would be unable to participate in the sick leave bank, and should a parent make any kind of allegation against you, you will want legal representation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Valentine’s flunkies are trying to weaponize race to shield her from valid criticism. There are PLENTY of Black people in the Springbrook community who find Valentine to be a bully and abusive. Cut the crap.

This is so true about speaking out in MCPS. The race card is pulled almost every time valid criticism or negative feedback is shared about an admin of color.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s been nearly two weeks since the send date of the letter. Can anyone report if they’ve seen Central Office Support or any changes in the school?

We have not seen anyone from central office to our knowledge. We received an email with the ILT agenda in which it looks like she plans to discuss the letter with Resource Teachers; perhaps she is doing her own investigation. There has been no change in behavior, however.

The letter senders did not receive a response to their letter from the BOE or MCEA leadership???

No. No response from anyone yet

Not surprising, a teacher that left our school wrote an email to our administrator and cc’d her director and never got a response. Our union rep also presented them both a letter on behalf of the staff and never heard back. Bullying and intimidation continues at the school. Climate surveys reflect the concerns of the staff and many teachers either went to a different MCPS school, “retired” earlier than expected, went to another county, or quit teaching altogether.

This is at an MCPS elementary school that feeds into Northwood HS. Great school annd community, awful admin.

Can someone start a Change.org petition?? I'm not directly affiliated and only have knowledge of the situation from the Internet so not sure that I'd be the best person to start it. The change.org petitions HAVE worked in removing people from positions in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The concerns outlined in the letter pale in comparison to the reality of the situation. Valentine’s actions have repeatedly harmed both students and staff, creating a toxic and demoralizing environment. For instance, after a certain time of day, she refuses to allow students back into the building—even those returning from legitimate obligations like medical appointments. This is not a matter of discipline but a disregard for students’ well-being. Additionally, she has driven out numerous dedicated staff members, berates employees in front of students, and embodies the very definition of a bully.

The impact of her leadership is evident in how students feel about their school. Many have said that attending Springbrook feels like going to a prison every day. When students view their school as a place of confinement rather than a space for learning and growth, it speaks volumes about the environment being fostered.

The issues with Valentine are not new. Central office has been aware of her behavior for years and has allowed it to continue, leaving staff feeling hopeless and unsupported. Despite this, the educators and employees in this building remain committed to the students and community, striving to provide them with the care and education they deserve. It is disheartening that MCPS has not done better for them.

Unreal. Where is the MCEA????

MCEA doesn’t have the power that DCUM likes to think it does. It’s actually very weak and many would refuse to pay dues except they would be unable to participate in the sick leave bank, and should a parent make any kind of allegation against you, you will want legal representation.

So why don't more teachers speak out against the union if it fails them this badly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The concerns outlined in the letter pale in comparison to the reality of the situation. Valentine’s actions have repeatedly harmed both students and staff, creating a toxic and demoralizing environment. For instance, after a certain time of day, she refuses to allow students back into the building—even those returning from legitimate obligations like medical appointments. This is not a matter of discipline but a disregard for students’ well-being. Additionally, she has driven out numerous dedicated staff members, berates employees in front of students, and embodies the very definition of a bully.

The impact of her leadership is evident in how students feel about their school. Many have said that attending Springbrook feels like going to a prison every day. When students view their school as a place of confinement rather than a space for learning and growth, it speaks volumes about the environment being fostered.

The issues with Valentine are not new. Central office has been aware of her behavior for years and has allowed it to continue, leaving staff feeling hopeless and unsupported. Despite this, the educators and employees in this building remain committed to the students and community, striving to provide them with the care and education they deserve. It is disheartening that MCPS has not done better for them.

Unreal. Where is the MCEA????

MCEA doesn’t have the power that DCUM likes to think it does. It’s actually very weak and many would refuse to pay dues except they would be unable to participate in the sick leave bank, and should a parent make any kind of allegation against you, you will want legal representation.

So why don't more teachers speak out against the union if it fails them this badly?

It’s addressed within various teacher platforms. Many teachers haven’t taught elsewhere and don’t know any different.