Springbrook HS Staff Letter

[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?

Teachers are also swamped. Most of us are spending our days and nights putting out the closest fires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Good idea. They make CTs cycle back in after 3 years, so why not admin. For many it would be the humbling experience they need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is part of the blueprint

[Anonymous]

CTa work with admin to give teachers 25%more workload for bo extra pay and 2 people instead of one writing negative reviews on the teacher. It sucks when this kids are rowdy, disobedient, undisciplined little gangstas because they will use the teacher to inflate the books/data ( that goes back to funding), pass all the students with good grades even the ones who don't attend (or you're considered a bad teacher so bad the students want to ditch) (abusive gaslighting- if you were a good teacher they would not ditch or be chaotic in class). It's all blamed on the teachers who dont know how to navigate the bureaucracy and politics of educational corruption and systematic teacher exploitation.

[Anonymous]

Look up “revised grading table” on the MCPS home page. It’s what we’ve been using since final exams went away. The only combination that fails a course is DE or EE. All other combinations pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is not representative of how most of us feel about the union. They do a lot and I'd never want to teach without someone looking out for my compensation, planning time and more. But there are procedures to follow in situations like this and the union can't just fire a principal, they are not MCPS. If anything, maybe these teachers should go to the principal's union to complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is not representative of how most of us feel about the union. They do a lot and I'd never want to teach without someone looking out for my compensation, planning time and more. But there are procedures to follow in situations like this and the union can't just fire a principal, they are not MCPS. If anything, maybe these teachers should go to the principal's union to complain.

This is such a ridiculous response. NO ONE is expecting MCEA to be able to fire a principal. We expect them to support and ADVOCATE for teachers who are complaining about suffering under a toxic, bullying leader. That is 100% within the role and responsibility of the MCEA. And yet, David Stein has been silent.

[Anonymous]

Principal Valentine is one of the highest-compensated high school principals, even though she does not have a doctorate.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Principal Valentine is one of the highest-compensated high school principals, even though she does not have a doctorate.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

I fail to understand what the issue is. Is it that the staff does not like the personality or management style?
I am very suspicious of individuals who use words like "incompetent", "bully", "micro management" etc. to vilify someone. Because in such situations, the issue mostly is "dislike" towards individual in leadership position due to some "other" reason which these complaining individuals will never say it out loud. They will just use good old strategy of name calling and labeling those who they dislike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Principal Valentine is one of the highest-compensated high school principals, even though she does not have a doctorate.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

I fail to understand what the issue is. Is it that the staff does not like the personality or management style?
I am very suspicious of individuals who use words like "incompetent", "bully", "micro management" etc. to vilify someone. Because in such situations, the issue mostly is "dislike" towards individual in leadership position due to some "other" reason which these complaining individuals will never say it out loud. They will just use good old strategy of name calling and labeling those who they dislike.

We clearly didn’t read the same letter. I see specific, alarming allegations.

But I am a teacher who has worked with toxic administrators, so I suppose I know what I’m looking at when I read the teachers’ letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Principal Valentine is one of the highest-compensated high school principals, even though she does not have a doctorate.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

I fail to understand what the issue is. Is it that the staff does not like the personality or management style?
I am very suspicious of individuals who use words like "incompetent", "bully", "micro management" etc. to vilify someone. Because in such situations, the issue mostly is "dislike" towards individual in leadership position due to some "other" reason which these complaining individuals will never say it out loud. They will just use good old strategy of name calling and labeling those who they dislike.

We clearly didn’t read the same letter. I see specific, alarming allegations.

But I am a teacher who has worked with toxic administrators, so I suppose I know what I’m looking at when I read the teachers’ letter.

And PP is probably a toxic admin or a supervisor of toxic admin themselves, hence why they see nothing wrong with the accusations made in the letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Principal Valentine is one of the highest-compensated high school principals, even though she does not have a doctorate.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

I fail to understand what the issue is. Is it that the staff does not like the personality or management style?
I am very suspicious of individuals who use words like "incompetent", "bully", "micro management" etc. to vilify someone. Because in such situations, the issue mostly is "dislike" towards individual in leadership position due to some "other" reason which these complaining individuals will never say it out loud. They will just use good old strategy of name calling and labeling those who they dislike.

We clearly didn’t read the same letter. I see specific, alarming allegations.

But I am a teacher who has worked with toxic administrators, so I suppose I know what I’m looking at when I read the teachers’ letter.

And PP is probably a toxic admin or a supervisor of toxic admin themselves, hence why they see nothing wrong with the accusations made in the letter.

MCPS just deleted a post here in under 3 minutes. Gotta keep the advertisers happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Principal Valentine is one of the highest-compensated high school principals, even though she does not have a doctorate.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

I fail to understand what the issue is. Is it that the staff does not like the personality or management style?
I am very suspicious of individuals who use words like "incompetent", "bully", "micro management" etc. to vilify someone. Because in such situations, the issue mostly is "dislike" towards individual in leadership position due to some "other" reason which these complaining individuals will never say it out loud. They will just use good old strategy of name calling and labeling those who they dislike.

We clearly didn’t read the same letter. I see specific, alarming allegations.

But I am a teacher who has worked with toxic administrators, so I suppose I know what I’m looking at when I read the teachers’ letter.

Anyone can make allegations.. do you want someone should be punished because some "motivated" individuals make allegations? This is america and people make allegarions all the time but hardly there is any truth to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Principal Valentine is one of the highest-compensated high school principals, even though she does not have a doctorate.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

I fail to understand what the issue is. Is it that the staff does not like the personality or management style?
I am very suspicious of individuals who use words like "incompetent", "bully", "micro management" etc. to vilify someone. Because in such situations, the issue mostly is "dislike" towards individual in leadership position due to some "other" reason which these complaining individuals will never say it out loud. They will just use good old strategy of name calling and labeling those who they dislike.

We clearly didn’t read the same letter. I see specific, alarming allegations.

But I am a teacher who has worked with toxic administrators, so I suppose I know what I’m looking at when I read the teachers’ letter.

And PP is probably a toxic admin or a supervisor of toxic admin themselves, hence why they see nothing wrong with the accusations made in the letter.

MCPS just deleted a post here in under 3 minutes. Gotta keep the advertisers happy.

This post tells me all I need to know about the letter's advocates here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Principal Valentine is one of the highest-compensated high school principals, even though she does not have a doctorate.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

I fail to understand what the issue is. Is it that the staff does not like the personality or management style?
I am very suspicious of individuals who use words like "incompetent", "bully", "micro management" etc. to vilify someone. Because in such situations, the issue mostly is "dislike" towards individual in leadership position due to some "other" reason which these complaining individuals will never say it out loud. They will just use good old strategy of name calling and labeling those who they dislike.

We clearly didn’t read the same letter. I see specific, alarming allegations.

But I am a teacher who has worked with toxic administrators, so I suppose I know what I’m looking at when I read the teachers’ letter.

Anyone can make allegations.. do you want someone should be punished because some "motivated" individuals make allegations? This is america and people make allegarions all the time but hardly there is any truth to it.

No, I think the allegations should be taken very seriously and a thorough investigation should take place.

If she is innocent of all wrongdoing, then surely that will come out.

You do support a thorough investigation, correct? And you agree the teachers’ concerns should be taken seriously?