SSFS HOS leaving

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m assuming that the board asked him to resign. Will families find out if he is being paid beyond his resignation date?

I think the board told him they would not renew his contract next year and they would start the search for new HOS this academic year. He countered that he prefers to leave immediately and resigned with immediate effect.

I agree. His contract year ran from July 1 to June 30. It is standard for HOS contracts (BoT's hire law firms to draw up HoS contracts, they are not done internally by the BOT unless someone is a HR attorney) to mandate a year's (or at least 6-month) notice of non-renewal (unless the termination is for cause). NOT[u] saying there was cause here. Given what I know, I think they decided mutually to part ways immediately (and the school does not have to pay his salary which they would likely have had to do if they were terminating without cause and without notice).

I hope listening sessions are announced ASAP. This school's community is built on relationships. Healing and repairing those relationships must begin. There are good people (new and veteran) who can (with time and support) bring the Light back to full strength.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m assuming that the board asked him to resign. Will families find out if he is being paid beyond his resignation date?

I think the board told him they would not renew his contract next year and they would start the search for new HOS this academic year. He countered that he prefers to leave immediately and resigned with immediate effect.

If I had to bet, I would say this is the most likely scenario.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I have not seen any list of departed teachers and only know of one (who was beloved) in the MS, where I currently have a child. Where is this list available or do I have to infer based on the open jobs on the Careers page?

l.

That’s intentional. Departures are never listed and the full school doesn’t get notices. So as a parent you never got to know how bad it was cause some departures were purposefully unannounced (like oeijb director). Others like US head was announced after parents had already turned in their contracts cause if they had known before they might not have reenrolled. It would have been delayed longer if Bullis hadn’t forced RGs had in announcing when he did. If you have kids in all three divisions or know enough people to constantly ask you *may* have a better idea, except for the departures that are not announced at all.

This year alone with the 7 dismissed there was a total of something like 35 departures.

[Anonymous]

Seriously?! OMG. THAT's terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I have always been uneasy with RG side business. This is such a conflict of interest and should have never been allowed.

How is it even legal for RG to hire his company as HoS to provide services to the school? Isn't this an example of self-dealing?

https://boardsource.org/resources/private-benefit-private-inurement-self-dealing/

What sort of ethics do they teach at Harvard? Even if this is legal, which I do wonder, it is completely unethical.

[Anonymous]

My daughter was a ‘23 SSFS graduate. I can’t say enough bad things about Rodney’s tenure at the school. He was totally unresponsive to parents and he lied to my face. SSFS is a much worse school than it was 5 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was a ‘23 SSFS graduate. I can’t say enough bad things about Rodney’s tenure at the school. He was totally unresponsive to parents and he lied to my face. SSFS is a much worse school than it was 5 years ago.

He’s lied to my face many times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I have always been uneasy with RG side business. This is such a conflict of interest and should have never been allowed.

How is it even legal for RG to hire his company as HoS to provide services to the school? Isn't this an example of self-dealing?

https://boardsource.org/resources/private-benefit-private-inurement-self-dealing/

What sort of ethics do they teach at Harvard? Even if this is legal, which I do wonder, it is completely unethical.

I had heard that the “independent” reviewers he hired would come from his company and only report to him but I didn’t know he was also using his company to conduct training. Though it doesn’t surprise me unsurprisingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was a ‘23 SSFS graduate. I can’t say enough bad things about Rodney’s tenure at the school. He was totally unresponsive to parents and he lied to my face. SSFS is a much worse school than it was 5 years ago.

He’s lied to my face many times.

About what?

[Anonymous]

As a parent of multiple children who was with the school for 8 years, it was sad to leave after third year ended. But, the culture of the school has changed SO much since Rodney’s tenure and it just isn’t the SSFS that we all used to love. It’s truly not the same school that I signed up for when my oldest started in 6th grade. Hopefully, they can get back to their roots and hire someone who is a good fit for the school. Sadly, in my opinion the board acted too late on this one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of multiple children who was with the school for 8 years, it was sad to leave after third year ended. But, the culture of the school has changed SO much since Rodney’s tenure and it just isn’t the SSFS that we all used to love. It’s truly not the same school that I signed up for when my oldest started in 6th grade. Hopefully, they can get back to their roots and hire someone who is a good fit for the school. Sadly, in my opinion the board acted too late on this one

+100

[Anonymous]

It feels like the school went through internal reviews (by Rodney's company) and discovered changes needed to happen. It was timed perfectly as the HOS was retiring after 10 years. Rodney won over the board and parents with his quest for change, he certainly has the qualification for that aspect of things - so it was a natural fit to insert him as HOS - a known quantity to the board.

Of course the reality of his as a leader was far different. It was 100% the Rodney show, even the students could see that. I can't tell you how many school events I sat in on - where they were just vehicles for him to talk about himself. You could quickly see seasoned teachers leaving - ok - changes in leadership always tend to turn things upside down but I had faith. Until I tried to advocate for my child on an issue and I saw him for what he really is.

Our student finished out their time at SSFS but had we been there at the beginning of the journey we would have left. There are so many wonderful, nurturing aspects of SSFS - the teachers playing such an important role in the sharpening of our student. But the leadership of Rodney tore all of that away - so he walks away with a lucrative side hustle and the school is a shell of what it was. No ramifications at all. It truly makes me sad for all the families, teachers and students. I do believe it will find its core again - but how do you find a way to avoid the same hiring issues?

As others have said, I do believe that in addition to his removal - the board needs to be revamped.

I remember all of Rodney's emails each year when he mentioned what staff or faculty were leaving - always with the "it is normal", "its because of covid" never, ever was there an internal look at the fact it was his leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It feels like the school went through internal reviews (by Rodney's company) and discovered changes needed to happen. It was timed perfectly as the HOS was retiring after 10 years. Rodney won over the board and parents with his quest for change, he certainly has the qualification for that aspect of things - so it was a natural fit to insert him as HOS - a known quantity to the board.

Of course the reality of his as a leader was far different. It was 100% the Rodney show, even the students could see that. I can't tell you how many school events I sat in on - where they were just vehicles for him to talk about himself. You could quickly see seasoned teachers leaving - ok - changes in leadership always tend to turn things upside down but I had faith. Until I tried to advocate for my child on an issue and I saw him for what he really is.

Our student finished out their time at SSFS but had we been there at the beginning of the journey we would have left. There are so many wonderful, nurturing aspects of SSFS - the teachers playing such an important role in the sharpening of our student. But the leadership of Rodney tore all of that away - so he walks away with a lucrative side hustle and the school is a shell of what it was. No ramifications at all. It truly makes me sad for all the families, teachers and students. I do believe it will find its core again - but how do you find a way to avoid the same hiring issues?

As others have said, I do believe that in addition to his removal - the board needs to be revamped.

I remember all of Rodney's emails each year when he mentioned what staff or faculty were leaving - always with the "it is normal", "its because of covid" never, ever was there an internal look at the fact it was his leadership.

Yes, staff leaving was always Covid or “this is normal”. Tuition increase was always “everyone is doing it, and we are cheaper then everyone around us” - which btw many if not most schools around us are cheaper than ssfs. And “everyone is doing it” is a reasoning for wanting something only a kid would use.

Tuition had to also go up because every single student (even the ones who receive financial aid!) wouldn’t donate enough or get their grandparents to donate. In the meantime he never explained why the roofs and hvac systems couldn’t be repaired along with other maintenance issues like the LS building, art barn snd bathrooms.

[Anonymous]

This is 100% a matter for the SSFS board to manage as this body is ultimately the legal fiscal entity.

At its most basic, a head of school is a CEO of a large nonprofit business. It appears SSFS needs an experienced leader to step in and support it as both business and learning/teaching community — and reset governance at the same time. This should be the only priority in the interim and probably for the next few years. Division heads (ex. principals) and others can be empowered to lead the daily program and ensure its success — and be held accountable for outcomes.

With head tenures on the decline, these departures are now common. A search committee charged with selecting a head may better serve itself by looking beyond a degree or name of school employed at and focus rather on adeptness in relationship and partnership building (internal/external), business acumen, advancement/fundraising, and managing those challenges being asked of the next leader. Most essentially, a strong, skilled, and steady board should exist as a head’s strategic partner to strengthen a school for the future.

SSFS is not alone, and there are good resources out there for the board and leadership to lean on as it navigates its landing.

[Anonymous]

It is truly amazing how many posts have been deleted from this thread. At least 15 by my count; many completely innocuous. Wonder how long before this one is disappeared?!