DCPS Instructional superindentent should have been fired but instead for a cheap fine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She has also mandated her principals use/provided them with materials from her side hustle…

This. Conflict of interest.

Exactly what materials do PRINCIPALS use? Teachers use a curriculum that is decided by the district because they are teaching students. We didn't know that principals used materials to secure resources and manage people. Stop the lies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No horse in this race, but the defenses of this person seem very much from either her or her people.

If you only knew the way school systems work. There are many people who, having been in this field for a long time and become well-versed in a multitude of subjects, may prefer one program over another. If the program is successful and has proven results, there may be an opportunity to help promote it in another district, state, or elsewhere. Teachers, for example, often take jobs scoring assessments for other districts, or may offer tutoring services to STUDENTS. This is not always a conflict of interest as long as the individual stays within the parameters.

It is discouraging to see people speak as if they have the right to dictate what this lady does with her time, as if they own her. She reported her mistake herself, which means she has nothing to hide. Instead of the dog whistle language, just name what the REAL issue is...

She “self reported” and then claimed she “didn’t know” she wasn’t allowed to do that. She is required to take ethics training every single year and compliance is monitored. So are you telling me she had taken the training for 10 years and still didn’t understand she was doing something wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No horse in this race, but the defenses of this person seem very much from either her or her people.

If you only knew the way school systems work. There are many people who, having been in this field for a long time and become well-versed in a multitude of subjects, may prefer one program over another. If the program is successful and has proven results, there may be an opportunity to help promote it in another district, state, or elsewhere. Teachers, for example, often take jobs scoring assessments for other districts, or may offer tutoring services to STUDENTS. This is not always a conflict of interest as long as the individual stays within the parameters.

It is discouraging to see people speak as if they have the right to dictate what this lady does with her time, as if they own her. She reported her mistake herself, which means she has nothing to hide. Instead of the dog whistle language, just name what the REAL issue is...

She’s terrible at both her jobs.

[Anonymous]

Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Yes. We would be without a mid-level manager position. Given DC’s budget issues that seems like a good layer to go

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Yes. We would be without a mid-level manager position. Given DC’s budget issues that seems like a good layer to go

Including the Instrutional Superintendents, there are 3 layers *between* the principals and the Chancellor: ISs, Chief of Schools, Deputy Chancellor. And those layers have lots of other people. Seems likes some streamlining would leave plenty of staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Principals do the IMPACT observations so how is the ISS helping me exactly? In fact the ISS asks for unreasonabke things that my principal gets mad if I don’t do. Please trust they are not currently helping me at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Her most notable initiative is that she didn’t allow parents to redshirt their kids in kindergarten.

If she left her position today there would be no noticeable difference. It’s just a waste of public money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Without this one, I would do differentiated small groups. She did a walkthrough and said we can’t do differentiated groups because struggling students weren’t benefiting from the discourse of advanced students. So now everyone just gets the same instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Without this one, I would do differentiated small groups. She did a walkthrough and said we can’t do differentiated groups because struggling students weren’t benefiting from the discourse of advanced students. So now everyone just gets the same instruction.

So interesting to hear. I left a school that stopped differentiating and instead asking my kids to be (pretty ineffective!) tutors to their struggling peers. Switched to another DCPS that allows lots of differentiation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Without this one, I would do differentiated small groups. She did a walkthrough and said we can’t do differentiated groups because struggling students weren’t benefiting from the discourse of advanced students. So now everyone just gets the same instruction.

You can’t *exclusively* do differentiated small groups, it just needs to be in addition to tier 1 instruction. It’s built into the math block schedule for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Without this one, I would do differentiated small groups. She did a walkthrough and said we can’t do differentiated groups because struggling students weren’t benefiting from the discourse of advanced students. So now everyone just gets the same instruction.

You can’t *exclusively* do differentiated small groups, it just needs to be in addition to tier 1 instruction. It’s built into the math block schedule for example.

Yeah, that’s what I did. Everyone sat through the hour math block, my struggling students basically did the best they could, my advanced students just sat bored. Then when I had my 30-minute needs based small groups I pulled the kids who didn’t get it during the whole group lesson and retaught it.

If I didn’t have to worry about going too slow for the advanced kids, I probably could get them the lesson in 15 minutes. Then I could double up or extend the learning for 15 minutes for the advanced kids. No one would be bored or lost, they would all be getting what they need.

It’s a model and it works, I just prefer to more efficiently meet kids’ needs. I don’t like sitting through PD on stuff I already know, I can’t imagine kids want to either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most ISSs are useless positions. They don’t do anything that positively impacts schools. At best they are neutral, at worst they hinder learning through mandates that are a waste of time. Literally wasting your children’s instructional time so thry can look like their job it’s important.

Without Instructional Supts, you'd be at the mercy of the principal, as they would not be managed. Be careful what you ask for.

Without this one, I would do differentiated small groups. She did a walkthrough and said we can’t do differentiated groups because struggling students weren’t benefiting from the discourse of advanced students. So now everyone just gets the same instruction.

You can’t *exclusively* do differentiated small groups, it just needs to be in addition to tier 1 instruction. It’s built into the math block schedule for example.

Yeah, that’s what I did. Everyone sat through the hour math block, my struggling students basically did the best they could, my advanced students just sat bored. Then when I had my 30-minute needs based small groups I pulled the kids who didn’t get it during the whole group lesson and retaught it.

If I didn’t have to worry about going too slow for the advanced kids, I probably could get them the lesson in 15 minutes. Then I could double up or extend the learning for 15 minutes for the advanced kids. No one would be bored or lost, they would all be getting what they need.

It’s a model and it works, I just prefer to more efficiently meet kids’ needs. I don’t like sitting through PD on stuff I already know, I can’t imagine kids want to either.

Two of my kids' math teachers make differentiated packets, so that as kids go through the lessons, the examples they work are on or above or substantially above grade level. The 4th grade teacher also started the year with below grade level examples so that kids really behind could still practice the concept, but was told that those could only go home as extras and below grade level material couldn't be worked on in class. At least they weren't required to ditch the above grade level example packets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She has also mandated her principals use/provided them with materials from her side hustle…

She did a required “DCPS” training after school for my school and it was literally just a Relay course rebranded with DCPS logos. It was also very basic, like how to ask good questions or something like that. But definitely hard to tell if it was a DCPS training or a Relay training and I wonder who was paying her for that time since it was after teachers’ contract hours.

I too had to attend two trainings after work hours. Apart from the 2 hours that I will never get back, there was also prep required before trainings and then availability to observe best practices being implemented after the training. If it is OK with you, can you pay me for the hours as I'm sure you wouldn't mind paying me $60 an hour for 4 hours for a total of $240? And then you can also pay the other 50 staff members that had to attend?