OUT of MCPS!!!??? Dr. Dana Edwards, Associate Superintendent for Middle Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was supposed to be on a workgroup that Dana Edwards was supposed to manage. She repeatedly set up meetings that administrators couldn't make and had no clue what the work group was about. When another central office person (who was acting for a while and then got a better offer from HCPSS, I think) took over things were smoother... not completely smooth, but better. She also had a reputation as a bully principal at Northwest, I think?

That being said, I hope everyone realizes how toxic Jack Smith was to the school system and provided the base for all of McKnight's mishaps. She certainly continued it, but she didn't start it.

Edwards was principal at MLK MS from 2010-2015.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

You may not have gotten the memo but we aren't crying over false equivalencies anymore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

You may not have gotten the memo but we aren't crying over false equivalencies anymore

Amen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

The relevant fact here is how well someone did their job. Content of their character, not the color of their skin.

What have they done that’s so bad? There are plenty of shitty white people in these positions and you guys don’t have smoke for them. Not to mention, the moment a black woman is hired in a position of power, you’re already thinking/expecting the worst of them. Just admit you hate black people, especially black women in power positions.

+100
Say it louder for the ones in the back

Expecting competence and kindness from leaders has nothing to do with race. Edwards was neither, speaking from experience. She could have been purple and would have still been a poor leader.

People can say what they want about her kindness and her being friends with McKnight, but it is a lie to say that she was incompetent. In every position she had, she was a hard worker and got the work done well.

That is simply not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

Are there white people who are predators now being protected within MCPS? What can you share?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone provide the backstory of why people are singing ding, dong the witch is dead? I have not heard of her.

One of McKnight's cronies.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/02/01/principals-administrators-depart-as-mcps-faces-cronyism-accountability-concerns/

What about all of McKnight's principals? When will they be given the boot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone provide the backstory of why people are singing ding, dong the witch is dead? I have not heard of her.

One of McKnight's cronies.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/02/01/principals-administrators-depart-as-mcps-faces-cronyism-accountability-concerns/

What about all of McKnight's principals? When will they be given the boot?

Who are they?

[Anonymous]

Dana Edwards was a nightmare in central office. An absolute disaster

That has nothing to do with the color of her skin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dana Edwards was a nightmare in central office. An absolute disaster

That has nothing to do with the color of her skin.

This is accurate. She was a terrible leader who did not care what others had to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

The relevant fact here is how well someone did their job. Content of their character, not the color of their skin.

This may sound a bit racial.

But before I worked at MCPS, I was at a really progessive workplace with a lot of great people of all ethnicities. Went to a nondiverse place that I hated and didn't last too long there.

And was initially happy when I went to MCPS and saw all of the people of color in leadership positions and thought that MCPS must've been really progessive too.

Only to later determine that a lot of those people must've been tokens and were really unqualified for their jobs. There were some good people (all races) but some really bad ones (all races too). The environment there really was full of nepotism and cronyism long before Monifa but she was part of the environment. There were people being groomed for the superintendent position, who didn't last too long after getting it.

The issue with the way things are nowadays is that you can't criticize certain people without being accused of racism. So they have a level of protection around them where they can't be touched. And to be frank it gives them a level of entitlement too. It's what happens when the pendulum swings too far one way or another.

But MCPS does really have a bad environment and I could spill the tea about a lot of the going ons behind the scenes that I see post complaints about. But don't want to cause problems for people that I know and like there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

The relevant fact here is how well someone did their job. Content of their character, not the color of their skin.

This may sound a bit racial.

But before I worked at MCPS, I was at a really progessive workplace with a lot of great people of all ethnicities. Went to a nondiverse place that I hated and didn't last too long there.

And was initially happy when I went to MCPS and saw all of the people of color in leadership positions and thought that MCPS must've been really progessive too.

Only to later determine that a lot of those people must've been tokens and were really unqualified for their jobs. There were some good people (all races) but some really bad ones (all races too). The environment there really was full of nepotism and cronyism long before Monifa but she was part of the environment. There were people being groomed for the superintendent position, who didn't last too long after getting it.

The issue with the way things are nowadays is that you can't criticize certain people without being accused of racism. So they have a level of protection around them where they can't be touched. And to be frank it gives them a level of entitlement too. It's what happens when the pendulum swings too far one way or another.

But MCPS does really have a bad environment and I could spill the tea about a lot of the going ons behind the scenes that I see post complaints about. But don't want to cause problems for people that I know and like there.

Which people? McKnight was the only recent superintendent hired from within MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

What? Those two things have nothing to do with each other. Start a thread about "white people" who are predators if that's what you want to talk about.

The fact is MANY people in MCPS were promoted by a PREDATOR who happened to be a black woman. It will take some time to get all the riff raff she hired and promoted out of the system. No one wants peole who were hired because they were chums with a known predator to stay in their [leadership] positions. I hope that includes POC. Come on. Do better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

The relevant fact here is how well someone did their job. Content of their character, not the color of their skin.

This may sound a bit racial.

But before I worked at MCPS, I was at a really progessive workplace with a lot of great people of all ethnicities. Went to a nondiverse place that I hated and didn't last too long there.

And was initially happy when I went to MCPS and saw all of the people of color in leadership positions and thought that MCPS must've been really progessive too.

Only to later determine that a lot of those people must've been tokens and were really unqualified for their jobs. There were some good people (all races) but some really bad ones (all races too). The environment there really was full of nepotism and cronyism long before Monifa but she was part of the environment. There were people being groomed for the superintendent position, who didn't last too long after getting it.

The issue with the way things are nowadays is that you can't criticize certain people without being accused of racism. So they have a level of protection around them where they can't be touched. And to be frank it gives them a level of entitlement too. It's what happens when the pendulum swings too far one way or another.

But MCPS does really have a bad environment and I could spill the tea about a lot of the going ons behind the scenes that I see post complaints about. But don't want to cause problems for people that I know and like there.

Which people? McKnight was the only recent superintendent hired from within MCPS.

It's been a little while since I've been there.

I was originally thinking of Kimberly Statham but looked her up and saw that she never had a turn at superintendent.

Like I said it's been a while and if I saw a list of names could probably pick it out. But can't really remember for sure who it was off of the top of my head anymore. I remember they were in some type of executive position and people would talk about how they were being groomed to be the next superintendent. But maybe they never got the position.

And that's pretty much how it was in MCPS, even before Monifa. If you were in with the right group, you were pretty much set regardless of what/how you really did with your job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

The relevant fact here is how well someone did their job. Content of their character, not the color of their skin.

This may sound a bit racial.

But before I worked at MCPS, I was at a really progessive workplace with a lot of great people of all ethnicities. Went to a nondiverse place that I hated and didn't last too long there.

And was initially happy when I went to MCPS and saw all of the people of color in leadership positions and thought that MCPS must've been really progessive too.

Only to later determine that a lot of those people must've been tokens and were really unqualified for their jobs. There were some good people (all races) but some really bad ones (all races too). The environment there really was full of nepotism and cronyism long before Monifa but she was part of the environment. There were people being groomed for the superintendent position, who didn't last too long after getting it.

The issue with the way things are nowadays is that you can't criticize certain people without being accused of racism. So they have a level of protection around them where they can't be touched. And to be frank it gives them a level of entitlement too. It's what happens when the pendulum swings too far one way or another.

But MCPS does really have a bad environment and I could spill the tea about a lot of the going ons behind the scenes that I see post complaints about. But don't want to cause problems for people that I know and like there.

Which people? McKnight was the only recent superintendent hired from within MCPS.

It's been a little while since I've been there.

I was originally thinking of Kimberly Statham but looked her up and saw that she never had a turn at superintendent.

Like I said it's been a while and if I saw a list of names could probably pick it out. But can't really remember for sure who it was off of the top of my head anymore. I remember they were in some type of executive position and people would talk about how they were being groomed to be the next superintendent. But maybe they never got the position.

And that's pretty much how it was in MCPS, even before Monifa. If you were in with the right group, you were pretty much set regardless of what/how you really did with your job.

Yes but with Monifa McKnight if you had the right skin color you were in the right group. How is this different from old fashioned racism? (It's not.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it concerning that you all celebrate Black women losing their jobs, but you don’t have this energy for white people (especially men) that are predators.

The relevant fact here is how well someone did their job. Content of their character, not the color of their skin.

This may sound a bit racial.

But before I worked at MCPS, I was at a really progessive workplace with a lot of great people of all ethnicities. Went to a nondiverse place that I hated and didn't last too long there.

And was initially happy when I went to MCPS and saw all of the people of color in leadership positions and thought that MCPS must've been really progessive too.

Only to later determine that a lot of those people must've been tokens and were really unqualified for their jobs. There were some good people (all races) but some really bad ones (all races too). The environment there really was full of nepotism and cronyism long before Monifa but she was part of the environment. There were people being groomed for the superintendent position, who didn't last too long after getting it.

The issue with the way things are nowadays is that you can't criticize certain people without being accused of racism. So they have a level of protection around them where they can't be touched. And to be frank it gives them a level of entitlement too. It's what happens when the pendulum swings too far one way or another.

But MCPS does really have a bad environment and I could spill the tea about a lot of the going ons behind the scenes that I see post complaints about. But don't want to cause problems for people that I know and like there.

Which people? McKnight was the only recent superintendent hired from within MCPS.

It's been a little while since I've been there.

I was originally thinking of Kimberly Statham but looked her up and saw that she never had a turn at superintendent.

Like I said it's been a while and if I saw a list of names could probably pick it out. But can't really remember for sure who it was off of the top of my head anymore. I remember they were in some type of executive position and people would talk about how they were being groomed to be the next superintendent. But maybe they never got the position.

And that's pretty much how it was in MCPS, even before Monifa. If you were in with the right group, you were pretty much set regardless of what/how you really did with your job.

Yes but with Monifa McKnight if you had the right skin color you were in the right group. How is this different from old fashioned racism? (It's not.)

That may or may not have been the case with Monifa. But there were a lot of groups in MCPS of different races. And it's as mentioned, once you were in, you were good and could get away with anything as long as it wasn't something outrageous or crazy.

So is not just a race thing. And is something indicative of the culture that MCPS had back then and likely still does.