Oakridge Teacher Speaks Out at SB Meeting!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe the teacher said in the board meeting that a 2 staff members (one of them new to the school) were directed by the principal to throw out her belongings and 3 other teacher's belongings. There is a long history of the principal retaliating against teachers who disagree with her/are tired of having the principal verbally abusing them. Very few speak out because of the retaliation and I applaud the teacher's courage in going to the board. Hard to believe that a principal can/would behave that way and remain in their position, but apparently it's the "Arlington way."

Exactly. APS has a culture of racism and ready excuses for those (like NVD) who engage in arrogant behavior.

I don't see what this has to do with NVD.

I do know that there is an unfortunate history of bully principals in APS and Patrick Murphy doesn't care and lets them get away with it.

This teacher is very brave to speak out and I hope we can get more information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That woman would probably have more support if she hadn’t come across as completely unhinged.

I can imagine it would be hard to continue to speak out after you have experienced retaliation.

[Anonymous]

Wright has major anger management issues. I’m amazed no one has recorded her yet, but it’s only a matter of time before a recording of one of her rants goes viral and embarrasses APS. I teach at another school now and I’m so glad I escaped that poisonous environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wright has major anger management issues. I’m amazed no one has recorded her yet, but it’s only a matter of time before a recording of one of her rants goes viral and embarrasses APS. I teach at another school now and I’m so glad I escaped that poisonous environment.

Even if that’s the case, the way she allegedly retaliated is odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wright has major anger management issues. I’m amazed no one has recorded her yet, but it’s only a matter of time before a recording of one of her rants goes viral and embarrasses APS. I teach at another school now and I’m so glad I escaped that poisonous environment.

Even if that’s the case, the way she allegedly retaliated is odd.

Because she is very odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Were they labeled in English and Spanish? Just asking because at our school we know to label in both languages or some of our things will get misplaced/thrown out over the summer. This has nothing to do with administration. Our cleaning and maintenance staff works very hard but some do not speak English.

It occurred before custodians moved items and before summer camps began at the school. The was at least one witness to this event.

So what happened?

The story I heard was that the principal and one of the APs went into specific teacher’s classrooms and started dumping stuff (including teaching licenses, diplomas, supplies, etc.). Someone alerted two of the teachers and they went in and took pictures. I’m aware of four teachers who were targeted. However, there is already a lawsuit underway by another teacher who is no longer at the school. I believe the principal was ordered to reimburse for damages.

The principal herself? This sounds like the ravings of someone who needs a psychological evaluation; I’ll have to watch the meeting.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the next superintendent will do something about the principals. Murphy sure didn't.

She's not the only bully principal in APS.

[Anonymous]

We are former Oakridge parents. Two things: (1) The complaining teacher, Ms. Oxendine, has the reputation of being the best teacher at Oakridge; (2) We took our second and third kids out of Oakridge and into a choice school, and also before that had tried a private school for our first kid, because we found Oakridge to be such a toxic environment thanks to Dr. Wright, the principal. When she won "principal of the year" we realized that APS was oblivious and nothing was going to change, so we bailed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are former Oakridge parents. Two things: (1) The complaining teacher, Ms. Oxendine, has the reputation of being the best teacher at Oakridge; (2) We took our second and third kids out of Oakridge and into a choice school, and also before that had tried a private school for our first kid, because we found Oakridge to be such a toxic environment thanks to Dr. Wright, the principal. When she won "principal of the year" we realized that APS was oblivious and nothing was going to change, so we bailed.

None of this is surprising, but thanks for sharing. It accords with our poor experience with APS, which was that it is a cliquish, intensely mediocre system run by a few to benefit a handful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are former Oakridge parents. Two things: (1) The complaining teacher, Ms. Oxendine, has the reputation of being the best teacher at Oakridge; (2) We took our second and third kids out of Oakridge and into a choice school, and also before that had tried a private school for our first kid, because we found Oakridge to be such a toxic environment thanks to Dr. Wright, the principal. When she won "principal of the year" we realized that APS was oblivious and nothing was going to change, so we bailed.

None of this is surprising, but thanks for sharing. It accords with our poor experience with APS, which was that it is a cliquish, intensely mediocre system run by a few to benefit a handful.

I should add that I regret that Ms. Oxendine made the issue about race. Whether Dr. Wright has a racism problem I can't say. But lots of white parents and teachers have had issues with her, and resolving a discrimination complaint won't solve the broader underlying problem.

[Anonymous]

From the previous “Would you send your kid to Oakridge?” thread:

[Post New]01/18/2019 21:38 Subject: Would you send your kid to Oakridge Elementary? [Up]
Anonymous

Oakridge has a serious staff turnover problem, due to the principal. The last of our three children is almost done there, and every one of them had wonderful teachers who later accepted jobs elsewhere in APS, at about the rate of once very two years. My NA friends’ schools don’t have this problem.

[Anonymous]

I hope more people speak out to the Board then. They will likely dismiss this one but if there are many, they won't be able to ignore it.

[Anonymous]

The meetings were probably dumb and a waste of time, and like most meetings could be accomplished in an email.

[Anonymous]

If this really happened, the principal should be fired.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if any of the allegations are true but I know Dr. Wright personally and I can't imagine that they are. I have never seen anything in her behavior close to what is alleged.