Shake Up at SSMA?
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Anonymous
Sh%T Show Montessori Academy. Ugh. I only have so much tolerance for having a great classroom experience. PArticularly with the principal, this has to be trickling down to morale with the guides? I'm also nervous about all the apprentice guides and how that will affect our AMS accreditation. |
Anonymous
| Just be happy this is happening before the lottery ends. Get those lists together now! |
Anonymous
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I can’t blame her. It had to be a horrible job.
Can’t wait to leave SSMA! |
Anonymous
Sounds real to me. My job caused me significant stress, negatively affecting my family and health. |
Anonymous
| Never met her but she accepted the job before all the drama with the parent association. That had to be a shock and very unsettling. Gotta feel for anyone walking into a situation like that. |
Anonymous
Actually no. When, the last principal left, this forum chain began And only LATER was she hired. When the last principal left Shining Stars mid-year, the commotion that began this very thread was due to the shock of not having someone in place to replace her. Dr R. even wrote that she was still searching for a replacement. The outgoing principal may not have known what she was getting into, yes. But, the storm surrounding Dr. R's poor management and the chaos she has wreaked was everywhere to see for anyone who was looking. |
Anonymous
| Never met her but she accepted the job before all the drama with the parent association. That had to be a shock and very unsettling. Gotta feel for anyone walking into a situation like that. |
Anonymous
Yes, I remember that she came on in June. And by that time it was revealed to everyone (even on this thread) that Dr. R had replaced almost the entire admin staff and installed cronies loyal to her - Wooden and G - to act as her eyes and ears and suppress dissent. But to agree with the original poster, the full extent of the carnage didn't happen until guides started leaving when they could get new jobs. And that was August. See this part of the thread here from Aug 12 showing 16 departures: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/255/725818.page#13472920 Once the old principal left, a lot of guides left too, once they could find a new job. I hope the same doesn't happen this year. Dr. R needs to think about retention bonuses or some incentive to stabilize things. |
Anonymous
| This makes me sad. Montessori is supposed to be about peace and continuity in the environment |
Anonymous
It can be, but Dr. R. and the administration don’t embody the Montessori ideals. For all her talk of being an accredited Montessori school, it is, in some ways, the furthest thing from Montessori. |
Anonymous
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When are parents going to get proactive and reactive?
There are some messages that need to be completely looked in to. |
Anonymous
They did! It was at that point that the Shining Stars board threatened to decertify the Community Association. It's such an insane situation. Dr. R. is ripping that place apart and the Shining Stars board is complicit. The DC School Board isn't going to do anything about it. I know of MANY parents (including my spouse) that took their complaints to the DC School Board. They're not interested. |
Anonymous
Been there done that. Ton of energy expended by parents last year and the Community Board. The situation at SSMA made us realize how little power parents have at charter schools in general. It's all about the Board at charter schools. The same sentiment has been echoed by LAMB parents (their situation was much more serious). So add researching the Board at whatever schools you are considering to your evaluation list. DCPCSB is pretty toothless when it comes to real issues. DCPS parents have way more leverage and clout. The SSMA experience made us realize that its private or a DCPS school before we go charter again. |
Anonymous
The only way to get traction in changing the environment there is to bring some media attention to the situation. But good luck with that. |
Anonymous
| So where are the SSMA refugees planning to flee to? |