Maret's dismal Performing Arts Department Leadership

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP

Reviving this post in the hopes that the school will take note of the shockingly disappointing instruction that the students are receiving in performing arts as evidenced by last night’s performance. Please know that as a parent of a student who used to love band, what we saw was frankly just very sad- I was so sad for my child and their peers. We know that the school is undertaking a top to bottom change of the department and we hope that it goes back to what it was in both band and chorus.

Before anyone jumps in to tell us to talk to the school, we have. Thank you.

As a parent who was there I disagree with this. I think they did a nice job considering the short amount of time my kid rehearsed due to the former teacher having to step down unexpectedly. I think having a parent being judgmental about this concert is embarrassing. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former Maret teacher, the workload of most teachers is nearly untenable. I know the (now former) band teacher well. She is an incredible educator who was dealt a shit hand. She quite literally, was worked into the ground. All I can say is, my new school is NOTHING like Maret. I feel safe, supported, and cared for. I commend my former colleague for doing what is best for HER!

Can you say more about the workload? I figured it was a cushy job

DP. Some schools are better than others but teaching is never a “cushy” job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former Maret teacher, the workload of most teachers is nearly untenable. I know the (now former) band teacher well. She is an incredible educator who was dealt a shit hand. She quite literally, was worked into the ground. All I can say is, my new school is NOTHING like Maret. I feel safe, supported, and cared for. I commend my former colleague for doing what is best for HER!

Can you say more about the workload? I figured it was a cushy job

DP. Some schools are better than others but teaching is never a “cushy” job.

+100
Plus usually the arts teachers have a lot of uncompensated hours outside of the workday that are expected.

[Anonymous]

Plus the whole facility is dirty and unkempt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former Maret teacher, the workload of most teachers is nearly untenable. I know the (now former) band teacher well. She is an incredible educator who was dealt a shit hand. She quite literally, was worked into the ground. All I can say is, my new school is NOTHING like Maret. I feel safe, supported, and cared for. I commend my former colleague for doing what is best for HER!

Can you say more about the workload? I figured it was a cushy job

NP here: I don’t work there anymore so I don’t know if the new head is changing things, but the prior head had expectations that teachers were to be on campus for at least 9 hours everyday. If she liked you, that didn’t get enforced but if you weren’t in her circle, leaving at 4:45 would get you in trouble. There was zero understanding that most of us had significant commutes—not all of us live a 15 minute walk from campus like she did— and spending 11 hrs a day getting to and from school wasn’t sustainable for most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former Maret teacher, the workload of most teachers is nearly untenable. I know the (now former) band teacher well. She is an incredible educator who was dealt a shit hand. She quite literally, was worked into the ground. All I can say is, my new school is NOTHING like Maret. I feel safe, supported, and cared for. I commend my former colleague for doing what is best for HER!

Can you say more about the workload? I figured it was a cushy job

NP here: I don’t work there anymore so I don’t know if the new head is changing things, but the prior head had expectations that teachers were to be on campus for at least 9 hours everyday. If she liked you, that didn’t get enforced but if you weren’t in her circle, leaving at 4:45 would get you in trouble. There was zero understanding that most of us had significant commutes—not all of us live a 15 minute walk from campus like she did— and spending 11 hrs a day getting to and from school wasn’t sustainable for most.

I can’t for the life of me understand commuting an hour each way for this job…there must be a private school much closer to where you live, no?

[Anonymous]

Maret’s focus now is sports. They are pouring millions of dollars into the new field miles from campus. Sports is what gets kids into college these days, not performing arts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maret’s focus now is sports. They are pouring millions of dollars into the new field miles from campus. Sports is what gets kids into college these days, not performing arts.

This is laughable. Maret is never going to be focused on sports. The new field is about not having to deal with city and Jelleff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former Maret teacher, the workload of most teachers is nearly untenable. I know the (now former) band teacher well. She is an incredible educator who was dealt a shit hand. She quite literally, was worked into the ground. All I can say is, my new school is NOTHING like Maret. I feel safe, supported, and cared for. I commend my former colleague for doing what is best for HER!

Can you say more about the workload? I figured it was a cushy job

NP here: I don’t work there anymore so I don’t know if the new head is changing things, but the prior head had expectations that teachers were to be on campus for at least 9 hours everyday. If she liked you, that didn’t get enforced but if you weren’t in her circle, leaving at 4:45 would get you in trouble. There was zero understanding that most of us had significant commutes—not all of us live a 15 minute walk from campus like she did— and spending 11 hrs a day getting to and from school wasn’t sustainable for most.

I can see why you were fired.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. This troll posts every year after the Xmas concert. See here for last year’s thread. All the same nonsense was tossed out then.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1173571.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh. This troll posts every year after the Xmas concert. See here for last year’s thread. All the same nonsense was tossed out then.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1173571.page

I feel sad for the children who were attacked. Who talks this way about kids playing on stage. I hope none of them read this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former Maret teacher, the workload of most teachers is nearly untenable. I know the (now former) band teacher well. She is an incredible educator who was dealt a shit hand. She quite literally, was worked into the ground. All I can say is, my new school is NOTHING like Maret. I feel safe, supported, and cared for. I commend my former colleague for doing what is best for HER!

Can you say more about the workload? I figured it was a cushy job

NP here: I don’t work there anymore so I don’t know if the new head is changing things, but the prior head had expectations that teachers were to be on campus for at least 9 hours everyday. If she liked you, that didn’t get enforced but if you weren’t in her circle, leaving at 4:45 would get you in trouble. There was zero understanding that most of us had significant commutes—not all of us live a 15 minute walk from campus like she did— and spending 11 hrs a day getting to and from school wasn’t sustainable for most.

I can’t for the life of me understand commuting an hour each way for this job…there must be a private school much closer to where you live, no?

Lots of people were sold the idea that this school was A Fantastic Place and were willing to sacrifice the commute time. Many of us realized it was not what it was cracked up to be and no longer work there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a former Maret teacher, the workload of most teachers is nearly untenable. I know the (now former) band teacher well. She is an incredible educator who was dealt a shit hand. She quite literally, was worked into the ground. All I can say is, my new school is NOTHING like Maret. I feel safe, supported, and cared for. I commend my former colleague for doing what is best for HER!

Can you say more about the workload? I figured it was a cushy job

NP here: I don’t work there anymore so I don’t know if the new head is changing things, but the prior head had expectations that teachers were to be on campus for at least 9 hours everyday. If she liked you, that didn’t get enforced but if you weren’t in her circle, leaving at 4:45 would get you in trouble. There was zero understanding that most of us had significant commutes—not all of us live a 15 minute walk from campus like she did— and spending 11 hrs a day getting to and from school wasn’t sustainable for most.

I can see why you were fired.

Someone taught MT how to use this forum?

[Anonymous]

Some very unkind people seem to be venting on this forum. I am a Maret parent and things are not nearly as bad as what’s being described on this forum. Have a little compassion. If you’re not happy, contact the appropriate people at the school to share your feelings. Venting anonymously on a public forum serves what purpose exactly?