Why is everyone at Holton-Arms leaving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Holton was "that kind of place" under SAJ's leadership. We chose the school because of the culture she created.
PE is cleaning house, and changing the vibe of the school completely. I don't dislike her, but the change is real. It has definitely posed challenges for faculty and students alike.

I can remember people pushing back on the culture that SAJ created and wanting someone to change the vibe of the school back to a time before SAJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're right: if you speak to the teachers, many of whom us parents have developed close relationships with over the years (because they are wonderful people and educators), you will find that they are mostly continuing teaching roles (except for the retirees) at other DMV schools. I only say mostly because I have spoken to the 7 we know closely that taught our DD today at commencement.

So, it is not that some of these wonderful teachers woke up this spring and decided they no longer wanted to teach. They just no longer wanted to teach at Holton.

But that’s fine. Somehow parents at Holton change jobs all the time, and then they are surprised that teacher want to look for better opportunities. I am sorry but doesn’t work like that. I am glad that teachers are moving for the right reasons.

[Anonymous]

Hilton’s graduation was today?! Why so early?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're right: if you speak to the teachers, many of whom us parents have developed close relationships with over the years (because they are wonderful people and educators), you will find that they are mostly continuing teaching roles (except for the retirees) at other DMV schools. I only say mostly because I have spoken to the 7 we know closely that taught our DD today at commencement.

So, it is not that some of these wonderful teachers woke up this spring and decided they no longer wanted to teach. They just no longer wanted to teach at Holton.

But that’s fine. Somehow parents at Holton change jobs all the time, and then they are surprised that teacher want to look for better opportunities. I am sorry but doesn’t work like that. I am glad that teachers are moving for the right reasons.

People care that the school has changed for the worse and teachers who devoted themselves to teaching no longer feel they can work there.

[Anonymous]

What are you talking about? Who are you talking to?
They're leaving for GDS, Norwood, St. Andrews Episcopal, and even MCPS.
One "doesn't even know what she's doing next yet" and one skirted the question.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:People. Just remember that it’s just a school. It’s not like in Harvard the star professors are leaving.

There are enough talented people in dc to fill positions. Plus the people leaving might have very good reasons to leave. Smart teachers move to other jobs because simply they pay more.

This is disingenuous. Unless, you are a lifer at Holton and don’t know any better. My kid has been at two different private schools with very, very little turnover.

Maybe the teachers there are unable to find better opportunities elsewhere.

And by that logic Holton teachers are able to find better places to work, places run by true academics and visionaries, places where they are not spoken to with disdain or yelled at during meetings, places where there is not a constant fear of retaliation.

Many at Holton remember when the school WAS that type of place.

I am sorry to tell you, but good teachers also change professions. Many times they prefer to do something else all together. It’s happening all around the county and not only in Holton.

Actually, that's not happening at Holton.

That’s exactly what the teachers I talked to told me. They leave for better opportunities.

But they aren't leaving teaching. They are looking for better opportunities to teach in places where they will thrive, not where they will be constantly undermined and disrespected. Many chose to leave without even having a job in place. They just knew they didn't want to work with Penny.

[Anonymous]

I know... the entire calendar is messed up this year. They had a two week senior project (usually a month, until last year); not enough time to do anything meaningful. Graduation was early, ring day was late, and Junior Rising Up is next week even though it is supposed to be the first day of senior projects. Confusion all around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hilton’s graduation was today?! Why so early?

I heard it's because Penny doesn't want to have extended responsibility for seniors. She slashed a senior project timeline that had functioned for decades because of this baseless concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:People. Just remember that it’s just a school. It’s not like in Harvard the star professors are leaving.

There are enough talented people in dc to fill positions. Plus the people leaving might have very good reasons to leave. Smart teachers move to other jobs because simply they pay more.

This is disingenuous. Unless, you are a lifer at Holton and don’t know any better. My kid has been at two different private schools with very, very little turnover.

Maybe the teachers there are unable to find better opportunities elsewhere.

And by that logic Holton teachers are able to find better places to work, places run by true academics and visionaries, places where they are not spoken to with disdain or yelled at during meetings, places where there is not a constant fear of retaliation.

Many at Holton remember when the school WAS that type of place.

I am sorry to tell you, but good teachers also change professions. Many times they prefer to do something else all together. It’s happening all around the county and not only in Holton.

Actually, that's not happening at Holton.

That’s exactly what the teachers I talked to told me. They leave for better opportunities.

But they aren't leaving teaching. They are looking for better opportunities to teach in places where they will thrive, not where they will be constantly undermined and disrespected. Many chose to leave without even having a job in place. They just knew they didn't want to work with Penny.

But it’s very simple. Instead of playing the blaming game, you can ask the board to conduct exit interviews to the faculty and ask a simple question: what changes in your contract would have encouraged you to keep teaching at holton. There will be a concrete answer to that question and then there could be an informed decision on how to make Holton a more attractive place to teach. Meanwhile teachers are more than welcome to search for better opportunities. Like any other parent at Holton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People. Just remember that it’s just a school. It’s not like in Harvard the star professors are leaving.

There are enough talented people in dc to fill positions. Plus the people leaving might have very good reasons to leave. Smart teachers move to other jobs because simply they pay more.

This is disingenuous. Unless, you are a lifer at Holton and don’t know any better. My kid has been at two different private schools with very, very little turnover.

Maybe the teachers there are unable to find better opportunities elsewhere.

And by that logic Holton teachers are able to find better places to work, places run by true academics and visionaries, places where they are not spoken to with disdain or yelled at during meetings, places where there is not a constant fear of retaliation.

Many at Holton remember when the school WAS that type of place.

I am sorry to tell you, but good teachers also change professions. Many times they prefer to do something else all together. It’s happening all around the county and not only in Holton.

Actually, that's not happening at Holton.

That’s exactly what the teachers I talked to told me. They leave for better opportunities.

But they aren't leaving teaching. They are looking for better opportunities to teach in places where they will thrive, not where they will be constantly undermined and disrespected. Many chose to leave without even having a job in place. They just knew they didn't want to work with Penny.

But it’s very simple. Instead of playing the blaming game, you can ask the board to conduct exit interviews to the faculty and ask a simple question: what changes in your contract would have encouraged you to keep teaching at holton. There will be a concrete answer to that question and then there could be an informed decision on how to make Holton a more attractive place to teach. Meanwhile teachers are more than welcome to search for better opportunities. Like any other parent at Holton.

Numerous teachers and staff members have spoken to the board. Board members have repeatedly refused to do any such thing. They are not interested in taking any responsibility for the disaster they hired or doing anything meaningful to remedy the situation.

[Anonymous]

They did exit interviews for the students until recently, I don’t see why they can’t do it for the faculty too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People. Just remember that it’s just a school. It’s not like in Harvard the star professors are leaving.

There are enough talented people in dc to fill positions. Plus the people leaving might have very good reasons to leave. Smart teachers move to other jobs because simply they pay more.

This is disingenuous. Unless, you are a lifer at Holton and don’t know any better. My kid has been at two different private schools with very, very little turnover.

Maybe the teachers there are unable to find better opportunities elsewhere.

And by that logic Holton teachers are able to find better places to work, places run by true academics and visionaries, places where they are not spoken to with disdain or yelled at during meetings, places where there is not a constant fear of retaliation.

Many at Holton remember when the school WAS that type of place.

I am sorry to tell you, but good teachers also change professions. Many times they prefer to do something else all together. It’s happening all around the county and not only in Holton.

Actually, that's not happening at Holton.

That’s exactly what the teachers I talked to told me. They leave for better opportunities.

But they aren't leaving teaching. They are looking for better opportunities to teach in places where they will thrive, not where they will be constantly undermined and disrespected. Many chose to leave without even having a job in place. They just knew they didn't want to work with Penny.

But it’s very simple. Instead of playing the blaming game, you can ask the board to conduct exit interviews to the faculty and ask a simple question: what changes in your contract would have encouraged you to keep teaching at holton. There will be a concrete answer to that question and then there could be an informed decision on how to make Holton a more attractive place to teach. Meanwhile teachers are more than welcome to search for better opportunities. Like any other parent at Holton.

Numerous teachers and staff members have spoken to the board. Board members have repeatedly refused to do any such thing. They are not interested in taking any responsibility for the disaster they hired or doing anything meaningful to remedy the situation.

Talking is meaningless. You just do a survey and share the results in the state of the school with the parents and then make an informed decision. Thats not hard to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People. Just remember that it’s just a school. It’s not like in Harvard the star professors are leaving.

There are enough talented people in dc to fill positions. Plus the people leaving might have very good reasons to leave. Smart teachers move to other jobs because simply they pay more.

This is disingenuous. Unless, you are a lifer at Holton and don’t know any better. My kid has been at two different private schools with very, very little turnover.

Maybe the teachers there are unable to find better opportunities elsewhere.

And by that logic Holton teachers are able to find better places to work, places run by true academics and visionaries, places where they are not spoken to with disdain or yelled at during meetings, places where there is not a constant fear of retaliation.

Many at Holton remember when the school WAS that type of place.

I am sorry to tell you, but good teachers also change professions. Many times they prefer to do something else all together. It’s happening all around the county and not only in Holton.

Actually, that's not happening at Holton.

That’s exactly what the teachers I talked to told me. They leave for better opportunities.

But they aren't leaving teaching. They are looking for better opportunities to teach in places where they will thrive, not where they will be constantly undermined and disrespected. Many chose to leave without even having a job in place. They just knew they didn't want to work with Penny.

But it’s very simple. Instead of playing the blaming game, you can ask the board to conduct exit interviews to the faculty and ask a simple question: what changes in your contract would have encouraged you to keep teaching at holton. There will be a concrete answer to that question and then there could be an informed decision on how to make Holton a more attractive place to teach. Meanwhile teachers are more than welcome to search for better opportunities. Like any other parent at Holton.

Numerous teachers and staff members have spoken to the board. Board members have repeatedly refused to do any such thing. They are not interested in taking any responsibility for the disaster they hired or doing anything meaningful to remedy the situation.

Sometimes teachers are not the right fit, or not the right fit anymore, and they need to leave. Sometimes teachers are wrong even when they are upset about something. These one-sided conclusions based on parking lot and DCUM chat are not, ever, the full picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People. Just remember that it’s just a school. It’s not like in Harvard the star professors are leaving.

There are enough talented people in dc to fill positions. Plus the people leaving might have very good reasons to leave. Smart teachers move to other jobs because simply they pay more.

This is disingenuous. Unless, you are a lifer at Holton and don’t know any better. My kid has been at two different private schools with very, very little turnover.

Maybe the teachers there are unable to find better opportunities elsewhere.

And by that logic Holton teachers are able to find better places to work, places run by true academics and visionaries, places where they are not spoken to with disdain or yelled at during meetings, places where there is not a constant fear of retaliation.

Many at Holton remember when the school WAS that type of place.

I am sorry to tell you, but good teachers also change professions. Many times they prefer to do something else all together. It’s happening all around the county and not only in Holton.

Actually, that's not happening at Holton.

That’s exactly what the teachers I talked to told me. They leave for better opportunities.

But they aren't leaving teaching. They are looking for better opportunities to teach in places where they will thrive, not where they will be constantly undermined and disrespected. Many chose to leave without even having a job in place. They just knew they didn't want to work with Penny.

But it’s very simple. Instead of playing the blaming game, you can ask the board to conduct exit interviews to the faculty and ask a simple question: what changes in your contract would have encouraged you to keep teaching at holton. There will be a concrete answer to that question and then there could be an informed decision on how to make Holton a more attractive place to teach. Meanwhile teachers are more than welcome to search for better opportunities. Like any other parent at Holton.

Numerous teachers and staff members have spoken to the board. Board members have repeatedly refused to do any such thing. They are not interested in taking any responsibility for the disaster they hired or doing anything meaningful to remedy the situation.

Talking is meaningless. You just do a survey and share the results in the state of the school with the parents and then make an informed decision. Thats not hard to do.

They did a survey a year ago. The results were disastrous. The board took feeble action. Nothing has improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People. Just remember that it’s just a school. It’s not like in Harvard the star professors are leaving.

There are enough talented people in dc to fill positions. Plus the people leaving might have very good reasons to leave. Smart teachers move to other jobs because simply they pay more.

This is disingenuous. Unless, you are a lifer at Holton and don’t know any better. My kid has been at two different private schools with very, very little turnover.

Maybe the teachers there are unable to find better opportunities elsewhere.

And by that logic Holton teachers are able to find better places to work, places run by true academics and visionaries, places where they are not spoken to with disdain or yelled at during meetings, places where there is not a constant fear of retaliation.

Many at Holton remember when the school WAS that type of place.

I am sorry to tell you, but good teachers also change professions. Many times they prefer to do something else all together. It’s happening all around the county and not only in Holton.

Actually, that's not happening at Holton.

That’s exactly what the teachers I talked to told me. They leave for better opportunities.

But they aren't leaving teaching. They are looking for better opportunities to teach in places where they will thrive, not where they will be constantly undermined and disrespected. Many chose to leave without even having a job in place. They just knew they didn't want to work with Penny.

But it’s very simple. Instead of playing the blaming game, you can ask the board to conduct exit interviews to the faculty and ask a simple question: what changes in your contract would have encouraged you to keep teaching at holton. There will be a concrete answer to that question and then there could be an informed decision on how to make Holton a more attractive place to teach. Meanwhile teachers are more than welcome to search for better opportunities. Like any other parent at Holton.

Parent of senior here. The exit interviews for the graduating seniors were eliminated. I am pretty sure many of the girls would have shared their concerns about the exodus of teachers.

The HoS doesn’t even know the name of the girls, apart from those of the big donors. Many of the girls still remember the previous HoS, who knew the name of every single girl at the school. The current one doesn’t even bother with the names of the top students. At the award ceremony, she handed the cum laude certificates to the wrong girls, causing considerable confusion. It may seem like a minor thing, but it does illustrate her attitude to the students.