Springbrook HS Staff Letter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for SB staff - are the APs there mostly Team Valentine? Or do they acknowledge how dreadful the climate is?

We had two APs leave last year and two take their place this year. The two new APs this year are amazing - they openly have our backs (albeit, to the extent that they can), and they demonstrate open disdain toward some of the egregious things that happen there. Unfortunately, we also recognize that there is only so much they can do, and that they have to prioritize their own well-being as well.

The other AP is hardcore Team Valentine - to the point that they walk arm-in-arm in the halls and text on each other’s phones. It’s really weird.

There's always one sycophant among the APs in a toxic principal's circle....

[Anonymous]

I have no affiliation with Springbrook HS but everything mentioned in the letter seems so minor. It is as if the principals before were very relaxed and then she comes in and puts rules and practices in place. Observations are a given, it does not matter how many times a year. You can have one every day…. I don’t understand how teachers hate her and then expect a glowing reference from her when they try to leave. Nicknames to students is not unheard of and unless a child stated it made them uncomfortable, then it’s not a big deal. I was expecting her to call people crackers and the n word as a nickname. Transfer out teachers. There is a teacher shortage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no affiliation with Springbrook HS but everything mentioned in the letter seems so minor. It is as if the principals before were very relaxed and then she comes in and puts rules and practices in place. Observations are a given, it does not matter how many times a year. You can have one every day…. I don’t understand how teachers hate her and then expect a glowing reference from her when they try to leave. Nicknames to students is not unheard of and unless a child stated it made them uncomfortable, then it’s not a big deal. I was expecting her to call people crackers and the n word as a nickname. Transfer out teachers. There is a teacher shortage.

This: Springbrook High School, as compared to all MCPS High Schools, has 22 of 33 areas of possible improvement and no areas of school strength.a. Two relevant questions were question 14, "Overall, how positive is the working environment at your school?" and question 16, "How positive is the tone that school leaders set for the culture of the school?" The results from these questions dropped more than 20% from the year prior. These results demonstrate the effect Principal Valentine has created on the school's climate and culture.

Does not point to a dysfunctional, declining school climate to you? Are you serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no affiliation with Springbrook HS but everything mentioned in the letter seems so minor. It is as if the principals before were very relaxed and then she comes in and puts rules and practices in place. Observations are a given, it does not matter how many times a year. You can have one every day…. I don’t understand how teachers hate her and then expect a glowing reference from her when they try to leave. Nicknames to students is not unheard of and unless a child stated it made them uncomfortable, then it’s not a big deal. I was expecting her to call people crackers and the n word as a nickname. Transfer out teachers. There is a teacher shortage.

Cram or Moran has entered this thread.
Violating codes, harassment of students? Try again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at Springbrook, and am aware of the letter but do not have a copy. The morale of the staff is abysmal, with constant micromanaging by the principal and her assistants. Armed with her two years of teaching art, it is laughable when she tries to dictate pedagogy to content areas. She shuts down and silences students who question administration. Any bad publicity is covered up, from fighting and vaping, to mold in classrooms, to the three teachers dismissed in the last calendar year for inappropriate interactions with children. We have contacted the union for support, but we just get told to be patient and follow the process. Please, parents: complain. Complain about everything you don’t like, and send it to the superintendent, the Board of Ed, and probably the media at this point.

Oooohhh they don't like that.

My thoughts exactly. The only way to get MCPS to act quickly is to go to the media. This story will get picked up, but someone will have to be brave enough to talk to them - maybe a teacher who is retiring or someone who has nothing to lose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need a brave Springbrook HS staff member to speak out!

while this would be great, if she’s a bully as stated on this thread, the staff won’t out themselves. I don’t blame them. I worked at a school with a retaliatory principal and our staff attempted a similar approach: the community was never informed or made aware because sharing it puts involved staff members at risk.

Believe it or not, there are MANY SHS teachers willing to put their names on this letter. They have been absolutely pushed to their limits and the common consensus is that if we’re gonna be targeted even when we don’t speak out, what does it matter if we do? Teachers keep trying to “trust the process,” as we’re told, but we’re done.

The teachers at Springbrook LOVE Springbrook. They LOVE the students. They love to collaborate with their coworkers in order to best plan for their students.

I truly do not think I can put into words how desperate we are to save the community we love and to do what we know is best for our students. I hate that it feels like admin and parents versus teachers. We all want to be a TEAM because we love our jobs and we love our kids. We will do anything for these kids. We just need the public to back us up.

I’m in. How can I help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at Springbrook, and am aware of the letter but do not have a copy. The morale of the staff is abysmal, with constant micromanaging by the principal and her assistants. Armed with her two years of teaching art, it is laughable when she tries to dictate pedagogy to content areas. She shuts down and silences students who question administration. Any bad publicity is covered up, from fighting and vaping, to mold in classrooms, to the three teachers dismissed in the last calendar year for inappropriate interactions with children. We have contacted the union for support, but we just get told to be patient and follow the process. Please, parents: complain. Complain about everything you don’t like, and send it to the superintendent, the Board of Ed, and probably the media at this point.

Oooohhh they don't like that.

My thoughts exactly. The only way to get MCPS to act quickly is to go to the media. This story will get picked up, but someone will have to be brave enough to talk to them - maybe a teacher who is retiring or someone who has nothing to lose.

Yup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no affiliation with Springbrook HS but everything mentioned in the letter seems so minor. It is as if the principals before were very relaxed and then she comes in and puts rules and practices in place. Observations are a given, it does not matter how many times a year. You can have one every day…. I don’t understand how teachers hate her and then expect a glowing reference from her when they try to leave. Nicknames to students is not unheard of and unless a child stated it made them uncomfortable, then it’s not a big deal. I was expecting her to call people crackers and the n word as a nickname. Transfer out teachers. There is a teacher shortage.

Cram or Moran has entered this thread.
Violating codes, harassment of students? Try again.

Seriously. The attempt to downplay the concerns raised in the staff letter was pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for SB staff - are the APs there mostly Team Valentine? Or do they acknowledge how dreadful the climate is?

The APs unfortunately follow her lead because they, too, fear retaliation. I am a teacher at Springbrook who was severely bullied by Valentine. And though each and every AP knew it and disagreed with her treatment of me, none of them did anything about it. They just kept telling me that she is the principal, and what she says goes. Enough is enough. She can't keep treating people like this.

[Anonymous]

I just wanted to join this thread to say that letter is POWERFUL.

[Anonymous]

That email is terribly written- are you sure these are teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no affiliation with Springbrook HS but everything mentioned in the letter seems so minor. It is as if the principals before were very relaxed and then she comes in and puts rules and practices in place. Observations are a given, it does not matter how many times a year. You can have one every day…. I don’t understand how teachers hate her and then expect a glowing reference from her when they try to leave. Nicknames to students is not unheard of and unless a child stated it made them uncomfortable, then it’s not a big deal. I was expecting her to call people crackers and the n word as a nickname. Transfer out teachers. There is a teacher shortage.

You sound ignorant. You probably have a job working from home yet you think staff and students should subject themselves to this everyday? I don’t work at SB, but I know what they are describing is NOT NORMAL. I’ve worked in MCPS since 2005. You call those working conditions “so minor”? You’re out of touch. If you work for MCPS and you think that environment doesn’t sound bad, you’re at a terrible school too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no affiliation with Springbrook HS but everything mentioned in the letter seems so minor. It is as if the principals before were very relaxed and then she comes in and puts rules and practices in place. Observations are a given, it does not matter how many times a year. You can have one every day…. I don’t understand how teachers hate her and then expect a glowing reference from her when they try to leave. Nicknames to students is not unheard of and unless a child stated it made them uncomfortable, then it’s not a big deal. I was expecting her to call people crackers and the n word as a nickname. Transfer out teachers. There is a teacher shortage.

You sound ignorant. You probably have a job working from home yet you think staff and students should subject themselves to this everyday? I don’t work at SB, but I know what they are describing is NOT NORMAL. I’ve worked in MCPS since 2005. You call those working conditions “so minor”? You’re out of touch. If you work for MCPS and you think that environment doesn’t sound bad, you’re at a terrible school too.

If they work for MCPS and don't think the environment sounds bad, they likely work for Central Office.

[Anonymous]

Ignore the troll.

[Anonymous]

God speed Springbrook teachers and staff. This culture is fairly prevalent in many MCPS schools.

And yes, observations are 100% used against us. I am at a different school, not in my observation year, and just received my first scathing report in my history of working after speaking up at a meeting about the ever increasing workload and removal/lack of resources from MCPS.

Parents, our schools are not healthy. Demand accountability please.