Abusive Administration in Elementary School?

[Anonymous]

Wonderful teachers keep leaving my daughters school. All the crappy ones stay. I spoke with my daughters teacher on a Friday and she didn't come out and directly say it but implied that teachers were treated badly by administrators in the building. This teacher has been there one year and is leaving like many others that just stay a year who are really great. How common is this? So upsetting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wonderful teachers keep leaving my daughters school. All the crappy ones stay. I spoke with my daughters teacher on a Friday and she didn't come out and directly say it but implied that teachers were treated badly by administrators in the building. This teacher has been there one year and is leaving like many others that just stay a year who are really great. How common is this? So upsetting.

As a teacher who has worked at a few schools, I have encountered this everywhere, too. Independent schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wonderful teachers keep leaving my daughters school. All the crappy ones stay. I spoke with my daughters teacher on a Friday and she didn't come out and directly say it but implied that teachers were treated badly by administrators in the building. This teacher has been there one year and is leaving like many others that just stay a year who are really great. How common is this? So upsetting.

It's very common in Fairfax county. There is no accountability for administrators that I can tell. They have the job for life, no matter how bad they suck at it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonderful teachers keep leaving my daughters school. All the crappy ones stay. I spoke with my daughters teacher on a Friday and she didn't come out and directly say it but implied that teachers were treated badly by administrators in the building. This teacher has been there one year and is leaving like many others that just stay a year who are really great. How common is this? So upsetting.

It's very common in Fairfax county. There is no accountability for administrators that I can tell. They have the job for life, no matter how bad they suck at it.

I have worked in an Elementary School in FCPS where an administrator was removed. I will say, teachers move for a variety of reasons, but a great administrator makes ALL the difference.

[Anonymous]

Not surprised.

It's still happened in the district in this old Post article. Almost the same thing just different school.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/alexandria-teacher-fired-despite-no-negative-evaluations/2013/06/30/537123c4-e0f2-11e2-8ae9-5db15d3c0fca_blog.html?utm_term=.ba56b3a0203c

[Anonymous]

Very common. Everywhere...every county, every level of school. As someone noted on another thread, teachers sign a contract that they won't leave for the year. Teachers can't just give two weeks' notice like other people, so managers don't feel like they need to treat them well.

[Anonymous]

It's why I left my last school. I was there for 15 years. Then a new principal came in who was so incompetent I couldn't take it anymore. Me and several others left after her 2nd year. After year 3, when she had made zero impact on the school's scores and accredidation, she was moved (to Gatehouse of course). Several other people in that admin were moved at the same time to various other schools. A whole new administration was brought in.

I agree with PP who said the administration makes a world of difference. I LOVE the school I am at now. The admin is phenomenal. They really listen to their teachers and include us as much as possible in making decisions for the good of the school. It really is nice working somewhere where you feel valued and appreciated.

[Anonymous]

This happened at my kids' former AAP center elementary school. I never saw so much teacher turnover. It's sad what a crappy principal can do to good teachers and students. These principals do "retire" or move on to "better opportunities" after a few years, but meanwhile, your kids can't redo elementary school.

[Anonymous]

I was the 26th person to leave my school in one year! A secretary left in the last part of summer making 27 staff members leaving the building at one time. Fcps higher ups definitely noticed and the administration quit or was demoted.

[Anonymous]

Are there any good places to teach in Fairfax County? Who are the best principals for children and teachers?

[Anonymous]

Look for schools where the principal has been there for several years and so has most of the staff (minus retirements and spousal moves). The best school I taught in was a high school where the principal had been there for 15 years. He had absolutely no aspiration to move to central office because he loved his job and the teachers loved him. He was very open and fair minded. Teachers did not leave. I also worked in the opposite . . . principal favoring certain teachers, having an affair with a married staff member, etc. Horrible morale in that place. You cannot teach well if you are consumed by crap like that (constant rumor mill) every day. There is no trust. You need good support to support your students. And students know what is going on in their own way. It's sad really.

My first question about a school is how long is the average tenure of teachers here? Also how long has the principal been here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonderful teachers keep leaving my daughters school. All the crappy ones stay. I spoke with my daughters teacher on a Friday and she didn't come out and directly say it but implied that teachers were treated badly by administrators in the building. This teacher has been there one year and is leaving like many others that just stay a year who are really great. How common is this? So upsetting.

It's very common in Fairfax county. There is no accountability for administrators that I can tell. They have the job for life, no matter how bad they suck at it.

I have worked in an Elementary School in FCPS where an administrator was removed. I will say, teachers move for a variety of reasons, but a great administrator makes ALL the difference.

If the teachers say the administrator is great...watch out...she/he may be covering their incompetence instead of firing them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonderful teachers keep leaving my daughters school. All the crappy ones stay. I spoke with my daughters teacher on a Friday and she didn't come out and directly say it but implied that teachers were treated badly by administrators in the building. This teacher has been there one year and is leaving like many others that just stay a year who are really great. How common is this? So upsetting.

It's very common in Fairfax county. There is no accountability for administrators that I can tell. They have the job for life, no matter how bad they suck at it.

I have worked in an Elementary School in FCPS where an administrator was removed. I will say, teachers move for a variety of reasons, but a great administrator makes ALL the difference.

If the teachers say the administrator is great...watch out...she/he may be covering their incompetence instead of firing them.

Agree. This is what happens at our school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Look for schools where the principal has been there for several years and so has most of the staff (minus retirements and spousal moves). The best school I taught in was a high school where the principal had been there for 15 years. He had absolutely no aspiration to move to central office because he loved his job and the teachers loved him. He was very open and fair minded. Teachers did not leave. I also worked in the opposite . . . principal favoring certain teachers, having an affair with a married staff member, etc. Horrible morale in that place. You cannot teach well if you are consumed by crap like that (constant rumor mill) every day. There is no trust. You need good support to support your students. And students know what is going on in their own way. It's sad really.

My first question about a school is how long is the average tenure of teachers here? Also how long has the principal been here?

Excellent advice! Abusive administrators are definitely NOT unheard of.
-- APS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Look for schools where the principal has been there for several years and so has most of the staff (minus retirements and spousal moves). The best school I taught in was a high school where the principal had been there for 15 years. He had absolutely no aspiration to move to central office because he loved his job and the teachers loved him. He was very open and fair minded. Teachers did not leave. I also worked in the opposite . . . principal favoring certain teachers, having an affair with a married staff member, etc. Horrible morale in that place. You cannot teach well if you are consumed by crap like that (constant rumor mill) every day. There is no trust. You need good support to support your students. And students know what is going on in their own way. It's sad really.

My first question about a school is how long is the average tenure of teachers here? Also how long has the principal been here?

Excellent advice! Abusive administrators are definitely NOT unheard of.
-- APS teacher

I teach in MCPS and the latter is what's going on in my school. PP is right about how it leads to horrible morale and lack of trust. I have been trying to leave but there haven't been any full time positions open in my specialty that wouldn't make my commute hours per day. So I have to stay for at least another year in a miserable environment. The students and staff deserve much better. It's very disheartening that one person could negatively impact so many people.