Why is everyone at Holton-Arms leaving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are seven open teaching positions on HA’s website at the moment. That’s a relatively large number, especially this late in the school year. Private school contracts usually renew in late January to early March. Prior to contract renewal, there is a period where teachers who do not plan to come back can provide notice. Hiring usually takes place in March and April. Some schools are still looking to hire in May, and sometimes resignations occur over summer break.

I grew up in the area and work in education. Several friends are alumnae and/or have worked for HA. The new head has put off a lot of experienced teaching and administrative staff. That doesn’t necessarily mean she’s a bad choice of head. The school seems to be doing just fine with enrollment, fundraising, and revenue. However, if things don’t settle soon, sustainably staffing the school with high-quality educators may become difficult.

This is all true, and anyone who knows anything about private schools knows it.

Very true that it is late for teacher hiring

[Anonymous]

The Black parents told you that Penny was bad for business. She has a perfect record of destroying schools, but some parents were willing to do anything to get rid of URM students.

Just wait, it will get worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

Would like to see some of these anonymous posters come out of the shadows and run a private school. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

Would like to see some of these anonymous posters come out of the shadows and run a private school. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience on here.

Please correct your last sentence. You mean "here," not "on here."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

Would like to see some of these anonymous posters come out of the shadows and run a private school. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience on here.

Please correct your last sentence. You mean "here," not "on here."

I meant “on here.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not good from a college preparation perspective. Out kid is currently in middle school but we will plan to transfer before HS.

Agree, not happy with our CC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

Would like to see some of these anonymous posters come out of the shadows and run a private school. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience on here.

This is really stupid. If you’re paying $50k per year for a luxury product, you’re allowed to have an opinion about its quality.

If you have a bad meal at a Michelin starred restaurant, should you have to be a gourmet chef to critique it? If you buy a Mercedes and it’s a lemon, are you supposed to be an auto manufacturer?

I notice many fewer people chiming in to say how great their daughter’s experience has been than usual, but no decrease in the reflexive attacks on anyone who criticizes the HOS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

Would like to see some of these anonymous posters come out of the shadows and run a private school. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience on here.

This is really stupid. If you’re paying $50k per year for a luxury product, you’re allowed to have an opinion about its quality.

If you have a bad meal at a Michelin starred restaurant, should you have to be a gourmet chef to critique it? If you buy a Mercedes and it’s a lemon, are you supposed to be an auto manufacturer?

I notice many fewer people chiming in to say how great their daughter’s experience has been than usual, but no decrease in the reflexive attacks on anyone who criticizes the HOS

It’s the difference between saying you had a bad meal there and therefore don’t recommend it to others versus you had a bad meal there and so the chef should be fired, never should’ve been a chef in the first time place, and is a horrible person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

Would like to see some of these anonymous posters come out of the shadows and run a private school. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience on here.

This is really stupid. If you’re paying $50k per year for a luxury product, you’re allowed to have an opinion about its quality.

If you have a bad meal at a Michelin starred restaurant, should you have to be a gourmet chef to critique it? If you buy a Mercedes and it’s a lemon, are you supposed to be an auto manufacturer?

I notice many fewer people chiming in to say how great their daughter’s experience has been than usual, but no decrease in the reflexive attacks on anyone who criticizes the HOS

It’s the difference between saying you had a bad meal there and therefore don’t recommend it to others versus you had a bad meal there and so the chef should be fired, never should’ve been a chef in the first time place, and is a horrible person.

I would argue it’s more similar to a favorite restaurant that you’ve loved and frequented for many years coming under new management, with the quality slowly but steadily declining as many, many members of the kitchen and front of house staff leave until one day you realize the place you loved is no more, even if the same name is on the door

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Y'all still have Penny? They put a Trumper in charge and then wonder why the school is falling apart.

People call her a "Trumper", but what is the evidence? Is she taking Holton in a more conservative direction? Has she shut down DEI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

Would like to see some of these anonymous posters come out of the shadows and run a private school. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience on here.

This is really stupid. If you’re paying $50k per year for a luxury product, you’re allowed to have an opinion about its quality.

If you have a bad meal at a Michelin starred restaurant, should you have to be a gourmet chef to critique it? If you buy a Mercedes and it’s a lemon, are you supposed to be an auto manufacturer?

I notice many fewer people chiming in to say how great their daughter’s experience has been than usual, but no decrease in the reflexive attacks on anyone who criticizes the HOS

It’s the difference between saying you had a bad meal there and therefore don’t recommend it to others versus you had a bad meal there and so the chef should be fired, never should’ve been a chef in the first time place, and is a horrible person.

I would argue it’s more similar to a favorite restaurant that you’ve loved and frequented for many years coming under new management, with the quality slowly but steadily declining as many, many members of the kitchen and front of house staff leave until one day you realize the place you loved is no more, even if the same name is on the door

Still doesn’t mean the new management is wrong or horrible people. It really just means they are new management and you don’t like how they are doing things. And because of that, you may need to find a new restaurant of choice.

If enough folks do that, the restaurant owners will either accept that they need a new client base, be okay with being a restaurant with less patrons and make that work financially, close the restaurant, or find new management.

My point is that we don’t need to make the head of school out to be the devil just because we don’t agree with their decisions. Especially if we are not privy to enough information to understand how they made those decisions and why.

From what I’m hearing, it looks like this head of school is doing what her boss, the board, brought her in to do. I’d start there before we make this a one person issue.

And most importantly, don’t be so quick to name someone with all of the harsh character claims some of you are making here before getting to know them. You don’t like her as a leader. That’s fair. And fine. She doesn’t have to be the worse thing to ever walk into a school.

Let’s be more nuanced and more mature than that.

[Anonymous]

To begin with, you don't need to be popular to be a good HoS. Maybe she is doing things that teachers might not like, but the board wants her to do.

[Anonymous]

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet another poster here to corroborate this. We shared a conversation with one of our favorite teachers for our girls just yesterday. She doesn't have anything lined up, and quietly shared that she will figure that next job out this summer; just needed to get out of this one. It's a shame. She has been here for a long time, and is an integral part of the Holton community. She's been our daughter's advisor, teacher x3, and even chaperoned multiple years of Junior Journeys. To leave a school so abruptly with no plans afterwards even though she has dedicated her life to educating... says something about the place she is leaving.

And before you come for us, we like Penny. We have no idea what goes on in her meetings. It's probably not all her fault. But something is going on in the upper echelons of the school, and even if it isn't "Penny's fault", she is the HOS and it is her job to take care of it. We are not seeing her do that.

+1. I am "meh" on Penny, but agree wholeheartedly that it's her job to take care of issues and we're also not seeing that happen. While the school runs well on its own, we still need a HOS who shows true leadership skills, and Penny is not meeting the mark.

Would like to see some of these anonymous posters come out of the shadows and run a private school. Such a wealth of knowledge and experience on here.

This is really stupid. If you’re paying $50k per year for a luxury product, you’re allowed to have an opinion about its quality.

If you have a bad meal at a Michelin starred restaurant, should you have to be a gourmet chef to critique it? If you buy a Mercedes and it’s a lemon, are you supposed to be an auto manufacturer?

I notice many fewer people chiming in to say how great their daughter’s experience has been than usual, but no decrease in the reflexive attacks on anyone who criticizes the HOS

It’s the difference between saying you had a bad meal there and therefore don’t recommend it to others versus you had a bad meal there and so the chef should be fired, never should’ve been a chef in the first time place, and is a horrible person.

Except the issue isn't the diner not liking the meal. It's the staff being mistreated behind the scenes.