Why did they fire the DuFief principal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should terminate that guy completely, not demote him to AP in another school. Not only was the affair with the subordinate inappropriate, he showed horrible judgment in terminating an employee upon the request of the affair partner.

I agree completely!
Also, he was an incompetent jerk who appeared to be riding on other school employees' coattails to appear he was doing an ok job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not always last in first out. Staffing allocations can change by grade or by specialist or content area. My principal pushed out a part time math teacher who a couple people didn’t like (I think she was great), and he claimed he needed someone full time, but it was all a ruse. Part tine people in a department always get cut before someone full time, even if they’re not the last one in. My point though is that principals can get creative when they want someone out. PAR isn’t their only option. As for the prior comment, people always assume that teachers have no money. Some are quite wealthy. Not from teaching, obviously.

Maryland also is an 'at-will' state, and with tenure being 3 years, principals have a gross amount of leeway to make decisions with firing (or 'non-renewing') staff. At my school, a teacher who was at the end of her third year (and had been teacher of the year the year before, under a different principal...) was 'non-renewed' by a new principal, even with 7 brand new teachers, due to a personality conflict with the brand new principal. Being non-renewed in Maryland is equivalent to being fired, and means you cannot work in that county again and that no other MD school system will hire you. It was hell for her. She was a veteran teacher of 15+ years out of state, and a phenomenal teacher the kids, parents and staff loved. But he nixed her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not always last in first out. Staffing allocations can change by grade or by specialist or content area. My principal pushed out a part time math teacher who a couple people didn’t like (I think she was great), and he claimed he needed someone full time, but it was all a ruse. Part tine people in a department always get cut before someone full time, even if they’re not the last one in. My point though is that principals can get creative when they want someone out. PAR isn’t their only option. As for the prior comment, people always assume that teachers have no money. Some are quite wealthy. Not from teaching, obviously.

Maryland also is an 'at-will' state, and with tenure being 3 years, principals have a gross amount of leeway to make decisions with firing (or 'non-renewing') staff. At my school, a teacher who was at the end of her third year (and had been teacher of the year the year before, under a different principal...) was 'non-renewed' by a new principal, even with 7 brand new teachers, due to a personality conflict with the brand new principal. Being non-renewed in Maryland is equivalent to being fired, and means you cannot work in that county again and that no other MD school system will hire you. It was hell for her. She was a veteran teacher of 15+ years out of state, and a phenomenal teacher the kids, parents and staff loved. But he nixed her.

Did she sue him?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't A also get fired?
Why would A "out" herself ?

Another Dufieff parent here. A teacher suddenly decided to retire in mid October. Her last day was Wednesday. I wonder if the cases are related.

I heard from a reliable source that she was given the option of early retirement ... and she took it, retiring at the end of November.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Staff allocations at DuFief do vary from year to year because the school is under enrolled. What was weird this year is that they involuntarily transferred one teacher to another school and then hired a new teacher. They could have kept the teacher that was transferred rather than hiring the new one.

The teacher that was hired, was hired BEFORE the other teacher was transferred. Because the NEW TEACHER had more years in MCPS, she was allowed to stay and the other teacher got involuntarily transferred. It has NOTHING to do with anyone not liking that teacher. That is not how the process works. MCPS has records down to the minute and second that an employee signs a contract. Principals are bound to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Staff allocations at DuFief do vary from year to year because the school is under enrolled. What was weird this year is that they involuntarily transferred one teacher to another school and then hired a new teacher. They could have kept the teacher that was transferred rather than hiring the new one.

The teacher that was hired, was hired BEFORE the other teacher was transferred. Because the NEW TEACHER had more years in MCPS, she was allowed to stay and the other teacher got involuntarily transferred. It has NOTHING to do with anyone not liking that teacher. That is not how the process works. MCPS has records down to the minute and second that an employee signs a contract. Principals are bound to that.

Very true —I was surplussed because my coworker signed her contract in the morning and I signed mine in the afternoon on the same day.

[Anonymous]

And nothing of value was lost. Dufief is a horrible school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't A also get fired?
Why would A "out" herself ?

Another Dufieff parent here. A teacher suddenly decided to retire in mid October. Her last day was Wednesday. I wonder if the cases are related.

I heard from a reliable source that she was given the option of early retirement ... and she took it, retiring at the end of November.

And receive full retirement benefits? It seems bizarre MCPS would do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't A also get fired?
Why would A "out" herself ?

Another Dufieff parent here. A teacher suddenly decided to retire in mid October. Her last day was Wednesday. I wonder if the cases are related.

I heard from a reliable source that she was given the option of early retirement ... and she took it, retiring at the end of November.

And receive full retirement benefits? It seems bizarre MCPS would do that.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And nothing of value was lost. Dufief is a horrible school.

What makes you say that?

[Anonymous]

I’m not saying he didn’t have an affair, but I’ve heard people make up plenty of bullshit rumors in my time in MCPS. Beware of gossip. It’s not harmless and there’s almost always an innocent party who gets damaged by it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not saying he didn’t have an affair, but I’ve heard people make up plenty of bullshit rumors in my time in MCPS. Beware of gossip. It’s not harmless and there’s almost always an innocent party who gets damaged by it.

You're right about gossip. But it's 100% truth that he had an affair with a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Did the principal ever write the community?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did the principal ever write the community?

After he was fired? No, we only got a letter from MCPS and it was hastily written and filled with typos that were misinterpreted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not always last in first out. Staffing allocations can change by grade or by specialist or content area. My principal pushed out a part time math teacher who a couple people didn’t like (I think she was great), and he claimed he needed someone full time, but it was all a ruse. Part tine people in a department always get cut before someone full time, even if they’re not the last one in. My point though is that principals can get creative when they want someone out. PAR isn’t their only option. As for the prior comment, people always assume that teachers have no money. Some are quite wealthy. Not from teaching, obviously.

Maryland also is an 'at-will' state, and with tenure being 3 years, principals have a gross amount of leeway to make decisions with firing (or 'non-renewing') staff. At my school, a teacher who was at the end of her third year (and had been teacher of the year the year before, under a different principal...) was 'non-renewed' by a new principal, even with 7 brand new teachers, due to a personality conflict with the brand new principal. Being non-renewed in Maryland is equivalent to being fired, and means you cannot work in that county again and that no other MD school system will hire you. It was hell for her. She was a veteran teacher of 15+ years out of state, and a phenomenal teacher the kids, parents and staff loved. But he nixed her.

Weird. I got tenure on Day 1 of my third year. Sounds like your friend was already on PARR during year 3.