Justice HS Principal Leaving for Spring Hill ES

[Anonymous]

Maria Eck, the principal at Justice HS, is leaving to become the new principal at Spring Hill ES in McLean. It seems unusual for a high school principal to leave to become an elementary school principal. It’s a smaller school so it feels like a demotion.

Anyone know what is behind this? Are they worried about the crazy dynamics the School Board just created at Spring Hill, where all the kids in expensive houses will now go to Langley and all the kids in Tysons rentals and condos will go to McLean? Or did Eck do (or fail to do) something at Justice that led FCPS to want to reassign her?

[Anonymous]

Why would going to a smaller school seem like a demotion? Do you view working in an ES less desirable than a HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would going to a smaller school seem like a demotion? Do you view working in an ES less desirable than a HS?

It is less responsibility and not a typical progression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would going to a smaller school seem like a demotion? Do you view working in an ES less desirable than a HS?

It is less responsibility and not a typical progression.

It's not typical but maybe she just felt like doing something different. Maybe she didn't like high school.

[Anonymous]

She came to Justice from Poe. Maybe she felt she needed experience working in a school that wasn't high ESOL/FARMS to position herself for a higher paying job at Gatehouse later.

[Anonymous]

She lives in McLean--that was in the press release. Maybe she wanted to work closer to home.

[Anonymous]

Maybe she wants to work in a wealthy school for a change. She wants to be with the haves, not the have nots!

[Anonymous]

It’s not a demotion , why are you guys like this? Maybe she wants better work life balance for her family. Maybe she wanted to try something new. You just always assume the worst on this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a demotion , why are you guys like this? Maybe she wants better work life balance for her family. Maybe she wanted to try something new. You just always assume the worst on this board.

9:21 here and that’s what I was thinking too. It’s different, but not a demotion.

[Anonymous]

Is it a demotion if it’s a pay cut? Because it’s a rather large pay cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it a demotion if it’s a pay cut? Because it’s a rather large pay cut.

Perhaps, but only if the employee is the one not making the choice.

[Anonymous]

I know nothing about this principal or situation but I can tell you about my father. He was a high school principal. As he got older, he took a job at small middle school. He said it was less pay but a fraction of the stress. It also required fewer nights out. When he was a HS principal he had a lot of responsibilities at night during the year. They would have to split up chaperoning late games and proms. Nothing went late in middle school. He also said the discipline and issues were not anywhere near the same and it was better for his mental health. After retirement he took a few long term interim sub positions in elementary schools for the same reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maria Eck, the principal at Justice HS, is leaving to become the new principal at Spring Hill ES in McLean. It seems unusual for a high school principal to leave to become an elementary school principal. It’s a smaller school so it feels like a demotion.

Anyone know what is behind this? Are they worried about the crazy dynamics the School Board just created at Spring Hill, where all the kids in expensive houses will now go to Langley and all the kids in Tysons rentals and condos will go to McLean? Or did Eck do (or fail to do) something at Justice that led FCPS to want to reassign her?

generally when a HS Principal is ‘demoted’ they are put in administration at the central office and not put in another school.

If she lives in McLean, it might be a big draw for her. She may also be in a life stage where she wants a less stressful job.

[Anonymous]

Posters have made some good points. Of course, Ms. Eck may find that being a principal of an elementary school in McLean is more stressful than being the principal of a high school in Falls Church, especially after what the School Board has done at Spring Hill.

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher at Justice. Eck is great, she is near retirement and simply wanted a less time consuming job and to be closer to home. Her husband is very rich, money is not a concern for her, so that part of her job doesn't matter.