Reply to 3 MCPS Principals Retiring Mid-Year

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I messed that up. The post above was in response to the suicide pact observation. [/quote]

You nailed it with your first post! I found out my first year as a career changer what happens when you speak up.  My school had a principal that absolutely “ drank the Kool-aid of MCPS”.  That’s what we called it there when we couldn’t understand the push back and refusal to address actual professional issues.  I was punished by my principal when my consulting teacher wanted to release me from his observations because I was doing well. Huge honor I thought! No other negative observations. But the principal denied because apparently someone complained to her I wasn’t abiding by professional teaching standards because I spoke up about work load. She never once observed me or spoke to me about any “unprofessional” So they gave me more work to do. He was so upset he had to go before the PAR panel to explain but they wouldn’t listen. I ended up on anxiety medication that year.  She’s now at Central go figure.  No one speaks up. It’s career suicide for sure. [/quote]

Isn't this kind of abuse and mistreatment what MCEA is supposed to defend and protect you from? Why are they failing teachers like this, when their whole reason for being is to prevent or at least respond to this kind of abuse and manipulation?

And if the union is this useless, why don't more teachers abandon it or call for new leadership?[/quote]

It's not clear cut bullying and harassment it's all in the massive gray area that MCPS created to protect themselves. MCPS, and the unions, are very "written rule driven."  If something doesn't meet the written definition nobody does anything (and still nothing even when it does).  It's the small day to day things that add up and create a horrible and anxiety inducing work environment.

It's literally like being in an abusive romantic relationship.  You'll get love bombed where they overly praise and recognize you at first and then every once in awhile to keep you around, but  eventually it goes away and your ideas are dismissed or you are hardly acknowledged. They'll gaslight you telling you that you misunderstood or they'll change their minds and say something totally different than what was first said related to work projects and initiatives. It's the eggshells of coming into work everyday and not know the moods people will be in and if your supervisor is even going to say hello to you that day.  It's not one big obvious thing that the unions can fight against.  It's little things that can't easily be proven. Luckily I got out after 16 years because I had the ability to leave, but most people are stuck to keep their salary and pension. [/quote]

I get why this is impossible to tackle on an individual level, but given that these microaggressions are so pervasive that it's causing teachers to quit or have a negative perception of the system, then I would think MCEA could advocate at the aggregate level and push back on MCAAP and MCPS and say, "Hey, our members say your admin are making the lives of our members miserable by taking advantage of the gray area in these ways."

But anyway, that's an obvious answer and as a parent, that's what I'm limited to, but thank you for giving me some insight on the inner workings of K-12 education. I never knew how freaking POLITICAL the whole system is. It's sad.[/quote]

The last 9 years of my career I was in different MCAAP positions ending with working in central office, so it's not only administrator to teacher/support staff it's literally anything from top down and even side to side.  I know principals who have been treated horribly by their directors and directors treated horribly by their bosses.  I left this past summer because although it has always sort of existed, it has clearly and dramatically become worse under Dr. McKnight's "leadership." And I was a fan of hers when she was elected, until I saw what was happening and how fast.

MCPS is very political and so are the unions. They all make promises to each other to benefit their interest (give us this and we'll make sure to endorse you for election) so they are all working for their own interests and not for students or staff.  The unions won't write another no confidence letter because last year McKnight approved and advocated for large pay increases so the unions got what they wanted in exchange for laying off of her.  So the BOE won't do anything to McKnight because the unions silently support her for getting what they want and BOE members need union endorsements.

The whole system is damaged and it's sad that kids are the ones that get hurt. [/quote]

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