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[quote=Anonymous]This is truly not accurate data. Check the teacher retention data on the scorecards DCPS produces. In addition individual teachers who transitioned did so for a myriad of reasons including marriage, babies, grade school, relocation and yes some because there was differences with leadership style. Again, that is not a factor she hid.

The counselor fact presented also widely inaccurate with only one of the three counselors mentioned making and informed and supported decision for prefessional growth. Include there that Cooke also retained a social worker and a psychologist.

Finally, few have acknowledge that some parents didn't like her style, she even acknowledged it from what I've heard. But ask parents to compare the two now and there are very different intrepretations.

Both the prior principal and the new principal had/has very tough jobs to do and clearly neither will be able to please everyone. Just look at all of the comments.

I like the previous posters genuine acknowledgement of the work that is to come.  Someone should start a new thread surrounding solutions and planning instead of the negativity all over this thread.  It's not going to get Cooke or any other school with similar challenges any further.

uote=Anonymous]It should be noted that there was nearly a 100% teacher exodus under the prior principal.  in 2008, she took pride in telling prospective parents that she had hired almost all the teachers at the school herself.  Then, they started to leave as well.  We lost something like 20 teachers at the beginning of 2012-2013, including most of the teachers who had pre-dated her.  She drove out a beloved bilingual Kindergarten teacher with 20+ years experience at the school and real ties to neighborhood businesses who spearheaded the much-loved annual Mother's day celebration and got amazing results with her kindergartners.

The former principal had her toadies and hangers on, but she treated other teachers like dirt; actively discouraging teachers from connecting with parents, and by all accounts finding ways to retaliate against anyone offering a different point of view.  She managed to drive out not one, not two, but three counselors while she was there because they dared to question her, including two bilingual counselors. And, let's not forget her total refusal to work with neighborhood organizations - just ask the local ANC, which requested numerous meetings and was rebuffed every single time.

By 2013, there was almost no one left in the building who predated her aside from the librarian, the ESL teacher, and the gym teacher.  I also dispute that parents liked her style.  Her idea of parental involvement was to tell parents day of that there was a school play that day - not exactly friendly to any parent who had a job to go to.[/quote][/quote]

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