Our kids recently graduated from Chesterbrook, and our whole family loved Principal Fuqua.

Anonymous wrote:What lawsuit?? We weren't able to make it to the meeting last night but can't believe parents would be so against Bob!!

Probably douchebag entitled parents please tell more

I had two kids go through Chesterbrook and Principal Fuqua was amazing. He put up with a lot of crazy Mclean parents (including me and my wife - sorry Bob!). He will be missed and his many years of service to the community will not be forgotten.

What lawsuit?? We weren't able to make it to the meeting last night but can't believe parents would be so against Bob!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at Chesterbrook. IMHO, Principal Fuqua would never leave with four weeks to go unless he was dismissed by the county.

How many principals' departures have you been through? It's pretty standard to have the announcement of the retirement/move at the end of the school year, the search in June, and the hire in July.

No, what's standard is to announce the retirement in the spring, continue working until the end of the school while interviews begin and then hand off the baton for a July 1 start date. Leaving in May with 3 days notice is NOT standard.

--an FCPS administrator

Appreciate this info. The parent meeting at the school tonight was overwhelming pro-principal Fuqua. FCPS apparently caved to the 2-3 parents who are pushing the lawsuit.

It is not common practice in any field to give 3 days notice. Certainly not for a principal who was so invested in this school. I'm a Chesterbrook parent and while I was not at all surprised that Bob would decide to retire, his email and the county's handling of it has given me pause. If there is nothing more to it their judgment and communication is horrendous.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at Chesterbrook. IMHO, Principal Fuqua would never leave with four weeks to go unless he was dismissed by the county.

How many principals' departures have you been through? It's pretty standard to have the announcement of the retirement/move at the end of the school year, the search in June, and the hire in July.

No, what's standard is to announce the retirement in the spring, continue working until the end of the school while interviews begin and then hand off the baton for a July 1 start date. Leaving in May with 3 days notice is NOT standard.

--an FCPS administrator

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at Chesterbrook. IMHO, Principal Fuqua would never leave with four weeks to go unless he was dismissed by the county.

How many principals' departures have you been through? It's pretty standard to have the announcement of the retirement/move at the end of the school year, the search in June, and the hire in July.

The Chesterbrook Principal who left before Fuqua left in March for a planned retirement.

Thank you for the info on principal departures. This is the first one I've experienced. If the retirement had been in March or rumored in advance, that would be understandable. But the sudden departure with only three days notice was a blow to the community.

I agree about the three day's notice and I haven't had a child at Chesterbrook in years, but last September, I heard rumors in the neighborhood and with friends who still have children there- that this was going to be his last year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at Chesterbrook. IMHO, Principal Fuqua would never leave with four weeks to go unless he was dismissed by the county.

How many principals' departures have you been through? It's pretty standard to have the announcement of the retirement/move at the end of the school year, the search in June, and the hire in July.

The Chesterbrook Principal who left before Fuqua left in March for a planned retirement.

Thank you for the info on principal departures. This is the first one I've experienced. If the retirement had been in March or rumored in advance, that would be understandable. But the sudden departure with only three days notice was a blow to the community.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at Chesterbrook. IMHO, Principal Fuqua would never leave with four weeks to go unless he was dismissed by the county.

How many principals' departures have you been through? It's pretty standard to have the announcement of the retirement/move at the end of the school year, the search in June, and the hire in July.

The Chesterbrook Principal who left before Fuqua left in March for a planned retirement.

Anonymous wrote:I'm at Chesterbrook. IMHO, Principal Fuqua would never leave with four weeks to go unless he was dismissed by the county.

How many principals' departures have you been through? It's pretty standard to have the announcement of the retirement/move at the end of the school year, the search in June, and the hire in July.

I'm at Chesterbrook as well and Dr Fuqua was part of the reason we chose to move into this area after visiting the school! We are so so saddened at his sudden departure

I'm at Chesterbrook. IMHO, Principal Fuqua would never leave with four weeks to go unless he was dismissed by the county. The fact that he would be asked to leave is ridiculous as he was a wonderful principal and built Chesterbrook to be the fabulous school that it is. For months, a fourth grade parent has been trying to sue the school because of issues with her child with special needs. That may be why Mr. Fuqua is leaving with such short notice. The whole situation is completely a shame because Mr. Fuqua was a great principal, and from what I've heard no public school anywhere in the US would be able to service this child with special needs to this parent's satisfaction. So, so sad for Mr. Fuqua, FCPS, and the Chesterbrook community.

Anybody know if there are parents who pushed him out

Anonymous wrote:I heard 13 - 15 teachers are leaving, too. Any thoughts on why? That seems like a high number in one year.

Other schools nearby are experiencing this too, for the second year in a row. More money smaller classes in nearby school districts, moving to be closer to where they can afford to live, moving with spouse somewhere else, retirement, burned out, having a baby, moving out of area to lower COL area.......