Anonymous wrote:My biggest fear is that my kids’ awful middle school principal will get promoted to the same cluster high school principal job just when we are finally done with him. The high school principal is reportedly close to retirement. The middle school principal is rumored to be secretly interested, but all of us parents loathe him. Can we do anything to prevent this from happening?

All of you?

You can write a letter to his boss, listing the reasons you -- you, personally -- consider him to be an awful principal, and asking the boss to not promote him to principal of the high school. Keep the tone fact-based, and avoid statements like "all of us parents loathe him".

My biggest fear is that my kids’ awful middle school principal will get promoted to the same cluster high school principal job just when we are finally done with him. The high school principal is reportedly close to retirement. The middle school principal is rumored to be secretly interested, but all of us parents loathe him. Can we do anything to prevent this from happening?

Anonymous wrote:Is there ANY principal oversight? Serious question. How often are they reviewed? Do they get “principal tenure?” How do you get rid of the do-nothing ones? Or the ones who are toxic and drive out good teachers?

nearly impossible to get rid of them, the just move them around when they create an uproar at their current school. So many are bad. The good ones are such standouts everyone knows who they are.

Mcps likes the young principals who do exactly what they tell them, don't think for themselves, and kowtow to the central office. Nevermind what's right for the kids...

Is there ANY principal oversight? Serious question. How often are they reviewed? Do they get “principal tenure?” How do you get rid of the do-nothing ones? Or the ones who are toxic and drive out good teachers?

Our parent community can go to our principal with fantastic ideas and offer him funding and demonstrate that there’s tons of parent backing for a venture, but he just can’t follow through. Hems and haws and yesses us. Then does nothing. He’s either totally clueless, paralyzed or so worried about blowback that he does nothing. The really annoying thing is that we then watch other middle school principals implement the same exact programming with much less support, because those other principals get it. There comes a point when you need your principal to stop weighing pros and cons and just DO. He’s so risk averse and doesn’t seem to understand our priorities. Is there anywhere to bring feedback about a principal where it will be heard?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should send independent consultants in to interview teachers. Staff morale is generally going to be much lower than a survey will indicate. Principals are all about CYA. They’re trying to keep up with whatever is coming down from above and they don’t have time to worry about the stuff teachers care about. Many are just worried about not getting in trouble. Too many middle managers and not enough leaders.

I just responded and echo your sentiment.

Elementary School is particularly terrible - constant leadership and teacher churn, less experienced teachers, 25-30 students per class, little creative or physical outlet due to infrequent recess, gym, art, music, etc.

If your PTA is not on top of it with language or clubs before and after school all you get is reading, writing, math for 6 years straight.

Anonymous wrote:They should send independent consultants in to interview teachers. Staff morale is generally going to be much lower than a survey will indicate. Principals are all about CYA. They’re trying to keep up with whatever is coming down from above and they don’t have time to worry about the stuff teachers care about. Many are just worried about not getting in trouble. Too many middle managers and not enough leaders.

I just responded and echo your sentiment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Admin matters MUCH more than parents when it comes to whether or not teachers have a positive work experience.

+1000 It makes sense that how a principal runs a school and manages staff would have more of a direct impact on teacher morale. Like any other workplace, a supervisor's leadership style is a big factor in the equation. This is something MCPS should consider as they move people through their principal training program. For school's with low scores, MCPS should also do a better job investigating why and resolve problems at the schools that is causing the low morale.

The good principals no longer stay. In fact, I've seen talented APs decline b/c they realize that autonomy is dead. If you refuse to follow the cookie cutter way of handling disciplinary issues and as a result, refuse to blame staff for issues, you won't make it in MCPS.

Appearances mean a lot in this bloated bureaucracy.

They should send independent consultants in to interview teachers. Staff morale is generally going to be much lower than a survey will indicate. Principals are all about CYA. They’re trying to keep up with whatever is coming down from above and they don’t have time to worry about the stuff teachers care about. Many are just worried about not getting in trouble. Too many middle managers and not enough leaders.

Anonymous wrote:Admin matters MUCH more than parents when it comes to whether or not teachers have a positive work experience.

+1000 It makes sense that how a principal runs a school and manages staff would have more of a direct impact on teacher morale. Like any other workplace, a supervisor's leadership style is a big factor in the equation. This is something MCPS should consider as they move people through their principal training program. For school's with low scores, MCPS should also do a better job investigating why and resolve problems at the schools that is causing the low morale.

Admin matters MUCH more than parents when it comes to whether or not teachers have a positive work experience.

I find the parent population extremely supportive of teachers at Pyle. There are a few nut jobs, but they stand out and are probably seen as nut jobs by the other parents too

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s interesting that in the 2017 rankings some of the highest income schools like pyle, Westland and north bethesda only have about 50% of the staff saying morale is positive. Not what i would have expected.

Teaching children from Afflurnt backgrounds is stressful in its own way

I'm the poster about Cabin John. I really think that morale is more determined by leadership than the student population (not that it's not a factor). The kids didn't change at Cabin John (a school with fairly affluent families), but once the principal changed morale went way, way up, which makes me think that leadership is a more direct factor in determining morale than the student population.

The parent community can also have a significant impact on staff morale.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s interesting that in the 2017 rankings some of the highest income schools like pyle, Westland and north bethesda only have about 50% of the staff saying morale is positive. Not what i would have expected.

Teaching children from Afflurnt backgrounds is stressful in its own way

I'm the poster about Cabin John. I really think that morale is more determined by leadership than the student population (not that it's not a factor). The kids didn't change at Cabin John (a school with fairly affluent families), but once the principal changed morale went way, way up, which makes me think that leadership is a more direct factor in determining morale than the student population.