Yesterday we found out that they fired reassigned my principal and moved all of the assistant principals (there are three) to other schools. There was no notice for any of them until then. The superintendent just called them in, one by one, and gave them the news. They worked the entire summer planning for the upcoming school year. Now all of that planning is pretty much gone. 11 days before the start of school.
Yesterday the victim's family filed injury claims against the district, the county, and one of the assistant principals (who was promoted back in June to a principal at another school in the district). This put us back in the press, and now we're fending off reporters again. (We were fortunate enough to be on summer break when the News.week article was published,* so we didn't really have to worry about reporters then.)
Hmm...wonder if there is a correlation? NOT.
Today we were assigned a new administrative team. 10 days before school starts. The three new assistant principals have NEVER been administrators before. The new principal comes from one of our feeder schools and has never administered in a junior high before.
My student is going to be tried as an adult with a possible sentence of 51 years to life. We've been warned that the DA has been dropping by teachers' homes unannounced over the last week. Doesn't that sound like fun?
Good times.
And a great way to start the new year.
___________
*The article is a fairly accurate account of what happened. There are a few minor errors, but overall, I was very pleased on what was written. It is the strangest thing, though, to see my school on the cover of a magazine and staring at me on my MSN page.
My son is about to start seventh grade at a brand new charter school. Last school year he attended the regular middle school in our neighborhood. After a year of harassment from a small group of students that enjoyed stalking him around campus and calling him a faggot I was over the school. I found no help from the AP, I spoke with her many times. She said, "Boys will be boys." What happened at your school is part of what prompted me to pull my son out of his school.
ReplyDeleteYour son is lucky to have you for a mom.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. That "Boys will be boys" junk is horse shit. It is not acceptable for anyone to be harrassed for any reason. 7th grade (and junior high) is trauma enough without having to go through that every day! It is difficult to combat, though, when admin doesn't follow through with consequences for behavior like that. (exactly what happened at our school)
Even though your son is no longer a student within the district, it might be a good idea to lodge a complaint at the district office if you haven't. Specifically name the AP you talked with. Tell them you removed your son from the district because of it. What happened here has made a huge impact on districts across the state, so they will most likely take you seriously.
While I am not overly upset that the administration is gone (make that 'at all upset') I do think that waiting until the last possible moment to remove them stinks. The problems that happened go much further up than my actual school, and this shake-up feels like a scape goat type of thing to me. Plus, they have essentially screwed the staff and students at the school by doing it this way. It will be a rocky start to the school year when stability is what is needed now.
You can't tell me that they didn't have some idea they would do this back in June. (AND DON"T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE ONE WHO WAS PROMOTED.) Sigh.
Oh sweetie--that absolutely sucks. For very different, benign reasons, they did that at my school a few years ago. All the administrators were taken out and replaced from the principals to the head of school. It changed the whole flavour of the school and it made the kids feel skittish to not know the heads of school. My heart goes out to you for the whole situation, but also this huge change that comes in the aftermath.
ReplyDeleteI saw this as well and immediatly thought of you !
ReplyDeleteI hope that your school is able to rebuild itself.
I also hope that both of those families are able to deal with what has happened and slowly try and find some healing power in all of it.
I thought of you this morning because there was an article about the law suit in the paper here.
ReplyDeleteIt is so disruptive to have a new principal, not to mention all new AP/Deans at a school. I have seen many principals come and go from schools over the years and in the end I think the teachers are the strength of a school. It is terribly frustrating because of course the district has been planning this all summer and just getting to it now. Don't get me started on a whole team of inexperienced administrators...
If anyone you don't recognize shows up at your door I suggest answering it with a baby on each hip. Even a DA will get the message and leave you alone. If not, hope those little angels of yours sieze the opportunity to cry and fuss while she is trying to talk with you.
So sorry you have all of this turmoil when you are just about to get a fresh start on things.