The following was taken from Lee's most recent posting. Keep this in mind since transfer season is around the bend.
"It was nice to see your e-mail, and to know that you are still fighting for our students. Teacher morale is lower than I can remember in my 23 years of teaching, and many great educators have quit the system rather than put up with the exploitation. It seems the only hope we have is to change the board, for our superintendent gets little resistance from the present group. Some well placed reporting on the issues raised in your note would help shake things up a bit. I will be more than happy to discuss the issues with any interested reporters. Keep in touch.
By the way, I was punished severely for speaking out. I lost my dual enrollment classes and was given regular level world history to teach. I taught honors level for 16 years, but those classes were given to first and second year teachers who were more cooperative with our administration. Many others were punished as well. It has been a rough year, but we will get through it with our dignity intact. Since the arrival of our present APC dual enrollment has shrunk to one class of Freshman English, whereas we used to have classes in science, social studies, math and English. We do have ten sections of AP Human Geography, though, for ninth graders. Remember, Ms. Elia’s bonus money in part comes from the numbers enrolled in AP, not how many actually pass the test."
From a comment in "The O'REALLY FACTOR":
"Marc Hutek at Armwood has been subtly threatening and bullying teachers. He has specifically warned young teachers to avoid certain older faculty members, i.e. those who have been outspoken about the 6/7 plan. He says the lunch tables are "poison" because of the malicious and false materials he says is spread there. He even gave a negative oral evaluation to the APC at Riverview about a teacher who was interviewing there for a job, calling her "high maintenance" and "uncooperative." By the way, Riverview hired her anyway, so kudos to that APC. He has mentioned teachers who he considers unprofessional BY NAME during the spring evaluations of other teachers. I can't think of anything more UNPROFESSIONAL than that. He wrote a teacher appreciation letter to the staff thanking us for our "loyalty" to HIM and follows it up with a threat that we'd better be standing at our doors during passing because if something happens out there, we could be held legally liable!!! (BTW -- is that true?) He's a pure joke to a majority of the staff, but since he can make life miserable, we play the game enough to get by. We hope to outlast him since he's upwardly mobile, but it isn't easy. We've lost at least 4 excellent teachers to other schools so far."
True Colors: more than a Cindy Lauper song.
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I will soon be publishing a post for everyone to publish a "heads up" about the schools they are currently working in. This future post will provide an opportunity for you to single out schools who have administrations that are "less than desirable" to work for, much like the Marc Hutek comment above.
It is your opportunity to do what no one anywhere else will allow you : WARN US WHO NOT TO WORK FOR and WHY.
Watch for it. Post to it. Pass it around.
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5 comments:
How and where do I post information on the "heads up" list.
I work for a principal who is in the process of "papering" my personnel file only because I had the temerity to speak out. Teachers are afraid to be seen sitting at their desks whenever she does one of her "walk throughs". It is indeed sad to hear of fine dedicated teachers afraid to sit down. This woman will not tolerate any disagreement with her actions and will actively try to destroy anyone who does.
I have been called into her office on numerous occasions to explain rumors that have come to her about things I have alleged to have said. She refuses to give the name of her informants so I no longer respond. My personnel file is getting thicker by the day. Her tactics of intimidation have led to a very poisonous work environment and has forced many good teachers to leave. The staff at my school lives in fear.
After 15 years of excellent evaluations I am now considered a poor teacher. Many of us report to work with a deep feeling of despair. She claims to be all about the kids. She has little regard for the professional staff that interact with those kids on a daily basis and apparently no concern with how her behavior affects morale.
Ours is a good school with a fine dedicated staff. We were an A+ school for 5 years before she came and with the exception of one year, an A+ school since her arrival but we are no longer a happy school and I fear will not be an A school much longer. It is very sad to see how all of this has been diminished. She has no concept of effective management and has, on more than one occasion responded to criticism by crying. At first I was moved by her tears but now see them for what they are, emotional blackmail.
I am sure to some I sound strident and perhaps I am. I have truly reached the end of my rope. I am reading a book called "Death By Education". Any who have read it will understand my despair.
We can only hope she receives her sought after promotion to Area Director. I pity the poor Principals who have to answer to her.
It goes against beliefs to post this anonymously but I am really afraid for my job. When institutional methods of expressing dissent are blocked, these blogs are our only remedy.
NOT good!
You will have an opportunity to NAME the principal and the school in a couple of weeks.
Please do.
I would suggest that you keep any specific instances that can identify you private but for God's sake: expose this tyrant!
Hutek's bid for ROSSAC would explain why the Tribune did this report that demonstrates support for Elia:
"Exam Grades Going Higher
By MARILYN BROWN, The Tampa Tribune
Published: January 12, 2008
..."Marissa Hutek, a junior at Tampa Bay Technical High School, already sees the difference.
"Last year and the year before, I was so frustrated," she said. "I was an A student. I would get Cs and Ds on the exam. It would bring my whole average down.",,,,
..."Marc Hutek, principal at Armwood High, said, "I'm glad that we picked up on the fact that there is a discrepancy" and "I like it for my daughter's sake," but he has had few complaints from teachers or parents about the difficulty of some tests.
"The exam scores will certainly increase," said Hutek, who said he has seen that the difficulty of some tests doesn't match the grades students earn in class.
"It's known," he said. "That's why so many kids are so into exempting their exams."....
Anon Feb 17 4:55 PM—
I am interested in forming a core group to address some of these issues in person at private meeting places. If you will contact me at goader@es-kay.net I will keep your identity securely hidden.
- From Ms. Griffin's Blog,
'Sound Off and Be Heard'
"As to administrators not listening to employees I am constantly talking to the superintendent, senior staff, and the rest of the board about the importance of listening to the people on the front lines. If I could give specific examples of cases where this is not happening it would be easier for me to advocate. I understand people feel they can not come forward with issues, but when people do come forward and feel retaliated against I need to know about it so I can engage in the situation. I will not tolerate doing business that way.
At your service, April"
Okay folks, April has stepped up to the plate, publicly.
I find her to be of substance and integrity.
This is your opportunity to present her with the facts of your situation.
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