Principal's Hit List

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North Carolina Teachers Chatboard

Principal's Hit List

by Blindsided

Mar 7, 2016

I have been teaching in NC for close to 24 years. I have a master's degree, National Board certification, and have always been given high rankings (for classroom observations). I have even won some awards and been selected to have teams visit my classroom to see effective instruction.

One-and-a-half years ago I took a job at a highly rated high school in an affluent area. This school is super- competitive and the administration focuses on its being "the best," "number one," etc. I have worked 50-to-60 hour weeks and have created high-level learning activities. However, I can do no right. When students are working in groups, I am told I am not teaching. When I present information, I am told students should be working in groups. Has anyone every had this experience? I am told there have been quite a few accomplished teachers who have worked at the school where I am employed who have been on this type of "hit list." They were basically run off (alth...See MoreI have been teaching in NC for close to 24 years. I have a master's degree, National Board certification, and have always been given high rankings (for classroom observations). I have even won some awards and been selected to have teams visit my classroom to see effective instruction.

One-and-a-half years ago I took a job at a highly rated high school in an affluent area. This school is super- competitive and the administration focuses on its being "the best," "number one," etc. I have worked 50-to-60 hour weeks and have created high-level learning activities. However, I can do no right. When students are working in groups, I am told I am not teaching. When I present information, I am told students should be working in groups. Has anyone every had this experience? I am told there have been quite a few accomplished teachers who have worked at the school where I am employed who have been on this type of "hit list." They were basically run off (although they are now successfully employed at other highly-ranked high schools,in terms of academic achievement).

I recently decided to retire early and pursue another career, as this experience has been the last straw for me regarding working in the public schools in North Carolina. Maybe I will do some part-time tutoring when I get over being met with a barrage of criticism and even a "counseling letter" containing three pages of harsh criticism. This letter also outlines a plant requiring me to read chapters of books and write reflections on them, turn in detailed lesson plans, observe other teachers and write reflections, meet with the principal every Friday afternoon after school, etc. People who have worked with me in the past are shocked, as I am quite conscientious and always focus on critical thinking, while revamping my instruction to meet student needs. Anyway, this experience caused me to lose sleep and experience an almost obsessive questioning of my practices, my competence in the classroom. Has anyone heard of this practice, when the criticism is aimed at a teacher who is working so hard and whose students routinely exceed expected growth on state exams?

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Oops On 6/18/16, If only we had a Teachers' Union to protect us
wrote:
> On 6/18/16, Former WCPSS teacher wrote:
>>
>> I started being harassed by my principal in Wake County
>> and
> went
>> to HR (as I had read you were supposed to do!) in order
>> to resolve it. My principal would give ...See More

Jun 18, 2016

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Former WCPSS teacher
> I'm sorry to hear your story. I've experienced similar,
> as have many others. I left teaching last year, I miss
> certain aspects, but would never teach in NC public
> schools again. I was a comprehensive licensed high school
> science teacher, National Board Cetified, and over a
> decade of experince with a...See More

Jun 24, 2016

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Steve On 6/24/16, Former WCPSS teacher wrote: > >> I'm sorry to hear your story. I've experienced similar, >> as have many others. I left teaching last year, I miss >> certain aspects, but would never teach in NC public >> schools again. I was a comprehensive licensed high school >> science teacher, National Board Cetifie...See MoreOn 6/24/16, Former WCPSS teacher wrote: > >> I'm sorry to hear your story. I've experienced similar, >> as have many others. I left teaching last year, I miss >> certain aspects, but would never teach in NC public >> schools again. I was a comprehensive licensed high school >> science teacher, National Board Cetified, and over a >> decade of experince with a proven track record- aren't I >> one of the types they are most desperate to recruit and >> retain?? Hmmmm. Sure didn't feel that way. I would love >> to have participated in a class action lawsuit. >> >> There is one thing that I should also like to make >> crystal clear to anyone reading this...many school >> administrators are absolutely toxic and incompetent, and >> are a massive contributing factor in teachers leaving NC >> schools, and the teaching profession. This needs to be >> much more frequently discussed and thoroughly >> investigated. > > I agree it does need to be discussed. The problem is that > unscrupulous principals can use the lack of interest in HR > as a green light. There was another employee at my school > who was being harassed at same time I was. She had been > working for WCPSS for 16 years. She reached out to some of > her former bosses and asked them for advice. They told her > not to report him. They told her if she did, they would > start blaming her. The NCAE rep told me that there was > another principal who had inappropriately touched a > teacher and that nothing was going to happen to him. He > was simply transferred to another school. When I later > sought unemployment benefits, I got the impression that > WCPSS is not known as a responsive employer and that my > situation was not unusual. If this is common, then why is > there no trace of it online? If you google WCPSS and > sexual harassment, there is nothing. > > It reminds me of the Bill Cosby scandal. I wondered how it > was possible that someone in the limelight could > repeatedly get away with assaulting dozens of women and it > comes to light only when someone makes a joke about it. I > don't know what has to happen to change things around > here.

If you are sexually being harassed, can't you file a federal complaint?

Jun 24, 2016

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FormerWCPSSteacher On 6/24/16, Steve wrote:

> If you are sexually being harassed, can't you file a federal > complaint?

There's a time limit on filing those. Frankly, I wonder how effective those would be if harassment is so widespread as I think it is. In my case, I can say that I was so drained from reaching out inside the organization. I fi...See More

Jun 26, 2016

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This is common in NC I have seen a lot of this in North Carolina. It is common.

On 6/24/16, Former WCPSS teacher wrote: > >> I'm sorry to hear your story. I've experienced similar, >> as have many others. I left teaching last year, I miss >> certain aspects, but would never teach in NC public >> schools again. I was a comprehensive l...See MoreI have seen a lot of this in North Carolina. It is common.

On 6/24/16, Former WCPSS teacher wrote: > >> I'm sorry to hear your story. I've experienced similar, >> as have many others. I left teaching last year, I miss >> certain aspects, but would never teach in NC public >> schools again. I was a comprehensive licensed high school >> science teacher, National Board Cetified, and over a >> decade of experince with a proven track record- aren't I >> one of the types they are most desperate to recruit and >> retain?? Hmmmm. Sure didn't feel that way. I would love >> to have participated in a class action lawsuit. >> >> There is one thing that I should also like to make >> crystal clear to anyone reading this...many school >> administrators are absolutely toxic and incompetent, and >> are a massive contributing factor in teachers leaving NC >> schools, and the teaching profession. This needs to be >> much more frequently discussed and thoroughly >> investigated. > > I agree it does need to be discussed. The problem is that > unscrupulous principals can use the lack of interest in HR > as a green light. There was another employee at my school > who was being harassed at same time I was. She had been > working for WCPSS for 16 years. She reached out to some of > her former bosses and asked them for advice. They told her > not to report him. They told her if she did, they would > start blaming her. The NCAE rep told me that there was > another principal who had inappropriately touched a > teacher and that nothing was going to happen to him. He > was simply transferred to another school. When I later > sought unemployment benefits, I got the impression that > WCPSS is not known as a responsive employer and that my > situation was not unusual. If this is common, then why is > there no trace of it online? If you google WCPSS and > sexual harassment, there is nothing. > > It reminds me of the Bill Cosby scandal. I wondered how it > was possible that someone in the limelight could > repeatedly get away with assaulting dozens of women and it > comes to light only when someone makes a joke about it. I > don't know what has to happen to change things around > here.

Jun 27, 2016

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