How Did My Principal Become My Adversary?

[tonysam]

This teacher is a little bit slow on the uptake, I believe. Shitty principals have always been around, but now they're organized thanks to education "reform." This is a school where teachers have to "reapply" for their jobs.

Dear Mr. Balderas,

You lost me today. You lost me with the fear- based rhetoric in your interview with the Magnet Chronicles. And it’s hard to lose me. Just ask some teachers who knew I supported the last principal when most others did not. So I don’t say that lightly. Losing me is really hard to do- but you did it. And this is actually hard for me to write because you were very compassionate and supportive when my father died, and I really appreciated that. It meant a lot to me. It shows that you have empathy and understanding, which is why your words in the paper came as somewhat of a shock.

I was shocked by the obvious disrespect you showed to veteran teachers in the interview as if we can just be replaced by new “people” without missing a beat. I recognized your arguments immediately as fear –based rather than persuasive and inclusionary. You see that’s what a good education does for you- it makes you a critical thinker.


Let me back up. I think of a principal as someone who supports the profession of teaching instead of obstructing it, someone who supports good teaching instead of pointing out that one in a million case of the “charmer teacher” who fails 92% of their students; someone who inspires using their background, experience and philosophy instead of doing the bidding of some higher up bureaucrats for the district because maybe you have been promised something if you just tolerate Fremont for the next three years.

You started off pretty strong. Many teachers felt you respected them more than the last principal and that is a positive thing. But then Cortines showed up and made his big announcement. I think most teachers were still in your corner for the next few weeks, but then the shock wore off and the actual critical thinking began. I know one question I had that I never asked you is, “What did you know and when did you know it?” Did you always know from the day you set foot on this campus- a campus that obviously means quite a different thing to you than it does to me- that this would happen?

More

Another teacher wrote about the situation here.

[izquierdista]

1. When he quit being a teacher

People don't remember the derivation of this title. He was the "principal teacher" i.e., the teacher with the most ability or seniority or responsibility before he was just the plain 'principal', and spent his time administrating instead of teaching.

[tonysam]

2. This is what the venture "philanthropists" forget in their zeal

to try and turn education into a "business." Principals are NOT executives but should be the most experienced, most capable teachers.

This hasn't happened in years, unfortunately.