tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post4246628873395381683..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Queen Anne Elementary Principal LeavesMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13459722941436289022015-10-24T19:28:39.105-07:002015-10-24T19:28:39.105-07:00Watching in Bleachers asks many good questions.
I...Watching in Bleachers asks many good questions.<br /><br />I find this issue of a stolen laptop curious. That would seem like a major issue, for both Mr. Elliott and the district depending on what was on it. I have to wonder if this may be some kind of smoking gun in what is happening (but not being said).<br /><br />As well, good points on 1) where is the principals association on this? 2) does Mr. Elliott want to stay or not? 3) while I believe a principal is the most important part of any school, indeed, he/she is not the community. <br /><br />As Director Peters stated at her meeting today -which was well-attended and she did a superlative job - Mr. Elliott can appeal and that appeal would go to the Board, not the Superintendent. However, it could be fraught with problems should he lose (pension and health benefit issues). <br /><br />I think we will close this particular discussion for now.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-63332953270075535532015-10-24T19:14:14.167-07:002015-10-24T19:14:14.167-07:00So many questions...
If Mr. Elliot had opted to...So many questions...<br /> <br />If Mr. Elliot had opted to be terminated he would have had the right to exercise an appeal of that termination, to both the Superintendent and the Board. He would have had PASS representation and support through the process, is my understanding, and, if that process had failed, he would then still have the option to pursue legal recourse (perhaps still with the assistance of PASS) against the district should he be able to demonstrate that there was failure to comply in process or breach of policy or RCW somewhere along the way resulting in professional damages/etc. Why then is he opting to take leave and resign?<br /><br />Teacher Evaluations are due on May 15th. Part of "rational" for this is that it allows teaching staff at all schools to apply as the job pool opens up, and have current evaluations on record, as they do this. Trying to be logical in my own thought process, if the Teacher Evaluation work was not completed by May 15th and instructions were not being implicitly provided by JSCEE as to a next deadline... would it not seem obvious to look towards the end of the current academic year (June 28/29/30/etc) as a "goal" for completion... and if not then, wouldn't the/a next logical assumption be BEFORE the beginning of the next academic year?<br /> <br />If, as it is stated in above comments, that Mr. Elliot failed to complete his Teacher Evaluations was due in part to his laptop being stolen, is there a police report to verify this? Where was the laptop stolen from? Was the laptop an SPS provided laptop? If so, was SPS notified that district property was stolen and is now missing? If it was SPS property what other district data and student information was on that laptop; and, does that have any relevance to this matter? Furthermore, was any student specific or identifiable data on that laptop and have those families been informed, and what precautions has SPS taken in this instance?<br /><br />Considering Mr. Elliot has presented a letter to the public but left out various pieces of information, perhaps inadvertently, but nowhere that I read did he ask to be re-instated. One thing all sides of the QAE community ought to consider is that a great school is the sum of its parts... it is not just its principal . I ask you this, if Mr. Elliot resigned and does not come back, do you no longer exist as a school? Give your teachers and staff some credit, give your students some credit, give your program some credit, and, hell, give yourselves some credit.Watching in Bleachersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-39566078991318169752015-10-24T18:09:43.229-07:002015-10-24T18:09:43.229-07:00http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5a44499d9ee012...http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5a44499d9ee01280e0efca4e1&id=30437016e9<br /><br />Message from Dave Elliott on QAE facebook page. Not much new info but more personal. <br /><br />To QAE Balance: I don't think he's a saint. When surrounded by money and status like Podlowski and Carlyle, his ego probably did inflate. A few, perhaps many, get lost in all that adulation. Too bad really. nnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-69731592112085505782015-10-24T17:28:22.662-07:002015-10-24T17:28:22.662-07:00Thank you to last couple of anonymous posters. I h...Thank you to last couple of anonymous posters. I hear you. I do. It is easy for me to get emotional about this. I have posted much more on here than I intended and think I will walk away for awhile. I posted to create some space for people who are like me. It feels a little scary at school with the pro-DE campaign. It is creating a very "us vs. them" climate and I do not like it and I do not think this is a good environment for learning. I wanted other people who may feel differently than the outspoken people, to know that they are not alone. <br /><br />I also shared some of my story to highlight that DE did make mistakes, some pretty serious. I'm not saying life or death serious, but perhaps fireable offenses. Knowing what I know, it is easy to imagine there may be more problems I didn't know about and I'm just leaving room for that. There may be more to the story than any of us know. <br /><br />And I also want people in the community to know that he was necessarily the "beloved leader" to everyone, which is how some people are talking. <br /><br />I hope to help create room for people who are not part of the currently outspoken group. Like I said in my original post, I am not telling people that hold DE in high regard they are wrong. At one point in time, I would have felt the same way. My experiences have led me down a different path and I request people be respectful of that. QAE Balancenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26022116187386729132015-10-24T17:27:19.842-07:002015-10-24T17:27:19.842-07:00QAE Balance: that was misleading and unfair. Beyon...QAE Balance: that was misleading and unfair. Beyond that, I'll wait for the end of the story to find out the truth. Under this superintendent, a whole lot of support didn't help Jon Greenberg so I'm not holding my breath for Dave. I'm sorry for all of us that the "brick wall" or <i>jobsworth</i> seems to be winning.nnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85020778214598318192015-10-24T17:22:08.639-07:002015-10-24T17:22:08.639-07:00Anonymous posts will be deleted. Please read the ...Anonymous posts will be deleted. Please read the posting instructions.Maureennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-10935317574175430222015-10-24T16:41:25.257-07:002015-10-24T16:41:25.257-07:00I'm not reading anything here directly from Mr...I'm not reading anything here directly from Mr. Elliott and Ms. Pritchett and I don't expect to. I can understand the outpouring of emotions and speculations. But right now, this is getting painful. It's like watching a proxy fight between two opponents who are blind folded, ear muffed, with one arm hobbled, tied to a chair. A clear answer and a TKO aren't going to happen here. <br /><br />readerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3038746172847051112015-10-24T16:39:48.664-07:002015-10-24T16:39:48.664-07:00Agreed with many of the mixed reviews. However, th...Agreed with many of the mixed reviews. However, this shouldn't be about if you liked David Elliott or not. This shouldn't be about how you felt in relation to other parents. This should be about rhe kids. Even if you don't like David or were on the fence, that is about your feelings towards him, right? Did your child suffer? Maybe David didn't ask you about your kid or talk directly to your kid all the time, but was your kid thriving? I have yet to hear any of the negative or on the fence commenter about David actually tell me that he was doing something that impacted the students negatively. Quite the opposite. It seems that the only ones in this situation who have negatively impacted the kids are SPS who have decided to disrupt our learning community that has shown remarkable achievements over our short history.<br />10/24/15, 4:36 PM<br /><br />--Reposting ThisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-90068610862196791792015-10-24T16:36:03.772-07:002015-10-24T16:36:03.772-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-18742951445597819532015-10-24T16:30:54.954-07:002015-10-24T16:30:54.954-07:00Stop Gossiping wrote:
"Another teacher left ...Stop Gossiping wrote:<br /><br /><i>"Another teacher left because she wanted to teach a more phonics-based reading curriculum, and <b>QAE is using a Readers Workshop model.</b>"</i><br /><br />Are there schools and teachers who are not using the Readers Workshop model?<br /><br />-- Dan DempseyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-7464308251001230662015-10-24T16:29:38.239-07:002015-10-24T16:29:38.239-07:00Very well-stated, QAExperiencedVery well-stated, QAExperiencedQAMagStraddlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-89466889635774555022015-10-24T16:27:20.144-07:002015-10-24T16:27:20.144-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26250617437349720222015-10-24T16:25:34.612-07:002015-10-24T16:25:34.612-07:00You are right, QAE Balance. Look how divisive the...You are right, QAE Balance. Look how divisive the community has already become! I've always hated feeling like I can't have an opinion that's not in line with David's without becoming an enemy of the state. I hope people realize that there's a contingent of people who have not been super-happy with David and that this might be the best thing for the school.<br /><br />-QAMagStraddlerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-25372647477416494032015-10-24T16:19:45.672-07:002015-10-24T16:19:45.672-07:00QAE Balance,
Very brave of you for stating an opin...QAE Balance,<br />Very brave of you for stating an opinion opposite that of the angry mob. Our experience at QAE was mixed. I saw DE walk across the wet playground one day, and he walked through a puddle not on top of it. Rosa Parks? Get ahold of yourselves, people. The hagiography is embarrassing. <br /><br />DE has strengths and weaknesses. QAE has strengths and weaknesses. I daresay that some of DE's weaknesses are things that Charlie and Dan Dempsey complain about in others, like dismissive attitudes toward math and ALO. He is very proud of his policy of saying "yes" to the district, then doing things however he wants. This policy often benefitted the school. <br /><br />Perhaps he overplayed his hand one too many times. He bitched about the district constantly. He buttonholed my wife and me at a school event and went on and on for 10 minutes about the problems he was having getting iPads for all through SPS purchasing. Didn't ask us one thing about ourselves or our student. Interacted with him many times, and he never asked me one thing about my student. A great pontificator. We drank the Kool Aid but much of what was promised when he was recruiting new students for the brand new school never came to pass. That's ok. Nothing is perfect, and much was very good. Maybe his anger and frustration caused him to burn a few too many bridges. Maybe he thought with Reuven Carlyle or Tina Podledowski or other wealthy and powerful parents made him invincible. <br /><br />The important thing is that the students truly feel known and loved by the staff and the principal. They are encouraged in many wonderful ways. Academics suffer. Discipline suffers. But you can't do everything well, despite what the rabid fans on this site are suggesting. As with anything, you balance the pros and cons, and figure out what will work best for your kid. I feel bad for the kids because many of them love DE. He shouldn't have painted himself into a corner.<br /><br />QAExperiencedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88645454630286547882015-10-24T16:13:56.449-07:002015-10-24T16:13:56.449-07:00QAE Balance, I'm not telling you to get a grip...QAE Balance, I'm not telling you to get a grip for disagreeing with the general pro-David sentiment - I'm telling you to get a grip because you're starting down the road of implying "5+" teachers left for lack of leadership. Not one teacher left because of a personal disagreement with David Elliot and every teacher who left was replaced with an excellent teacher because David is particularly good at hiring staff.<br /><br />We don't know all the facts, but we should stick to those we do know. And I was just corrected about the music teacher by my spouse, who says she actually left to begin the Danforth program at UW - not a program you can attend and still work full time in a school.<br /><br />Stop Gossipingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88449302694734648432015-10-24T16:06:10.362-07:002015-10-24T16:06:10.362-07:00Stop Gossiping, you have no idea what I did or did...Stop Gossiping, you have no idea what I did or didn't get from David Elliott so please don't assume anything and try to dismiss it out of hand. This wasn't an issue of entitlement. But this is the kind of environment QAE finds itself in--one where you are not free to disagree. If you disagree, you are told to "get a grip". This has got to stop. <br /><br />QAE Balancenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48922308774990964922015-10-24T16:00:25.972-07:002015-10-24T16:00:25.972-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-35440143946732709572015-10-24T15:57:56.154-07:002015-10-24T15:57:56.154-07:00This is actually what I wrote:
"If David'...This is actually what I wrote:<br /><br />"If David's personal life was too much for him to manage, he should have taken leave last year."<br /><br />That is not harsh. That is logical. And that is what great leaders do. They lead. And when they can't, they acknowledge it and let others take the helm. <br /><br />A core tenet of Positive Discipline, which is at the heart of QAE, is "kindness and firmness at the same time". It is not just kindness. Holding people accountable is neither rude nor harsh---it can be much more respectful to the person in question and all the many hundreds of people affected by their action or inaction. Having boundaries is healthy. I have been very involved with the school all along. I am well aware of the culture.QAE Balancenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59896435486704034142015-10-24T15:57:21.774-07:002015-10-24T15:57:21.774-07:00See below so you can challenge your beliefs with a...See below so you can challenge your beliefs with a few facts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-15439632180789704232015-10-24T15:56:24.144-07:002015-10-24T15:56:24.144-07:00Thank you.Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16700742865467288932015-10-24T15:54:28.936-07:002015-10-24T15:54:28.936-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-52947478595867569632015-10-24T15:50:33.018-07:002015-10-24T15:50:33.018-07:00I'm married to a teacher at QAE, and the gossi...I'm married to a teacher at QAE, and the gossipy whisper campaign about teachers leaving for lack of leadership is absurd.<br /><br />I'm not sure exactly how many teachers left, but none left because of a conflict with David. QAE has some very specific programs and space restrictions. The music teacher left because she didn't want to teach in a portable that was shared with the after school program, and she found a better situation elsewhere. One teacher left because she has young children and lives and owns a family business up north. One left because she might have to move and wants to ensure her young children can continue to attend their elementary school - she is now teaching in that school, ensuring her children can stay there even if she moves. Another teacher left because she wanted to teach a more phonics-based reading curriculum, and QAE is using a Readers Workshop model. The art teacher left because she's a better fit with high school students. Moving for these reasons happens in the teaching profession ALL THE TIME, and is often in spite of a good principal, not because of one. Now that QAE isn't a small school, there are bound to be more teachers coming and going - most of them are young, are starting families or buying homes or simply finding their permanent position.<br /><br />There is so much ugliness in this situation already - a staff who has had their captain thrown off the ship, children who don't see Mr. Elliot anymore, families who are being told to be "good sports" about district leadership so incompetent we're asked to be good sports again and again and again while district leadership is held accountable for nothing.<br /><br />QAE Balance, get a grip. You clearly know why the other teachers left last year - none of it was secret - so why imply it was because of bad leadership? I'm sorry you had an issue with David and you or your child didn't get whatever it was you think you deserved, but David Elliot isn't principal of only your child. He had to ensure the safety and equity of an entire school of children.<br /><br />Stop Gossipingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-51855367060280552312015-10-24T15:49:15.371-07:002015-10-24T15:49:15.371-07:00I'm sorry but I don't believe all of those...I'm sorry but I don't believe all of those teachers left because of "where folks lived, commutes, areas of focus, etc". Even if those were the stated reasons, it'd logically follow that a 'positive' reason to leave would help them get a good reference in the future. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-66473798496821773622015-10-24T15:38:39.133-07:002015-10-24T15:38:39.133-07:00Yes. And it was another challenge that he was deal...Yes. And it was another challenge that he was dealing with obviously. But other than one teacher, others left for a variety of reasons that were primarily personal. So it is inaccurate for you to throw out something that may be factual but in fact is unrelated to David.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-19285950106172775542015-10-24T15:36:35.778-07:002015-10-24T15:36:35.778-07:00Just to be clear, calling you out for not being ve...Just to be clear, calling you out for not being very empathetic is not attacking you. Your statements in regards to his personal life were very harsh. You basically were saying "so what ... do your job." I know that is not the environment that we try to cultivate at QAE. That was all. Nothing personal at all and nothing attacking. Just a call for empathy. <br /><br />And I agree with you that it was one teacher that I also know about. As for the others, much had to do with where folks lived, commutes, areas of focus, etc., but none other related to David of which I am aware.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com