Cleveland Community Fights for Their Principal
Back in 2015, then-Superintendent Maria Goodloe Johnson Susan Enfield attempted to exit the principal at Ingraham High School, Martin Floe. As we all know, a superintendent is the last call on who is principal but the community at Ingraham High School was not having it. They didn't believe her stats on Ingraham achievement and were able to point out other principals with the same or worse results. She bowed to the criticism and Floe remains principal to this day.
Will history repeat itself? At Wednesday night's Board meeting, the overwhelm majority of public comment was over the firing of Cleveland's beloved principal, Catherine Brown.
A couple of teachers told the Board they are leaving Cleveland, with an athletic director taking early retirement. They claim more teachers are going to follow their lead. From the Seattle Times:
What does the Superintendent have to say? That "the door is never shut" but apparently, he has no plans to keep a principal who is admired across the board by staff, parents and students. What a shame to lose someone like that. I mean compared with who he wanted to replace Brown with - Marni Campbell - it seems a mystery.
It's interesting because there are calls for "restorative justice." Why? It's a decision that Jones made because he felt challenged by Brown's actions in telling parents about a COVID issue that she was supposed to remain silent on. (Actually I think it is senior staffer Sarah Pritchett who got her nose bent out of shape over Brown's actions.) I myself would not call it gross insubordination but apparently that's what he thinks. Not only was her principal's contract ended but they demoted her AND were going to reassign her to a different school AND give her a 5-day suspension.
No, that kind of punishment firepower looks more like a signal - to other principals, you better toe - the - line. Even if your school is doing well, if you are well-liked in the community, etc. If you don't do exactly as you are told, you will be punished. Brown is just the symbol of that now.
Jones may have a meeting with students and staff. Unless he's going to change his mind, what's the point? Window-dressing.
My money is not on Brown.
Will history repeat itself? At Wednesday night's Board meeting, the overwhelm majority of public comment was over the firing of Cleveland's beloved principal, Catherine Brown.
A couple of teachers told the Board they are leaving Cleveland, with an athletic director taking early retirement. They claim more teachers are going to follow their lead. From the Seattle Times:
“Due to the treatment of Catherine Brown, I’m leaving the district,” Paige Wilson, a Cleveland teacher, told the Seattle School Board at Wednesday evening’s meeting. “My resignation may be of no consequence to you, but it is a great consequence to the Cleveland community.”
On Thursday, Seattle Schools spokesperson Tim Robinson would not say how many Cleveland staff are resigning, and told a reporter to file a public records request to get that information.
What does the Superintendent have to say? That "the door is never shut" but apparently, he has no plans to keep a principal who is admired across the board by staff, parents and students. What a shame to lose someone like that. I mean compared with who he wanted to replace Brown with - Marni Campbell - it seems a mystery.
Laude, the teacher, told the board that “transparency is paramount to building trust with the community. We need leaders like Catherine Brown who uphold these values. The burnout right now is tremendous. Ms. Brown provides a reliable foundation of building-level stability amidst rampant systemic instability.”
It's interesting because there are calls for "restorative justice." Why? It's a decision that Jones made because he felt challenged by Brown's actions in telling parents about a COVID issue that she was supposed to remain silent on. (Actually I think it is senior staffer Sarah Pritchett who got her nose bent out of shape over Brown's actions.) I myself would not call it gross insubordination but apparently that's what he thinks. Not only was her principal's contract ended but they demoted her AND were going to reassign her to a different school AND give her a 5-day suspension.
No, that kind of punishment firepower looks more like a signal - to other principals, you better toe - the - line. Even if your school is doing well, if you are well-liked in the community, etc. If you don't do exactly as you are told, you will be punished. Brown is just the symbol of that now.
Jones may have a meeting with students and staff. Unless he's going to change his mind, what's the point? Window-dressing.
My money is not on Brown.
Comments
Bruce Harrell launched a campaign to seat Jones in the Superintendent seat without a public process. He has ties to Cleveland.
Good luck to the Cleveland High School community. The NEW principal will begin with the task of hiring 30 teachers.
You do us no service when you play fast and loose with the facts. The date was 2011, and the interim superintendent was Enfield. What’s remarkable is that Dr. Enfield found a middle path, found a face saving way to give Floe another chance, and the rest is history. This superintendent seems to have no ability to navigate such territory. You’re right that Brown’s transgression seems eminently forgivable and at least worthy of a similar second chance. Wouldn’t that be a great message to send to other principals who have just managed this crazy COVID year? How many will be left next year anyway?
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/enfield-reverses-decision-to-fire-ingraham-high-principal/
Emile
Brown wrote: “I have been under investigation for an allegation that I disobeyed a directive. The specific allegation at issue is that I failed to follow a directive to withhold information about changes in COVID-19 contact tracing from the Cleveland community."
The South Seattle Emerald article below has a much more detailed timeline.
https://southseattleemerald.com/2022/06/14/catherine-brown-demotion-completes-admin-overhaul-at-cleveland-and-franklin-high-schools/
Emile, I'm not playing fast and loose with the facts. I made a mistake. You try being around for over 20 years and getting every single item correct. I incorrectly trusted my memory and I now corrected it.
And yes, Enfield found a way forward that didn't make her look bad but we are in a different time and place and, as I said, Jones is making a point for other principals.
What’s to forgive?