Bullying of Teachers Pervasive in Many Schools
May 16, 2012 by twalker
Filed under Featured News, Top Stories
By Cindy Long
Workplace bullying is on the rise. About a third of American workers have been impacted by bullying in the workplace, either as a target or as witness to abusive behavior against a co-worker. Unfortunately, it’s even more prevalent in the field of education. In a recent survey of medium-sized school districts, 25 percent of employees reported that they had been bullied.
A teacher from Augusta, Maine, was so traumatized by her principal and superintendent that she didn’t want her name or school mentioned, but wanted to share her story because she believes the pervasive problem of workplace bullying has gone on unchecked for too long.
“I am sufficiently frightened enough by my former employers to fear that maybe they could still hurt me,” she says. “I need to get a new job but won’t be able to do so if I am unable to receive even one recommendation from an administrator. I know it and so do they.”
After the Augusta educator resisted being transferred to a new school and new grade level, she began to be scrutinized by her administrators. First, they began examining her test scores, her communications with parents, and her relationships with colleagues. Then, with no explanation and no warning, the principal began interrupting her class to pull out students one-by-one to talk to them. When the educator asked the students why they were being pulled out, they told her they were instructed not to tell.
She was accused of not using technology in her class, even though each student had a laptop. She was criticized for relying on a literacy mentor, even though some of her students were struggling with reading. She was put on a behavior modification plan and was told to submit her lesson plans a week in advance for review by administrators. Her peers warned her that she was being targeted, and she began to believe it. Finally, she left her job after her health began to deteriorate.
It’s not just administrators bullying teachers, says Carv Wilson, a geography teacher at Legacy Junior High in Layton, Utah. He’s been an educator for 18 years, and has seen teachers bullying each other to get their way, as well as aggressive parents who fly off the handle and threaten and intimidate their child’s educators. But he says the worst case of ongoing workplace bullying he witnessed was by a principal.
“I was heavily involved in school leadership both as a Davis Education Association Rep and on the school representative counsel, and I heard about or witnessed first-hand the abuse of other teachers, staff, and students by this principal,” he says. “She specifically targeted individual teachers and the only thing that seemed to offer any protection was membership in our local association.”
Wilson says more than 60 percent of the educators were NEA members, and the other 30 percent “suffered dramatically at her hands.” The number of transfers out of the school was higher than 50 percent each year of the eight years that she was principal of the school.
“She seemed to revel in people being driven out of education or to another school,” he says. “The memories of that time still haunt me from time to time, but it solidified my belief that having representation both in school and in the local community through the association is critical. It’s the only defense against unfair and even punitive measures that are sometimes solely prompted by personality conflicts.”
Denise Mirandola is a union representative for the Pennsylvania State Education Association who holds trainings for members called “Bullying in the Workplace.”
“I presented it at an Education Support Professionals meeting and was surprised to see so many heads nodding,” she says. “I believe that the phenomenon has been overlooked far too long and should be brought to the surface quickly.”
Like Wilson from Utah, she says association representation is vital if you’re being targeted by a workplace bully. The first thing you should do, in fact, is contact your union representative. Then, document, document, document – save emails, letters, memos, notes from conversations, or anything that shows the mistreatment. She also recommends confronting the bully with a supportive ally, like a union rep – and to describe the offensive behavior you’re experiencing, and the change in behavior you’d like to see.
According to Dr. Matt Spencer of the Workplace Bullying in Schools Project, “the bully steals the dignity, self-esteem, confidence, joy, happiness, and quality of life of the targeted victim”. And when the target is an educator, it is a great “injustice” because the bully deprives students of a caring adult who is crucial to their education.
Currently there is no law in any state against workplace bullying, unless it involves harassment based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age or disability. Please support the Healthy Workplace Bill in your state. Go to www.healthyworkplacebill.org for more information.
See Also: Violence Against Teachers – An Overlooked Crisis?
Related posts:
I don’t think you quite understand what I am saying. Education is NOT the same as other industries or lines of work. Public education is EXTREMELY incestuous, and those applications, if filled out dishonestly, can cause you to have your teaching license suspended, and THAT goes into a nationwide database where every school district in the United States KNOWS you were a liar filling out an application and basically torpedoes ANY chance whatsoever of a teacher ever working in education again.
It is system-wide, OCCUPATIONAL blackballing. There is NOTHING comparable in the private sector, and I have worked in both.
Most businesses will not risk a lawsuit by having their supervisors badmouth employees so they will only provide dates of employment and perhaps salary; however, education gets around that by often forcing teaching applicants to send “confidential” references to previous supervisors, especially that all-important “last principal.” There is NO way to know if your principal is defaming you.
All of this is allegedly for the “sake of the kids.” However, this is all about making sure teachers who are “problems” are never again allowed to teach.
The only around the blackballing is to spend years and years as a badly paid substitute teacher and hope to get good references that way or work one’s way into a full-time position through substituting.
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I’ve been saying it all along- Vocational Superintendents choose only the students that will pass and do well on MCAS so that their schools will look good under their watch. So many kids who needed a vocational education did not get in. It was all about the numbers, published numbers.
Now here’s an article about a Superintendent who required teachers cheat on test scores by erasing wrong answers and circling the right ones. There was pressure by the Superintendent who wore gloves when she handled test materials as not to leave fingerprints. During her tenure 90% of Principals had been replaced.
But alas, an investigation was done and good people came forward and wore wires bringing the operation down.
This article is chilling and it hits home for those of us who worked under similar conditions. BRAVO to those courageous enough to tell the truth!
Here’s the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/us/former-school-chief-in-atlanta-indicted-in-cheating-scandal.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=na&
Lets hear some comments folks!
SEIZE THE DAY & KEEP POSTING!
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Read the comments under the article too.
Here’s one:
“The idea of turning education into a business through standardized testing is a crime against our entire nation. Much money has and is being sucked out of the school systems that need it, to pay corporations that have nothing to do with educating children. The problem here in the education arena is the same one acting on the banking and health care sectors in the US – corrupt businesses attract corrupt people. Those people take actions that require bailouts.”
SEIZE THE DAY & KEEP POSTING!
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Hello all abused teachers. I plan to attend Maryland Circuit Court On May 13th 2013. I was abused, bullied, and harrased by my principal at another Montgomery County MD School. I along with several of my friends have decided to wear NAPTA Tee Shirts in support of abused teachers everywhere.
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Yes, this is the ruin for many, especially high senority or less popular, or the ones not hanging out in the clicky teachers’ lounge.
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Debra H,
Are you attending the Kemp Mill ES case? We all need an update. I feature the case on A Piece Full World; http://www.apiecefullworld.com. It’s an outrageous case….and sadly, so common! There is, though, a growing–albiet slow–public awareness of educators’ being bullied by their principals and by their districts.
In Broward County, Florida, for example, the superintendent there, Robert Runcie, is causing a stir. He’s using teachers’ and students’ responses to the question: “Is your principal responsive to your needs?”, and the numbers of complaints against principals about which action (investigations and the like) had to be taken, to measure principals’ effectiveness. I don’t know all the details, but I do know that there are principals (26 was the last number I heard) who will not be principals any longer.
The Broward Principals Association is, predictably, going nuts and saying things like “it’s a witch hunt” etc. Runcie’s response is reasonable. He says something like, “Hey, it makes sense that of the hundreds of principals we have, some are ineffective.”
If there is a Broward educator participating here, maybe you could fill us in.
Kim
kimwerner@apiecefullworld.com
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Kim,
As an abused teacher from Montgomery County MD, whose situation is similiar to the Kemp Mill case, I plan to attend. Also, several of my friends will also be present.
Debbie
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First, I must say that it’s so nice knowing that I’m not the only one who has been bullied and subsequently fired by my principal for not belonging to the “in” group or kissing the principal’s butt. It’s good to see that the pain, paranoia, and general feeling of being crushed to death are not unique to my situation. What’s more is that I’ve added a new word to my lexicon (“blackballing”) by reading these comments!
My story is unique because I am transgender/gender non-conforming. I was harassed, constantly warned not to do female things, and eventually investigated for being a pedophile. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life. Yet, as I was saying all the things that I was doing were done by the cis-gender teachers with little to no reprimand. It gets worst though: my best friend at my former school was fired for similar reasons because she is a lesbian. Nothing quite like a homophobic/transphobic principal, eh?
Thankfully, I knew the laws in my state and filed a complaint with the EEOC. I can totally vouch for school districts being defended by psychopathic lawyers, because they tried to blame the entire thing on me by saying that I was a very troubled adult who need psychiatric help (iow it’s all your fault and we’re totally blameless). I’m still waiting for the EEOC’s judgment, but even if it doesn’t go my way, I’m still going to sue my former principal in civil court.
Administrator bullying has to stop and the only way it’s going to stop is when we stand up and show that we’re not afraid of them!
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Advice needed
I’ve been teaching 16 years and the current principal has been targeting me the last few years. Now I have to go through SAFE-T next year. Is there anything I can do to protect myself? Please advise…I’m feeling so humiliated.
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What is “SAFE-T”? Is that the same as going on a so-called “plan of assistance”? If so, you better either have a lawyer on hand or a Plan B, because you are being targeted for removal.
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So is it something like this?
http://www.cebc4cw.org/program/sexual-abuse-family-education-and-treatment-program/detailed
You should get a lawyer.
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BVP,
Check out A Piece Full World’s “Ten Steps to Some Sanity.” The page is called “Bullied by Your Principal? Start Here.” Here’s the link:
http://www.apiecefullworld.com/id75.html.
I started A Piece Full World after I was targeted and left that abusive environment. I took sick leave and was properly diagnosed with “Acute Specific Stress Disorder.” I tell my story from A Piece Full World’s menu bar.
Most states require bullying and harassment policies. I provide a link to all states’ policies from the same page. It’s at the top of the page.
So….I recommend you see if the steps will help. A key piece for me was knowing I’d done nothing wrong. In fact, I now know I was targeted because of my pro-social orientation ( like so many educators!). I am just a nice person and, man, oh, man….we nice people are shark bait for these predators. Sadly, we cannot expect much help from higher- ups……
Another key piece was educating myself on the phenomenon of workplace bullying in schools. Look no farther than Atlanta Public Schools for a real clear picture of the mess in which we in public education find ourselves.
That brings me to the most important piece for me….and maybe for you. We–you, I, and the rest of the hundreds of us communicating here–are most definitely not alone.
Feel free to contact me at kimwerner@apiecefullworld.com.
Kim
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The best thing you can do to protect your self is check out the state laws on the use of recording devices, in my state of Texas we only need one party consent. But remember if your willing to use what you acquire to protect yourself that means someone else’s ability to provide for their families and meet their financial obligations is going to be affected as well. So if you decide to do something about it get their own words and use them against them.
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Debra H. The teachers who have a trial date on May 13th at the Rockville court house need your support on Friday, May 3rd, one week from today, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Rockville, Maryland. The hearing will begin at 1:30pm, Judge Rubin’s courtroom on the 6th floor. The county has filed a motion to dismiss their case. Please show up and bring your friends.
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READ THIS: THINK TWICE BEFORE REPORTING ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR PRINCIPAL TO YOUR UNION… Here’s why………………
We have lost all individual rights and due process that was once afforded us through our unions. The teachers in a lawsuit in Montgomery County, Maryland have been contacted by scores of teachers who are in hostile work environments, and the union, MCEA of Montgomery county is doing nothing to help them. Through legal discovery, the teachers in the lawsuit have been privy to emails and communications between the MCEA and the bullying principal,Floyd Starnes and his superiors. Basically, when a teacher(in the lawsuit) called the union to complain about an illegal or unethical action by the principal, the NEA/MCEA uniserv contacted the principal and gave the teacher’s name to the principal and shared what the complaints were by the teacher. The uniserv also shared with the principal that she tried to get the teacher to back off but the teacher would not change her mind or back off. The uniserv also offered to call principal starnes’ boss, Ms. Bronda Mills and see if she could help him out. The uniserv then contacted Bronda Mills to see what could be done to help Floyd Starnes, the bully principal.
The particular teacher, whose confidential information was turned over to her bully principal by NEA uniserv, was bullied unmercifully from that point on. MCEA did not do their job. MCEA has behaved unethically to a despicable degree. They made it WORSE for the teacher who had been acting in an honest and ethical manner! The bullying by the principal was so relentless that the teacher finally left her job and took medical leave. It would have been far better if the MCEA had done nothing. Certainly, I would never contact NEA/MCEA regarding anything unethical or illegal going on in our school. What’s really disgusting is that our president of MCEA signs his letters as………………….In Solidarity, Doug Prouty. DOUG PROUTY, our MCEA president should be dismissed for how he has failed to do his job. NEA, wake up. It’s public record. Take a look at Floyd Starnes’ deposition so that you can see the unethical behavior by DOUG PROUTY’S office. The unions are in a sad state in this country. Advice: Think twice before talking to your unions about your abusive principals. The only ones being held accountable in education are the teachers. The unions are not held accountable and certainly not the principals. It’s a sad day when teachers are advising each other “WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T CALL YOUR UNION”
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We need to elevate the issue of bullying and mistreatment of teachers to the level of a national social disease. I agree that the union is ABSOLUTELY USELESS when it comes to representing worthy teachers, in particular if teachers are not tenured. Untenured teachers are obligated to pay union’s dues but receive no acknowledgement, no consideration, no representation.
Nowadays, even if students yell and abuse, insult and use profane language to a teacher’s face in front of the class, this is no longer considered a violation of education code. Teachers are responsible for students bad behavior, tardiness, lousy grades, etc. I believe that many teachers feel cohersed into fabricating higher grades for undeserving students, just to spear themselves of being targeted as a “non-performer”. The pressures are tremendous and unreasonable. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?
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…spare… OOPS? Sorry.
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At least one former employee of Washoe County School District and her lawyer have made a relative killing suing the district:
http://blogs.rgj.com/reportcard/2013/04/26/saturday-school-board-agenda-includes-legal-settlements-superintendents-review-and-capital-project-initiatives/
She is getting 250K in insurance money for a relatively minor lawsuit. Her lawyer, a former WCSD general counsel, was fired some 10 years ago for supposedly whistle-blowing on the former superintendent for misappropriating money (around 1500 dollars or some small amount). He filed a suit and eventually lost, but after his secretary resigned after refusing to be reassigned, gets a big pile of money simply because she sided with this lawyer. Connections, connections, connections.
This is what I wrote following the article: Nice to know somebody whose case was relatively minor compared to my situation would be handsomely compensated, but that is because she had connections to the attorney who represented her. Her connections to him is why she sued, while his suit against WCSD was thrown out. Anybody who has a real case against WCSD is up against a brick wall and can’t get anywhere thanks to not being told by Washoe Education Association about EEOC or other such avenues, not to mention the reluctance of most attorneys in Washoe County to even take on teacher lawsuits. Disgraceful. It’s even more disgraceful being told by the state attorney general that there is nothing you can do against the union, either, for its negligence, for the same tiny window of six months SOL in filing a complaint applies to the public employee-management relations board as it does to EEOC. In short, the district and the bogus union can do whatever the hell they want to teachers, while the teachers become permanently impoverished when illegally fired. Yes, I will beat this dead horse until I die or the district makes it right, which it never will. The district needs to be outed as the corrupt organization that it is.
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The above-mentioned case goes something like this: the secretary to WCSD’s then-general counsel was sitting next to him at a public meeting by the Board of Trustees, which fired him. She was reassigned to a different job in human resources because of concerns about conflict-of-interest since she was a friend of this lawyer and sat next to him, supposedly as a friend of his rather than his employee. She claimed her First Amendment rights were violated because she couldn’t resume work in her confidential position, but she was not fired from her job, merely reassigned to another job. She resigned, and, to prove the district’s point about conflict of interest, hired the fired lawyer to represent HER. I am not saying she didn’t deserve something, but she wasn’t fired from the job and shouldn’t have received 250k for it. Somebody like me couldn’t get ANYWHERE in Nevada, and I WAS fired illegally and was severely economically damaged. This woman most likely was not hurt financially since she voluntarily resigned. It’s ONLY because of connections she got the lawyer she did and because of both of their connections they got a pile of money from the district. Life certainly isn’t fair.
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Dear abused in Montgomery County MD,
As another abused teacher in Montgomery County I had the same experience with the union MCEA. When I reported the abusive behavior of my principal to the union, the information was also shared with my principal. I also left my teaching position because of health issues which resulted from this abuse. MCEA also controls the sick leave bank. My sick leave was denied. If you need help I agree WHATEVER YOU DO DON’T CALL YOUR UNION
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Dear Abused in Montgomery County,
I plan to come to the Montgomery County Court House with as many friends as I can bring on Fri. May 3rd. This case needs to go forward.
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As a student and a close friend of several teachers to whom this has happened/ is happening, I can attest to the impact this has not only on the teachers but also on the kids. At seventeen, I shouldn’t be balancing all my schoolwork with trying to save my best friend’s job. I shouldn’t be frantically scouring the Internet for advice regarding the meeting I’ve scheduled with the principal this afternoon—I shouldn’t be scheduling meetings with the principal in the first place! I shouldn’t be getting physically ill from the anxiety that potentially loosing my best friend brings me. I should be learning, doing homework, etc. I’ve seen several of my favourite teachers get ‘disappeared’ from the faculty like we’re still in the Cold War, and it’s scary as hell. And I for one am not going to stand for it. Personally, I think we could alleviate some of the issue with more transparency in policy, so that’s what I’m pushing for. But as a student, a freaking kid, this shouldn’t be my responsibility. Something’s gotta change, and soon, because this isn’t healthy for anyone, especially not the students.
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Dear Debra,
A correction: The hearing will be in Judge Rubin’s courtroom on the 7th floor. Thank you for supporting the teachers!!!
Dear Hannani,
Please talk about your feelings with a counselor or therapist. It is not fair that you are feeling this way and it is not good for you. I have a lot of empathy for you as I have seen many students hurt by the awful behavior of adults in a building. The adults need to realize that the children/youth in a building are adversely affected by bullying behavior of adults. It’s called a hostile work environment and it is detrimental to all in the school building and NOT just the targets of the bully.
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Dear Montgomery County Bullied Teacher,
Thanks, I’m talking to both, as well as several of my friends. But I’m mostly keeping it together by working even harder to ‘fix’ this. (Yeah, I know, “good luck, kid,” but I have to try, right?)
My school (a private school for grades 3-12) claims to encourage us to “take risks, learn from mistakes….[and] develop personal integrity….self reliance, tenacity of purpose, and commitment to others”(handbook). They assert, “We hope that these principles will guide students in their interactions with faculty and peers and help to inform them when faced with moral decisions.” We’re raised under this idea that if we see injustice, we should fight it. And yet those teachers who most exemplify that code are the very ones who are getting driven out.
I’ve always been close with my teachers (I guess I’m something of a teachers’ pet, though I’m a bit too much of a rebel for the term), so when, at a school I’ve attended for nearly a decade, I see them disappearing, scared, etc, I don’t take it lightly. This school means everything to me, and while I understand that it has no reason to be exempt from the ‘real world’ problems in teaching, I refuse to believe it impossible to have a school with at least a cordial teaching environment. So my friends (students and teachers alike) and I are pushing for a change. And if history is any indicator, I’d say together we have a fighting chance.
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Good luck in Maryland tomorrow!
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In support of the Kemp Mill ES plaintiffs: It’s been almost a year since I began communicating with one of the plaintiffs on this site. We have now become friends. I see how just knowing of the courage of these six teachers in moving forward with their case–and with all the obstacles their district and union use to block their moving forward–has strengthened me in my own truth telling. This is a communication exchange on Facebook I have recently had with a fellow educator.
Paul Braxton comments:
“We all work under someone, they have our respect because of their position within an organization. We have a responsibility to carry out the assignments we have been hired to do. But no organization is going to operate at its maximum level of efficiency when the leadership operates on a level and with a mindset that we are there to serve their purpose over the purpose of the organization. Any leader that fails to use servant leadership techniques, will most likely operate in a manor of serve your leadership. Be mindful that type of leadership can quickly convert to work place bullying. Result; morale down, attendance down, productivity shot. I the case of schools I blame teachers; STOP TAKING IT, BAND TOGETHER, EXERT YOUR POWER, SCHOOLS WILL NOT RUN WITHOUT TEACHERS. Organize not through unions but through site organizations, the exact location where work place bullying takes place.”
I respond:
“Paul,
You are so right. And what are the purposes of a school district “organization?” One would believe the purposes to be nurturing and supporting the education of children so that they might pursue their own dreams and make their contributions to society. Instead, my experience–and the experience of so many educators across the United States (Atlanta comes to mind)–is that the true purposes of school district “organizations” are nurturing and supporting the advancement of the careers of principals and other district administrators. I am starting to understand that those at the “tippy-top” (superintendents and the like) are the worst offenders. They are, in general, out of touch with the abuse so many of their teachers are experiencing in their schools. Ethical, honest, and “stand-up” teachers are targeted by abusive principals because they are not “team players.” It does not matter that the team is playing a lying, cheating, fraudulent game.
David Yamada of “Minding the Workplace” calls the phenomena of workplace bullying “kiss up/ kick down.” Abusive principals “kiss up” to regional and district leadership…and then return to their school houses with their muddy and steel toed boots on.
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I am at a school where the principal only hires very young teachers. Right out of college.
She is a bully and the young new teachers are afraid of her. She will turn parents against
them by saying things to the parents like, “the teacher is new and not a good disciplinary”.
Then, she tells the teacher she is not allowed to contact any parents unless the emails are read by her first. The parents are now only believing the principal, because they don’t hear
from the classroom teacher. This is a nasty tactic that my principal does. She also has
all types of stuff animals and a bear with the “Star of David” in the office and teacher’s
workroom. The bear is a scary thing to me. How do principals get away with these
bullying behaviors? Who is out there to check on these types of inappropriate acts?
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Hi Joyce! Thanks for speaking your mind!
Let me attempt to answer your questions.
***How do principals get away with these bullying behaviors?***
It’s quite simple: bullying is about an imbalance of social, physical or other power involving a person or group. In the case of a bullying principal, it’s about a person who needs to have power over a group of people due to their own insecurities and corrupt sense of power. They get away with it because they are the ultimate power within a particular school. People in positions of power look out for each other, so regional superintendents, other higher ups, and their helpers (district safety for one) tend to look the other way on such abuse.
To put it another way, think of a school district, or any other bureaucracy, as a neo-feudal power structure. The principal is like the medieval lord and the teachers are the peasants. Need I say more?
***Who is out there to check on these types of inappropriate acts?***
We, the bulled teachers, are the first line of defense. My suggestion would be to create a log with specific incidents noting the precise dates, times, and witnesses. Taking pictures on your cell phone is a good tactic also. In addition to the logs and pics, you could create a network with the other teachers in your building who are also being bullied and instruct them to keep a log/take pics as well. Once you have enough evidence, you and the other teachers in your network should go to either the EEOC or local labor board and file a suit against your principal. Keep such activities hidden from both the principal and her helpers!
Most of all, DO NOT get the union or any of the other school district departments involved in this issue. As you can see from the comments on here, they are totally useless and will make you feel like it’s all your fault.
I hope this information helps and good luck with your situation. We all wish you the best!
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Kemp Mill settles. Link below. Check out comments.
http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-settles-with-group-of-teachers-who-sued-kemp-mill-principal/2013/05/10/75e79a18-b8d5-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_story.html
Here’s one of the many comments:
The Sentinel is doing a major story on this travesty. Contact Brian Karem at (301)838-1922
Principal Starnes is now a confirmed criminal. However, he is willing to discuss the matter with any concerned parent, past or present, as well as any reporter seeking to get his side of the story. His cell phone # is (240)848-4868
With this settlement, the precedent has been set. Major law firms are already contacting the other affected teacher/staff members who were sexually harassed and abused as well as the teachers who were fired without due cause. Parents of brutalized students like Mrs. Seabolt, Hedy R. and Anna M should all join in. What he did to those men/young boys is criminal.
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Where are the teacher unions? They are closing their eyes to workplace bullying and playing politics with teachers careers? In Washington State, school district have the right to do anything to you. The WEA and NEA no where to be found-MIA.
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I am a minority teacher. I went to a new school and the principal quickly put me on an
“Plan of Action”. I have taught school for many years. She clearly did not want me at
her school. She does not want any new people who are of a certain race at her school.
Therefore, she made my first year a living nightmare. The “Plan of Action” is a way
of making any new teacher in her school look incompetent. The “Plan of Action” is
not a way of helping a new teacher, at her school. She uses it to harass teachers,
at anytime, on any given day, in her office. She put minority workers down at her
school. Even the custodians. She has many teachers leaving her school and others
seeking transfers. How can this happen in a public school?
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Well, here we are– a year later with 783 comments and questions and still NO answers. Many people have simply quit commenting and it’s no wonder. We ask: where is the union, why do principals keep getting away with this, why are certain people frequent targets, how do we stop this?? I am an older teacher and I have fought age discrimination and targeting for 5 years–I’m simply too expensive and opinionated. I’ve finally given up and am leaving the profession–my health has suffered too much. The principal that made life miserable for everyone–young and old–this year was promoted to get her out of administration! This is how it works. I am saddened to see a year’s worth of comments seemingly go nowhere. Has anyone ever gotten a response from the NEA??
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RVG–
No real response. Kemp Mill settled. Jonathan K. no longer commenting…. and on and on and on we go… Contact me, if you’d like, at kimwerner@apiecefullworld.com. We are all “still out here…”
Kim
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Debra H.,
I was also a previous teacher of MCPS who left a school. 47 TEACHERS OUT OF 60 LEFT after the end of 2012 school year because we were bullied by the principal AND students. I feel you. I ended up leaving the state…. to teach in a non-union state and be bullied again, but with no representation at all. Teachers are no longer protected. I just submitted my college app to go back to school and get a degree in Network Engineering. I always wanted to be a teacher until it came down to the office politics.
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Bee Gees,
I am so proud of the Kemp Mill teachers. They hit MCPS in the pocketbook. Tax payers will not be happy. This is a start. I know it seems like the administrators are beating us down. One thing the Kemp Mill teachers taught us is success in numbers. Fear is our biggest enemy. Speak out, name names, complain. (even if it means retaliation) You’re already being harassed and bullied anyway. Yes you might end up leaving but that’s what they planned to do anyway. So go out with a lot of noise. I complained all the way to the board and I don’t regret it. I didn’t get exactly what I wanted but the board and the Superintendent know my principal is a bully. Now she’s on they’re RADAR. I wanted to see things move quickly. I realize now that we just need more time.
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s a down side to the rise in popularity of
digital content, and that. A very convenient strategy to
search for things on the web is to merely speak your search term.
Body Language is nonverbal, usually unconscious, communication by
making use of postures, gestures, and facial expressions.
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Hi Teachers, Parent here. The bully Principal Starnes in Montgomery County (Kemp Mill) is worse than a bully. He destroyed lives of teachers, children, families. Children ended up in the psychiatric institute. Many suffered and the level of education became pathetic once Starnes came on board. (It was a good school under Principal Evans). So what is the result of the mediation – is Starnes still the Principal or is he required to leave the school? Is he now a registered sex offender? Or is he legally allowed to continue his behaviors? We need to re-think the whole system when the principal, administration, BOE, Superintendent, and union are all corrupt.
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I relish, cause I found just what I used to be having a
look for. You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
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Mom,
I have put your comment on A Piece Full World’s home page; http://www.apiecefullworld.com. Let me know how else I might help.
Thanks,
Kim Werner
kimwerner@apiecefullworld.com
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I was the victim of an administrator that bullied me for 6 years. I hung onto to my position because he wasn’t going to define me,nor was he going to drive me away from my students. I was told that I was too well read, too smart, and worked too hard and that I threatened other teachers because if it. I was told to dumb it down. I received “walk through” observations that ended in “kiss.” It meant “keep it simple stupid.” In the end he started pulling my students out for long periods of time. When I asked the student what happened I was told they were instructed not to tell. Eventually, this administrator jumped to a different school. I out lasted his bullying, but it took a toll on my trust level of administrators. It took a toll on my health. It took a toll on my family life. His bully behavior was modeled by many of his “favorite” students and we had a major bully problem in the school. So, it took a toll on the school environment. After he left it took about a year to correct the bully behavior in students. Bully behavior is now practically gone in our school under the new leadership. Our school board finally put a policy in effect that if any teacher experiences bullying by parents, other teachers, students or administrators it would be considered a misdemeanor and they would take action. Finally!!!
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Hi! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d ask.
Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa?
My blog addresses a lot of the same topics as yours and I
think we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Excellent blog by the way!
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Let’s face it, schools are full of losers: those who can do and those who can’t teach; those who can teach and those who can’t administrate; and behind every feral student is a feral parent. If you were smart, you wouldn’t teach, and if you want your children to learn, homeschool them. Teachers should just install video cameras in their classrooms but that’s probably against Education Code…it’s a no win situation. Get out now while you can.
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I’ll be returning to your site for more soon.
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