Oct 25, 2009

The World According To: Principal David Pinder Of DC's McKinley Senior High School


On October 16, 2009 there were parents, teachers and school staff who testified about the recent DC Public Schools layoff fiasco. What topped the list was the testimony by McKinley students, staff and parents about the infamous Principal David Pinder , new leader from Baltimore, Maryland. The October 16 council hearing was shown as recently as yesterday evening on DC television and also is available on the DC city council website. The council hearing set a record and lasted from 10:00 am on Friday and went until 4:00 am on Saturday. 

The top story according to RIF'd McKinley High School 12th grade counselor, Rhonda Robinson was her allegation that David Pinder created false transcripts of classes for certain McKinley High School students. Robinson reported that these students never took the classes that appeared on their transcripts and actually received high school credits and grades. Robinson shared with Chairman Vincent Gray that she has evidence of these acts by Principal Pinder and plans to submit proof to the city council chair.

Other acts reported by various students, staff and parents who testified before the council ranged from bribery of students and staff with money and other favors , failure to report drugs and guns on the school premises, an illegal audit, an OAG investigation, inappropriate behavior on the part of  the principal with McKinley SH students on Face Book social network, Pinder disinvited students to attend McKinley High School without cause, intentionally reduced the enrollment of the student population, illegally suspends students or threatens to suspend students without cause, fails to consult with Local School restructuring Team, targeted certain staff members for termination, made the school top heavy by hiring numerous administrators,  and discussed staff members in a derogatory manner in the presence of students, etc.

I strongly encourage you to look at the October 16 hearings if you live in DC. They are scheduled to appear on DC TV. If you do not live in DC go to the  DC Council website and click on watch live where you can view the October 16 hearing on scheduled dates. 

There were many horror stories from various credible sources of the atrocities that are occuring within our schools that are going unchecked . After listening and seeing some of the testimony first hand, I literally felt sick to my stomach and wondered what the DC City Council who has oversight management of school governance will ultimately do. It is obvious that this unchecked abuse of power that seems to be rampant in many schools can't help but have an adverse impact on our students, staff and community. 

If you are concerned about what is happening in our schools then encourage parents, community residents, labor representatives, RIF'd and terminated teachers, principals, vice principals, school staff, retired teachers, administrators and concerned others to show up on October 29, 2009 @ 10:00 am to the Wilson Building located at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Chancellor Rhee will testify before the council on the DCPS budget, equalization and the controversial RIF (reduction in force) in what many believe was fabricated in order to rid the system of a significant share of our educational workforce particularly veteran teachers.


Posted by The Wash. Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence. Graphics by Celeste Jones.
 

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Candi, your blog is always awesome. Thanks for what you do. We know even YOU have been targetted by Barbara Adderley for her niece Tammy Thomas Weems.

I could not believe the things Pinder has done either. What got me was his sending a message to a teacher who had to testify and asking him to say something good about him.

Thanks for adding principals and assistant principals. We are all in this together. One thing is for certain: Rhee and Fenty cannot hide EEOC complaints and OEA appeals. Everyone who has lost their job at the hand of Rhee and Fenty, please file official paperwork at the EEOC about what happened to you. File OEA briefs. Get an attorney. Push this matter to the full extent of the law. Nothing less is acceptable.

Foster said...

Wow the McKinely picture is fantastic. It looks so real. Of course so was Rhee vs. The Chair. I am impressed with your new graphics .Like Wow !

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous @ 10:07 a.m. : Can you elaborate on what happened to Candi? Who is Barbara Adderly? When I googled her, she came up as a principal in Philadelphia. Also, I could not find information on her niece Tammy Thomas Weems. This information would be helpful as it paints a broaden picture on the abuse within DCPS.

Kings said...

And why isn't Rhee investigating Pinder and why isn't the Post demanding an investigation.

I suppose he's another one of her pets.

The Wash. Teacher said...

Great questions Kings. There is definitely a double standard. Some principals would have been terminated for much less.

The Wash Teacher said...

Anonymous @ 1:32-

I imagine Anonymous @ 10:07 is referring to when I wrote about Barbara Adderly in a piece titled The Washington Teacher faces reprisal from Instructional Superintendent & Departing Principal.

Just go to the links on the right, scroll down to the labels section and find Barbara Adderly and click on the link.

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous @ October 25th @ 1:32pm.... Barbara Adderly is the Instructional Superintendent for most of the schools in southeat. She is also a very vindictive individual who has a lot to say about people who can't get to work on time (stated that if you get stuck in traffic that is an excuse); who believes that principals don't have to be at work on time; feels that principals can do what they want and not be held accountable.....etc. Yes she was also a principal who raised test scores @ a Philadelphia school... She is not as good as she thinks she is. How do I know? I've had a coupleof encounters with her myself.

DC VOICE Ostrich said...

The full hearing from October 16th can be watched on-demand, on-line: http://oct.dc.gov/services/on_demand_video/on_demand_October_2009_week_3.shtm

Anonymous said...

But the word on the street is that Tammy Thomas Weems, the former principal at Garfield, is the niece of Barbara Adderley, the former principal from Philly turned assistant superintendent. Adderley serving as her supervisor was dead wrong if they are indeed related. Both are native Washingtonians and they do favor each other. IN DCPS anything is possible!!

Anonymous said...

If you think that Pinder is bad you should hear about Trogisch. Originally given a 30 on his Principal evaluation (his words not mine) he should have been terminated. Since getting to SWW he has destroyed a once really good DC School. Find out about the awesome counselor who left after being physically accosted by him. Ask about the Assistant Principal who was brought down from Rhode Island to be a Counselor, but was not certified to do the job. Now she's an assistant principal and she lives with him, and his wife.
I could go on, but I am sure you get the picture.
Pinder and Trogisch must have come from the same pod.

Anonymous said...

I can name another principal who does unethical things like, make an ET-15 who is certified in Home Economics, a part-time librarian in order to keep a position; or who calls other pricipals to keep you from getting a job; not riffing anybody because he knows that if he did his staff members would spill the beans on him. His name is Jeffrey Grant who earned his doctorate degree during school hours amongst other issues like cheating on the DC-CAS. He has a counselor @ his school who doesn't have goodsense and would do whatever he, (Grant) told her to do. NO MORE SHEETS!!!

Anonymous said...

Trogisch did receive a thirty from Francisco Millet but they wouldn't remove him. His wife Linda teaches in DC. Pinder just sounds immature. Apparently his tactics as a car salesman are not upping his numbers at the school. Grant has always been a suckup and a step and fetch it type. There are other principals who Rhee kept as well because they would do a chameleon act for her. How could Donald Presswood tell a teacher her lesson was "too middle class?" Did he provide professional development or a coach to help her? Richard Rogers at LaSalle is totally out of control. He specifically targets older teachers. When a child stabbed someone in his library with scissors Rogers covered for the librarian -- a former police officer -- and lied on the teacher. He LIED in a police report. Why wasn't he fired?

Anonymous said...

I feel like Rhee is keeping a lot of these princpals in place right now so that they can take the fall if this stuff really hits the fan. Also we have to remember that she put a lot of these people in place and they are doing what she asks them to do no questions asked.

Anonymous said...

David Pinder couldn't even make the AP pool in Baltimore County Public Schools where he was a department chair. Someone should have done their research!!!

Anonymous said...

David Pinder won't comment on how he misused $100,000 typical. Was always in it for himself, and never for the children.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121703367.html

Anonymous said...

Now this?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121703367.html?wprss=rss_metro

Anonymous said...

My student has a young & great programming teach at McKinley Tech & they are the only hard-core computer class that is neglected. The classroom has such outdated computers that are so weak. My child tells me how the teacher tries his best to facilitate a great learning environment, but knows it could all be so much better if they supported this teacher instead of stacking so much on this teacher.