Rhee's Model School Shaw TKO'd By Non-Contender Sousa : Is It True ?

SOUSA BEATS SHAW

This deserves front page billing. Many of you asked in response to an anonymous post on The Washington Teacher whether Sousa middle school TKO'd Shaw middle school on the 2009 DC-CAS scores. ( I did a story on Sousa on June 23 titled: Chancellor Terminator Rhee Fires 8 DC Teachers At Sousa Middle School).

Well now, wouldn't it be funny if Sousa MS out ranked Shaw MS on their standardized tests ? Wasn't Shaw MS the 'pride and joy' model school of Chancellor Rhee ? Isn't Sousa MS the school where 8 DC teachers were terminated by the Rhee administration ? Wouldn't it be a travesty if we learned that Rhee acted too hastily and signed off on teacher terminations at Sousa MS before checking test results ?

I guess we all have to wait and see until the official school by school standardized test results are posted on OSSE's website. It is my understanding that principals already have this information. Suffice it to say for now, here's the low-down as reported by Anonymous:

"I came back to give ya'll the overall numbers for Shaw and Sousa so you can see I am being truthful. Shaw's reading scores for those who passed in 2008 was 38.52% this year those reading scores dropped to 29.65% The reading scores for Sousa in 2008 was 22.84% and in 2009 they went up to 39.42% The math scores for Shaw in 2008 was 33.33% in 2009, they went down to 29.46% The math scores for Sousa in 2008 was 16.75% and they went up in 2009 to 41.83%. Now none of these scores are worthy of bragging rights but this gives those on the outside of the system cold hard facts not propaganda. If you have any request for other schools let me know. The general public will be able to see these scores July 28th. " Signed Anonymous

Posted by The Washington Teacher

Chancellor 'Terminator' Rhee Fires 8 DC Teachers At Sousa Middle School

I received this email from a DC Teacher who was terminated from Sousa middle school where Dwan Jordan is a new principal. Sousa is located at 3650 Ely Place, SE in Washington, DC. I have removed the names of teachers who write me in order to protect their right to confidentiality.

Given that Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee signs off on all of these teacher terminations, it is concerning that there is no right of appeal. What if the principal was wrong in his/her assessment of the teacher and the teacher is not ineffective ? Who bears the responsibility for any errors that are being made ? What would you do if you were wrongly terminated ?

Here are some of the details regarding what happened to the teachers at Sousa. More details will be provided to you as they come in.

Hi Candi:

"I had been teaching at Sousa and never received a bad rating in all my ten years working in DC Public Schools. However, I was placed on the 90 day plan and have been terminated also. I was wondering if you could add this update of factual information to your blog.

The principal Dwan Jordon is a first-year principal, formerly an Assistant Principal from PG County, who placed 8 veteran teachers on the 90-day plan and terminated all of them. Interestingly enough, early reports are rumored that Sousa made some of the highest middle school gains with the DC-CAS, so how can all of our teachers be ineffective? Sousa has less than a total of 25 teachers so a third of them were terminated."

Posted by The Washington Teacher.