DCPS Central Office Firings Confirmed !

Whether you were just a naysayer or someone who actually still works in the central office and doubted the validity of The Washington Teacher's weekend report, please be advised that DCPS has officially confirmed that the central office firings did take place as I reported. Please read Bill Turque's excerpt in the DC Schools Insider below. If you have read this blog more than once, you will note that my informant's have been quite accurate in their reporting of what's going on in terms of Rhee-form in our public schools. Often times what has been reported here has been the impetus for stories in the mainstream press like The Washington Post, DC Examiner and Washington City Paper. It is most unfortunate that we cannot rely on city government to be transparent about what is happening in the DC central administration offices What is good for the goose isn't good for the gander as they say.

Well now my inside sources are still telling me that the recent terminations were actually much higher than the eighteen confirmed by DCPS. Some say that the Rhee administration are expert liars. It wouldn't surprise me if the number of layoffs was not accurately reported especially in light of the controversy surrounding the November 2 layoffs. As I understand it, while most of the terminations were from the Office of Special Education, other staff were also terminated from the Medicaid division, finance office, records division and the resolution team. Stay tuned for further developments on this story.

I encourage you to recommend to any of the recently laid off DCPS employees to consider testifying at the upcoming March 15 City Council oversight hearing. Feel free to call Aretha Latta @ 202-724-8196 or email alatta@dccouncil.us to be placed on the list to testify. The hearing begins @ 10:am at the John Wilson Building located at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW

New firings in central office

by Bill Turque, Washington Post writer

DCPS confirmed Candi Peterson's weekend reports in The Washington Teacher that 18 Office of Special Education (OSE) staffers were let go on Friday. No details yet on what jobs they held or what exactly drove the dismissals, although spending pressures seem to be in the mix. Spokeswoman Jennifer Calloway said Sunday evening that "in an effort to control costs and improve operations OSE made personnel decisions based on each of their department's overarching goals and initiatives."

Posted by The Washington Teacher, featuring Candi Peterson blogger in residence

Chancellor Rhee's Firing Squad Strikes Again?

UPDATE: A second inside source confirms the central office terminations. Please read below. Given that my sources are usually pretty reliable, it wouldn't be surprising if Chancellor Michelle Rhee fired even more DC public schools staff last week. An anonymous source emailed me that over 20 employees were laid off last Friday from the central office and that even more terminations are scheduled to come. I am little confused about this informant's choice of words especially since lay-offs are typically carried out when there is a budget deficit. My bad, I see how it is easy to get confused around here especially given that the Rhee administration uses lay-offs as an excuse to get rid of certain targeted employees. Any sleuths out there interested in researching this story further ? If you have any more details, please feel free to email saveourcounselors@gmail.com Until then, here's what anonymous sources are saying about the recent central office terminations:

"OK, I was browsing the web trying to see if the news of the DCPS central office "lay-offs" that occurred yesterday was on any one's radar. To my surprise it wasn't. I came across your blog and I decided to send you a email. I currently work for DCPS so I must remain anonymous. On Friday, March 5th over 20 DCPS central office employee's were "separated" from their positions. The head honchos tried to convince the staff this was part of the "budget reduction plan". I have to disagree, this was a blatant office wide termination of folks that didn't get along with their direct supervisors. The stage for this was set a long time ago. Every one that was "let go" was African-American and very out spoken.They were revealing a lot of under handed activity that was going on in the central office and the 'big wigs' didn't like this. It makes me sick to my stomach to see what's going on in our central office. All of the staff (including me) are walking on egg shells waiting until our name is put on the "lay-off" list. A lot of the things going on at DCPS need to be exposed. That mess that was pulled yesterday needs to be investigated...something just wasn't right about the situation. They also made it known that this is not the end of the "lay-offs. signed,

DCPS is under handed

*Second email from another source

Dear Wash Teacher,
"I too have been searching the internet for news on March 5th's central office lay-offs and have been disappointed. I can't give a lot of detail because they'd know who I was if I did as they read these blogs and discuss them derisively. I can confirm that there were over 20 "separations from employment" on Friday. I agree with your first source that there are more to come. I was given information from two director level persons. Neither person could give a reason for this action other than vague "recession" mumblings. Both stated that "no one is safe" during these times so I believe that they already have a list of persons that are being laid off next but didn't want to do them all at once. I know that not all of the persons laid off on Friday are African-American, but I believe that most were outspoken in their concern for DCPS practices." Signed, anonymous

The Washington Teacher, Featuring Candi Peterson- blogger in residence and whistleblower

Another DC Teacher Quits Voluntarily: Who's To Blame ?

A DCPS special education teacher at Maury Elementary School calls it quits. 

Lately, I have received a number of emails and text messages from teachers and colleagues about how many DC public schools teachers are voluntarily calling it quits. Teachers that I have spoken to admit that some of their reasons for leaving are due to the IMPACT evaluation which was rolled out this year without it first being piloted. Many complain of inadequate training which is provided 'on the job' while teachers must digest an instrument that is complex and misinterpreted by principals, instructional coaches, program managers and master educators (who often aren't so master). Power points to supplement IMPACT are still being developed as we speak to help further explain rubrics that are not so specific. Teachers and service providers are rated in areas in which there has been limited training. Not to mention, the fact that it will take a total of three years for teachers to be graded on all of three of the IMPACT components. Teachers are complaining in some schools that they have lost their planning periods to more grade level meetings, extra duty, more paperwork and many other demands which result in lost time to plan. As a result many of our teachers come to work as early as 6:30 or 7 a.m. and stay until 6 or 7 p.m. and continue to work into the night. Yet they are still demonized in the press by Rhee and company. Time for family, friends and social activities is virtually non-existent.

Many teachers and service providers are receiving poor performance ratings on IMPACT evaluations with scores averaging in the minimally effective and ineffective range. Even I received a low impact score of course being marked down in the attendance area due to allegedly being seen at a protest rally while I was on scheduled leave. Could it be that Rhee's plan is to rate teachers low so that she can force out a significant share of our teaching workforce through terminations, lay-offs, resignations and retirement as revealed in her five year educational plan? 

I received an email from a teacher asking me to post the resignation of yet another certified DCPS teacher. Her email states - Hello Candi, "A certified special education teacher with a masters degree resigns from Maury Elementary School due to belittling by Principal Carolyne Albert-Garvey. Maury is located at 1250 Constitution Avenue NE. 20002. The principal heavily imposed special education coordinator (SEC) duties which is a full time job by the way and gave an unjust Impact rating. SEC duties "IMPACTed" no pun intended on this special education teacher's planning and instructional time. This special education teacher had a case load of 12 special education students in testing grades 3, 4 and 5. Go Figure... Now the school is left with a brand new uncertified teacher. Thanks." Signed, anonymous teacher

                                                                                   Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence and whistleblower.

The Washington Teacher Faces Reprisal From DC's Departing Principal & Instructional Superintendent

Being the author of The Washington Teacher blog has its advantages and disadvantages. For as many advantages as you can imagine, there are just as many disadvantages especially in the workplace. As I once testified before the DC City Council, DC Public Schools have historically been a punitive place in which to work. Even today, fear of retaliation is still rampant in our schools. Due to this it is understandable why many teachers and related school personnel often look the other way when illegal or inappropriate misconduct or ethical violations occur especially when it involves school administrators. Failure to adhere to this ‘honor amongst thieves mentality’, will likely leave you ostracized, intimidated, threatened, excessed, placed on a 90-day plan, and sometimes with the worst school assignment or even fired .

Blogging about DC’s departing principals landed me a special visit on Wednesday afternoon from DC’s Instructional superintendent- Barbara Adderley. A little after 3 p.m., an announcement was made on our school loud speaker that I should meet our departing principal at Garfield elementary school in her office. I quickly obliged this request to go to the principal’s second floor office to meet with her under what I thought was a work-related matter. To my surprise, there was a woman sitting in one of the chairs in the principal’s office who indicated in response to my inquiry that she did not know where the principal was. I thought to myself that it was odd that the principal had left this lady in her office unattended.

I followed up by going to the main level to locate the principal. When I did, I questioned if she wanted to meet with me and was told yes by her. She motioned me back to her office and promptly closed the door with the unknown woman still sitting in her office. I am clear this meeting was held due to my writing the "DC Principal Shuffle". Initially, the principal began what appeared to me to be a question and answer session about my blog. She queried whether my blog was somehow affiliated with The Washington Post and was unaware of the name of my blog. At one point, Adderley chimed in: Do you know who I am? I responded a resounding No because for me this was the first time meeting her this school year. Adderley took over the meeting seemingly with the non-verbal approval of the school administrator. Questions came in rapid succession from Dr. Adderley and she seemed particularly curious about how I had written a piece especially since as she stated I had not confirmed the accuracy of my story with either her or Garfield’s departing principal. When I would not name my sources for the story , Adderley suggested that the only other person who could have informed me was Chancellor Rhee. Rheely, I thought to myself, how interesting?

In my view, this meeting quickly deteriorated and seemed to be more of a
browbeating and intimidation session of which I was at first an unsuspecting participant. When I realized that I had become entangled in this kangaroo court somehow, I quickly announced to both administrators that I would not continue this discussion without a representative. After all I added that our principal had her own representative in Dr. Adderley. Adderley looked perplexed and made it clear that as the administrator she would have the final say whether the meeting ended or not. My response was emphatic that while I may not control whether the meeting ended, I would not be speaking any further on this issue and in essence- she would be talking to herself. Of course, she ended the meeting subsequent to this.

This meeting reminded me of a similar meeting called by Chancellor Rhee only last school year on March 6th in which I was summoned to the Chancellor’s office under what I was advised was a work related matter. Of course, I made the choice to take two representatives with me. I believe that this meeting was called due to my political activism, outspokenness in the media, participation at a city council hearing and at a rally to protest school closures. Later I captured this experience in an article titled: “ Political Activism Gets a Thumbs Down From Chancellor Rhee “ in the online publication of The Mail’s March 9, 2008 issue @ www.dcwatch.com

Both of these personal experiences within DC Schools got me to thinking that these acts by Adderley and Rhee constitute what is known as an abuse of power. As much as I hate to say it, this is the reality in our schools. This reality is the reason we have some employees who choose to please their bosses even at the expense of our students while others choose to do what is right at the risk of displeasure from their boss and the possibility of facing consequences and repercussions as a result. Someone like Adderley who makes the choice to abuse his or her power, makes me question, Is this the type of manager we want to lead us in this new era of reform? You tell me? (posted by The Washington Teacher).