Get Schooled

By posterchild

November 22, 2005 12:30 PM | Link to this

It’s all power politics, which is why a lot of people who would make great administrators never even get close to a position.

Also, YOUR? Check, please!

By SET

November 22, 2005 12:43 PM | Link to this

Maybe some of these people (teachers)think they are elected to their jobs and as officeholders they are empowered to say and do whatever they want.

They are servants, not masters. The School Boards are elected and through their executives the school boards call the shots.

Servants don’t have free speech on the job. They are not in place to spew their own politics. They are not self employed. And they don’t have ownership rights to a particular assignment within the employer’s business - unless they have a contract that says otherwise.

That’s why we have blogs.

But I still think the teacher who was run out of the school system for showing high school students the recent movie “Elizabeth” is an example of Political Correctness gone wild.

If you have something an employer wants or needs - or a strong union - work out your terms. Otherwise if you don’t get along and can’t work out your differences you must go. Often better jobs are discovered this way.

By AAT

November 22, 2005 12:51 PM | Link to this

This is an education blog and the title is “‘Your’ Transferred”. What kind of morons are writing this…no wonder the education system in this state is in the toilet.

By Nikole

November 22, 2005 01:03 PM | Link to this

AAT- Your comment contributes NOTHING to the discussion. Keep the negativity to yourself. A mistake was made, but you did not have to be so ugly about pointing it out. Posterchild already acknowledged it anyway.

By HS Science

November 22, 2005 01:30 PM | Link to this

The question -“Shouldn’t a nontraditional school have a leader who believes in the school’s mission?” should go a bit further and include “and is competent.” An article on the subject states “The panel determined Davis had demonstrated what it called “incompetence” and “willful neglect of duties.” Teachers are released for making such remarks, why not principals? Such action by the Fulton Board of Education show their disregard for not just the students of Independence High School in Roswell but also for the previous principal. First, why send “incompetence” to another school as leader? Why not at the least reduce Amelia Davis to, at the minimum, to an assistant principal with a mandatory probation period of at least one year. Better yet, remove her from any position that has contact with students. Sensitivity training is also in order. Second, this is a slap in the face to the student body of Independence High School. To openly place someone that has been declared incompetent over a school shows a total disregard for that school, the community and its students. Lastly, what does it say to the previous principal of Independence High School? Is it saying move over, you’re being replaced by someone less competent? Is it telling the former principal that they were even more incopetent? Please, let’s hold administrators to the same standards as teachers. Teachers are released for such comments why not a principal? Should not the leader of a school be held to higher standards? Just an after thought, wasn’t Ms Davis’ a force behind the release of Keene Walker from Tri-Cities last year?

By jim dumond

November 22, 2005 01:31 PM | Link to this

Wonder where Gwinnett will transfer the school adminstrator that checked out little Aressa Harris to her non-custodial mom?

Hey maybe they’ll even afford them the opportunity to resign.

By notso

November 22, 2005 01:36 PM | Link to this

Sorry Patti, you’ve assumed the schools exist for something other than providing jobs.

By 49 out of 50

November 22, 2005 02:08 PM | Link to this

The mayor of New Orleans IS a “piece of (fecal matter)”. Principal Davis can run my kid’s school anyday.

By Angry White Boy

November 22, 2005 03:02 PM | Link to this

Amen 49, but our opinion doesn’t fit the PC mode that prevails. Public schools are not the appropriate forum for expressing your opinion and anyone who does express such a poltically incorrect opinion obviously needs sensitivity training, as HS suggests. It’s always better that we can all ignore the sometimes not-so-pleasant truth and just be nice to each other.

By Mike

November 22, 2005 03:11 PM | Link to this

Hooray to 49 out of 50.

Why has PC been escalated to the level where someone’s career is threatened by simply sharing an opinion? Why are school teachers & administraters allowed to bash President Bush in the classroom yet the incompetant mayor of New Orleans is deemed off-limits? And how does the remark by Principal Davis in anyway indicate that she is not committed to the mission of educating students and therefore not a proper fit for her new assignment?

Best of luck to Principal Davis!

By Amazed (Independent Woman)

November 22, 2005 03:32 PM | Link to this

How many of you would feel that Principal Davis should remain in her position, if she had made the same statement about the President?

It’s the language she chose to use and it shouldn’t be tolerated at Tri Cities, Independence or any other school.

I’m also waiting for the administrators at that school in Gwinnett to be fired for letting the Non-Custodial parent walk out of that school with that little girl. It’s shameful. We trust them and they break out trust everyday. It’s a good thing, the woman did not hurt the child, because I would expect jail time for the person(s) responsible.

By luvs2teach

November 22, 2005 04:00 PM | Link to this

If the chosen word for “fecal matter” was something for which a student could be disciplined, then the principal shouldn’t be using that term in the students’ presence. Bad judgment, IMHO.

If she was transferred for “incompetence,” then it makes no sense to give her the same position somewhere else - non-traditional school or not.

I like the suggestion of a demotion and a year’s probation at the lower level.

By HSTeach

November 22, 2005 04:01 PM | Link to this

Wow! Restraint is being shown in a school in Georgia? With the firings of multiple teachers in this state you would figure that something as un-christian as cursing in front of a student would warrant the death penalty….oh well, I guess teachers are expendable, administrators on the other hand…… non-traditional = lazy students, teachers, administrators….right?

By SET

November 22, 2005 04:10 PM | Link to this

It’s not that I disagree with the comment made by the disciplined Principal.

It’s just that the schools have become a political brainwashing factory rather than a “school”. The little darlings will have to make their own minds up about individual politicians. Generally the school board won’t tolerate staff lecturing on their personal politics so bluntly. So they took action against Davis and didn’t stop with the suspension.

I don’t want public schools (as opposed to private schools and homeschools which may freely indoctrinate) using taxpayer money to preach right wing or left wing conclusionary statements. I want the public schools to teach reading, writing, Math, and all three verions of history with cites and footnotes.

The little darlings will be OK if they have a good grounding in reading and research skills along with coverage of contradictory materials and theories.

I went to Catholic Schools in the 60’s and the Nuns went on screaming fits everytime Elizabeth Taylor got re-married. We all knew the Nuns were not normal women and had serious issues. But they taught everybody how to read and we spent a month covering Communist Propaganda Techniques - by 6th grade. My Catholic Grade School class cohort has gone everywhere since then - to doctorates, civil service, and prison.

So I don’t think this Davis person is a bad person or isn’t “competent” because she picked a fight with the school board and lost. Opinionated people can be great teachers as long as they are willing to debate and take as well as they give. She may thrive at the alternative school.

If not there is always law school… Some of my more angry High School teachers quit for that and had fine careers.

By oldteacher

November 23, 2005 08:18 AM | Link to this

I may agree with what Ms. Davis said about the mayor of New Orleans, but I disagree with the way she said it. I think the profanity is what got her into so much trouble. Yes, I know she was speaking to hs students and that they have heard this word before. However, once again, educators should set an example with their behavior. We have had quite a few lately who have really been bad examples.

By Jhdies

November 23, 2005 08:44 AM | Link to this

As a teacher many times you have to be a part-time warden—why would you want to be an administrator and become a full-time warden? Adminstrators normally are mostly trying just to keep the lid on. Other considerations are further down the line.

AYP seems to have gotten some attention—however, there are not enough schools to where all the students can transfer. And the the federal government taking over a school would be a joke. They cannot run the country—how could they possibly run a school? Plus ça change!

By J.T.

November 23, 2005 08:50 AM | Link to this

I have two issues with this situation:

Since when is it okay for a teacher/principal to use foul language when addressing students? When I was in school, teachers/principals were there not only to instruct but also to be role models. I know kids use four letter words, but when adults do it - it simply reinforces the behavior for the kids. I can’t imagine going into a staff meeting and hearing the participants using that kind of language - it isn’t done. (and finally on that subject) I was always told that if a person must use “four letter” words then it just shows their lack of vocabulary - in other words, they weren’t terribly intelligent.

My second issue is not about the principal’s transfer, but rather the reason for it. In the news we’ve heard of teachers/principals/students speaking out against President Bush/Clinton etc. and other government officials and yet they have not been transferred or suspended. Why did it happen this time?

Because the politician in question is black. If Ray Nagin were white, no one would have had a problem with the comment.

By Danielle

November 23, 2005 09:42 AM | Link to this

Sounds like no consistency here. And the administator didn’t get a chance to “defend” her self. As far as the teacher showing the “Elizabeth” movie, at my daughter’s high school, the social studies teacher let the kids watch Jerry Springer for the last 15-20 minutes of class because there was “nothing else to do”. I called the school. They will look into it.Nothing happened.

By Angry White Boy

November 23, 2005 09:44 AM | Link to this

While her choice of the four letter word was a mistake, that was most likely only the excuse for her punishment, not the reason. The reason was she said something negative about a black leader(?) in front of black children. But the transfer seems more aimed at defusing the situation than punishment. No loss of rank or pay? That’s not much of a punishment.

By Danielle

November 23, 2005 09:45 AM | Link to this

Jim Dumond, you are right, where are they going to put the admin. who approved the girl going home with the non custodail parent????

By Beverly

November 23, 2005 12:58 PM | Link to this

I’m not sure why everybody thinks Nagin is a bad mayor. Please enighten me. Also, the principal should have been disciplined for using profanity in front of students. It was unnecessary: especially from a school’s top administrator. It doesn’t matter if Nagin is black, white or purple. The principal shouldn’t have used that language.