I have cut-n-pasted comments by "monkey1" in attempts to paint a picture. While I was doing this, by the time I had it all done, I went back to the Tribune site, and lo and behold, here were two more comments:
Posted by ( Momto3 ) on 10/11/2008 at 10:55 pm.
Have you ever noticed that the more someone speaks, the more they reveal about themselves? I'd venture to say that some of the keener people reading this blog could identify at least one of the posters. Just look for a few uncommon words and phrases and the telling hostile remarks. Look familiar?
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Posted by ( betterdaystocome ) on 10/11/2008 at 11:15 pm.
Funny you should say that Mom to 3. It is very obvious that the blogger that said "take your kids elsewhere" should have followed it with "so my wife and I can breathe easier." Just as Mrs. Smith thinks we are stupid, so does her husband. ...........
There just seems to be something about "monkey1" that gets one's attention.
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/09/2008 at 04:28 pm. ……. I don't know any of the details about what is going on behind the scenes,…..
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/09/2008 at 05:07 pm …In my opinion, you've taken a giant step backwards by using a public forum as a whipping post. But what's done is done. Invite her to meet with you and discuss the problems that you have. You may find that you have more in common than you think. In fact, it really sounds like you DO have more in common than you think. …
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/09/2008 at 05:12 pm.
By the way, I don't know of ANY 'great' teachers that have left. Great teachers stay the course no matter what happens. If teachers left their post because of a perceived lack of leadership, then shame on them. They proved themselves to be NOT GREAT.
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/09/2008 at 09:43 pm. ……….Don't let these idiots run the school ... prove them wrong. ……..
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/09/2008 at 11:40 pm.
I've met all three of the teachers you mentioned and I wsan't particularly impressed by any of them ... especially in light of the fact that they all LEFT. ……..Do you think any of the 5 women went to Mrs. Smith before going to the board meeting to let her know that they felt it was a last resort? I'm sure that none of them gave her that courtesy. Courtesy and respect only flow one way in their minds. If Mrs. Smith is as bad as they make her out to be, then she is just like them!
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/10/2008 at 09:01 am. ……No, I'm not Mrs. Smith; nor do I have any connection with her other than the fact that she is the principal at my child's school……All I'm hearing is crap from a few people that have an axe to grind with Mrs. Smith ... no evidence, no documentation, just heresay and stories…….
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/10/2008 at 09:35 am. ,,,,,,,Lets start with friendly and personable. Since when does someone owe you this? …When people have legitimate complaints, they don't usually have any problem with voicing them. …….That's not to say that Mrs. Smith isn't disrespectful ... she may be ... I just haven't witnessed it. I'm really curious how many people have PERSONALLY WITNESSED (i.e. not heresay, not from a teacher, not from another parent) anything serious enough to disqualify her from her position. My guess is that a few axe-grinders have gotten a lot of people stirred up with half-truths and innuendo. Ask yourself this ... HAVE I PERSONALLY SEEN ANYTHING THAT WOULD MAKE ME DOUBT MRS. SMITH'S ABILITY AS A PRINCIPAL? Don't take the word of a few wack-jobs
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/10/2008 at 09:58 am.
Pam,
Thanks for identifying yourself. It verifies what I thought to be true since listening to you speak at the board meeting ... brash, arrogant, 'my way or the highway', 'what's in it for me' New Yorker.
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/10/2008 at 10:17 am.
jvid,….I'm not on the sidelines ... actually much closer to it than you could know. \
\Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/11/2008 at 07:21 am.
…do we really expect our school administration to file a report every time one kid gets out of line with another kid? To call the parents at work or at home when their child is involved in the most minor incident? GET REAL ... Get out the homeschooling materials if you don't want your kids in public school, but don't blame the principal because 'kids are mean sometimes' ...
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/11/2008 at 11:56 am.
RalphM -
That makes two of us ... I'm glad you got out too.
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/11/2008 at 03:23 pm.
I'm really not trying to defend anyone. I just think that the SMEAR campaign you guys are running is disgusting. I apologize if I've given you a dose of your own medicine. Doesn't feel too good, does it?
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/11/2008 at 07:08 pm.
raider1,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience at Alafia. Whenever I hear stories like yours, I'm always left wondering who will be to blame when it happens again in a different place? Have you ever noticed that with some people it just stinks everywhere they go? My father always taught us that when it stinks everywhere you go, it might be time to look on your own shoe. I'm sure it smells just fine now ... everything being new and fresh ... the honeymoon phase. It'll wear off though ... I hope you're as good of a teacher as you seem to think you are. That would be a wonderful achievement.
To answer your question, I would attribute the academic results at Alafia more to the demographics of Bloomingdale East than I would to the teachers involved. I would predict that Alafia will keep it's A rating for many years to come despite the departure of all the 'GREAT' teachers. That will tell the tale. Expectation is everything and parents provide that impetus much more than teachers. Don't get me wrong, I think that the teachers at Alafia have been very good, but GREAT? Can any teacher be GREAT in this day of 'teaching to the test' and spending time calculating practice test scores broken down by ethnic background? Maybe it can happen, but I haven't seen it.
Posted by ( monkey1 ) on 10/11/2008 at 09:41 pm.
raider1 -
Thanks for leaving.
Parents Critical Of Alafia Elementary Principal#comments#comments#comments#comments#comments
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2 comments:
What is it going to take for the powers that be to end the "monkey business" at the school? I'm afraid that the administrators are all just waiting for the heat to die down and then look out parents, because you will pay dearly!
Thank you, Poor Richard, for your astute observations. You have gained a new follower in me.
It will take an all out public exposure to end the "monkey business". With the internet, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to control the flow of information, therefore they are losing the amount of power and control they are so used to.
I will say there are a few good administrators sprinkled around, but they are hard to find. In my humble opinion, the good ones learn to walk the very thin line of trying to be respectful and honest within a dishonest system.
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