Showdown at Dolores Street

Do six year old children need to be marching up and down the street protesting the removal of a school principal or are they getting caught up with their parents and teachers personality conflicts with the principal?

Okay, so you get rid of the principal? And then what? Will everything be the same? Is that what the school wants, for everything to be the same? Is that necessarily a good thing? Sometimes change is good? I don't know, I'm just playing devil's advocate.

Good luck and I hope everything works out for the best.

The DB editorial was right. There is too much division and animosity at the school to find resolution other than through change. The principal should take the high road, meet with her superiors privately and request reassignment. If the district places her in another school as the principal, the regional district elementary school coordinator/ administrator needs to appear frequently on campus to monitor and control problems as they appear until a stable environment is a sure expectation. That apparently didn't happen here and the situation grew out of hand quickly. However, Dolores must now perform when they get a new principal. Either their standardized test scores rise significantly, or they will be viewed as a school ingrained with a culture of mediocrity and complacency in academic performance and achievement.

Whoops. Double vision. 2AM posting problems.

Del Cueto needs to get out of her office more...Dear is being recalled and the parents will surely oppose this...it's like rubbing salt with bacteria on a wound...please get real. The man can't even get along with his co-equal vote council members let alone mediate...besides the teachers and parents have spoken...move this principal out now.

This reminds me of the same problem that Orthopeadic Medical Magnet High School in beautiful Los Angeles is facing for the past 1 1/2 years.

Come on LAUSD. Let's trade principals! This would be a great solution to the both parties.

Please have this principal take a transfer to move to ORTHO. I'm sure the kids & faculty would love her. Again. ORTHO has the same similar situation & the "LAUSD" is doing nothing about it!!!!

I think trading is the solution.

Moving the principal out is not the answer. Today's youth is plagued with a lack of discipline i've never seen. Why do you all think that test scores are so low, because there isn't a strong leader to keep the teachers in line. I speak from experience i used to work for an elementary school of the LAUSD and i can tell you that if parents knew what happen on school campuses amongst the teachers they would be shocked.

Lazy teachers. Lazy students. Powerful union. None of them want to face a principal that wants to make students and teachers come to work on time. None of them wants to face a "hard ass". Well. they NEED one.

Taxpayers deserve better than this. If teachers and parents find that organizing and taking time out of their schedules to march for a cause during the summer, then there is definitely a problem. I guarantee you that I would not be there. Clearly, the principal has failed to develop an effective working relationship with her staff and that is not a sign of an effective leader but rather a sign of despotism. Yet, the daily breeze only scratched the surface of this story (not surprisingly) and I think it really demands more investigation. We'll see.

There has to be a solution to all of these new principals with issues at the schools. I believe that the teachers are not necessary wrong in accusing a principal of wrong doing it is good that they stand up for there priority on school grounds why is it that the students have to pay the price with their education. We are seeing the same issues or worst at our school in Los Angeles ,Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magent a well known school for its achievments in maintaing above there expectations of education as far as parents ,students and teachers are concerned, only problem is our principal with misconception of what a principal should be a respectable leader that should not violate all LAUSD district Policies,anti-bullying,code of conduct,mishandling of school funds when asked "at the discretion of the principal" as always.

And the powerful union waves it's magic wand and everyone is hypnotized into marching off the cliff and against their best interest.

Only those that live the inside situation of the school will be affected the most students whether they are small or young adults their voices are not heard because the politics of the districts is to keep placing incompetant principals in our schools without educating them appropiately, principals that have no experience only believe they have now gained power of being superior gives them the right to violate all LAUSD policies and there directors allow these situations to continue. They rather keep one sour grape then keep our students on task with a wonderful education and motivation to stay in school and then we wonder why our students don't want to go to school.

Let me tell you mediation don't work . We had mediation last summer for our issues . All it was as if we the parents ,students and teachers were the crazy ones and nothing changed . Our principal continued to be disrespectful with us and has not been honest about our budgets. We need directors and superintendents that want our students sucess and we need the coruption to stop. Therefore if there are budget cuts well lets cut down on the principals with bad reputation and bring in those people that do want to work in our schools.

I speak as a teacher in LAUSD facing a very similar problem. In response to the situations and some readers' comments, teachers, in general ,are neither lazy or unwilling to operate within rules and guidelines. I've never worked at a school where teachers refuse to go along with district rules and policies out of some misplaced obstinance. Their objections arise when rules are applied to punish and retaliate against those who speak out, and in other cases, are ignored to favor those who shut up and go along with highly unethical practices and behavior. Rules and regulations do not teach children, people do, and those people will do their jobs in working conditions that are supportive and respectful. When that is not the case, and a lack of ethics, respect, and common decency are apparent, the district MUST ACT and stop protecting their own.

P.S.
PLEASE do not send this principal to Ortho! That is a typical district practice. Instead of dealing with problem administrators, they just put them on the district merry-go-round until they end up at another school, and another, and another, and another. We need able and respectful administrators with the willingness and ability to build successful school teams. Only then will our kids get what they deserve.

Loves Teaching wrote:

I speak as a teacher in LAUSD facing a very similar problem. In response to the situations and some readers' comments, teachers, in general ,are neither lazy or unwilling to operate within rules and guidelines. I've never worked at a school where teachers refuse to go along with district rules and policies out of some misplaced obstinance. Their objections arise when rules are applied to punish and retaliate against those who speak out, and in other cases, are ignored to favor those who shut up and go along with highly unethical practices and behavior. Rules and regulations do not teach children, people do, and those people will do their jobs in working conditions that are supportive and respectful. When that is not the case, and a lack of ethics, respect, and common decency are apparent, the district MUST ACT and stop protecting their own.

Like most employees, underperforming teachers usually have other issues going on, too. Attendance problems, motivation issues, disparaging administrators and parents, etc. They click together with other like-minded teachers. The teaching process is mundane. The principal should be responsible for the overall results of the school. The teachers are responsible for following the principal's lead. If they don't, the best strategy for the principal is to document rule and contract infractions to build a discipline problem case. That gives the administration the substance to take action. These issues are present everywhere in all but a few schools where there are really motivated, goal seeking principals. My feelings on the issue haven't changed. Pay principals more, make openings available to outside applicants and remove those not up to the task. Unfortunately, some (up and down the hierarchy) see that as being heavy handed. The successful principal is not a disciplinarian, but a motivator who graduates students with skills and knowledge that will carry them through their lives. Why is this discussion not more towards those issues?

My issue is this... you can not please all of the people all of the time. If the school has seen four principals in five years then that has to say something. There are obviously environmental issues as well as a personnel conflict issue. The teachers got used to doing things their way and as such the parents got used to doing things the teacher's way. The old principal either retired or left but the fact is they are gone and you will not get a duplicate. The parents and teachers need to change with the new principal or new teachers who will respect the authority of the new pricipal and the changes that come along with them need to be brought in.

That said, it is also curious that the principal has held short term posts at 3 schools within the last three years. What needs to happen in mediation or outside of mediation or wherever is the principal needs to make a list of what she expects from the teachers and students at the school and the teachers should make a list of what they expect of the pricipal and students and see where the lists vary. They should then discuss compromises that will adhere to district policies so the students can get the most from their education. The fact is the rotation of authority is affecting the student performance as seen with the falling test scores. Both parties need to suck it up and do what is best for the students.

Yes teachers need to teach,students need to study and parents need to get involved and look out for those disrespectful principals and staff that is just thrown around from one school to the next just to keep them on the job even though they have no knowledge of being a principal they are only interested in the money and who may do the job for them therefore they want out with old teachers and in with their own new crew that can scratch their backs. So let's work hard on watching out for our students best interest their education and the transperancies of where the moniy is being spent to help the education of the students not the pockets of the principals and their favorite staff members

Skate wrote:

And the powerful union waves it's magic wand and everyone is hypnotized into marching off the cliff and against their best interest.

UTLA works for the teachers...not the other way around!