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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

If Vitti keeps Brennan at First Coast it is time for him to go too (rough draft)

I have held out hope over and over that Vitti will do the right thing. That he will stop trying to outsource our kids’ education to for profit charter schools, that he will use data to make his decisions and that he will treat teachers as professionals and valued individuals rather than easily replaceable cogs. What little hope I had last may have been dashed as WJCT is reporting that he will not make any changes at First Coast high school.
From WJCT
Although some speakers pointed fingers at the school’s administration, Vitti says he will not be changing leadership at the school.
Dr. Alvin Brennan is principal at First Coast and Vitti says he’s one of the best in the district.
“[Principal Brennan] is a Veteran, a proven leader,” Vitti said.
Vitti says he’s working hard to get Brennan the staff and tools he needs.
The staff he needs? First years and Teach for America Teachers who don’t know that principals shouldn’t be allowed to bully them and make them miserable.
What does Brennan have to do to be removed? His bullying has been well documented here and the culture of violence he allowed to foster has been well documented everywhere.
The climate survey was abysmal, only something like 12 percent of the staff said he had made the school safe and inviting?
What about the dozens and dozens of staff members how have left? Doesn’t that speak volumes? They know how toxic he has been.
Then there is the community members and parents who spoke on Tuesday, over two dozen that represented hundreds more. They don’t want him
If not what about what the mother of a murdered boy has to say?
I spoke briefly to the mother of Jonhnell Johnson at the school board meeting. It was just by chance I was standing near her when somebody else did and I overheard part of the conversation. After they had finished I told her I was so sorry about what had happened to her son and since she had a speaker card told her she had to turn it in if she planned to talk.
Fighting back tears she said, I don’t know, I think I have to much to say and then she paused and said, we went to Brennan for help, this had been going on for a long time and he just dismissed us.
Read that again, he blew her off. If that alone does not disqualify him from being the principal at First Cast then I take back everything I have ever said about charter schools and vouchers and parents take your children and flee.
Viti can ignore the climate survey, the teachers who have left and the community that wants a change but he should not be able to ignore Johnell Johnson's mother, because if there were a competent principal at First Coast, one who cared there then her son might be alive. 

Vitti's not being a leader, he's saying I have the biggest %$#^ and I will do what I want and who cares if students, families, teachers and the community pay the price. 

9 comments:

  1. Yes, Dr. B can be abrasive and short, however, this is not all on him. I will say that he has one problem administrator that he needs to talk to, because shes just--WOW. You would have to work at FCHS to understand just how bad she is. Words wont do her justice. I do not want her to lose her job, I just want her to change. Admins are human beings, and I think we, teachers, often expect superhuman things from them.

    With a school the size of FCHS, he needs his teachers to provide some teacher leadership. Be at your door, help usher kids to class, call parents and really do the extra hard work that it takes for a school to turn around. Remember, by far, Dr, Brennan probably has the most difficult job in Duval, if not in all of north Florida.

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  2. And we extended this idiot's contract for three years?!

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    1. It seems to of given him more confidence. May be hubris is a better word. May be its &^%*.

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  3. Look at FMS's principal. T-U considering a follow up on today's piece because of the number of folks the reporter has heard from who were at the scene and contradict the "official" version of events.

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  4. He also said that the 40 teachers who are leaving do not constitute a high attrition rate. Um, yeah 35% of the faculty leaving is a huge number. I can say, however, that my school since August (including transfers for next year or people leaving the county altogether ) has had 8 ELA teachers alone leave. I expect more may leave, although administration is changing. 4 principals now in 3 years...

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    Replies
    1. Hey what school are you at? I am working on a piece about admin churn...

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  5. Once again, DTU chose to make no statement at the SB meeting.

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  6. Look, Vitti may be arrogant and narcissistic but he is not stupid. Why does he hang on to Brennan? The schools that Brennan have managed have not flourished. He is generally disliked by faculty and parents, yet Vitti refers to Brennan as one of the best principals in the district. This is BS. So what is going on here? Does Brennan have friends in high places? Where does he go to church? Does he have something on someone? There must be some explanation when Vitti has removed much more competent principals in the past.

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  7. DTU is an agent of Vitti's admin. They're on the cash envelope payroll. If its not cash, it's favors!

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