I have written several times about the bullying tactics that First Coast Principal Al Brennan employs. Now the teachers there have spoken out and done so in a survey which has First Coast ranked in the bottom four percent of schools in the district. Heaven help those teachers in the schools ranked worse.
I was sent a copy of the First Coast survey along with this note which indicates the data may actually be skewed in Al Brennan's favor. "If you send it to Chris G. let him know that the entire time we were taking what was supposed to be an anonymous survey, Brennan was walking around the library, looking over everyone's shoulders. And we were all given the same link to use so not all the surveys counted."
Note the district average was 87 percent completion but First Coast came in at 70 and who knows if that was because of the principals interference or not.
Here are some things that stood out.
My school is a good place to teach and learn, 29%, district average 71%
School leaders promote a safe and productive learning environment, 32%, district average 74%
School leaders support me when it comes to student behavior, 25%, district average 59%
Leaders at my school seek out feed back from teachers, 19%, district average 61%
My school has effective instructional leadership, 34%, district average, district average 68%
In category after category First Coast was way below the district average and when asked why teachers were planning to leave they blamed the school leadership and the learning environment they had created.
Brennan is bad but is Vitti worse? He has known about the problems at First Coast for quite some time but he has done nothing to improve the situation. He is the one who put this bully in place and then allowed him to stay even after last year when teachers balked in droves. How does Vitti expect First Coast to be successful when the principal he chose to lead the school has created both a terrible work and learning environment.
Does the buck for this failure stop at Brennan's desk or Vitti's?
To view the complete survey, and friends it is a disaster paste the link into your browser. file:///C:/Users/Chris/Downloads/First%20Coast%20High%20(1).pdf
https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fduvalschools.box.com%2Fshared%2Fstatic%2Fopdlcw1vv0a126wgaj0fwnuy4mmrp2ep.pdf&h=ZAQEl9lUU
I was sent a copy of the First Coast survey along with this note which indicates the data may actually be skewed in Al Brennan's favor. "If you send it to Chris G. let him know that the entire time we were taking what was supposed to be an anonymous survey, Brennan was walking around the library, looking over everyone's shoulders. And we were all given the same link to use so not all the surveys counted."
Note the district average was 87 percent completion but First Coast came in at 70 and who knows if that was because of the principals interference or not.
Here are some things that stood out.
My school is a good place to teach and learn, 29%, district average 71%
School leaders promote a safe and productive learning environment, 32%, district average 74%
School leaders support me when it comes to student behavior, 25%, district average 59%
Leaders at my school seek out feed back from teachers, 19%, district average 61%
My school has effective instructional leadership, 34%, district average, district average 68%
In category after category First Coast was way below the district average and when asked why teachers were planning to leave they blamed the school leadership and the learning environment they had created.
Brennan is bad but is Vitti worse? He has known about the problems at First Coast for quite some time but he has done nothing to improve the situation. He is the one who put this bully in place and then allowed him to stay even after last year when teachers balked in droves. How does Vitti expect First Coast to be successful when the principal he chose to lead the school has created both a terrible work and learning environment.
Does the buck for this failure stop at Brennan's desk or Vitti's?
To view the complete survey, and friends it is a disaster paste the link into your browser. file:///C:/Users/Chris/Downloads/First%20Coast%20High%20(1).pdf
https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fduvalschools.box.com%2Fshared%2Fstatic%2Fopdlcw1vv0a126wgaj0fwnuy4mmrp2ep.pdf&h=ZAQEl9lUU
There is a racial divide at FCHS. There are certain folks that resent having assertive AA male administrators.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about AA male administrators. Vincent Hall was great and the school grade went up. Then there was Tony Bellamy before him and still no massive outcry from the teachers. I worked under 7 principals at that school with basically 7 different administrations. I never had a problem and there was mutual respect (still is). Brennan and Townsend arrive and within three months they ran me out of there. Townsend and Brennan used the CAST Evaluation system to mark people they wanted to get rid of. There were so many horrible evaluations of teachers who never had an issue before. Someone should analyze the evaluations at First Coast. They would definitely see a pattern. I can tell you, good teachers with a history of good evaluations didn't all become incompetent in the period of 12 months. I was lucky to get out. I have friends still there and they are miserable. The man is a classic narcissist and Townsend is just an angry woman.
Delete""There is a racial divide at FCHS. There are certain folks that resent having assertive AA male administrators.""
DeleteThat in itself is a racist statement. In your worldview, it can''t be that he is disrespectful, and arrogant. It has to be because he is "Black". In thinking this way and always 'assuming' it is racial, you excuse all kinds of horrible situations and behavior. It is a racist worldview.
All these latest incidents in the news are a perfect example. Micheal Brown was a giant thug, not this big'ol plump teddy bear. Assuming he was shot because he was black and ignoring his threatening, criminal behavior is excusing that behavior, and it is racist. To think that he would have had a different result had he been white is ridiculous.
I blame the media for being complicit and inflaming racial discord. Some people be they white, black, Arab, Asian, Latino or anything else you can imagine, they will always see things by color because they are ignorant, but the media knows better. The media gives ignorance a voice and they validate ignorance. Why does the media do that? Because people will watch it. Why do they watch it? Because it fires them up emotionally (and negatively in this case, but who cares).
I find myself turning off the news lately. A little of that garbage goes a long way
Despite any racial divide, if that is true, a principal should bring teachers together. From what I hear, it has more to do with how he is going about leading, which is with intimidation.
ReplyDeleteI know I don't respond to being intimidated. People need to be held accountable, but if they are doing their jobs, leave them alone.
Brennan left and was re-hired! Crazy...
ReplyDeleteHe was forced to resign. Went to N. Carolina and came back and was rehired.
DeleteYeah. He said that he doesn't hire retreads.
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with AA male leadership since this is not the first time African Americans have been in leadership. Although, you will always experience racial issues not just at First Coast but everywhere ignorance abides......this is a case of intimidation. Dr. Brennan and his number one croonie Mrs. Nicole Townsend delights in making All people miserable. They abused their power on a consistent basis....and not only do they terrorize at the school they skillfully network their poison throughout the district(they have friends in low places).....
ReplyDeleteA few of the best teachers I have ever known left that school this year, they are to gracious to say why buy we all are not blind. I will not allow my children to go to this school and would advise anyone else to do the same. It's a sad thing when someone who is set in charge to guide and teach the next generation sits on his high horse nd allows the power to go to his head, instead of doing all for the students and teachers he leads. Hens done a great injustice to many teachers but most of all our youth.
ReplyDeleteFirst Coast High has been destroying many excellent teachers year after year, after year. So, it is not just Brennan. First Coast lost about 43 or 44 teachers at the end of 2012 and probably about the same number the next year. So do no blame just Brennan. Many First Coast Parents have been filthy nasty over the years; their sweet honey babies do no wrong and those parents blatantly tell teachers that they don't tolerate C grades in their homes. Not surprising though their babies are in advanced classes but cannot read or do basic math. These parents expect grades to be on welfare forever. BTW Nicole Townsend was recently demoted from her Principalship at West Jacksonville Elementary School, which received an F-grade in 2013. She was given the new post as assistant principal of First Coast High School, where she has authority over the math department. Its a MASQUERADE SHOW...GO FIGURE. I heard she is there to guide the math teachers, never mind she doesn't know math.
DeleteWow. Why are these people still there?
ReplyDeleteI like Dr. B but he can be abbrassive and rude. Maybe its the pressure of the job. I work there and have not had any negative interactions. I hope that he will change. I do admire any black man who can achieve what he has.
ReplyDeleteFirst Coast High is a tough school, but it appears Brennan has his priorities ordered wrong. He needs to be tough on the rough kids and their parents, not those wonderful professional teachers who are there trying to HUMANIZE that community and make something out of them.
DeleteWhy do you admire anybody, black or white, who rises through the ranks by bullying people and abuse their power?
ReplyDeleteDitto. Do they not admire any "white man who can achieve what he has" ?? I guess white folk don't have to qualify for their positions. They just send in a skin sample with a blank application??
DeleteTHE WORLD (AND EVEN TELEVISION) ARE IN COLOR NOW.
'BLACK AND WHITE' IS A THING OF THE PAST !
I I was a student at fchs I have to say it was a terrible school no control over the class rooms and the teachers sucks Brennan is an asshole and its impossible to learn there
ReplyDeleteBeing a current student at first coast I watch and take note of the things that these bullies do. Brennen finds laughter in the failure of his students. Instead of helping us it's as if he prays for our failure. His puppets the administration gun for seniors as if we are targets with signs posted "success " with guns labeled "fail". This school is destined for failure. The teachers are tired just as the students. He antagonize them as they do the students. Townsen, Brennen, Fluent, and Calina all heavy influences to hide from. I stay under the radar watching them I have all kinds of information om them. All slime. Wanna be dictators.
ReplyDelete