Regarding Principals Recommending Teachers for Termination of Employment

To me, there are two main reasons for deciding to get rid of a teacher:
1. The teacher is incompetent.
2. The teacher mistreats children.

Neither one of these things can be tolerated. Ask yourself, "Would I want my child in that teacher's class?" If the answer is no, then that particular teacher is not meeting your standard.

There is a prevailing myth that it is difficult to get rid of a teacher. This is not true. Once you've decided that the problem cannot be fixed, you must have the courage to do the right thing. It's your responsibility to make sure that all of your students are treated fairly and that they are getting a quality education.

With our current economy, the "free agent" period for teachers (in non-union states, especially) is over. There are plenty of young, enthusiastic, qualified applicants out there ready to get their careers started. A poor economy is good for public education. So don't be concerned about being able to replace an ineffective teacher.

There are two proven ways to improve schools (Todd Whitaker, What Great Principals do Differently: 15 Things that Matter Most, 2003):

1. Make the teachers you have better.
2. Bring in better teachers.

Great principals strive continuously to do both.

Advice for Parents in Dealing with School Discipline Situations

Parents, you need to understand one thing when dealing with a principal over a student discipline issue: There are 52 cards in the deck, and the principal holds all 52 of them. With that in mind, it doesn't pay to go in ranting and raving, threatening a lawsuit, or being rude. Good schools maintain effective discipline. Poor schools fail to do so.

However, there may be times when a discipline situation is not handled correctly. School administrators can be under a lot of pressure and have great demands on their time, so it's natural to assume that mistakes will be made. I know I've made my share of them. Consider the following questions if you're not sure that your child was treated fairly:

1. Did my child receive his/her due process rights? In other words, did my child get a chance to tell his/her side of the story? Was he/she allowed to give the names of witnesses, if appropriate? Was my child informed which code of conduct was violated and the terms of the consequence administered?

2. Were you as the parent contacted about the incident? This should ideally take place on the same day the principal handled the situation, but in some instances it could be the following day.

3. Does the punishment "fit the crime?" Did the principal take into account your child's overall academic and behavioral record at the school? If it was a classroom disruption issue, were you contacted by the teacher prior to being contacted by the principal, so that you had an opportunity to correct the situation yourself?

4. Did your child follow school protocol? For example, if your child is having a problem with another student and has already reported that problem to an adult at school, was that problem addressed?

Remember to never ask, "What did the other kid get?" or "Who else was involved?" Due to student privacy laws, the administrator simply cannot tell you. If you would like to ask me about a specific situation involving your child, you can do so anonymously and I will give you my honest opinion.

Ask For Advice

Greetings to all Parents and Educators,

My purpose for starting this blog is to help parents, students, and fellow educators. I have experience as a principal, teacher, and coach at multiple school levels. I currently work as a middle school principal and adjunct professor of education at a prestigious university. If you need advice about how to handle a kid or a school situation -- just ask. I'm happy to help.

© The Prinicipal’s Ear 2010