Tuesday, August 5, 2008

A DIfferent Point of View

Being the fair minded person that I am, I am publishing one of the anoymous comments that were below...It is a pretty good summary of those who defend her, and I thought it worthy of posting, and does have some good points.....


I have such a heavy heart reading all of the negativity surrounding HCS and the principal. Can any of you posting your negative comments truly say you have walked in her shoes? How many of you have ever gone into a new position, whether it be a paid position or voluntary and have been overwhelmed by all that there is to do that you don't know where to start? AND there are new fires being started daily that have to be addressed in addition to putting out OLD fires? Where do you start??? Who and what do you address first???

I think the principal has done a pretty darn good job at juggling some of those responsibilities in addition to learning the names of many of the 600+ students AND making much-needed changes to the school ! Sure some issues may have fallen through the cracks, but geez, who has the time & energy to stand there and criticize each time one does?How many of you have stood in an auditorium or church sanctuary and have had to face parents who have publicly crucified you without remorse? She has had the courage to continue when many others, probably even some of you, would have given up. How many of you here can truly say you would have stepped into her position and absolutely, positively would have done a PERFECT job? Sure, she may have made mistakes along the way but who hasn't? And changes that have been made that you may not agree with boil down to simply a difference of opinion. But those changes don't require crucifying someone over. Your frustration & anger appears to stem from a loss of "control" at HCS that you disguise as "voicing your opinion". Put your kids in a public school and see how much access you have to the school and how much your voice is heard with regard to policy and administration.

How many of you can say that you have truly been behind the scenes in the classrooms, in the hallways and in the office and seen her in action? How many of you have been a fly on the wall and heard her hashing out all of the issues that HCS faces trying to find the best solution - solutions that will satisfy parents, students, administration and still meet budget? I can guarantee that not many of you have been anywhere within those school walls and been privy the discussions surrounding these issues! So what gives you the right to judge and criticize based on heresay, rumor, and speculation? Put your energy into something more productive. You are the ones giving Holy Cross a bad name by posting all of this junk on the internet and calling it your "First Amendment" right. Have a little class."We judge others by their actions, yet we would like to be judged by our intentions."

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think most parents expect her to do a perfect job. They do expect that she treat all teachers and parents in a decent manner. If I remember, the only change questioned here was the new drama program. The complaints were treatment of specific people, addressing security concerns, internet filter, inappropriate comments and behavior. Which ones are rumors?

Anonymous said...

The idea that noone should ever criticise the leader of an institution such as our school is laughable and a little childish. All past principles have had their critics. Some people will never be happy and ,in a setting were you deal with large numbers of people, it is not possible to please all. The difference here, I believe, is that the number of unhappy customers is greater than in the past and includes many people who are not habitual complainers.

Anonymous said...

No the difference here is internet blog access...There have been way bigger issues at HCS over the years! Many of those issues have never been resolved and have been inherited. Give her a chance..

The Quizzinator said...

I've got a lot to say, and probably will post a full response at some point, but this blog is not the issue. Just like the decisions are not the issue, but her method in making them, it merely reflects a new method of distributing information and thoughts.

She has had many chances, and she has blown them. I know many people who continue to give her "one more year", so she has that chance. What this blog does, I hope, is to inform, to document, and to hopefully effect some changes. I am not so bold to think that THIS blog effected the changes we've talked about, but I do think that the pressure of parents and techers, along with the facts of people leaving, AND the Newszap blog, AND the "Parking Lot Mafia" did force some changes.

And I plan on seeing more.

Grumpy said...

I am rather tired of the "go to public school" mentality that abounds when disagreement is expressed. Within the public school system, there is a school board and a grievance policy and procedures should concerns not be resolved within a particular school. I believe that much of the dissatisfaction comes from the fact that when concerns have been raised, they have fallen on deaf ears both locally and in Wilmington. There is a total disregard for issues which do need to be addressed and there are some very serious ones.

Anonymous said...

Have the concerns both here and in Wilmington "fallen on deaf ears" or have the results just been to your dislike?

Anonymous said...

"The idea that noone should ever criticise the leader of an institution such as our school is laughable and a little childish."

No one said that there should be no criticism. But it should be CONSTRUCTIVE, not harmful. And, if I remember correctly, there were just as many "unhappy customers" during the previous administration as there are now. It's just that the unhappy customers right now just happen to be the loudest.

Anonymous said...

"I am rather tired of the "go to public school" mentality that abounds when disagreement is expressed."

In response I have some wise "old sayings" for you to consider:

1. "If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.".
So I say, go to a public school!

2. "Lead, follow or get out of the way."
Your attitude is not
productive. So you are in the
way. Go to public school!!

The Quizzinator said...

Here is something to consider...

Let's say that some of these things (NOT specific decisions, but attitudes and wrong doings) have been recognized in private but have not been acted upon...and have been asked to wait and see if there is a change.

As time goes on, it is apparent that the changes either are not going to be made, or cosmetic or temporary in nature. These are things that have been identified and accepted by leadership as an issue, but something is lacking to get them fixed.

Sorry, but getting these things done, such as helping people who are helpless to fight back, IS helping solve the solution. There have been some changes, and they have come about ONLY as a result of pressure. Think about the distate she had whenever she mentioned the school board over the past year until she was forced to accept one, weak as it probably will be.

No, I prefer to fight then switch...for now. Too many people I know have left, and the school is poorer for them having left. I might change my mind a year from now, either if these issues (not decisions) are resolved.

Anonymous said...

A tough job? You bet, but she burns bridges with people who want to help. She pushes people away who could help her build a team.

Anonymous said...

"Lead, follow or get out of the way" - You are in the way if you are not willing to stand up. Cowardice achieves nothing!!

The Quizzinator said...

We've all stood up in other ways, and were either ignored or our concerns were "noted". They were not dismissed, were often acknowledged as being an issue, but were told to give it time to work out.

This is a means of getting things done. It might not work, it might work in addition to other things that we are all doing, or it may simply annoy Denise. Any and all of them work for me.

Anonymous said...

Questioning and criticizing poor leadership is not inappropriate. In the end, a Christian leader should be foremost a servant--one who humbles herself and attempts to foster harmony. Knee jerk reactions and poorly reasoned decisions might be overlooked if a little humility accompanied them. The problem at Holy Cross School is more than a poor leader as the principal, its a non-existant leader as its pastor.

Anonymous said...

I want to see what she does when kids get on web sites that they sould not be on. There is no content filtering in the school, I have ben on different sites.

Anonymous said...

That will be interesting. Have you been on the wireless or on a computer in the school?

Anonymous said...

That will be interesting. Have you been on the wireless or on a computer in the school?