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Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Date: February 14, 2015 08:41AM

I have a friend who works with FCPS who says Mrs Rhine and AP Beth Levy, are bullying teachers and trying to make them so miserable they quit. I heard they are doing this to my son's teacher who he loves. Anyone else hearing about this problem at the school? I know the school has a lot of teacher turnover.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Bully Bully ()
Date: February 14, 2015 10:28AM

That's great, but do you have any facts to substantiate any of this or are you just trying to start gossip about this two women? My money's on the latter.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Kids mom ()
Date: February 14, 2015 10:40AM

Willow springs also is a school with its little click of old women. Ms Rhine was terrible. Her children were home schooled. I had to tske my child out of the school because of her. My child was abused in the school. All she did was try and sweep it under the rug. Awful school. Terrible place to trust your child to be kept safe or treated fair.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: love2teach ()
Date: February 14, 2015 11:13AM

As a former teacher at Willow Springs I can absolutely attest to the fact that Mrs. Rhein bullies staff who she does not see eye to eye with. She would write me up for any infraction and then embellish the truth to make me look incompetent. Couldn't belive she was able to get away wth it. APs get in on it too because they have not choice. I took it up with the union who were not much help Luckily I transferred to another FCPS school where administration supports their staff. Hard to believe the school district has turned the blind eye over there. Many teachers have left because of Mrs. Rhein.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Hmmm.. ()
Date: February 14, 2015 11:53AM

What does Ms. Rhein's children being homeschooled have to do with it???? My children attend and love the school. Making a blanket statement that the school is unsafe is ridiculous and irresponsible.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Bite me ()
Date: February 14, 2015 04:21PM

I guess public schools were not good enough for her kids.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Another Troll Alert ()
Date: February 14, 2015 04:32PM

karenlovesvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a friend who works with FCPS who says Mrs
> Rhine and AP Beth Levy, are bullying teachers and
> trying to make them so miserable they quit. I
> heard they are doing this to my son's teacher who
> he loves. Anyone else hearing about this problem
> at the school? I know the school has a lot of
> teacher turnover.

Troll Bitch

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: love2teach ()
Date: February 15, 2015 11:29AM

The administration is not great, but there are some excellent teachers there.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: karen loes vagina ()
Date: February 15, 2015 11:48AM

Who cares

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 6TyEK ()
Date: February 15, 2015 02:08PM

Where is Willow Springs school?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Pplp ()
Date: February 15, 2015 02:36PM

Email Dr. Garza and your regional superintendent.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Teacher ()
Date: February 16, 2015 11:03AM

High teacher turnover rate at Willow Springs. Is it highest in county?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: hankerin ()
Date: February 17, 2015 10:30PM

You do hear stories about principals coming in and driving out people who won't get with the program. It's impossible to fire somebody just because they won't do your particular thing or won't implement this program or that program. It's very, very hard to get rid of teachers who are--let's be honest--doing a good job but maybe not doing exactly what a certain principal wants.

So you hear these stories about principals being mean and rude and nasty, trying to drive off people so they can then bring in their own people.

That said, you also hear about schools where the principal just sucks and year after year staff turnover is high. If you've got a nice school (good socio-economics and good parents) and the staff is turning over a lot, that's a sign. For years there was a principal at Rocky Run who was just awful. Wore teachers out, idiotic, just a mess. They had 30% staff turnover year after year. Finally they got rid of the woman by promoting her to director of minority student achievement.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: True Fact ()
Date: February 17, 2015 11:01PM

Very true. If you're not in her click of older teachers then she more then likely won't have a relationship with you. Not very welcoming. I've seen may principles in my day and she is very distant from the children and staff. She needs to retire or move somewhere else.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Jesus take the wheel ()
Date: February 17, 2015 11:24PM

If you spell it "principle" than I pray to the gods of all that is sane and right that you are not a teacher.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: love2teach ()
Date: February 18, 2015 12:01AM

I talked to teacher friends at Willow Springs. They said Liz Rhein is really putting the screws to a couple of teachers. I hear Beth Levy is her right handed henchman and no advocate for teachers. Unfortunately, the high test scores keeps the administration off the radar.

Maybe someone should contact Rebecca Baenig. She's the cluster 5 Vice Principal. She's new, but I hear she's great!

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Date: February 20, 2015 08:03AM

is there anything a parent can do? We have been happy with her and the school

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Snacks ()
Date: February 20, 2015 08:29AM

As a former WS teacher, I can attest to the fact that the administration is not supportive and that they will throw staff members under the bus in order to protect themselves. Granted, not all teachers are 'good' but WS has lost a lot of good teachers due to the administration. My rapport with the WS community was strong...parents would write letters requesting their child be in my class. I loved working there but after a while the lack of support and manipulation coming from admin stressed me out enough I had to get out of there. Many parents don't realize this is even a concern, though, unless they've been in a specific situation where admin's true colors show. Yes, WS is a great school. Good teachers, high test scores, supportive community, etc. However, many things can look good 'on paper' but in reality are a train wreck behind the scenes.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: xtchr ()
Date: February 20, 2015 10:56AM

So it is a great school with good teachers (maybe because the principal gets rid of any bad ones), high test scores, and a supportive community. Sounds to me like the principal is doing exactly what she is being paid to do. Wouldn't it be great if we could say these same things about every school in Fairfax County? I have never worked anywhere that didn't have some whiners and complainers.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 9ebMn ()
Date: February 20, 2015 11:00AM

jesus christ, there is so much complaining about the public school system. There is not one good example in this thread of this principal being out of line. Sounds like a good example of a leader taking out the trash, and good on her.

God forbid any of you pansy ass teachers worked in the private sector and had to deal with the politics that go on there. This is day 1 stuff.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 4phJP ()
Date: February 20, 2015 11:20AM

Soft teachers that can't handle the heat are the reason that education in this country is heading down the shitter. The effective teachers carry the weight for the sloffs, then the unions balk when anyone's at risk of getting fired.

There are counties/cities that have offered higher pay in exchange for higher requirements and the unions proceeded to shit their pants over it. Bottom line, education (TEACHERS PRIMARILY) need reform in this country. Start firing these hoarding, insecure, insane and checmically dependent teachers and keep them the fuck away from our kids instead of harboring and paying them. You know, how the rest of society operates.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Teacherse ()
Date: February 20, 2015 11:21AM

I too have heard that she picks on certain teachers. However she seems to be a hands off principal, not involved. The reason for the high test scores:
1. it is an AAP center so the best and the brightest come from neighboring schools to be there
2. It has a high SES - a lot of the kids live in fancy houses and their parents drive nice cars. Educated parents = smarter kids

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 46MLW ()
Date: February 20, 2015 11:23AM

...and start paying better salaries to those who are performing. Education improves along with teacher morale. Fucking brilliant or basic economics?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Rita V ()
Date: February 20, 2015 11:25AM

Why is she picking on the teachers? Are they not doing what they should be doing? Can anybody here provide an example instead of just smearing this woman's name?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Rita V ()
Date: February 20, 2015 11:25AM

Why is she picking on the teachers? Are they not doing what they should be doing? Can anybody here provide an example instead of just smearing this woman's name?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Teacherse ()
Date: February 20, 2015 11:34AM

The problem with paying more to better teachers is that the "materials" they work with vary a lot. The AAP and richer kids are generally gonna get high test scores no matter who is teaching them. So how can you really judge who is good and who is not so good?

It's the poor kids and the neediest that need the best teachers, and in many schools they have devoted, talented teachers who work their asses off for the sake of these kids. But they're not gonna see the high test scores because of a he POPULATION.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Huge Heiffer ()
Date: February 20, 2015 12:30PM

What a bunch of hens....Liz, Sara and Beth. Centerfold beauties not, but I also don't have a cow in this herd fight.

http://www.fcps.edu/WillowSpringsES/staff_directory.htm

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: vtUEW ()
Date: February 20, 2015 02:14PM

Teacherse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So how can you really judge who is good and who is
> not so good?


So much easier than you'd think. There are people employed as teachers that wouldn't make it a full year working at McDonald's. Any principal has a top 10 list of employees in their school that should not have a job interacting with our nation's youth.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: love2teach ()
Date: February 20, 2015 02:53PM

just as there are ruthless, vindictive principals who abuse their authority. Mrs. Rhein doesn't care about creating a school community, just self-preservation. She is socially inept and limits her interaction with staff, students and parents. Former WS teachers have commented on this thread, who like myself went above and beyond, had students with strong test scores, happy parents... far from being "bad' teachers.

I had a student with behavioral issues. I didn't agree with the way administration wanted to handle this student. We did it "their way". When the student's parents complained administration made me the target. Mrs. Rhein had the AP say I was yelling and berating this student. It was 100% fabricated. This administration can put whatever BS they want in teacher's personnel files, true or not, because they know there will be no consequences. Teachers have NO voice at FCPS. Principal's word is as good as gospel which allows bad principals to thrive.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: xtchr ()
Date: February 20, 2015 04:38PM

And the whiners and complainers make themselves known. And of course because you wrote it, and it is on the internet, and it is on this forum, it MUST be all true.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: XEjuW ()
Date: February 25, 2015 09:45PM

So Willow Springs is just like the real world? Some good teachers, some not so good. The boss has favorites, it is easy to move in and out of that clique of favorites, depending on many multi-variable factors. The boss cares about self-preservation. Once you are on the "bad" list, very hard to get off.

Agree with 9ebMn above, not sure this is news? Or maybe people should post what they expect? Do they really expect that teaching and the business of education will be a Disney like experience?

There are so many underpaid, very dedicated people that contribute to the whole education process. One tough principal, or a deadbeat teacher don't define the whole experience for a kid coming through the system.

Funny that the tagline that started this uses term bully, which is very topical and summarily connotes a bad thing in today's world. I can see it would be challenging to manage a group of people that may or may not be qualified for the job, but too easy to get painted as a bully if all I was trying to do was manage in a "corporate" way.

Glad my kids are older now and no longer at Willow Springs, all this thrash must be very distracting from the main mission---- educating the kids.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: hello kitty ()
Date: February 26, 2015 12:07PM

As a parent of a former WS student (many years ago), Ms. Rhein was the most passive aggressive piece of work imaginable. I volunteered to run a 5k fundraiser, did all of the leg work such as permits, volunteers, police direction and two days before the event, the PE teacher (who kindly was helping out) informs me that all of the students who volunteered to man the course could not longer do it because the course was off school property and so it wasn't safe for "liability reasons". Never mind that this was at least the 10th year it had been run. Of course, I never could get in touch with her to discuss how exactly I know was going to staff the event, she sent her minions to do her dirty work. No good deed goes unpunished and I'm surprised she's lasted that long at Willow Springs.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: teach4life ()
Date: February 26, 2015 01:17PM

Another former WS teacher here. I could not handle the continuous abuse of authority from the front office and lasted 2 years before I knew I had to get out. Teachers walked on eggshells in hopes that they would not be the next target. Mrs. Rhein operates with no integrity or a moral compass. She has no problem lying about teachers to save herself. She verbally demeans and degrades even high performing tenured teachers.You can become her target purely on the fact she decides she suddenly doesn't like you, or percieves you might be a threat to her good principal facade. When I went to the union they said they had numerous complaints about Mrs. Rhein.

No one can believe she is still there. Her reputation is countywide. Dr. Gaza, please do the right thing and bring justice to the teachers, parents and students of Willow Springs. I hear it's especially bad there right now.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 4ujGF ()
Date: March 10, 2015 08:13PM

This school is TERRIBLE for special needs kids. My son used to suffer from autism. He went to kindergarten at Willow Springs and struggled everyday. All the school did was call me almost everyday and told me to take my son home, deal with him, and bring him back when he could comply. Mrs. Rhein did NOTHING to accommodate his needs. She acted indifferent and put off when you'd try to contact her. She could have cared less.

They did not even evaluate him for special services. We left this school after kindergarten and went to Eagle View, also in Fairfax. Eagle View was very proactive; the principal met with me personally and made sure her staff and teachers worked closely with me to ensure my son's success. Today my son has recovered from autism, thanks to Eagle View's support, and no thanks to the principal and staff at Willow Springs

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: fourlegs ()
Date: March 10, 2015 08:17PM

teach4life Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Another former WS teacher here. I could not handle
> the continuous abuse of authority from the front
> office and lasted 2 years before I knew I had to
> get out. Teachers walked on eggshells in hopes
> that they would not be the next target. Mrs. Rhein
> operates with no integrity or a moral compass. She
> has no problem lying about teachers to save
> herself. She verbally demeans and degrades even
> high performing tenured teachers.You can become
> her target purely on the fact she decides she
> suddenly doesn't like you, or percieves you might
> be a threat to her good principal facade. When I
> went to the union they said they had numerous
> complaints about Mrs. Rhein.
>
> No one can believe she is still there. Her
> reputation is countywide. Dr. Gaza, please do the
> right thing and bring justice to the teachers,
> parents and students of Willow Springs. I hear
> it's especially bad there right now.

Dr.Gaza? Who the fuck is that?

___________________________________________________________
“Imitation is suicide.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: PrinciplalsBeThuggin' ()
Date: March 10, 2015 08:21PM

fourlegs wrote:

> Dr.Gaza? Who the fuck is that?

Based on the warfare that seems to be coming from the Thug Principal, I would gather that his full name would be Dr. Gaza Strip.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 74Greenbriar ()
Date: March 10, 2015 09:40PM

I feel that if I could make love to Ms. Rhein just once, slowly and passionately, firmly but tenderly, an erotic dance for the ages, the walls would come tumbling down and she could be the person that she's always wanted to be.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: xtchr ()
Date: March 10, 2015 10:31PM

4ujGF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This school is TERRIBLE for special needs kids. My
> son used to suffer from autism. He went to
> kindergarten at Willow Springs and struggled
> everyday. All the school did was call me almost
> everyday and told me to take my son home, deal
> with him, and bring him back when he could comply.
> Mrs. Rhein did NOTHING to accommodate his needs.
> She acted indifferent and put off when you'd try
> to contact her. She could have cared less.
>
> They did not even evaluate him for special
> services. We left this school after kindergarten
> and went to Eagle View, also in Fairfax. Eagle
> View was very proactive; the principal met with me
> personally and made sure her staff and teachers
> worked closely with me to ensure my son's success.
> Today my son has recovered from autism, thanks to
> Eagle View's support, and no thanks to the
> principal and staff at Willow Springs


If your son "recovered" from autism, then he never had autism. You are either a mother who never taught her son to behave properly in public, or this whole thing is just made up. Perhaps both are correct.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: VCMmk ()
Date: March 11, 2015 06:47AM

Poster didn't say their child no long had autism, but rather "recovered" from autistic behaviors.

Research shows that people with mild autism have in fact recovered.

http://treatingautism.co.uk/our-approach/parents-stories/full-recovery-from-autism/

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: another thought ()
Date: March 11, 2015 02:44PM

VCMmk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Poster didn't say their child no long had autism,
> but rather "recovered" from autistic behaviors.
>
> Research shows that people with mild autism have
> in fact recovered.
>
> http://treatingautism.co.uk/our-approach/parents-s
> tories/full-recovery-from-autism/


Or a better guess would be those people didn't have it in the first place. Everything today is so over-diagnosed.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: xtchr ()
Date: March 11, 2015 04:03PM

If this kid had a legitimate medical diagnosis of autism, he would have been receiving services long before kindergarten at Willow Springs. I think the whole thing is bogus, and mama is just using autism, probably just her diagnosis, as an excuse for his misbehavior and her lack of parenting.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: VAFROMCA ()
Date: March 30, 2015 08:54PM

I worked at Willow Springs for a number of years in a non-teaching position. It was a common occurrence to see teachers leaving a meeting with administration looking visibly shaken or crying. Liz Rhein would even stoop as low as to get other teachers and office personnel involved in order to help push out teachers she didn’t like. This included some very talented teachers.

When I worked there in 2012, there were 88 staff personnel. Today, only 36 of them are still at WS. In 3 years there has been nearly a 60% staff turnover rate. That speaks volumes about Liz Rhein. She knows very well that FCPS favors principals - even abusive ones - and she works the system to her advantage.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: AINTDATSUMS#!T ()
Date: May 16, 2015 07:45PM

It's getting way worse. Caca and the fan will intermingle in a most heinous way, and Ol' Liz keeps getting away with it. Too much drama, not enough stability for the kids....

Liz needs to get on with Dove farming and quit harming the psyches of her staff, enough already.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Klzr ()
Date: May 17, 2015 04:09PM

Whats going on at Willow Springs?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: BuhBye ()
Date: June 13, 2015 06:16AM

June 9, 2015

Dear Willow Springs Families,

I want to let you know that this will be my last year at Willow Springs, as I will be retiring August 1, 2015. I will miss all of the Willow Springs staff members, parents, and students who I have had the honor to serve for these many years.

Dr. Frances Ivey, Region 5 Assistant Superintendent, and Fairfax County Public Schools’ Human Resources Department will begin the search for a new principal very shortly. They will schedule a meeting with staff and the community before the end of this school year and summer vacations begin to explain the principal selection process and gather your input regarding skills, experience, and leadership characteristics needed for your next principal . I am confident that they will take great care to appoint a principal who will maintain high academic standards and continue to foster a strong school-community climate that has made Willow Springs such an outstanding place to learn and work.

It has been an honor to serve as your principal. My heart is full of all the wonderful memories of my time at Willow Springs. I will cherish those memories always!

Fondly,

Liz Rhein, Principal

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Sara Marie ()
Date: June 13, 2015 05:15PM

Definitely not by choice. No one retires just a few years shy of receiving their FCPS pension. After years of administrative abuse ... the School Board & FCPS finally said enough.

Mrs. Rhein's resignation brings new hope for good leadership and a bright future for Willow Springs Elementary.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Mmmmmmm ()
Date: June 13, 2015 10:57PM

What about all the rest of the elementary principals in FCPS?


Some principals constantly, yearly, switch teachers from grade to grade for the thrill of it.

Some principals make sure a teacher does not have a grade level that h/she likes to teach.

Some principals harbor vendettas and make it hard for some teachers.

Some principals give teachers they do not like the "bad" kids and do not want them to send them to the office....they want them to deal with them and the good ones simultaneously.

Some principals talk to teachers as if they were children and dare them to voice their opinion without retribution.

Some principals intimidate foreign teachers (those teachers who do not speak English well) and teacher's assistants.

Some principals subtly harass African American teachers and attempt to make them transfer to other schools.

Some principals would not recognize a philosophy that pertains to education if it slapped them in the face.....and they totally do not know anything about Special Education's philosophy.

Some principals think being an administrator is a ONE-MAN BAND and only principals have opinions....NOT....two educational minds are better than one.

Some principals are so young, they do not know what teaching is all about let alone administration and common sense.

Teachers need an overseer to protect them from principals who bully....bullying should cease and desist.

Teachers need someone to confide in concerning this matter.

Who is listening?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: xtchr ()
Date: June 13, 2015 11:09PM

The way things are in FCPS these days, anyone who can retire early and doesn't do so must just be crazy. Good for Ms.Rhein. I don't know her and I don't know the school, but this is a real good time to just get the hell out.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: yeah they do ()
Date: June 18, 2015 08:18PM

Sara Marie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Definitely not by choice. No one retires just a
> few years shy of receiving their FCPS pension.
> After years of administrative abuse ... the School
> Board & FCPS finally said enough.
>
> Mrs. Rhein's resignation brings new hope for good
> leadership and a bright future for Willow Springs
> Elementary.


I worked for FCPS for 12 years. Until I couldn't stand another minute. If you are vested and leave your money in the system, you can draw your pension at some point. In fact, in December of this year, I will be calling them and telling them to start my check. It won't be a huge amount but I've always believed that the more people sending you a check, the better! (I retired from Uncle Sam before taking the FCPS gig).

That's probably not what happened with this Rhein chick though. They sometimes will make a "deal" with a troublesome employee and let them go out on their pension before they otherwise could. These are folks that might beat them in court if they tried to fire them. Saw that happen several times in my 12 wretched years with them.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: bully everywhere ()
Date: June 19, 2015 12:01AM

yeah they do Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sara Marie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Definitely not by choice. No one retires just a
> > few years shy of receiving their FCPS pension.
> > After years of administrative abuse ... the
> School
> > Board & FCPS finally said enough.
> >
> > Mrs. Rhein's resignation brings new hope for
> good
> > leadership and a bright future for Willow
> Springs
> > Elementary.
>
>
> I worked for FCPS for 12 years. Until I couldn't
> stand another minute. If you are vested and leave
> your money in the system, you can draw your
> pension at some point. In fact, in December of
> this year, I will be calling them and telling them
> to start my check. It won't be a huge amount but
> I've always believed that the more people sending
> you a check, the better! (I retired from Uncle Sam
> before taking the FCPS gig).
>
> That's probably not what happened with this Rhein
> chick though. They sometimes will make a "deal"
> with a troublesome employee and let them go out on
> their pension before they otherwise could. These
> are folks that might beat them in court if they
> tried to fire them. Saw that happen several times
> in my 12 wretched years with them.


the same happens in other Fairfax county agencies. white bullies can be found in a lot of places. employees who get forced days off get moved to another group and promoted to continue bad behavior. then they hire their friends and completely ruin morale.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Burned out teacher ()
Date: June 25, 2015 12:19AM

Many of the comments indicate bullying management practices and vindictive behavior that happens at Eagle View Elementary. I was apart of exdous of teachers that left Eagle View because the Principal. Favoritism and unethical behavior traveled down the street to Dixie Hill Road and a few people from Williow Springs is going to Eagle View. Watch out! Beth Levy is going to be the new Assistant Principal over there and she will be up to her same tricks.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: parent's response regarding EVES ()
Date: June 25, 2015 11:57PM

I wanted to go on record and say....The idea of a cure for autism doesn’t make sense. Autism isn’t a disease or an injury; it’s a neurodevelopmental disability that shapes our brains differently.

Eagle View teachers work very hard and are dedicated to their students, but if they are not happy with their work environment, this will negatively affect student achievement. The Eagle View Special Education Center has had turn over for years because of the assistant principal. I am happy to say that my 6th grader moving on from the CSS program. Sadly, my child wasn't helped because of Mrs. Edwards not wanting to address certain issues.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 6th grader ()
Date: July 03, 2015 01:24PM

she banned youtube. like when we wanted to go on youtube it was saying this site is blocked.. im going to middle school next year so idc anymore but she was mean

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: No YouTube ()
Date: July 04, 2015 02:06PM

Of course YouTube is banned for the kids to access in elementary school.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Horton hears a ()
Date: July 06, 2015 09:22PM

Who is the new principal?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Former Teacher ()
Date: July 19, 2015 11:08PM

Come on.... Willow Springs and Eagle View are not very different.

The subliminal bullying from the administration in preparation for the SOLs is a common practice. Both Principals would call teams into their office and give a lecture that has been viewed as threatening.

For example: One of the upper grades level teams at Eagle View actually went down to the Principal's office and Dr. Granada was upset about the results.

The principal thought the scores this past school year would really tank down the drain. I worked with both principals working and there is overwhelming evidence regarding the unprofessional and unethical behavior. Force feeding our kids inane facts for regurgitation on Standardized Tests is sadly the driving force behind fast food education.

What does this tell you about the integrity of the leadership?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Exposing secrets ()
Date: July 21, 2015 12:11AM

Who ever wrote about the EER office, I AGREE WITH YOU, and all they do is support the principals even if they are wrong. The office should be called "supervisory relations."

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Contrar ()
Date: July 21, 2015 12:23PM

Well the higher ups must have done something because Liz Rhein suddenly decided to retire. They must have head the complaints.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: All school principals lie.... ()
Date: July 21, 2015 06:00PM

Mrs. Rhein is just like Dr. Granada... We all know as parents and educators both of them lie through their teeth, and hide behind a education administration degree to give themselves some credibility.

Thank you to the parents who wrote about the CSS program over at Eagle View... OMG!!!

In addition, my concerns lie with how this negative environment and poor leadership has affected the students at the CSS program at Eagle View. The counselor for the CSS program understood that there are no magic solutions to every behavior problem, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Many people would see him work so very hard and I just heard from another parent that he may not return next year and its disheartening. Quality functional life education, taught by caring and seasoned staff is not a priority as the turnover is very high. I can say as a long time Eagle View parent that most of the staff haven't been there for more than two years. I heard complaints regarding the program for years but nothing has been done. The new counselor this past school year provided crisis intervention behavior stabilization and wanted to make changes for the better but I saw him being yelled at by a teacher in the CSS hallway. Who didn't know a few teachers treated that counselor bad??? Who could be that blind.

The school system doesn't listen to parents and its all about the administrators having protection. The overwhelming evidence regarding the unprofessional and unethical behavior from the CSS program has never been addressed after Debi Tyler's departure for greener pastures. Patty Granada came to the school and listened to Sandy Edwards on everything... Patty and Sandy talked about the counselor negatively for trying to make improvements for the students with mental health issues and both of them led a character assassination campagin to ruin the reputation of that poor man due to the administration's ego.

When I think of Eagle View, it comes to my mind is the Confederate flag that was a hate symbol of the Civil War era. It's meaning has not changed since then. The Confederacy left the Union in order to preserve the labor force of the enslaved African Americans. The Confederacy truly believed that the African Americans were inferior to the whites and therefore must work for them. They donned the Confederate flag as their symbol and gave it its racist meaning. The minority students overrepresented in special education. It was even worst years ago in Fairfax County with the old ED centers.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 879Shin ()
Date: July 21, 2015 06:29PM

Patty tells everyone what she wants to hear. She says “yes” to everyone but doesn’t take action. Patty did show favoritism when I was a teacher at centre ridge elementary school. It is obvious that certain teachers, students and parents had the ear of the administration but others do not.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Reality Bites ()
Date: July 21, 2015 07:20PM

Regarding Willow Springs:
In future reference, if the principal does not return your phone calls or if you are dissatisfied with the response of the principal, then you should contact the superintendent. If you have concerns about the principal’s leadership abilities and you can clearly document those concerns, you should contact the superintendent. If several parents feel the same way, make an appointment as a group to visit the superintendent. There is always greater power in numbers! I am glad that I pulled my children from Eagle View to Willow Springs. Its was a different kind of crazy but more manageable.

Regarding Eagle View:
How did Patty get the principal job? Oh wait... Linda Burke not following the process for hiring a principal and she made her decision without parent input. Patty couldn't get a principal job to save her life because she is too linear in her thinking process. When she took over as the principal many teachers left the school because.... let me not say too much.

Does any remember that parent meeting that occurred when Deborah Tyler took the promotion? Linda Burke didn't care about the parents opinions and I left the meeting so angry because after she kept repeating "its my decision"....

I am thinking that Rebecca "Becky" Pearson the former cluster 7 director knew Patty from Greenbriar West Elementary School and helped "big Patty," get the job. Then I found out a few years ago that she knew Mrs. Edwards her assistant principal who handled all the local screening from Marshall Road Elementary School. My aunt told me who taught at Marshall Road years ago... Patty only knows how to deal with AAP kids and can't deal with a challenge. Mrs. Edwards made me so mad at my son's IEP meeting that I could've screamed at her for not listening to me.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Ashlyitch ()
Date: July 23, 2015 12:05AM

The percentage of minority teachers across Fairfax County public schools dropped according to data compiled. This troubles me.

At least at Willow Springs they had a few black teachers but at Eagle View they had one BLACK Teacher who may not return because of systematic bias and racism. I had to learn how to work with black people and I gained a cultural understanding that has helped me. The departures of minority teachers is alarming in Fairfax County Public Schools. I was told that students need diversity in order to receive a high quality education by Human Resources but nothing has changed for years. This was the first time that I ever seen a black teacher at Eagle View.

Students do need diverse educational experiences, but that diversity doesn’t need to be about a teacher’s race. Hiring more white teachers is not the best way to improve education for students, particularly students of color. Truly understanding the environment that students come from rather than just knowing the statistics that describe their lives can benefit teachers and students. I firmly believe that having more local teachers and more teachers who understand the city’s social and political problems can provide students with the training they need to be successful as students and as adults. If we replace tactics such as hiring teachers from outside of the city or state with methods that focus on hiring qualified local teachers, we can greatly improve the quality of education.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Grantinnora ()
Date: July 23, 2015 12:16AM

Regarding the post regarding FCPS slavery mindset:
"Its true"

Now on the the previous post regarding the slavery mindset in FCPS.... Slavery was the most significant reason - by far - for the southern states succeeding. Were "state rights" also an issue? Sure, they were a big issue - the southern states wanted their "state right" to own slaves. Plain and simple, slavery was the cornerstone for the succession. This fact cannot be ignored. The Confederate Flag didn't exist before the succession. It was created during the war, specifically to represent southern military units, who, keep in mind, were fighting primarily to uphold their "state rights" to own slaves. Were they also fighting for other things? Sure, but it doesn't change the fact that slavery was at the top of the list - maybe not for every single individual, but the confederacy as a whole. So if you support the confederate flag, what are you really supporting? Are you completely ignoring when, and why, it was created and substituting what it really represents with your own reasons? You're entitled to support the flag based on what it means to you as an individual, and it doesn't necessarily make you as an individual racist, but you can't ignore that the flag's origin is a symbol for military units who fought a war to support slavery. If you simply want to show "southern pride" or your heritage, why not choose something that's not so deeply rooted to slavery supporters? That is, unless you're racist. FCPS has some racist employee's that talk about other employees and make stereotypes based on race.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Huh ()
Date: July 23, 2015 04:01PM

WITF are you talking about?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: BabixzAnime ()
Date: July 23, 2015 11:34PM

Wow... Who doesn't know about the Eagle View CSS program, 2013-2014 was a bad school year from them, Mr. Gordon was left to dry and the administration didn't support him. He left last summer and the principal didn't keep her word about creating support systems in place.

I heard they hired a black guy to replace Mr. Gordon. I forget his replacement name but you would always see him outside for bus duty and intervening in crisis situations. He could run and rush to a location to provide support.

Seclusion and restraints have no therapeutic value, contribute to human suffering, and have frequently resulted in severe emotional and physical harm. I would see the Assistant Principal for Special Education being hands on with students as I was volunteering in the Kindergarten Pod area.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Capitis ()
Date: July 23, 2015 11:42PM

It's not just administration that bullies teachers. Parents do it too. And they do it because they have been given such easy pathways to accuse teachers and don't have to provide any details or evidence. This has happened to me. I have been accused of bullying a student. Through interviews with students who were pulled from my room, with staff who are in my room most of the day, and through comments from other parents who are very happy to have me teach their children, it is apparent that I am not a bully. I've never wanted anything but the best for my students - and I've had a LONG career. I have high expectations (as we are supposed to) and my classroom is not allowed to become a circus. Unfortunately, because I won't allow my students to behave any way they want, one set of parents has decided that's bullying. They were easily able to file a report which is readily available online and were not/are not required to give any details. This has come out of the blue and is not only ruining my health but also my ability to teach. Because of the lack of support I've gotten, I feel I have no other choice than to "present" rather than "teach" the curriculum, allowing students to do only what they want and not pushing any of them to do their best. Just trying to keep a job until I can retire. It's very sad what teaching has become. I would NEVER suggest that someone go into this field!

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Noteergyou ()
Date: July 23, 2015 11:51PM

Huh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WITF are you talking about?


I don't think you quite understand what I am saying. Education is NOT the same as other industries or lines of work. Public education is EXTREMELY incestuous, and those applications, if filled out dishonestly, can cause you to have your teaching license suspended, and THAT goes into a nationwide database where every school district in the United States KNOWS you were a liar filling out an application and basically torpedoes ANY chance whatsoever of a teacher ever working in education again.

It is system-wide, OCCUPATIONAL blackballing. There is NOTHING comparable in the private sector, and I have worked in both.

Most businesses will not risk a lawsuit by having their supervisors badmouth employees so they will only provide dates of employment and perhaps salary; however, education gets around that by often forcing teaching applicants to send "confidential" references to previous supervisors, especially that all-important "last principal." There is NO way to know if your principal is defaming you.

All of this is allegedly for the "sake of the kids." However, this is all about making sure teachers who are "problems" are never again allowed to teach.

The only around the blackballing is to spend years and years as a badly paid substitute teacher and hope to get good references that way or work one's way into a full-time position through substituting.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 2hotoscord ()
Date: July 24, 2015 06:05PM

Wait a minute: Regina Handy was the Counseling Resource Teacher at Eagle View that resigned due to Sandy's personal frustrations. Bruce was the 6th grade CSS teacher who brought the Wii as an incentive to the kids in the ED program. Regina, lost everything and was almost homeless because of Sandy. But I am sure she signed that agreement that Human Resources give to teachers to avoid liability due to wrongful termination.

One of my friends was an ED teacher that was able to transfer but the assistant principal never did an observation on her performance. All she got was a mid-year and a final evaluation. It made me very jealous because my principal would use walk-through observations to engage teachers in conversations about student learning.

When you are not liked by the administration then they will make it hard for you as an employee...

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Elitersac ()
Date: July 24, 2015 06:17PM

The principals bulled teachers, are the first line of defense. My suggestion would be to create a log with specific incidents noting the precise dates, times, and witnesses. Taking pictures on your cell phone is a good tactic also. In addition to the logs and pics, you could create a network with the other teachers

They can literally fabricate charges knowing teachers have few legal options, which cost them money. Administrative law is a
total joke, so don't think you are protected in that realm. It is a horrible situation that in order to keep a job, you have
to have an attorney on retainer.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Madesterry ()
Date: July 24, 2015 07:07PM

Mr. Sills needs to be fucked. He is a complete asshole and supports the principals even no matter what..... He's a lawyer for the county and a big bully.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: InfernoTalented ()
Date: July 24, 2015 07:32PM

Its not just Kevin Sills but some of the folks on his staff.

No, your career should not end because of one nasty principal!

I was in a bad situation when I first started teaching. I was in way over my head as far as student behavior and hostile administrators. I was trying so hard and was met with appalling negativity. It was like they wanted me to fail. No one ever told me that my days were numbered or that I might not be renewed, but the total lack of investment in my success made it very clear that I was not valued. I think that there had been 3 teachers in five years in my position, and I don't know how many since I left. I hardly recognize the names on the staff list if I check the web site. I was a wreck after nearly two horrible years. My family convinced me to take a medical resignation because my health had gotten so bad from all the stress--scarecrow skinny, couldn't sleep or concentrate, and frequently thought how nice it would be to die in an accident so that I would never have to enter that school again. I remembering sitting in my doctor's office and writing a note explaining why I needed to get out of my contract because I was too upset to talk.

It was a tough tough decision, but I am so glad that I took the time to recover my health. I spent a couple of years substituting, which gave me great experiences. I was very careful in my job search when I was ready to return to full time teaching, and have landed in a much better school.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: The truth is coming out ()
Date: July 25, 2015 05:10PM

I am a former teacher and parent. I am very familiar with Eagle View & Willow Springs.

Because the principal serves as the educational leader, it is imperative that they have a working knowledge of effective instructional strategies and understand the needs of their students and teachers. Principals should understand that good teaching strategies are appropriate for all students whether they have been identified as requiring support through 504, Response to Intervention (RtI), Special Education eligibility, or state assessments results. Sadly, this has been a problem at Eagle View & Willow Springs.

The parent who started the feed about Eagle View... Finally... Finally... Finally.... (Thank you)

Sandy Edwards needs to go and retire.

The responsibility for outlining effective practices for student instruction is a task that should be shared with teachers and the school administration. The process of identifying effective practices requires collaboration. Patty Granada doesn't know how to work SEA-stars.... She was the principal designee at my child's IEP and she looked like she was going to pass out.

I think she hides under her fake smile and there is a disconnect from the parents, teachers and the administration at both schools.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Being the devil's advocate ()
Date: July 25, 2015 05:43PM

The pressure attached to administration of public schools is unbelievable. I have no desire to become an administrator because I don’t want that pressure in my life, and I also believe that the minute you lose daily contact with students, you lose your effectiveness as an educator. I believe that one must have the best intentions and desire to improve schools if they take on an administrative position, but that motivation often gets set aside by the requirements of security, discipline issues, parent contacts, and now, test scores. The threat of complete administrative staff dismissal and alternative agencies taking over is real and frightening. I don’t know if it is actually happening anywhere yet, or if improvements were made, but the intimidation alone is enough to scare most willing administrative souls to be very cautious, and focused on whatever means are necessary for them to keep their schools, and more importantly, their jobs.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: SuzieV ()
Date: July 25, 2015 05:49PM

Teachers are often completely frustrated with their administrators because the teachers don’t feel like the administrators are paying the right kind of attention to the teachers’ classroom or personal needs; or that the principal, or anyone is actually in their corner. Teachers are often blamed for the lack of student achievement. When teachers do get support from administrators, it is often not in a form the teacher is seeking. Example: test score data in our district is collected by district officials through end-of-course exams, and then returned to the teachers to be analyzed and disaggregated in a timely fashion. It’s the “timely fashion” part that makes the teachers crazy, because while the student results are given to the teachers the same day they give the test, results by question results are not always returned within a significant and useful time frame. The data is critically important to teachers who desire to improve their students’ performance. The data is available, but not delivered quick enough to make appropriate changes. The principal and other administrators serve the unfortunate role of go-betweens and receive the brunt of the teachers’ frustration. But there is little administrators at the local school can do to improve the situation.


I’m not defending administrators, or suggesting that there is nothing they can do to improve their job performance from the perspective of the classroom teacher. However, I believe that in much the same way that the demonization of teachers for poor student performance can be disingenuous, teachers blaming site administrators for what isn’t happening at our public school campuses can be equally inappropriate.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Aaban ()
Date: July 27, 2015 12:52AM

Bully Principal affect the organization by the following: (I am sharing my experience at Baileys and I am sure that this happens at a few schools FCPS)

Good people leave. Effective teachers will not stick around in the environment.

Senior management loses credibility when they unknowingly favor and promote the work of bullies.

Future leaders in the building need to take time to re-build trust, which means a longer time before issues of student achievement are addressed. Children don’t have this kind of time to waste.

Desperate bullied teachers may behave unprofessionally out of frustration.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: The Truthhurts ()
Date: July 27, 2015 10:31PM

It was sad to hear about Bruce's departure last year. He was a 2nd grade teacher then worked in the CEDS program ultimately became the crisis resource specialist. Bruce, was a fixture at Eagle View but he was left alone to face a situation that was dangerous and unpleasant. Patty and Sandy left him to hung out to dry and it wasn't fair.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Ms. Crabbapple ()
Date: July 27, 2015 11:46PM

karenlovesvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a friend who works with FCPS who says Mrs
> Rhine and AP Beth Levy, are bullying teachers and
> trying to make them so miserable they quit. I
> heard they are doing this to my son's teacher who
> he loves. Anyone else hearing about this problem
> at the school? I know the school has a lot of
> teacher turnover.

Your son is in love with the teacher?

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Teacherspeakingout ()
Date: July 29, 2015 11:38PM

A high turnover rate among special education teachers at Eagle View and Willow Springs is evident.

In order to increase teacher retention, it is helpful for school leaders to understand the reasons that special educators leave their positions but FCPS doesn't care. The office of employee relations supports the principals and the teacher's don't have a voice. The director of employee relations in FCPS is a lawyer. Why would the culture change in FCPS? Mr. Sills has no instruction experience and he came from a corporation as a senior counsel.

The work stress and dissatisfaction are major contributors to teacher turnover.
Lack of support from administrators and colleagues
Large caseloads
Non-teaching responsibilities (e.g., excessive paperwork)
Student behavior
Accountability requirements
Lack of opportunity to teach students

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Mytwocents ()
Date: July 29, 2015 11:51PM

The lack of communication, fears from teachers about bringing concerns to their superiors and a significant amount of teacher turnover. Some districts may have relatively low levels of turnover, while neighboring districts have high levels.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Realization ()
Date: August 02, 2015 08:30PM

Unethical behavior results in workplace conflict. Eagle View has issues because the principal doesn't like to deal with major issues. Unethical behavior often causes more unethical behavior.

Patricia (Patty) and Sandra (Sandy) engages in unethical behavior by forcing a few staffs members to join in a plan to get rid of several employees without cause. Because top management had forced them by threatening their jobs, too then the bad deeds had to be done.

This is what Liz Rhein would do at Willow Springs and this why so many people left the school. It's so very sad how so many suffered emotional trauma.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Intheknow2 ()
Date: August 03, 2015 08:05AM

Liz Rhein is gone.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: inside story ()
Date: August 03, 2015 09:44PM

I know of a teacher who was forced out by Dr. Granada and Mrs. Edwards. This teacher was so traumatized that it led to a nervous break down. Fairfax County Public schools knows that workplace bullying is on the rise.

There was a recent situation at Eagle View just like Willow Springs. The witnesses to abusive behavior against the teacher didn't do anything about it.
The bullying of teachers has become a serious problem and it ruins lives.

The job was posted without the teacher knowing and its very sad.


Multiple Disabilities Teacher Eagle View Elem 100.0 Noncategorical

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Pearlayer ()
Date: August 04, 2015 12:12AM

It's about power and control for Patty. She always wants to show who is boss and she has such a hug ego. But even exemplary teachers had no immunity from the principal. I have repeatedly seen crappy teachers who often hate kids, claw their way into Administration to get out of the classroom. Usually, they are also crappy principals, because self-preservation is their only goal. The fear of having to go back to the classroom obliterates common sense and good judgement.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Hondactorey ()
Date: August 04, 2015 12:14AM

It's impossible to explain to those who haven't taught for time how a tyrant can destroy teacher morale, and in the process hurt students. I expect to see more outrageous instances of teachers being harassed and discharged as the accountability movement accelerates. Willow Springs traveled down to Eagle View.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Kenkaplying ()
Date: August 04, 2015 12:23AM

I never understood why principals treat teachers badly without a cause but the simple answer is that they can. The state education code, board of education policies give principals enormous power. In the hands of a bully, the results are predictable. Teachers association used to be the only way teachers could fight back. Even that doesn't guarantee anything. I know principals who used to teach who are lousy principals when it comes to how they handle their teachers. It would seem that the peter principle applies to principals.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Brightin ()
Date: August 04, 2015 06:17PM

Yes, it is unfair that a teacher's career was affected by this bully, and that should concern to everyone greatly. It seems there has been a mass exodus because other staff members decided to risk was too great. It's an insult to all teachers that people think self-preservation is the same thing as "running away."

Weathering storms and standing your ground are part of being a teacher, but leaving a place where an unfettered bully is in control is not "running away."

Being a teacher does NOT mean being a martyr. I heard about the teacher at Eagle View being non-renewed because believing in inclusive education. Shame on Patty and Sandy.

I am glad that Liz is gone from Willow Springs... It was time for her to take her final bow from FCPS.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Fraservert ()
Date: August 04, 2015 08:37PM

People in business don't have the ironclad job security school principals enjoy. That's the difference.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Lola ()
Date: August 04, 2015 08:38PM

The most difficult fact for all of us to accept in education is that there are bad teachers and there are bad principals. It is that simple. I am unclear how we could get rid of either easily.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: 4meUp ()
Date: August 04, 2015 08:42PM

Willow Springs is where a vengeful principal poisoned the instructional atmosphere and now it seems Eagle View to be the same because of the administration. This story is just another dog eat dog world of living in Fairfax Corner.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Moblinitz ()
Date: August 04, 2015 08:59PM

That is ONLY if they have connections. Teachers who are victims of administrator wrath are kicked to the curb.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: CrawlerTimes ()
Date: August 09, 2015 03:05PM

Dylan Taylor served as an assistant principal at Cunningham Park Elementary School under Rebecca Baenig who is the Executive Principal over Willow Springs (Region 5). FCPS is still the "good ol' boy network," especially with hiring new principals. They protect, promote and further their own clique. At the end of the day, it's really not about the kids.

It was about 5 years ago that this happened down the street at Eagle View with Patty Granada's appointment. As Linda Burke stated " Its my decision and I will listen to everyone's input but my mind is made up." Fatty Patty was placed at the school. She doesn't want to be viewed as prejudicial but she shows favoritism all the time. I am glad that I was able to transfer out and not get stuck like so many others at Eagle View.
______________________________________________________________________________
Effective Tuesday, Dylan P. Taylor is taking over as principal of Willow Springs Elementary School, the Fairfax County Public Schools announced this week.

Taylor began his career with the Fairfax County school system at London Towne Elementary School in Centreville, where he served as a primary and upper grade teacher. He transitioned into educational administration as the school’s program manager for SOL and Intervention Support.

Before taking over at Willow Springs, Taylor served as an assistant principal at Cunningham Park Elementary School in Vienna. Willow Springs is off Braddock Road just west of the Fairfax County Parkway.

“Mr. Taylor strongly believes in building relationships with staff, parents, and community members and has demonstrated his strong ability to create a positive and collaborative culture,” said Frances Ivey, an assistant superintendent with the Fairfax County Public Schools, in announcing his promotion at Willow Springs.

Taylor is a graduate of the College of Charleston, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He continued his studies at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech), where he received his master’s degree in education leadership and policy studies.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: robyn ()
Date: August 12, 2015 10:18AM

I worked for Mrs. Rhien for many years. She was an excellent principal and supporter of the children in the school as well as the teachers. I don't think starting these rumors are healthy for the school or children.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Can't you spell? ()
Date: August 13, 2015 07:17AM

if you really worked for her, I HOPE you would know how to spell her name correctly. It's Rhein.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: oldguy ()
Date: August 13, 2015 01:35PM

The more I read of these posts, the more I realize that teaching is just like any other job in the whole world. The boss likes some people, doesn't like other people. Some people like the boss, some people don't. Some people like each other, some people don't. That's human nature. EXCEPT that a principal has the extra added pleasure of trying to make 50 or so teachers happy all at the same time, and perhaps 1500 to 2000 parents happy all at the same time. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. Welcome to the world of work.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Hondo ()
Date: August 13, 2015 02:41PM

oldguy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The more I read of these posts, the more I realize
> that teaching is just like any other job in the
> whole world. The boss likes some people, doesn't
> like other people. Some people like the boss,

+1 What makes you think working anyplace else would be any different?

Guess what?

I think it's poor form to use a public forum to throw a named individual under the schoolbus. There are others in this forum that are pursuing personal vendettas, but they always seem to come across as losers.

I'm sorry things aren't working out for you. Either buckle down and live with it, or move on. You're not going to effect any major change to the Fairfax County School Administration by posting your gripes here. You could however open yourself up to legal issues. Suggest you stop while you're ahead.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: GurlyFace ()
Date: August 28, 2015 01:27AM

There was a culture of fear at that school, good teachers left in droves.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Gepolync ()
Date: August 28, 2015 01:35AM

If an administrator targets you, you are done. They aren't closely supervised as a rule, and they can do whatever the hell they want to you. The higher-ups and the legal system will back them. That's why most teachers live in constant fear of losing their jobs. If they are forced to resign, or are fired (dismissed or non-renewed), the incestuous network of school districts in the United States will forever blackball you, whether through screening out questions on job applications that should be illegal if they don't have anything to do with student safety or criminal acts, "do not rehire" designations (though some school districts are being sued over them), and the requirement of many school district applications that they "must" have your last supervisor named so the district can call the person who in turn can lie with impunity.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Lack of ethics ()
Date: September 06, 2015 08:07AM

Principals, other administrators, and their shyster lawyers can lie, cheat, steal, fabricate documents, destroy documents, manipulate and bribe witnesses in the sham hearings, the whole nine yards, and all at taxpayer money. Administrative law is the dirty secret in education because it is completely flouted by districts.
That's why I take such a huge exception to people who write boilerplate about what the "tenure" and "due process" procedures are; that's why I will absolutely call out people who say this is a "burdensome" and "long" process for school districts, and, above all, the outrageous lie it is almost "impossible" to fire teachers.

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: b_accountable ()
Date: January 08, 2016 02:16PM

Having experience in Willow Springs, yes, in my opinion, the admin bullies, harasses, makes certain staff very uncomfortable. For what purpose I can not say. Do I believe this can be experienced in non-public/government institutions/places of employment??...... yes. There is a difference here. These people are receiving your tax money for salary. Are you happy with that. In these situations, the PEOPLE can have a say in the lack of admin management. So are you going to sit back and say 'too bad', 'get tough', 'get a different job' or are you going to do something so YOUR money is well spent on the education of our children??

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Re: Willow Springs principal bullying teachers?
Posted by: Speakingout ()
Date: January 10, 2016 03:38AM

Teachers bullied by administration is very common in certain geographical areas in Fairfax County Public Schools. Teachers bullying other teachers at times to get them out of the school or fired.

I experienced "harassing supervision” a school principal near by Willow Springs Elementary School. This principal made teachers uncomfortable in the hope that they will voluntarily leave their positions and this school experienced high turnover.

The lack of an effective, rigorous and fair teacher evaluation system fuels the need and incentive for principals to use harassing supervision. Examples of harassing supervision included reassigning a teacher who had taught 5th grade for many years to teach 1st grade, frequent impromptu classroom observations of targeted teachers, and giving an overweight teacher a classroom that was up several flights of stairs.

I am certain that teachers have went to Human Resources but they always side with the principal.

This is a good article: https://fryed.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/when-the-principal-is-a-bully-5/

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