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Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
By: Rebecca Harris / April 27, 2010
CEO Ron Huberman’s administration is moving more quickly to demand
changes from principals it considers lackluster, firing more school
leaders this year than in the past and issuing other disciplinary action
at a swifter pace.
CEO Ron Huberman’s administration is moving more quickly to demand changes from principals it considers lackluster, firing more school leaders this year than in the past and issuing other disciplinary action at a swifter pace.
So far this school year, according to a Catalyst Chicago analysis:
• 5 principals have been fired under the district’s probation policy because of low achievement at their schools. (An additional five will lose their jobs through the school turnaround process.)
• 9 principals have received warning resolutions, a formal public reprimand from the district.
• At least 9 principals have been issued corrective action plans—often the first step in dismissal proceedings—giving them four to six months to improve or face potential firing.
Those numbers compare to only five probation-policy firings and 18 warning resolutions for the past three school years combined – on average, just six warning resolutions a year.
In past two school years, only two principals have been issued corrective plans without first going through the direct assistance plan process, which gives them nine months to a year to improve.
The increase is another sign of the get-tough approach of Huberman’s administration, which has made accountability and performance management, based largely on data analysis, the centerpiece of its school improvement process. This approach was examined in the recently released Spring issue of Catalyst-Chicago.
“There is going to be more pressure,” says Monica Santana Rosen, head of the district’s Office of Principal Preparation and Development. “We might be a lot more specific than we have been about how much change (we want to see) in a year.”
In the summer of 2009, Huberman replaced area instructional officers, who focused on providing principals with instructional support, with chief area officers, whose job is to use data to analyze student performance and institute performance management. The shift in focus puts principals’ jobs on the line if test scores, attendance and other indicators do not improve quickly.
At each school, chief area officers have been tasked with assessing a principal’s leadership. They have examined instructional quality, pored over years of data and evaluated whether “staff, parents, community members, the local school council understand what (a principal’s) vision is and feel clearly accountable,” Rosen says.
Expectations have changed, Rosen adds. Steady but small test score improvements – accepted as sufficient by CPS officials in the past – aren’t necessarily going to be good enough any more.
“We need to get better faster,” Rosen says.
Catalyst’s analysis found no clear trend on tenure or school performance among the 18 principals who have been removed or received warning resolutions since Huberman took over as CEO. (See list of affected schools, below. In addition to the 14 principals who were fired or received warning resolutions this school year, it includes four who were issued warning resolutions in April and June of 2009.)
Some of those who have been fired or received warning resolutions or were dismissed last year had been at their school less than three years, a few for just a year and a half. Others were veterans who had been at their schools since at least fall 2002.
Most of the schools had test scores that were relatively flat or mixed. At six schools, scores were improving, although slowly. At two schools, test scores showed pronounced downward trends.
Peter Martinez, director of coaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Urban Education Leadership program, says principals play a critical role in attracting good teachers and coaching existing faculty.
When principals are making improvements, he says, test scores usually start to increase within one or two years.
“I think that the board has got its priorities straight,” Martinez says. “We’ve got the lives of children at stake here, and we can’t be settling for slow-paced improvement.”
But the tough stance is eliciting concern from some quarters.
Don Moore, executive director of the school reform advocacy group Designs for Change, says the increase in disciplinary actions is forcing principals to focus on quick improvement rather than more sustainable long-term gains.
“This is undermining the right of the local school council to decide whether or not the principal is doing a good job,” Moore says. “What it does, is create a lot of fear and uncertainty among principals.”
Clarice Berry, head of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, says the board’s use of corrective plans as a first resort is evidence of the lack of support for principals.
The direct assistance process was instituted in 2007, under former CEO Arne Duncan’s administration. With this process, Berry explains, school improvement was “a joint responsibility” between principals and area administrators, who were held accountable for providing principals with resources and advice. Corrective plans were typically used only “for egregious situations where they needed to remove someone who was irremediable,” Berry says.
One principal, who is among the group to receive a corrective plan, believes that chief area officers have too much authority. “You can work for a period of time, and the CAO comes in and is given broad power basically to dismiss you,” says the principal.
Another principal, whose school posted test score gains but was still on probation, says she was issued a corrective plan in November, only a short time after starting to work with her new chief area officer. Principal Patricia Costello, a 12-year veteran and former long-time teacher at Morrill Elementary, had her contract renewed by the local school council but still may lose her job.
Between 2001 and 2005, Morrill posted 15-point gains in the percentage of students who met or exceeded state standards in reading and math. Morrill’s reading and math scores have risen by 5 and 10 percentage points, respectively, since 2006 (the year after the ISAT was overhauled). In fall 2008, Costello was one of about 30 principals recognized by then-CEO Arne Duncan for improving their schools’ composite ISAT scores seven years in a row. But this year, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state reading and math standards at the school stayed relatively flat.
Costello says her corrective action plan requires her to maintain a notebook of oral and written feedback provided to teachers and visit every classroom in the school, every day of the week. And, she says, keeping evidence of her compliance has proven a challenge.
“I could have retired, and I could have saved myself a lot of grief,” she says.
Interns Rachel Schneider and Dominique Baser contributed to this report.
Schools on probation where principals have been removed for low performance since July 2009
Mann Elementary
Henderson Elementary
Oglesby Elementary
Julian High School
Betsy Ross Elementary
Schools where principals have received warning resolutions in 2009 and 2010
Kozminski Elementary
Tilden High School
Brooks College Prep
Songhai Elementary
Morrill Elementary
Guggenheim Elementary
Marquette Elementary
Henson Elementary
Prescott Elementary
Herzl Elementary
Chalmers Elementary
Burke Elementary
Michele Clark Prep High School
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Can anyone comment specifically why the Prescott principal Roche was given a resolution warning? I have heard someone on another website talk about this, but am unclear on why. Maybe noone knows specifically, if not, what are typical reasons for a res. warning?
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Does anyone know the name of a GREAT attorney who has won cases of wrongful principal termination against CPS? (seperate from CPAA) Please share the name. Thanks!
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
A good point above about: new (and unqualified) CAOs. What is there responsibility when it comes to the corrective action? Why are they not held accountable for the little assistance or wrong information they give to a principals and school?
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
new CAO & team came to school, spent less than 10 min. in a few classrooms recently. Her complaint: no learning centers. If they would have asked or stayed a little longer, they would have found at least three centers in EVERY homeroom in use by students!
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
I thought warning resolutions were usually given as a disciplinary action as opposed to a measure of incompetence. (low scores) I guess all of this pressure on the principals is part of Huberman's "culture of calm". What credibility exists when you have individuals making major decisions about schools who have never spent one day working in a school? Could anyone tell me what background Monica Rosen has that qualifies her to be head of OPPD?
Did she spend alot of time in the principal's office when she went to school?
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
she is from Harvard. You should see her 19th floor (just replaced and cleaned) windowed office. Yes, they replaced ALL the windows at 125.
Any one guess her salary?
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
There are principals getting 'in trouble' because of the ELL and Sped student scores on ISAT. Any stats/data person, including at UC will tell youthis is flawed and wrong. If CAPs, suspension and/or warning resolutions are based on the ISAT scores of ELL/Sped insn't that grounds for a WIN for the principal? Rumored that ISAT will be dropped because of ISAT flaws--if so, do these same disciplined principals have recourse then?
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Good point 5:00. At a few AMPS schools, principals get away with things they should get a warning for. Yet, the scores are high, leave them alone.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
No job at CPS is safe from termination. CPS will support a dishonest employee with clout against any honest employee. The CPS law department is out of hand spending taxpayer’s money. It will cost more than a year’s salary to keep your job. Then you will pray for a fair judge to move your case forward. Document! Document! Document! All E-mails are used between parties during the discovery process.
First, you need to get the EEOC (Equal Opportunity Employment Commission) to take your case. With the backlog, they will probably not have the workers to investigate and you will eventually get a letter stating you have a right to sue. This is needed to file a lawsuit. I found CPS would support their dishonest employee (client) and manipulate the facts in their favor. It takes a lot of paperwork, money and patience to try to save your job.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
I work at a school where teachers were told to put up wallboards in their classrooms. The answers were plastered all over the walls and window shades in large sheets of paper during testing. I think principals will go to any lengths to keep their high paying jobs. I took pictures.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
need to take responsibility for the MANY principals that go through individual schools. King CP comes to mind: Dr. Dyson was outstanding, due to politics, Arne moved her unfairly out. The new principal benefits from Dr. Dyson and he should acknowledge that--too young to think to do this. Other schools have 2-3 principals in 3-5 years-destabilizing the learning environment. OPPD no better at helping new principals-- many removed on OPPD's watch--Some PM 4 u OPPD. Ron MUST get that CAOs-OPPD take principals out of their buidlings too much. Our principal could not stay for report card pickup per CAO--until last week, the principal has ALWAYS been there. If the scores go down, this will not be a surprise because THIS YEAR, it ALL came form the top! Looking forward to the PM team's PM report when the SATs arrive in June.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
send a copy of the pictuers to ISBE ISAT Assessment Office in Springfield asap. If what you say is true, CPS and principal will have no choice but to answer to ISBE on this since the scores could be declared invalid. No need to leve name, just the full name of school and city.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Mr. Huberman has been known to destroy people's jobs and livelihood wherever he goes. He forgets about the mess he was in about those ordered radios that were not used. Where is his compassionate heart. This is why he was hired. He put people out of jobs at CTA. But, don't forget; what goes around; comes around. It always does. Principals and school staff need to work in a not so pressured atmosphere to deal with society's children. They are already fighting a losing battle. And to place the blame. If he was Principal at a school; he too, would have these society problems. It's amazing how when you are paid big bucks to make decisions; you have to throw something out there to make it look like you are doing something. If the bar can't be reached at the education level; then maybe the bar needs to be lowered.
These children of today are not trying to learn. They are living and thinking as if they are adults. So, now Mr. Huberman is holding his famous gavel. And everyone knows all he likes to do is cut people from their jobs. This city needs other things cleaned up; and parents being held accountable so children can learn. Lots of children are raising themselves. Lot of children are homeless. Attendance can't be reached ; because families had to move out this city to ger Section 8. How can a Principal make children come to school if there aren't any. He wouldn't be able to recruit them either. Now,in neighborhoods where the new people have come in and rebuilt; attendance has increased. These children have been run from their neighborhoods; because their buildings have been torn down. Now; He is going to place everyone under pressure. It is hard to work under pressure. Hopefuly he will move on to something else; because these last 2 chiefs have made terrible mistakes. Change the children. That is one change Mr. Huberman can't fix himself. A new generation.
.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
The Area 11 CAO demands learning centers and differentiated instruction-no whole group teaching allowed-I am predicting that this will be a dismal failure-scores will go down-maybe not this year because teachers were "disobeying" and teaching to the whole group until the CAPS but wait til next year especially when there will be no room for BS learning centers in a room of 35 eighth graders-classroom management, baby!
The Catholic schools teach whole group for most of the day...but CPS is always experimenting with new methods that do not work!
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
It doesn't have to be either/or when talking about whole group instruction or differentiated grouping. A good teacher and a good school uses both! And most Catholic schools don't put out better scores than any of their economically similar public counterparts.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Area 11 is a train wreck. Pick the best school; pick the lowest school.
There is no discernable difference in teacher morale. Everyone lives in fear of the next bomb Dr. J..O will drop on the school. From Labor Day to today, I know of NO ONE who can attribute to her a single positive comment. She is disrespectful to everyone. She even refers to her own ARC with a rude nickname! Principals have no chance of defending themselves; they just have to quietly suffer her viscious invectives. I wonder where the Blackhawks would be today if Coach Q treated his players the way Janie Ortega treats the principals she was hired to "support"?
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Chicago teacher you are right..balance is key..education world can be so funny and fickle when is comes throwing away methods that we know work! and have been working for years..There has to be a way (and there is) to marry new research to the tried and true approaches that have worked for yearsss..we so darn fancy now we cant even have a spelling workbooks anymore?? reading recovery? phonics?
As far as the pressure goes.. I do think that there are some leaders that are unfairly punished and dont get credit for their efforts. BUTTTT there are some ole crazy leaders out there too... Folks that dont know much about effective instructional practice and certainly cant COACH a teacher to improve practice..barely have enough people skills to say good morning let alone provide targeted feedback on a lesson. Diamonds are made out of pressure so there needs to be a HEALTHLY amount and after all these KIDS on the line.. kids in real life..not in theory..
Yeah this is a different generation but im sure they said that in the 60's 70's 80's too.. We you engage and connect with young people sincerely..they respond..these kids aint dumb and they can smell a phony adult a mile away..and I CAN TOO!
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Well, I have worked uder good principals and poor ones...the reality is I was still a good teacher because I wanted to be. I had a harrassing principal that made me less affective. So, is this taken into consideration or does everything boil down to test scores? We DO NOT need a CEO we need someone who knows education not bussiness because our students are more than just statistics...and so are our teachers.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
This is so completely bass-ackwards it's hard to know why ANYone stays in this business. Here's my analogy: A house, built with poor materials, on unstable ground, eventually begins to fall apart during an earthquake. The lead architect on the job selects a hammer that was used in the construction of that house and first yells at it and insists that the house rebuild itself. It doesn't so he throws the hammer into the lake.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
This is coporate America take over. Proper interventions were never put into the schools for at-risk learners. Why is Huberman blaming Principals for a fundamentally flawed Education system that refuses to put reading clinics in the schools.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
who evaluates Huberman? Just wondering....
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Some great points:
- who DOES evaluate Huberman?
- wht aren't CAOs just as responsible for a school's success as the principal? Wouldn't that force people to work together?
If we likened CPS tactics to alleviating hunger/homelessness here is what it would look like:
- giving homeless people all different kinds of food, but no job opportunities
- marginalizing people who work in the shelters with the homeless
- giving a homeless person a "counselor" who has no idea what its like ti be homeless, but has a list of recipes that they can provide homeless
CPS, get it together! Work with teachers, give them support, show them respect and the rest will follow.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
I think it is actually up to the CAO, and you know how incompetent they can be. They can make this designation on a whim. It's not based on test scores, but sometimes just personality conflicts. I see that there is NO rhyme or reason to the list, so it's clearly one person's opinion. Luckily SOME of those incompetent CAO's are gone.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
I am just really sad as our principal announced today that she has been given a date in early May to get it together or pack up and leave. What happens to the teachers in the building? You know if a new administration comes in the first thing they want to do is get rid of the staff!! Now everyone in my building is in a panic since there is no job security for any of us!! It doesn't help to have an area coach who is never encouraging and can't see anything positive we are doing who probably contributed to our CAO's decision to want to get rid of our principal!!! What about all the people in my school who have been working really hard and have had successes? What happens next? How can we even find jobs coming from a school where they had to let the principal go? What about the kids? Huberman along with the CAOs need to think about all the consequences of their actions!!! Though what I really think is that it's all a politics. They get rid of people for different reasons...we think the CAO wants our building sitting on King Dr.!!!!
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
NOT ONLY ARE PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS BEING FIRED OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING EXPELLED AT A RECORD RATE. WHEN WILL EVERYONE LEARN TO STOP DOING CPS'S DIRTY WORK? I WAS RETALIATED AGAINST WHEN I PROTESTED THE UNNECESSARY EXPULSION OF CHILDREN. WAKE UP PEOPLE IF EVERYONE REFUSED WRITE EACH OTHER UP AND GO AFTER THE CHILDREN, TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS, THIS MADNESS WOULD STOP.
WHY IS EVERYONE SO EAGER TO DO THE DIRT TO SAVE THEIR OWN NECKS WHEN AS SOON AS THEY EXPEL THE CHILDREN, THEN FIRE TEACHERS, THEN HUBERMAN FIRES THEIR d---b a--S . JUST SAY NO TO ALL THIS MADNESS!
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Area 11 is a train wreck. Pick the best school; pick the lowest school.
There is no discernable difference in teacher morale.
Area 17 was the same way. Everyone prayed that the AIO D. L. would be removed. She fired or made all the decent principals retire and hire a group of idiots some of whom still work in Area 17. Anyone that she hired, maybe with the exception of 2 are insane. Guess what, when Huberman replaced the AIO's and made them CAO's she was not selected. In Huberland there is no such thing as loyalty.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
That is the sad real truth. No matter what school you go to, morale is low. The lack of professionalism by Huberman's new layers of bureaucrats is scary. These bureaucrats know they don't have the skills to lead and they know the principals and teachers know that, so they have to act like *sses toward us.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
I have been to numerous school locations where the Principals carry themselves in less than what should be expected of an individual in their position. The apparent lack of care is observed from the secretary up to the teachers. The manner in which staff talk to the students is terrible. As a professional that works with children not only in education, but also within social service organizations, it is my belief that you must set expectations for your students but it must start with the staff. Half of them don't care. They are only concerned with who is dating who, what's for lunch, and how to get out of the building once the bell rings. It's pathetic. The slate needs to be wiped clean because it isn't just ONE school its MANY! I'm sure some innocent people will suffer in the process, but it will be for the common good - our children. Regardless of what Principals/Teachers say, they get paid GOOD money. More than most. You should be held accountable to data, because that is what it important - RESULTS.
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
Mayor Daley evaluates Ron Huberman!
Principals feeling the heat under Huberman
I believe that CAOs are actually targeting their own best principals because they are intimated by the principals' success and acumen-- not to mention their actual qualifications and experience. These Janie-come-latelys are lacking in a lot of areas and are no more than bullies on the playground in their approach to their relationships with principals and teachers. Then, to underscore their own inability to lead, they bring in more outsiders from places like Texas and Boston-- those two bastions of educational success-- to provide the PD they themselves cannot. Let's hope that what goes around, comes around and Huberman himself will be gone soon before he completely decimates the system as morale is at an all-time low.
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