This from the
Herald-Leader:
 |
Board member Melissa
Bacon congratulates
Ivonne Beegle,
following a 16-point jump
in test scores in
2010. (FCPS.net)
|
The recent investigation of Cardinal Valley Elementary
School's former principal and academic dean was prompted by complaints
from employees, including reports that the administrators violated
Kentucky eavesdropping laws by using a hidden voice recorder to tape
closed-door meetings.
Those details were revealed in a packet of
grievances and complaints filed by at least six Cardinal Valley
employees in August. The Herald-Leader obtained the documents Wednesday
after filing an open-records request with the Fayette County Board of
Education.
The reported eavesdropping took place in the fall of
2011 while two investigators from the Fayette County public school
district office interviewed Cardinal Valley employees about working
conditions there. The interviews were related to a previous harassment
complaint involving Cardinal Valley principal Ivonne Beegle, according
to the documents.
Three employees, who were not identified in the
documents, alleged that Beegle and academic dean Suzanne Ray listened to
an audio recording of private meetings between the employees and
investigators.
The interviews took place in Beegle's office, but
neither the employees nor the investigators knew they were being
recorded, the documents said. Beegle and Ray were not present during the
interviews; one of the complaints said Ray obtained the recording by
hiding a voice recorder in a flower pot.
Under Kentucky law (526.020) "A person is guilty of eavesdropping when he intentionally uses any device to eavesdrop, whether or not he is present at the time." Eavesdropping is a Class D felony, and divulging illegally obtained
information is a Class A misdemeanor.
According to the documents, Beegle
and Ray let at least one other Cardinal Valley employee listen to the
recording.
Beegle and Ray also allegedly retaliated against at
least one teacher who complained to investigators about stressful
working conditions at Cardinal Valley, the documents said.
After
hearing the teacher's comments on the recording, "Mrs. Ray leaned back
in her chair, smiled, and said, 'He just signed his own pink slip,'" one
of the complaints said.
The teacher resigned about three months later because of stress-related health problems, according to another complaint.
The employees indicated they waited until August to report the misconduct because they were afraid of retaliation.
"Fear
is why people do not speak up; fear is why I have not spoken up. In my
own opinion, many of us at CVE work under a fear factor all day, every
day," one employee wrote.
Beegle and Ray were suspended Sept. 4
after Fayette County schools officials began investigating allegations
of misconduct, school officials have said. Fayette Superintendent Tom
Shelton said the grievances were presented directly to him by the
Kentucky Education Association, which represents the employees who filed
the grievances.
Shelton assigned school district employees to
investigate the alleged misconduct. On Sept. 28, Beegle and Ray
resigned, school officials have said. Their resignations ended the
school district's investigation, Shelton said.
He said Wednesday
he did not know whether another agency was investigating. Shelton
referred the case to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards
Board, but he did not know whether the board would take further action.
KSN&C has heard (unsubstantiated) allegations that Beegle may have withheld Title I instructional supplies from certain teachers. Why something like that might have happened is beyond me - unless punitive actions that mitigated against an unfavored teacher's success was business-as-usual at Cardinal Valley. However, such a violation, if true, would be precisely the kind of thing that denies students educational opportunity and would be seen by compliance officers as a threat to future district Title I funds. And putting district funding at risk is a great way to get fired.
"They make their own decision if they want to investigate or not," he said.
Beegle
and Ray could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Lexington attorney
Ed Dove, who represented the former administrators last week, did not
return messages seeking comment.
On Friday, Dove filed a lawsuit
in Fayette County Circuit Court seeking a restraining order on the
public release of the complaints against Beegle and Ray. The lawsuit was
filed hours before WTVQ-TV (Channel 36) was set to air a story about
the records on its 5 p.m. newscast, according to court documents.
In September WTVQ talked to parents of students who attend Cardinal Valley Elementary, who say they're not completely surprised that Beegle is being put on leave. Parents say there have been multiple complaints made about the principal in the the past few years. (
VIDEO)
The
lawsuit, which named the Fayette County Board of Education and WTVQ as
defendants, said Beegle and Ray had not gotten a chance to object to the
records before they were released. Circuit court Judge Pamela Goodwine
granted a temporary injunction Friday but lifted it after a hearing
Monday morning.
The Fayette County Board of Education released the
records to the Herald-Leader on Wednesday. The complaining employees'
names and identifying information were redacted from the file.
Three
of the six complaints described the alleged eavesdropping incident; all
of them described a threatening or hostile work environment, or other
incidents of misconduct.
Since the resignation of Beegle and Ray,
Shelton has named Barbara Albaugh, a retired former principal, as
interim principal. He said a new principal will be selected in the
spring.
"Our focus is always maintaining the right culture and
environment for students, and we'll continue to support the school from
the district level as they go through this process," Shelton said.
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/10/10/2367310/documents-detail-cardinal-valley.html#storylink=cpy
36 comments:
Many are very thankful that the truth is coming out.Now we are asking, "if multiple complaints have been filed and documented with the former and current superientendant regarding misconduct on another FCPS elementary principal, why hasn't he been shown the door." Does listening in over the intercom constitute eavesdropping? Is there a connection between schools who have had principals with the same misconduct and the same director hummmmm. Makes you wonder.
This type of thing is absolutely frightening. Thank you for printing this, Dr. Day. I am so sorry for the employees at Cardinal Valley.
I was disappointed by Dr. Shelton's remark, "our focus is always maintaining the right culture and environment for students..."
Dr. Shelton, what about maintaining the right environment for teachers? SHAME ON YOU, DR. SHELTON!
I agree with 10/12 7:43. We have become so focused on getting scores up at any cost and creating a school which caters to any behavior or SES short coming a kid has that we have started to create a work environment which folks with the best ability and intentions don't wish to work in anymore. More and more is asked of teachers with they use of a stick instead of a carrot that folks just don't want to put up with it anymore. The sad thing is that if you try to stand up for some of the most basic employment considerations, you get branded as not committed to the kids or some sort of union zealot. Updated computers and reconstituted standards/assessments are not going to cultivate student intellect; people, specifically teachers, are the ones who do that.
"Fear is why people do not speak up; fear is why I have not spoken up. In my own opinion, many of us at CVE work under a fear factor all day, every day," one employee wrote.
This quote taken from article speaks loudly about why this type of misconduct continues. Teachers will do anything to keep their jobs even working in an environment where they know it isn't right. If you dare to speak out or question you make yourself a target and everyone else steps back.New teachers are easy to come by and work like dogs to pay off student loans. They are willing to do anything to keep that job.Are the harrassed teachers from Cardinal Valley going to be compensated or have jobs returned? I think they should all file a class action suit.
Dear Dr. Day,
If you could give the numbers on tenured teachers employees, this would explain the reluctance of new teachers to speak up in Fayette County Public Schools. It really is frightening when a principal creates a climate of fear at a school. Who should we turn? to I'm a realtively new teacher, and I'd like to let the middle school director know about some things happening on at our middle school where the principal and the academic dean are roommates and the dean's aunt has been hired on. Our discipline is non -existent, and it is impossible to be supported when and if you try to discipline. There is so much nepotism at this particular school and so little leadership and I'd like someone to know about it. Do you think it safe to contact Kelly Crain or Shelton personally?
I think I know which school is being referred to above. How many math teachers have left because of the bullying of teh acdemic dean there? BULLYING!
Well, I am a teacher in the system, too, and I do think it is a shame that the bullying of staff goes on. I would like to say this. though.
It is easier when you are a member of the Kentucky Education Association. There Uniserve rep is very good at providing help for teachers in need.
The biggest mistake teachers make is not joining a professional organization. It's a must these days.
Fayette County officials clearly read this blog, as does Attorney Brenda Allen, and they investigate allegations.
Just to play devil's advocate, what exactly are folks talking about when they refer to "bullying"? To me that is non standard term when speaking about workplace conditions. It has gotten a lot of hyped media attention over the last 4-5 years but it is in reference to student behavior. Do you mean harrassment, threats, or what? Call it what it is.
I have spent some time in the non education world prior to my current school position. Telling employees to do their job, increase their pace of production or meet specific levels of performance are pretty standard expectations and possible supervisor directives at the work place, including statements which indicated that below expected performance will result in termination.
To be honest, the whole concept of tenure has got our profession screwed up. If you aren't getting it done in the non education work force you get let go whether it is your first week or 30th year. Sometimes you get fired for conditions which you really don't have any control. Sometimes the boss for whatever reason just doesn't like you and you get canned. Anyone who has any experience working at various jobs knows that your supervisor's directives are what you have to abide by as long as they are ethical and legal.
It really is sad because you have educated people on this blog saying their are "scared" and asking if they should report unprofessional or unethical behaviors (perhaps even acts which run counter to state or district regulations) because they are worried about being let go by their principal. Are you telling me you aren't going to do the right thing for five years until tenured or that you would rather work undersome who you know is transgressing? Come on. These folks who blew the whistle got it investigated and personnel action implemented. School leaders don't want folks being harrased or employees who aren't working above board anymore than any other organization because in the end the short term gains are always outweighted by the larger expense of discovery associated with the transgression.
So that is why I ask what this "bullying" specifically is. Is it being expected to lie, alter data, cheat, or what? If it someone telling you to work harder or you are going to loss your job, you better not go looking in the private sector for you next position.
Only when the teachers start suing again can this behavior stop. I'm sorry some of the readers think that these employees and others are not being harassed, or that they are simply being asked to work harder, but that is exactly what happened.
No principal likes being crossed by an employee. Under the Silberman administration, however, principals were given orders: Remove any troublesome employee. Sadly, the principals are still trying to do that by any means possible.
Just curious when you say roommates do you really mean lovers??? There are 2 middle schools that come to my mind that had/have this situation 1.the principal is no longer there 2. not the pricipal but the associate principal.
How much longer are Fayette County educators going to keep blaming Silberman as their bogey man? You're teachers for God sake, changing lives doesn end at your classroom door frame.
As long as a principal like the one hired by Mr. Silberman at Cardinal Valley does wrong, teachers will blame Mr. Silberman and Dr. Shelton.
Melodee, the drunk driving director of personnel, the inappropriate principal at Deep Springs, the middle school director Michael Ernst--- all Silberman hires. All did things that were not "in the best interests of kids." The shadow of Mr. Silberman still casts its ugly shadow over Fayette County Public Schools. We have a new superintendent, but the culture is the same: Punish teachers who speak up --be it about testing or equity issues. Mark my words: FCPS taxpayers will be paying for thje latest round of lawsuits at Cardinal Valley.
I am a FCPS employee and from my perspective there are several school administrators that need to be investigated for misconduct. I guarantee you that it is well known by the directors and the superintendant what schools have these type of issues and have had them for years and yet they continue to do nothing about it until employees have taken all the abuse the intend to take and go outside FCPS to organizations like KEA and KESPA or retain an attorney.
Why would an administrator knowingly keep an abusive or corrupt principal in a position of leadership? I understand the "circle the wagons" mentality but if your support either through direct action or benign neglect directly or indirectly facilitates unethical, unprofessional or even illegal behavior of your subordiantes you are just as liable. So why support it, especially if it is a cultural vestage of a leader who no longer guides the organization?
I taught at Beaumont Middle School. Kate Mac went on a tirade aginst older employees she decided were not worthy of working at her school. most of the staff there is fresh out of college and afraid to speak up...they don't have tenure.
It was frightening.
I think, one, day things might be better for teachers in FCPS. What is needed is a way to circumvent the principal when there is a legitimate concern. Dr. Shelton is slowly coming to terms with the truth about administration.
I salute my colleagues at Cardinal Valley for speaking up. It was no easy task.
I think the climatr needs to change, though. The minute you hear "It's about kids" that means the teacher is second fiddle.
Do you think the issues at Cardinal Valley was an isolated incident? I don't think so. The school director Ketsey Fields knew that the staff felt that Beegle had created a hostile work environment. Yet it took years before there was an official investigation into the complaints.
We salute Richard Day for creating a spot where comments can be made that are allowing the truth to be told. No fear here of being pinked or done away with.So many in FCPS have had this experience and others are just afraid to speak. Downtown is still filled with pitiful administrators that think the only way to get ahead is to step on someones back. This is a horrible way to promote "customer service". We have principals who have broken not only moral laws but SBDM laws and are still on the job. Seriously, are we that lacking in decent knowledgeable principals who actually care about staff and students?
I am going to tell a story as a student who attended Henry Clay High School between 1974 - 1978 where it was well known by the students which teacher was dealing drugs, which teacher had inappropriate relationships with male students and which teacher during classtime made sexual advances to the teacher in the classroom next to his. We students would discuss these topics quite often. Do you really think that the other teachers and administrators had no clue that these things where happening right under their collective noses. I don't think so.
I am going fast forward some years and tell you that my childern also attended Henry Clay High School and also knew which teacher had an inappropriate relationship with a student during her senior year and married this student right after graduation. They also knew which teacher was dealing drugs.
Let's fast foward to today - these things are still happening in FCPS. We read about in the newspaper or watch it on the evening news. The hostile work environment at Cardinal Valley is just the latest of incidents that have made it to the newspapers and the evening news. Superintendants past and present as well as directors past and present cannot be so oblivious that they cannot see what is happening in our schools.
I agree, it is a conspiracy by Silberman and his protege Shelton to infiltrate leadership positions with hand-picked administrators whose sole purpose is to gain control of Fayette County Schools. This coalition of tyranical educators will protect one another to ensure their collective grip over the educational resources of the county at any cost, regardless of the public opinion or teacher action. Their grip on power will have no limits and anyone who seeks to cross this alliance of evil will be unmercifully crushed emotionally and professionally by their misued administrative might!
I am so grateful for this message board. I really think it is a place where we all feel safe. I just wish we could mobilize our forces, come together and talk about our respective principals. But, then, if we suggested a place, I'd be afarid of Tom showing up, taking names. Or I might even worry of someone had stuck a microphone in a flower part.
Thank you all!
Administrators downtown need to offer anonymous surveys for teachers because the atmosphere of fear exists at more schools than just Cardinal Valley. I know of one elementary school in particular in which the principal has created a horrible environment of fear in which teachers are afraid to speak up about anything. For surveys in the past, teachers were afraid to be truthful because the rumor was that the principal had somehow coded the surveys to know who said what. Many excellent teachers have been harassed to the point that they have left the school. WAKE UP MR SHELTON! Please, please offer anonymous surveys for teachers! Find out what is really going on in FCPS!
Now on the FCPS Main Page--under Main News- "Bullying the Focus of Safe Schools Week". When you open up that article it states: "Fayette County Public Schools expects students, teachers and staff to create a healthy, respectful climate throughout the district".
I guess that really would be NEWS if FCPS had a respectful climate. Wake up Dr. Shelton! Evidently, you didn't read your "Tell Tom" surveys or your "Customer Service" surveys--otherwise, you'd have a good idea of what's going on. Don't believe the bull that your administrators are throwing at you. The Board needs to hire an independent third party to interview employees and find out what is really going on in the district.
My suggestions for those being bullied: Document issues daily--with date, time, and who is present. Use a small digital voice recorder to record all conversations with administrators--otherwise, it's their word again yours. Save the recordings to your home computer. Set up a "Rule" in your FCPS email to auto-forward all emails from the administrator(s)to your home email. This will make sure you have a copy of those emails in your private email (just in case FCPS shuts off your email acct)--you might want to set up a special email account just for this purpose.
Now on the FCPS Main Page--under Main News- "Bullying the Focus of Safe Schools Week". When you open up that article it states: "Fayette County Public Schools expects students, teachers and staff to create a healthy, respectful climate throughout the district".
I guess that really would be NEWS if FCPS had a respectful climate. Wake up Dr. Shelton! Evidently, you didn't read your "Tell Tom" surveys or your "Customer Service" surveys--otherwise, you'd have a good idea of what's going on. Don't believe the bull that your administrators are throwing at you. The Board needs to hire an independent third party to interview employees and find out what is really going on in the district.
My suggestions for those being bullied: Document issues daily--with date, time, and who is present. Use a small digital voice recorder to record all conversations with administrators--otherwise, it's their word again yours. Save the recordings to your home computer. Set up a "Rule" in your FCPS email to auto-forward all emails from the administrator(s)to your home email. This will make sure you have a copy of those emails in your private email (just in case FCPS shuts off your email acct)--you might want to set up a special email account just for this purpose.
Folks you don't need a survey, you already did one for KDE a year and a half ago and the results are public knowledge. Teachers were given the opportunity to anonymously rate a number of areas including aspects of school leadership. Sadly, a few schools couldn't muster 50% participation rate in order to fit collection threshold (Lafayette, Dunbar et others)so what is one think about those places where half the teachers won't even voice their anonymous views about the school when given the chance? (Hey maybe some of the problem is the teachers who the administrators are accused of harrassing?)
Take a look at your TELL survey results and you will see there is a broad distribution of ratings for individual school leaders based on responses given anonymously by teachers from that school. Bottom line is you have have some baseline data already, so if there is a problem, make it part of your CSIP.
Use public data in a public forum if you want to make a difference instead of gripping and making accusations anonymously on a blog. No offense Dr. Day, but complaining on this blog will not do anything about the problems in leadership which you are claiming, it is a waste of your time.
Organize and do something about it. All I hear from most folks on here is fear and complaints with the expectation that someone else is suppose to do something about it. If not you all, then who?
P.S. Stop lumping all administrators into one pot of Stu, many of your principals are doing a good job as your TELL responses indicate.
I have a question for Brenda Allen. Is it legal to tape record a conversation with an admionistrator without them knowing you are doing it?
Can FCPS delete emails from your account that show what a principal has said?
Good question, why has he not been fired??? Maybe because he is not an hispanic woman. Makes you wonder...
Wow. Thanks for all the comments. A few reactions:
* Kentucky is a one-party state when it comes to electronic (telephonic) recording. That means you can record your own conversation with another person because one party (you) is aware of it. That means they can tape you too. But it is illegal for a third party to record the two of you if they are not a party to the conversation.
*I'm not an attorney, but I don't see how listening over the intercom (for some extended period of time would not constitute a violation.
*I like teacher very well, but I found Dr Shelton's focus on students rather than students appropriate.
*I suspect that higher standards will lead to improved results. We always do better when we focus on something and really try.
* An analysis of the composition of FCPS faculty would be useful.
*I have only met Kelly Crain and don't know a thing about her way of operating. Dr Shelton does not always do what I think he should, but I tend to hold fire because I think he's an honorable man, and he has a lot more information about those situations than I do. I have3 to allow for the possibility that if I knew what he knows, I might better understand his point of view and why he decided as he has...like condoning the way John Kiser operates. Still, I feel like one can approach Shelton on issues of concern.
*I understand the fear argument for not speaking up, but courage is always required to make change. The alternative is some kind of passive hand-wringing, right? For example, I have an article written that will challenge the process the EKU Regents are using to select our next president. Should I wait until I have tenure to submit it to the campus newspaper? I don't think so. If they want to fire me, I suppose they can. But think of how much time I'll have to blog about stuff.
* Off the top of my head..the legal test for bullying requires a harassment that was intended to do harm to another person's dignity; a power imbalance; and persistent behavior over time. Not every strong action is bullying.
*When the first TELL survey was launched, we had commenters encouraging teachers not to respond to it!? I never understood that. They argued that the fix was in...or that they will really know who responded. I thought that was hogwash. A strong response from teachers as a group is exactly the input Shelton and the Board needs. They will pay attention to volume.
*C'mon. Ivonne Beegle was not targeted because she's a Hispanic woman.
How can we see the TEll Survey results, Dr. Day?
GO to KDE web site and just type it into the search engine. Come on.
http://www.tellkentucky.org
The Tell Survey is only for Certified Staff. What about the hundreds of classified staff? Certified staff who are tenured have protection against firing (unless non-renewed for cause). Classified employees do not have the same protection.
How do you know when your adminisrator went to a conference on student learning? They add more to your plate when you return, hiving you no support to make the changes.
Get your exit slips and formative assessments ready! And use class time for small group remediation.
If my principal, who hides out in his/her office, really cared, why don't they use their time to help teachers? Instead they dump more work on teachers.
I HATE TEACHING IN FAYETTE COUNTY SCHOOLS. What happened to the job I used to love?
Fayette County Schools has become a testing mill. It really is sad.
"It's about testing."
I have had some jobs both in the education field and not. When I came to grow bored or frustrated, I looked for a different one and on some occassions even quit without anything lined up. I didn't expect the organization and conditions to remain static nor did I expect changing leadership or evolving policies / institutional vaules to cater to my personal convenience or perspective.
As I keep saying, either do something about it or leave but please stop complaining and portraying yourselves as victims of circumstances for which you have no control - you sound worse than the kids.
I myself will continue to complain.
I will make it known that teachers are harassed by the likes of an Irene Beegle, told to keep quiet, not question. I will make it known that there is nepotism in our school district. I will make it known that we have become a testing mill. I will refer people top Brenda Allen when their rights have been violated. I will speak up when Melodee Parker gets a DUI and is not disciplined. I will ask why FCPS does not do more to get good black teachers in the classroom.
I thank Mr. Day for this forum. I hate the way our leaders behave in Fayette County Schools. The job I used to love no longer exists. I use this forum to vent my frustrations.
I will speak up!
I will speak up!
I will speak up!
I will speak up!
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