Dec. 7, 2006 - Pearl Harbor Day

This is one person's impression of the candidates. Bonnie Votaw was prepared, organized and well informed. Connie Phillips was unprepared, disorganized and uninformed.
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It's one thing to need to make anonymous postings to prevent retaliation at work, but it's another to post such vague and ominous statements with absolutely no details or enough information with which we could use to enter into a reasonable dialogue. Are there problems that need to brought out in the open to better the educational climate?
Unfortunately, too many people in the community already think that these kinds of posts make up the totality of what has appeared on this blog for the past few weeks, and they have used that as an excuse to bury their heads on the sand and dismiss all the really terrible stuff going on under Diaz. If you have something to say, say it directly--which doesn't mean you have to name names or identify yourself. Just say what you mean, or don't waste everyone's time.
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Middle school principals are, at best, mediocre and, at worst, dangerous. Ignorant and power driven, these hapless wanna-be administrators seem to develop an agenda without having a clue where to begin and how to get there. "I'm for the kids, and I support my teachers" are common, verbal, smoke-rings used to disguise their ineptitude to properly guide a group of professionals and effectively become the academic leader of the school. Speaking and writing skills are in the remedial range, while social skills have ties with the Jurassic period. Consequently, numerous, inane, microscopic power-quirks emerge at random times, with extremely negative consequences, such as low teacher moral, teacher transfers, and a virus-infected school environment. As a result, personalized sayings have been developed by many local middle school principals that are suitable for framing and gift giving during this holiday season: "No input allowed!" "It's my way, or the highway!" "Do as I say, or I'll do you in!" "You wouldn't dare to disagree with me...if you know what's good for you!" "If you don't agree with me, then you are being insubordinate!" I support average; anything above that makes me look real bad!" "Better harass veteran teachers with the same vigor as the new teachers; that will show them who's boss!" "You better not shout, you better not pout, you better not cry to central office, because I know where you work...!"