I’m disappointed that she robbed our students of $30,000! As a parent, I had an open mind when Dr. Watson came, but she didn’t come outside to interact with parents or out of her office to interact with students. A few months into the school year my 3rd grader referred to Dr. Watson as a recluse. It bothered her that the principal didn’t want to get to know them like their previous principal (Mrs. Sokolowski) had. Watson would have online chat & chews once a month but only sent the link for it the first time. There after she sent a reminder of the chat & chew with no link, which seems to me like she didn’t want parents to show up, and after a couple months, they didn’t. She also wouldn’t let parents in the building, and she canceled our outdoor school picnic, even though other schools like Washington got to have theirs. When word got out that she referred to Spanish as gibberish to the TWI teachers, that was definitely the last straw. She had to go.
Really, I blame Dr. Horton for this whole thing. Under his leadership, we lost a lot of good principals, and it seems like the new ones aren’t the interacting with the community type. Gone are the days of principals who write newsletters from the heart, wish happy birthday to students during morning announcements, keep morale up with their teachers & staff, interact with students, stand outside during drop-off and pick-up and actually talk to parents. It definitely feels like something is missing.
As a former Dewey teacher who taught under Dr. Watson during the school year in this lawsuit- I can absolutely, confidently say this is completely ludicrous. Don't believe everything you read. Shame on Dr. Watson for tarnishing the name of the Dewey community and outstanding group of educators that work in that building. No one was out to get her- we were out to find an administrator that cared more about the students in the building than the outfits she wore to school. Who showed up to legal IEP meetings, visited classrooms and knew students names. Someone who accepted, welcomed and learned about the beautiful different cultures and backgrounds of our students, families and staff that were different than her own. Shame on her. If you are ever lucky enough to send your child to Dewey to be taught by the most phenomenal group of educators- you'll quickly see how absurd this whole article is.
What a crazy story! I heard from a couple of Dewey parents back then who said their principal was not a good fit and there was some drama, but nothing like this! If any of this is true, that’s an absolute travesty. That said, if I had an attorney that was convinced enough that I had a half- mil case to take it on contingency, I wouldn’t have settled for a paltry $30k, taking home only $20k. I guess it’s all about the evidence you have to take to trial. Smart move on the district’s part to settle for such a small amount. The attorney’s fees alone could have been much more. It’s just one wild ride around here, huh?
First let me say this... I do not know Dr. Watson, the Dewey community or any details about this case, the situation, or the incidents described. But, there are two things to remember intent vs. impact. The intent of the Dewey community and staff may very well have been what is being stated but the impact on a black leader of what was being done may have been totally different. Being a woman of color leading a predominantly white organization is not only hard but isolating. If Dr. Watson did not feel like she had any allies in the building or organization and was asking for help and the help she received did not directly support her, the impact of what was happening very well could have been what she was describing. Shaming someone for what they were going through and experiencing personally as a person of color (without intimately knowing her story, feelings, and journey) is not fair nor does it reflect the work Evanston schools and community say they are committed to around addressing race, equity, institutional racism and changing the outcomes for individuals of color.
How totally out of bounds is it for Board members to get involved in a staffing dispute!?!?
The board’s role is to provide top level policy and fiduciary governance for the district. They hire the superintendent who deals with staffing.
If Halipern is approached by a district employee with a grievance the appropriate response is to forward it to Horton and say ‘deal with it.’
If they don’t like the way Horton deals with employee relations you get a new superintendent. You don’t undermine them by getting involved in these disputes.
Not surprising that Halipern and other board members would get involved, but totally inappropriate.
I’m disappointed that she robbed our students of $30,000! As a parent, I had an open mind when Dr. Watson came, but she didn’t come outside to interact with parents or out of her office to interact with students. A few months into the school year my 3rd grader referred to Dr. Watson as a recluse. It bothered her that the principal didn’t want to get to know them like their previous principal (Mrs. Sokolowski) had. Watson would have online chat & chews once a month but only sent the link for it the first time. There after she sent a reminder of the chat & chew with no link, which seems to me like she didn’t want parents to show up, and after a couple months, they didn’t. She also wouldn’t let parents in the building, and she canceled our outdoor school picnic, even though other schools like Washington got to have theirs. When word got out that she referred to Spanish as gibberish to the TWI teachers, that was definitely the last straw. She had to go.
Really, I blame Dr. Horton for this whole thing. Under his leadership, we lost a lot of good principals, and it seems like the new ones aren’t the interacting with the community type. Gone are the days of principals who write newsletters from the heart, wish happy birthday to students during morning announcements, keep morale up with their teachers & staff, interact with students, stand outside during drop-off and pick-up and actually talk to parents. It definitely feels like something is missing.
As a former Dewey teacher who taught under Dr. Watson during the school year in this lawsuit- I can absolutely, confidently say this is completely ludicrous. Don't believe everything you read. Shame on Dr. Watson for tarnishing the name of the Dewey community and outstanding group of educators that work in that building. No one was out to get her- we were out to find an administrator that cared more about the students in the building than the outfits she wore to school. Who showed up to legal IEP meetings, visited classrooms and knew students names. Someone who accepted, welcomed and learned about the beautiful different cultures and backgrounds of our students, families and staff that were different than her own. Shame on her. If you are ever lucky enough to send your child to Dewey to be taught by the most phenomenal group of educators- you'll quickly see how absurd this whole article is.
There’s sooooooo much more to this story. Lets just say she was no victim.
What a crazy story! I heard from a couple of Dewey parents back then who said their principal was not a good fit and there was some drama, but nothing like this! If any of this is true, that’s an absolute travesty. That said, if I had an attorney that was convinced enough that I had a half- mil case to take it on contingency, I wouldn’t have settled for a paltry $30k, taking home only $20k. I guess it’s all about the evidence you have to take to trial. Smart move on the district’s part to settle for such a small amount. The attorney’s fees alone could have been much more. It’s just one wild ride around here, huh?
First let me say this... I do not know Dr. Watson, the Dewey community or any details about this case, the situation, or the incidents described. But, there are two things to remember intent vs. impact. The intent of the Dewey community and staff may very well have been what is being stated but the impact on a black leader of what was being done may have been totally different. Being a woman of color leading a predominantly white organization is not only hard but isolating. If Dr. Watson did not feel like she had any allies in the building or organization and was asking for help and the help she received did not directly support her, the impact of what was happening very well could have been what she was describing. Shaming someone for what they were going through and experiencing personally as a person of color (without intimately knowing her story, feelings, and journey) is not fair nor does it reflect the work Evanston schools and community say they are committed to around addressing race, equity, institutional racism and changing the outcomes for individuals of color.
How totally out of bounds is it for Board members to get involved in a staffing dispute!?!?
The board’s role is to provide top level policy and fiduciary governance for the district. They hire the superintendent who deals with staffing.
If Halipern is approached by a district employee with a grievance the appropriate response is to forward it to Horton and say ‘deal with it.’
If they don’t like the way Horton deals with employee relations you get a new superintendent. You don’t undermine them by getting involved in these disputes.
Not surprising that Halipern and other board members would get involved, but totally inappropriate.
It’s amateur hour from the top down at that place