PREFACE
Back on October 20, 2017 we posted “BREAKING NEWS!!! San Diego Unified Admin Survey Says: Marten Mismanagement Breaking the Backs of Principals/VP/Central Office Mgrs. with “Completely Unreasonable” Workload – SURVEY RESULTS ENCLOSED!!!”
In that post we provided the 1st San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Administrators Association San Diego (AASD) Workload Survey. Many of our readers were shocked and dismayed as to how the Superintendent Cindy Marten regime were treating some of our most valuable human resource assets-the Principals, Vice Principals and Central Office Senior Administrators.
These Site and Central Office Administrators are the key component as to how our children are educated, socialized and inspired each and every day. Balancing and fulfilling the needs of Students, Parents, Community, and Teachers within the guidelines, edicts and demands of their Central Office superiors may be the most difficult job in the SDUSD
It stands to reason that the more dysfunctional, disorganized, abusive and oppressive work environment created and enforced under incompetent Superintendent Cindy Marten, the more difficult it has become for Administrators.
And remember, EVERY minute tied up in redundant, unneeded or haphazard operational blunders created by incompetent Marten and her senior staff is a minute TAKEN AWAY from the REAL mission of the Principal and Administrator…the successful education of our Students.
Unfortunately, but predictably, it appears from the enclosed Administrators survey that since the initial Workload Survey in October, 2017, things have gotten much, much worse. However, The worsening conditions and toxic work environment has not crushed the commitment or resolve of the brave, dedicated Administrators. Despite the obvious risk of termination or disciplinary action by the vindictive Marten regime, they were willing to speak up and be heard for the benefit of their school site communities.
From District Deeds and SDUSD Stakeholders – Students – Teachers – Staff – Parents – Community – Taxpayers…
Thank You Administrators for your professionalism, bravery and dedication!!!
Here is the full story of the SDUSD workplace directly from the Principals and Administrators themselves:
2018 Elementary Principals Workload Survey
QUOTE:
“A culture of silence, suspicion and fear. I was threatened with getting fired, condescended to by numerous personnel including my immediate supervisor, and defamed in from of my own staff. Currently failing site principal endure humiliation and threats rather than any real help through an open inquiry.
In my own case, it was not until my test scores skyrocketed and I began to refuse to cooperate that I gained some measure of respectful silence. While trying to present to numerous supervisors, resource teachers and advisors, my plan for change, which was firmly anchored in the most recent research on best practices, not one stopped, listened and responded. Instead they had an agenda and a predictable message that was clearly dictated to them . Not one of them wanted to hear me, read anything I put in front of them, or entertain a discussion on practice. This continues today. This is not a District that values discourse. It is a District hooked on loyalty. A learning
environment requires critical thought, argument and reflection.
The current culture creates a culture of lambs who whine for relief, seek revenge or passive-aggressive ways around the bureaucracy, promote or retain people in leadership who are clearly not good leaders. This promotes bad practice as no one is willing to criticize anything unless they are angry or complaining for some concrete relief such as a vice-principal or more personnel or service .
It is safer in this environment to ask for more of the same than to criticize the system and discuss a change. The purpose for criticism then becomes to provoke, hurt, or get something concrete rather than convince or contribute to the success of the whole since no acknowledgement of dissent is tolerated among those in the inner circle.“
QUOTE:
“1. Stacy and Area Superintendents seem to constantly be looking for ways to control everything we do at our sites. It is a never ending deluge of new templates and charts for us to fill out. They are NOT listening to a word we said in the first survey or to what the committee is saying and the proof lies in the fact that several times now they have come up with new busy work for us to do and then end up back peddling when we push back. The solution is simple: LISTEN. Show us RESPECT.
2. The chief of staff poses a huge problem for this district. She is patronizing, disrespectful, and leads by intimidation. Stacy has a horrible attitude and reputation not only in this district but at the county level as well. It is not good business when the county would prefer not to deal with our district because of this one person. When is she going to be put in her place? When people say, “She makes people disappear”, it’s time to do something. The solution is simple: Stacy needs to go. Her ego will never be put in check.”
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QUOTE:
“The morale between principals is low. Too many coordinator responsibilities (Testing, ELL, Wellness…) The learning cycles are a joke. The resource teachers stay in classrooms for an hour and then work in lounge or go home. No accountability. Preschool has a lot of requirements and the only person that was supportive and knowledgeable is being let go. Director of ECE is missing in action. Counselor doesn’t want to help with discipline or be proactive with restorative practices.”
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2018 Middle Level Principals Workload Survey
QUOTE:
“Principals and vp’s are giving everything they have to make their schools successful. It is imperative that the previous formulas for vice principals be restored asap, before any more salary increases are issued.
Administrators are burning out and looking for new positions in and out of our district that do not adversely affect their health and well being.”
2018 K-8 Principals Workload Survey
QUOTE:
“Work load issues have led to health concerns to the point where I’ve sought counseling from my health care provider. I did not lose VP in 17-18, but concerned about losing for 18-19, job will be impossible to do at this site without a VP and projections of close to 1030 students with the addition of pre-school. This school will have 10 grade levels including, TK and Pre-school.”
2018 Senior High Principals Workload Survey
QUOTE:
“The workload took the spirit I had for the profession and killed it. Serious health concerns have arisen and medical professionals agree its stress induced. We are told to do more with every Principal’s Institute we attend and we better not speak up or we will lose our jobs.
Intimidation is at an all time high and while we don’t put up with it on our campuses; we ourselves have to endure it from the top brass of SDUSD. Our livelihoods are at stakes if we don’t comply.”
2018 Vice Principals Workload Survey
QUOTE:
‘I do not enjoy my job anymore, it is an unreasonable amount of work, but at the same time I love what I do. I am torn between loving my job, but disliking my workload, and this has affected my marriage and family. I have developed health challenges, due to the stress of going from two VPs to one VP, and recently going from 3 VPS, to two, then one. I do the job of 2-3 VPS. It is absolutely unreasonable, but similar to most VPs, I am afraid to complain, as worried of being black-balled.’
2018 Central Office Certificated Management Workload Survey
QUOTE:
“Lack of staff has led to shortages and significant amount of time to recruit and process staff needs. It has taken up to 4 months to process new employees and we have lost many applicants due to the delay.
There are many requests that come at the last minute and I feel we are functioning in a very reactive status. Being a new administrator to the district I did not receive ANY training for HR, payroll, financial etc.. that put me at a disadvantage.
I believe there is an automatic assumption from upper management that we are to blame for situations (before investigating both sides) when many times we have tried to address them but are dealing with challenging personalities (e.g. parent personal issues). I feel like the district no longer functions in support of students but in what makes the executive management look good in the press.”
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Once again Administrators—THANK YOU for all your hard work…YOU ARE APPRECIATED!!!
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IF
- Your family has been injured by the San Diego Unified School District, go to the District Deeds Complaint Forms page to find instructions to fight for your Civil Rights!
- YOU ARE TIRED OF THE COVER UPS AND LIES BY SUPT. CINDY MARTEN…
Please Click the Link Below and sign the Petition Today and READ the COMMENTS to Support the REMOVAL of Marten by SDUSD Stakeholders!
District Deeds 
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