Dear Mr. Strickland (and other problematic school administrators)

My friend, I belong to many other teaching subreddits and I’ve never come across an administrator quite like you. Your way of going about things has made me want to fly down to your school and drag you by the ear and knock some sense into you.<br><br>First of all, your ego is going to get you in trouble with your teachers. (Not big news)<br><br>We have seen the way you speak to your teachers. Your tone is consistently belittling and unprofessional. Any respectable educator does not speak to their colleagues like that. You have literally called your teachers “whiny children” on multiple occasions. Teachers who are leaving because they see that you have no interest in actually doing the work to improve your school.<br><br>The fact that you have appointed yourself as a moderator of a subreddit meant for (making fun of) pedantic teachers says a lot about your ego. Nothing about that says “I want to build positive working relationships with my teachers” or “I am committed to making this school a better place for everyone.” You are actually the opposite of committed to your school. No principal should waste their time making fun of people who are working so hard to help children. Your behavior is like something a resentful student would exhibit, not someone in a leadership position.<br><br>You seem to care a lot about the well-being of your students, and I know (and other teachers have confessed) that you actually care deeply about them. I’m glad you have at least made it clear you aren’t in this for the money. You are coming from a place of love for these students, and being in education can (and has, in my case) make a person feel depressed and frustrated and cynical. I understand (and have) that you are not alone in this. You can certainly find a way to go about your work with passion and respect for your teachers. Your school will be more positive for it.<br><br>Particularly, I saw your reaction to your teacher asking for a tool to help her better serve her students. Do you actually think that being a principal means you (and only you) have all the answers? I want to tell you that even being a “real teacher” does not make you all-knowing. You are leaving our sub because you want a space where people will bow down to you.<br> <br>Stop and take a moment to listen to your colleagues. They probably know more about your students than you do. <br> <br>Second, I’ve never seen anyone shy away from talking about pedagogy more than you. (Aside from that one time you told a student teacher that a teacher wasn’t doing a thing *right*) It’s like you’re afraid that if you engage with us and share your views on teaching and learning, you’ll be found out as a terrible leader and terrible teacher. I truly feel like I wouldn’t trust you to communicate with my students, let alone my colleagues.<br> <br>Your lack of leadership skills is evident in the fact that you are so visibly threatened by your teachers expressing their opinions about pedagogy. If you, in fact, are a passionate educator who wants the best for your students, your job is to facilitate healthy conversations about teaching and learning.<br> <br>You can be passionate and open to ideas simultaneously. (As a side note, that’s actually the way to be a good teacher, too, but you already know that.) Any respectable principal does this. They communicate and facilitate. They don’t belittle and undermine. You, Mr. Strickland, are neither passionate nor open to ideas.<br> <br>I don’t actually wish the worst on you, even though you have gone out of your way to belittle and mock many teachers. I do wish you all the best. I hope you take this as a call to action. The poor treatment of your teachers has been seen by thousands of people. (If I can see it, then they can too.) You may want to think about the long-term effects of your actions. We have all had to do it at some point, and it is not fun. Please take responsibility and act more professionally. Reflect on your actions, think outwardly, and stop communicating with your teachers like a bully. My kids hate it when I communicate with them like that, so I actively work to make sure I communicate better. Thank you for reading, and I genuinely wish you and the students you care so much about all the best. Happy teaching.<br><br>TL;DR: Stop being a prick to your coworkers and students.