Trouble in Paradise

Journal story....

MHS principal under fire for student performance

MIDDLETOWN —
Tension between the Middletown City Schools central office and one of its principals is having a negative impact on student performance, some in the 6,400-student district said.

The Middletown Teachers Association says the district’s leadership has been lacking, and the superintendent and his staff are blaming their top administrators, namely popular Middletown High School Principal Carmela Cotter for not meeting performance standards for students and creating an environment of mistrust.

Two years ago, when Cotter was evaluated by Superintendent Sam Ison, she was praised for her leadership ability, according to a review of Cotter’s personnel file that was obtained by the Journal-News. At the time Ison wrote Cotter was working toward becoming an “accomplished administrator,” though the high school and the district needed to improve its state test scores.

When giving his assessment of Cotter after her first two years as principal, Ison wrote: “I have enjoyed working with Mrs. Cotter and have observed her deal with sensitive issues in a professional manner and always maintaining the dignity of all involved. That is a great trait for a leader.”

He called her “a valuable administrative team member.”

Now, it appears, Cotter’s contract as MHS principal, a position she has held for four years and a job that pays more than $100,000, may not be renewed, according to her latest evaluation performed by Elizabeth Lolli, the district’s senior director of curriculum.

Cotter was asked what happened to her leadership ability from 2012 to now. She said it was ironic her evaluation dropped during the last two years because she obtained her superintendent’s license and attended additional leadership training.

Word has spread throughout the district and Middletown community that Cotter’s contract may not be renewed. During the last several school board members, staff and students have made a point to compliment Cotter when addressing board members and school officials.

Cotter, who said the comments weren’t orchestrated, said she was “touched” by the kind words and called them “feel good moments.”

Dom Williams, president of the MTA, said what the district needs now more than ever — during a time when union members have expressed their displeasure with the district’s central office — is Cotter as MHS principal. He said her best assets, communication and compassion, are two of the things missing most in the district.

He said during her four years as principal Cotter has improved morale throughout the building. Not renewing her contract, Williams said, would be “a blow to an already bad climate.”

Cotter has been given an action plan, and Williams said he’s confident she can achieve anything.

“She has the whole package,” said Williams, who added he was “shocked” and “very disappointed” when he learned her contract may not be renewed.

Cotter’s contract ends of June 30, 2015. She makes $100,200 as principal, and said if her contract isn’t renewed she would seek employment in a different district or return to a Middletown classroom as a teacher.

Ison and officials have said the high school needs to perform better on the state report card and that responsibility falls on the principal.

MHS juniors passed three of the 10 indicators on the last Ohio School Report Card, according to the Ohio Department of Education. The school received a C for performance index and a F for indicators met. The district received an A for value-added, which rates the progress the same group of students makes from the first day of class to the last, for the second straight year. The high school graduates 90 percent of its students, slightly above the state average, according to the ODE.

In a letter dated Dec. 19, 2014 from Eric Gearhart, senior director of human resources, following Cotter’s mid-year evaluation, it stated that if her performance didn’t improve, then the recommendation would be for non-renewal of her contract. It said Cotter could meet in executive session with the school board to discuss reasons for considering the non-renewal of her contract.

Marcia Andrew, Middletown school board president, said it would be inappropriate to comment on specific personnel issues since she has no direct involvement.

But in general, she said, there is a lot of anxiety about the new evaluation process the state has required for all teachers and administrators.

“Under prior evaluation systems, almost all teachers and administrators received outstanding evaluations,” she said. “The new process may produce more balanced assessments of performance. For someone not used to having opportunities for improvement documented, they may focus too much on the negative, and interpret any formal criticism as conveying a message that the employee is incompetent, when it is not meant to do so. All of us should be trying to improve all the time.”

Cotter’s assistance/improvement plan, which she and Lolli signed on Jan. 15, 2015, said she needed to improve in these standards: continuous improvement, instruction, collaboration and personal professional growth.

Lolli wrote that Cotter “has not demonstrated leadership in these standards.”

The vision of the high school achievement is to meet seven of the 10 indicators on the Ohio Department of Education report card, however, “no clear plan of actions” exists to reach that vision or even begin moving forward that vision, she wrote.

Lolli wrote that lack of instruction “continues to be an issue” at the high school. During occasional walk throughs at MHS, instruction is “not occurring or partially occurring because students are not expected to achieve much.”

Lolli also noted that the collaboration between the high school and central office has been “severely impaired” by negative comments such as “battling between this person and the principal” or about “fighting to keep our principal.” When these types of issues occur, a leader steps in and stops the negativity, understanding that all are on the same team and conveying that to the staff, Lolli wrote.

“This is not happening at MHS,” Lolli wrote. In fact, she wrote, “some of this is actually fueled by the administrative team” at the high school.

Lolli noted that Cotter had done a “few things differently” in recent weeks, but the “lack of solid leadership and focus on student achievement is still missing.”

As part of the plan for improvement:

•Cotter must work with Lolli or someone else in the Central Office to understand the continuous improvement plan and get “a true plan” in place by Feb. 13;
•Cotter must visit with Hamilton High School and Fairborn High School to review how similar high schools removed the “excuses and improve achievement” for all students by Dec. 15, 2014;
•Cotter must work to “stop the negativity” by turning the staff’s focus to raising achievement and continuous improvement as opposed to excuses and reasons that tasks can’t be accomplished;
•Cotter and her team must generate a monitoring plan for students and expectations for learning that will be implemented in each classroom by Feb. 13;
•Cotter and her staff must review instruction at MHS and mark walk through and observation forms, offering assistance to those who are not meeting high standards of instruction by Dec. 20, 2014.

Cotter said she has completed her entire action plan and it’s “ready to go” for its presentation.

“We aren’t doing enough fast enough,” she said. “Everybody in the city agrees on that.”

Cotter said she understands some of the criticism she received from the administration. But instead of concentrating only on the negative, Cotter wishes the evaluation included the “whole story.” She said the “human side” of her position is equally important.

“Some of what was said hurt me professionally,” she said. “I served the district for 23 years. I hope people know how hard I work and how much I love the kids, the school and the community.”

She paused, then added: “If they decide I’m not good enough, well that’s their decision.”

After about 100 union members attended a public hearing last month to address the retire/rehire of Ison, several of them thanked Cotter for her leadership and support. When asked about Cotter’s performance and whether he’s concerned about the union’s reaction, Ison said everyone in the district is held to “high expectations.”

Then Ison added: “It’s not specially at her. It is all of us, Sam Ison included. We have two Fs (on the state report card). We are constantly looking at how we can get those two Fs up. We are looking K-12. You have 24 indicators and 10 of them are at the high school. Obviously, we are focused on what we need to do there.”

He understands that means the principal receives the most attention, good or bad.

“That pressure comes down to you and your building a lot of times because it’s right there,” said Ison, a former Lebanon High School principal. “It’s not Mrs. Cotter. It’s all of us. It’s perceived that way, it was perceived that way when Sam Ison was high school principal in Lebanon.”

SOUNDS LIKE ISON IS TRYING TO PROTECT HIS TURF AS HE USED LOLLI AS THE HATCHETWOMAN HERE. COTTER HAS HER SUPERINTENDENTS CREDENTIALS AND THE TEACHER'S UNION LIKES HER. APPARENTLY, WHEN SHE WASN'T A THREAT, SHE WAS OK. NOW, LOLLI AND ISON ARE NIT-PICKING AND TURNING THE GAME AROUND ON HER AS THEY THROW HER UNDER THE BUS. ISON AND LOLLI APPARENTLY HAVE NO MORALS OR SCRUPLES, NOR CLASS.

ISON ALSO SAYS THE HIGH SCHOOL NEEDS TO IMPROVE. GEE ISON, HOW ABOUT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARIES? THEY NEED IMPROVEMENT ALSO. WHY ARE YOU JUST SINGLING OUT THE HIGH SCHOOL? LOOKS LIKE AN ATTEMPT TO OUST HER AT ALL COSTS HERE. HOW UNPROFESSIONAL.

SOME OF ISON'S COMMENTS IN THIS STORY CONCERING PERFORMANCE IS POOR IS INCREDIBLE. THEY WERE TOLERABLE UP UNTIL NOW AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY NEED VAST IMPROVEMENT AND, APPARENTLY IT'S ALL COTTER'S FAULT. INCREDIBLE.

NO, COTTER ISN'T THE ONE WHO SHOULD GO. ISON AND LOLLI ARE. ISON IS NOW SHOWING HIS TRUE COLORS. LOLLI HAS PROVEN SHE DOESN'T WORK AND PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS AT MONROE, APPARENTLY TRYING TO DO IT AGAIN HERE. GET RID OF BOTH OF THEM SCHOOL BOARD. DO SOMETHING RIGHT FOR A CHANGE.