Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Education Ousted Hillsboro Teacher Transferred to MLK Magnet High School
Posted by Brantley Hargrove on Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 4:32 PM
Beloved Hillsboro educator and former International Baccalaureate coordinator Mary Catherine Bradshaw has received an official letter from Metro public schools superintendent Jesse Register, finalizing her transfer from the high school she's served for nearly three decades. This fall, she'll be teaching at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School.
"I have had 27 excellent years at Hillsboro High School and I expect to have 27 more at MLK,” Bradshaw told Pith, but declined to discuss the transfer letter's contents and the official reason school administrators gave for the move — which sparked student protests, a Facebook page with nearly 2,200 members and strongly worded condemnation from at least one state legislator.
It's been suggested that Bradshaw, an outspoken proponent of IB and college prep, ran afoul of associate superintendent of high schools Jay Steele and his vision of a Hillsboro populated with career academies, which point students down high-demand career paths in a partnership with local businesses and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.The former teacher of the year's prowess as an educator didn't seem to be the source, because under Bradshaw's watch, the Hillsboro IB program became the only K-12 continuum in the state.
A leaked administrative transfer letter seemed to offer an alternate version of the events, but those familiar with the situation told the Scene it made little sense.
Comments (8)
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I noticed that Steele did not attend the school board meeting where the Hillsboro issue was discussed, although there was a placard with his name on it in front of an empty seat. That, friends, speaks volumes about MNPS' attitude toward its constituents.
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In a professional system of education administration, which is what MNPS is striving toward, neither public opinion nor political grandstanding, should dictate personnel desicions.
In a professional system of education administration, which is what MNPS is striving toward, neither public opinion nor political grandstanding should dictate personnel decisions.
@politicaliam - If that's "professional education administration" then MNPS has more trouble than they can possibly know. Essentially running off 2200 dedicated public education supporters is neither professional nor wise. You ignore the will of your "customers" at your peril.
Inside politics takes place inside MNPS just like it does in any organization, public or
private and businesses of all sizes. Grandstanding beyond one's pay grade has
always had it's peril!
This whole brouhaha is, of course, pure politics. The silver lining of the whole thing, at least to my mind, is the nature of her transfer. MLK Magnet School is a place where she can devote her time to truly gifted young people. Jay Steele obviously will not tolerate anything short of total devotion to his program. However, he and whomever else involved in the decision-making concerning Ms Bradshaw's transferral seem to me to be deserving of some appreciation at least, because rather than trashing and destroying her, as is the result of so many political battles, they have placed her where her obvious expertise can be put to excellent use. So be it.
The basic idea behind the career academies has some merit. While it is true that the great majority of jobs (at least living-wage jobs) a decade from now will require some amount of post-secondary education, 4 years of college are not for everybody, and neither is a high school curriculum that is heavily college prep. In all the focus on improving reading and science scores, what used to be described as vocational and technical education were de-emphasized, and career academies can help restore that balance. There will still be a lot of good jobs in these fields.
That said... this is a pin-headed move, unless the strategy behind it was to screw the zoned schools like Hillsboro. Sure Ms. Bradshaw will have the benefit of some gifted students at MLK. Meanwhile, the gifted students who were part of the IB program at Hillsboro will be out of luck. You have to win a lottery to get into MLK. A lot of gifted kids in the district don't get that opportunity. But they can transfer from out of their zone to be part of the IB program at Hillsboro. If MNPS is truly committed to IB, it would have made a lot more sense to transfer Ms. Bradshaw to another zoned school, like McGavock maybe (or how about starting IB at Pearl-Cohn?) instead of a magnet that is not open to all. Of course, what would have made the most sense would have been to leave Ms. Bradshaw at Hillsboro and tell the principal to work his "vision" around her presence. (Speaking of which: Has he actually articulated this wonderful vision? Are people pressing him to explain where he sees the IB program at Hillsboro five years from now?) I'm sure the company line is that they are committed to the excellence of this program. Count me as highly skeptical, to say the least.
"Dumbing down" is the operative phrase here. Originating with central administration. Steele isn't interested in anything but his own, personal fiefdom. To hell with the result.
Makes you wonder if "the strategy behind it was to screw the zoned schools like Hillsboro." Damn sure looks like it, don't it.
