Parents Find Joke Letter from Litchfield Elementary School Principal Offensive; Principal Placed on Leave

• That was a mean spirited teacher who gave that letter to the childen. Anyone who works in a school can agree there is some truth to it. Most parents are wonderful and their kids are extra wonderful. Other parents are totally opposite and they cause their kids to be the same - lazy and cry babies over everything expecting the world to serve them only. They need to grow up. I'm just happy that the great parents and great kids outnumber them by 95%. Teachers, school administrators have it tough when they must put up with that loud mouth minority. It makes it feel like everything they do is not appreciated because the great parents seldom speak up for the school teachers and admistrators. Sooooo..... sometimes they just want to release some steam - inside baseball. The teacher who released it was cold hearted to the students, parents and administrators and should have given a caring hand to the person who wrote it and assured the administrator that he was appreciated.

• I don't know the whole story here. I am a college student who has been following this story. However, I know that in my elementary school there was plenty of forwards and funny jokes that were sent between our teachers at the time and even in middle and high school as well. There were probably dozens of e-mails that we were never meant to see, because of it's meaning to be an "inside joke" or just a simple "ha-ha". I understand there are many parents that are very angry about this. I would be too if I was a parent and saw the email. However, none of those parents can say they never once said or sent anything that wasn't offencse to anyone.

• can they help that they have absentee parents and have no one in their life to motivate them? no. i thought that's what our school systems were supposed to do. be there to better the lives of young students who have no one else there to help them.

• Maybe terminally lazy children with absentee parents don't deserve the privilege of an education they're going to waste from the beginning. In any group there are a few winners and a whole lot of losers.

• Way to find out what "A Modest Proposal" was on Wiki, lol.

• <p>Mr. Sterr got fired for this. BULLSHIT!! It was a joke. He shouldnt have been fired. Whoever made the disission to fired him shouldbe lockedup. Mr. Sterr was G!</p>

• <p>... "beleive" should have been "believe". My fingers got ahead of my brain! :-D</p>

• <p>As a teacher, I can absolutely relate that neither (most of) the students nor (most of)their parents believe in personal responsibility. They all beleive that we, the teachers, should bend or change any rule, any expectation to make sure they pass. Nevermind that they haven't actually learned half of the material or put any actual effort into the work - WE, the teachers, are expected to "do whatever it takes" to make sure the kids "pass." To add insult to injury, administrators are constantly asking us "what else can we do to make sure these kids pass/graduate?" </p> <p>Of course, I don't believe that question originates from the administrators so much as they are being pressured from above and that it all starts with NCLB - the worst thing to happen to education in God knows how long! Even though the educators are desperately trying to teach material and the ability to think for themselves, and trying not just teach to the Standards of Learning tests, we are, once again (since everything is relatively cyclical) dealing with another generation of children who are "learning to the test." </p> <p>As far as the actual work that is required to learn and pass in a class, many students simply want us to open up their little heads and dump the information in. Even many of their parents don't care that the kids learn how to THINK and problem-solve, as long as we promote them, one way or another!</p> <p>It is this type of frustration that probably led the administrator to pen his "joke." While I understand his frustration, I do NOT understanding putting anything like that in writing, let alone circulating it to the staff. </p>

• <p>Only in government employ could someone perform a completely boneheaded, embarrassing maneuver like this, draw national attention to their own poor judgment, and still get to keep their job. That goes a long way toward explaining George W. Bush's second term. Hopefully Sterr's impeccable sense of humor will serve him well in his new career as a wall-mart greeter. Fire his ass and replace him with someone who possesses a modicum of empathy toward the children he was payed to educate.</p>

• <p>I understand the desire to vent and commiserate with colleagues about some of our most difficult students, however, our job is to teach children, plain and simple. Granted, the principal should not have distributed the letter to teachers and the teacher should not have sent it home, but to say that the teacher ruined the principal's career is absurd (Elaine, your a child). Adults should be accountable for what they do. The teacher did not write the letter nor did they give it to all staff members. Yes, mistakes were made. Yes, the adults should be held responsible. Leave the children out of the "joke" loop. <br /> To the anonymous person that insinuated that the children that don't speak english are illeagal, just shows ignorance. I have taught children that have immigrated LEAGALLY and don't speak any english. I taught them, they learned, they moved on.<br /> I'm glad the principal was reprimanded, he deserved it.</p>

• <p>hey Anonymous it is a good thing that he is YOUR KIDS VICE PRINCIPAL he was a good man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

• <p>I go to this school and I didn't think that this was funny at all and nobody knows if he meant it. When Mr.Sterr was there he was so nice I don't know why he would even type this letter.Mr.sterr always joked around I'm sure if he meant it he wouldn't of sent it to a second grade teacher I'm not gonna mention the second grade teachers name because she might of just printed it on accident and for people who think this is hilarious well it's not I don't even know how you think this is funny this probly wasn't on purpose and nobody knows if he even wrote the letter so stop thinking this is funny he probly feels really bad about it AND WISHES NOBODY WOULD TALK ABOUT IT DON'T THINK IT'S FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

• <p>Noww He's My Kids Vice Principal !</p>

• <p>I understand being frustrated with the demands of your job. I understand making stupid mistakes that could follow you for a lifetime. Heck, I even understand the positions of both teachers and parents. One set feels they are fighting an uphill battle against student's attention spans and motivation, irritable/whiny parents, budget cuts, language integration, and even tylenol doped sick kids. <br /> And the other set feels like they are doing the best they can with the hours they have. Somehow they fit in their own jobs, running errands, making sure the family has a sit down dinner, keeping a clean house, and clean kids, doing laundry, getting homework done, and maybe even getting a couple of hours of sleep. Both sets are exhausted and frustrated. </p> <p>What I don't understand is a grown man making fun of an 8-year old. I feel truly sorry for the child that carried that letter home, reading every word, and knowing that he would have to give it to his parent. How ashamed he must have felt. How does a parent even begin to explain that the principal and teacher "just made a mistake", that they were "just joking around." My 8-year old would ask me why is it ok for the principal to call people stupid but he can't call his sister stupid, even if he is just joking around. I would probably tell him that their mother never taught them that name calling is not nice. The thing is, it's not ok. <br /> Pick on the parents all you want if it makes you feel better. We are grown ups and we can take it. Kids have enough on their plate without having to worry about their educators calling them names. </p>

• <p>I think the teacher who sent the letter to the parents was pretty stupid. Either stupid or wanted to cause trouble. Either way this teacher ruined the principal's career. And should be ashamed. Why should this teacher be protected? Why doesn't the biased media also name this particular teacher who destroyed the principal's career?</p> <p>The principal never intended for the letter to go to the parents. Perhaps he shouldn't have sent it to the staff members. Perhaps he shouldn't have written it in the first place. But you know what folks? He's only human. He made a mistake. I think his mistake wasn't in writing the letter but in distributing it like he did. Maybe to show it during a staff meeting or to close coleaugues, but not to everyone. </p> <p>So he made the mistake and sent the letter and some stupid teacher sent it to the parents. I mean how stupid can you be to mistake that for a real letter? You don't sound like you are competent enough to be a teacher if you can't tell the difference between which letter was actually meant to be sent out. </p> <p>And now that this stupid teacher sent out the letter and the parents got upset, then yes, the principal needed to be reprimanded. But NOT lose his job over this. He was a principal that was respected and liked. One mistake like this should not cost him his career. So they went about this the wrong way. </p> <p>And to the teacher: get a different job. You are not fit to be a teacher.</p>

• <p>This is truly a sad and pathetic occurrence for the Litchfield, and United States educational system. A system that is in dire need of showing it's true importance in a time of frequent budget cuts. The people of our nation's school systems need to focus all of their strengths and efforts on enabling people to realize how important the education system truly is, and the positive impact that schools must have on our children. </p> <p>Our children desperately need to be shaped into thinkers early in order to understand the meaning of today's economy and what it means for them in the future. Or more simply put, they need the people who are responsible for the shaping of their minds to instill morals, values and ethics into them in order to become good people and live meaningful lives. By doing the complete opposite of that, and ignoring the main aspects of his job description, this Principal is a failure to the school system, parents and the children. If he wants to write parodies for a living, it is up to US, the taxpayers and parents to send him packing to his career as a comedian, and not as a role model for our kids.</p> <p>There is a place and time for humor people. We are all human. However, the context of this humor was demonstrated in terrible taste, and the Principal MUST pay the consequence for it. I have no idea what he has done in the past for the good of the school. I am not going to pretend to be qualified enough to decide his ultimate fate. However, based on his attitude towards the children of his own school shown in his writings, I would disqualify him as a suitable candidate for any type of leadership position involving children. According to him, these children greatly need improvements in their education. Instead of stepping up into his true position as Principal and doing something about this, he writes sarcastic letters degrading the school children as a joke to the teachers. Let that sink in for a minute. Do you really trust this man with your children? I am sure that there would be an enormous line of qualified Principals who are currently seeking work that would come running to this job, AND take the job responsibilities seriously. </p> <p>To the people that think this is funny, or that people like myself need to lighten up: This is a small example of why our country is in such trouble. People are not taking critical problems seriously, and are instilling so much trust into people in power to run our lives. By granting this Principal a free pass, you are continuing the downward spiral of our country and the education system. </p> <p>This decision is up to us people. We are not helpless. It's time for the people of this country to stop dealing with the nonsense and take control of whats happening in our lives.</p>

• <p>This story made <a href="http://detentionslip.org" rel="nofollow">http://detentionslip.org</a> ! Check it out for all the crazy headlines from our schools.</p>

• <p>While the letter would have been funny as an inside joke (who doesn't say similar things about annoying customers, clueless managers, etc.), this incident tells you all you need to know about why public education (i.e. taxpayer-funded, government-run indoctrination) is failing miserably.</p> <p>On the one hand, you have administrators who obviously think writing smartass, sarcastic joke letters is a good use of their (taxpayer-funded) time, and that the target audience (teachers) will be receptive to said jokes. On the other hand, you have parents who are alternately whiny, helicopter parents, or disengaged, irresponsible know-nothings, who must be driving the administrators and teachers crazy.</p> <p>We need real, credible alternatives to public school. We are clearly not getting our tax dollars' worth out of the current system. And think again, if you believe Mr. Sterr and his cohorts are an exception.</p> <p>How I managed to survive public school, I'll never know.</p>

• <p>This letter is hilarious and i think is quite accurate. Take it from me im a student in ASU CTEl teacher leadership program its a joke. If your really want to get your kids an education send them to catholic school. Parents need to chill. </p>

• <p>Hilarious!!!</p>

• <p>I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.</p> <p>Alena</p> <p><a href="http://grantsforeducation.info" rel="nofollow">http://grantsforeducation.info</a></p>

• <p>Should a lapse in judgement ruin and/or end a career, especially when counterbalanced with years of exemplary performance in a demanding and difficult profession, and the maintenance of a high-spirited school staff and 'school of excellence' rating?</p> <p>Should the actions of a teacher who distributed a sarastic/obviously questionable letter to her grade two sudents' parents [the only one of 6 grade two teachers] be questioned on her ability to read, her own judgement or her motives in this situation?</p> <p>Should a man with six school-age children of his own, and a demonstrated passion and commitment to his work (to any who have actually encountered him), be burned at the stake for an unintended happening?</p> <p>Should the Litchfield School Division Superintendent and Board show a common sense and balanced consideration, beyond a CYA mentality, of all impacts at issue here, both the impact of Grade 2 teacher's distribution of the letter to up to 26 students in a 1,200 student school, and the impact on the staff complement, the hundreds of students who identify positively with the principle and the vast number of parents (plus the 'silent majority') that can recognize sarcasim, or forgive an indiscretion, so as to preserve something truly good?</p>

• <p>I am a teacher and I am offended at this. I would never send such a letter out so I have to question the teacher who did send it out. Did she just not like the principal or was she stupid too? <br /> And for the principal, this is how you spend your time on the job? He should be fired just for that.<br /> Yes I agree there are some parents who don't want to help their children but the majority don't know HOW to help thier children. There is a difference. If you can get them to come into the school and get them on board then it is a lot better for the child. <br /> However, taking a scarcastic and glip opinion and putting it into a dumb email and sending it to the staff is very unprofessinal. <br /> Principal needs to be fired and the teacher who sent it out needs to be on some sort of performance plan for common sense. </p>

• <p>As a teacher in Arizona I applaud this principal for sending out the letter to his staff. It's a reality check! This is how it is in the classroom. Parents do not want to hear that their child is struggling with division or decimals. Parents don't want to hear their child misbehaves at school. Parents don't support teachers. Parents are the first to attack and question a teacher. It is horrible working as a teacher in Arizona. I commend the principal for sending the email, it means he has a sense of humor. You have to be able to have a sense of humor with the terrible ways teachers and administrators are treated in the public school system these days. </p>

• <p>If you lack a sense of humor, perhaps parenting isn't for you. I would have applauded a letter like that and sent something equally amusing in return. People in that profession need to laugh once in a while, especially when having to deal with the type of parents who would get their knickers in a twist over something that silly.</p>

• <p>I sub for two valley districts and I know this principal. Very proud that he actually thinks like this and doesn't cave into this new idea of "customer service" when comes to dealing with parents and their children. The trend now is for schools to coddle parents and children. In return, the teachers have no support and get screwed. As result, this explains why we have a turn-over rate in the teaching profession. Teachers tend to hang out bars on Fridays to unwind after dealing with kids and their parents that live in a denial world. They have to be able to accomodate EVERY child, even the ones that do not speak English. Hence, why they have to pay out of their pockets to take SEI classes (Structured English Immerision), which basically instructs teachers to slow down their "teaching" for these students. Therefore, children who are legal citizens are suffering. Our tax dollars at work! I do think he should have kept this letter in a safe place to give to teachers during a staff meeting. It is very hilarious and so very, very, true! Kuddos to Ron Sterr for not being P.C. He has a funny sense of humor. </p>

• <p>Hey Doob!...</p> <p>*Standing Ovation*</p> <p>Our kids were in private school up until this school year ('09-'10). We had to put them in public school MUCH TO OUR CHAGRIN. But we are active with PTA at our current school and still have the same high expectations of our children.</p>

• <p>Emil, stop taking yourself so seriously...I applaud this guy. We celebrate mediocrity in our society and as a result, we don't lead the world in anything substantial. We fill our best universities with kids from the soccer mom generation who nothing about hard work and competition. Kids lose a basketball game, we throw them a pizza party instead a tough after game talk about giving an honest effort. When kids come home with "B's" and "C's" in subjects like Alegbra and Science, but can figure out a Playstation game in nanoseconds, we tell little ol' Johnny how smart he is...</p> <p>It's lame parents/people like Emil and others who hyper-shelter their children and make them ill-prepared for the accountability and responsibility that this cruel society has waiting for them. We have four sons, and I'll be damned if they're not prepared to be good and protective husbands to their wives, obligated fathers to their children, and productive citizens to this world....</p> <p>GO LITCHFIELD PRINCIPAL!!!</p>

• <p>I love it!</p>

• <p>To Anonymous, that is the most ridiculous thing I have even read, not the letter, that's pretty bad but your comment. Do you have some type of mental disability?</p>

• <p>The truth hurts, doesn't it? Get over it. You ARE lazy and your kid IS stupid.<br /> </p>

• <p>I love a good joke and value sarcasm as the highest form of intellect - however, time and place are important, too. If someone in charge of the education of children doesn't understand when to tell a joke,then puts in writing offensive material and sends it through workplace email... well, that person deserves to get fired for poor judgement. Laughing at oneself is important and hard to do. Laughing at the expense of others is meanspirited, small minded and not the qualities I want to be taught to my children. </p>

• <p>I can NOT believe most of the reactions to this. If this letter is indicative of the feelings that administrators and teachers have then maybe it's time to find another job - you don't deserve the responsibility of educating our children.</p>

• <p>I'd fire any employee that wasted his/her time on on a joke. I can't beleive people think this is funny- it's just sad. This guy is in charge of educating our children and this is how he spends his time? Real productive- what an example for our future.</p>

• <p>I almost peed my pants laughing- I agree that 'Emil' is a whiney wiener.</p>

• <p>My friends that are teachers say the same things this guy said except they are not as funny and they don't write it down. Teachers are fed up with whinny, irresponsible parents, kids that have no desire to learn, kids who are simply at school because they have to be, kids and parents who claim the kids can't speak English and all the "special" kids who infect the classrooms including those dear precious souls that are "Tylenolled up" and sent to school sick. No wonder people are sending their kids to private schools and no wonder public schools SUCK OUT LOUD. How can you expect a teacher to teach to kids that want to learn when the one's that require "special" treatment take up so much of their time? The school board really helps here too. Why didn't they just take the Principal out back and beat him with a cane pole? There is just too much political correctness in this world and one day it will destroy our great country. I'll bet some of the parents recognized themselves and their kids in the letter and now want to gripe about being "outed". The good parents probably wondered why it took so long for THIS letter to come out. </p>

• <p>It doesn't take much to lose all you worked for, your good name and your professional career in education in Arizona. That's why few want to teach or work in the school systems in Arizona. People are human, they all make mistakes. Too bad the teacher who sent it to all the parents didn't question it, before she copied and sent it home with the kids. That's the one that makes me wonder about. She just destroyed a man's livelihood.</p>

• <p>Eh, I'm laughing... Not brilliant comedy, but there are a few decent jokes sprinkled in.</p>

• <p>Emil Pulsifer sounds like an elitist journalist trying to back up another drama stirring, whiny journalist. What does this have to do with anyone whose child is not enrolled at this school? Anyone whose child is enrolled is obviously aware of what happened. They got the letter's right? How does it feel ruining someone's job for the sake of CREATING news to keep your own? I only hope someone will do the same to you and anyone else who is too lazy to find a REAL story. And, if you read this and talk crap about this post with your co-workers or try to redeem yourself with a post to "utterly obliterate" this one than your doing exactly what this principal has done. Making fun of the people who make your job necessary to relieve stress from work is exactly what he did. Only difference is that someone doesn't write an article forcing the possibility of you losing your entire career in the middle of a jobless economy when you do it. Where is real journalism? What's next? A story about a missing kitten?</p>

• <p>This is hilarious haha.</p>

• <p>Jonathan Swift used satire to attack social injustice. The remarks of Swift in the essay "A Modest Proposal" suggested "that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling children as food for rich gentlemen and ladies. By doing this he mocked the authority of the British officials."</p> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal</a></p> <p>The principal's "joke" by contrast directs its hostility at the children themselves. I suggest that his letter evinces a mean-spirited contempt for his charges, and that, so far from being a nurturing influence or even a constructive disciplinarian, he has shown that he is incompetent to direct the affairs of his school. The attempt to subvert the attitudes of teachers, or to encourage such attitudes, in directing such a letter to them, is also disturbing. </p> <p>The job of a school principal is to motivate teachers, to construct a curriculum which maximizes the potential of the students, and to use discipline and oversight to ensure proper participation by both students and teachers, not to encourage teachers to regard their students as undevelopable flotsam which must be tolerated with contempt until it can be passed onto the next tier of the education system.<br /> </p>

• <p>sounds like the parents that have an issue with the letter have a guilty conscience because 1)the child falls into the category of lazy or stupid, and/or 2)the parents fit the same description and/or 3)all of the above. </p> <p>I thought it was hilarious!! Still laughing! </p>

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