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Sayre Academy Parents Ask for Principal's Resignation at Heated LSC Meeting

By Joe Ward | January 22, 2016 8:14am
 Sayre Principal Suzana Ustabecir (c.) did not discuss the calls for her resignation at Thursday's Local School Council Meeting
Sayre Principal Suzana Ustabecir (c.) did not discuss the calls for her resignation at Thursday's Local School Council Meeting
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DNAinfo/Joe Ward

GALEWOOD — A group of Sayre Language Academy parents on Thursday handed embattled Principal Suzana Ustabecir and the school's Local School Council a petition asking for her resignation, but a leadership change does not appear imminent.

After the parents turned over the petition — and after the LSC met with Ustabecir and CPS officials in a closed session to discuss her ongoing performance evaluation — Ustabecir left without addressing claims that her leadership had made for a "toxic" workplace that lead teachers to quit in droves.

DNAinfo Chicago reported last week that the Austin-area school, at 1850 N. Newland Ave., had lost at least 35 teachers since 2011, including at least two who left this year, in part due to what multiple sources said was a combative, stressful environment brought on by Ustabecir's leadership.

READ: SCHOOL'S 'TOXIC' LEADS TEACHERS TO QUIT, 'KIDS RUN AMOK': CRITICS

Teachers and parents complained that Ustabecir would openly berate staff in front of students, which undermined teacher authority in the classroom and contributed to a bullying crisis.

Ustabecir gave her regularly scheduled principal's report at the Thursday meeting but did not mention any of the controversy nor the calls for her resignation. She declined to comment on the petition after the meeting.

The petition, signed by over 100 parents and community members, was needed because Ustabecir's leadership style is abrasive and impacting children's educations, parents said. Multiple parents at the meeting said their children have been without permanent teachers for as long as a full school year after teachers quit mid-year and said their kids were not being challenged academically.

"We have lost faith in the ability of the principal to acknowledge her role in teacher turnover ... as well as the impact the departures have on the teaching/learning conditions," the petition says. "We have lost faith in the ability of the principal to create a plan, in consultation with all stakeholders, to solve the problems of teacher turnover and parent concerns."

Letisia Rodriguez came to the meeting to ask when her 6th grade daughter might get a full-time science teacher; the girl has not had one for nearly the entire school year, she said.

"My daughter is in 6th grade — it's kind of a benchmark year," she said. "So it's of concern to me."

The school has filled three teaching vacancies, but has not yet filled the middle school science teacher position, Ustabecir said.

Former teachers and school staff came to the meeting to discuss their treatment at the hands of Ustabecir, further alleging that she would yell at staff in front of kids and sow discord among employees.

"The way she treated me, it was uncalled for," said Jennifer Carter, a former Sayre security guard for 19 years who said she retired because of the job stresses, including being scolded by the principal while Carter was supervising lunch. "If she keeps treating people the way she treated us, you'll lose a lot more teachers."

The school's current security guard, however, said he hasn't seen the kind of public reprimands that former and current staff are referencing.

"I've been here since March and I've seen none of it," said Sheldon Little, the security guard.

Little said the decision by the parents and teachers to make such a public push for Ustabecir's ouster has impacted kids the most. He said the kids frequently and openly discuss Ustabecir's job status in the hallways and classrooms.

"We need to think about the kids," he said.

The three-hour meeting ended without any public discussion of the school's long-term leadership plan.

Ustabecir's contract is not up for another year. Parents at the meeting said they will continue to push for change for as long as necessary.

"How can you be a Level-1 school yet everyone is frustrated?" said Joe McDermott, a Chicago Teacher's Union employee and Sayre parent. "There's great consensus that ... things need to change at Sayre."

 

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