CORNERSTONE SCHOOL

[natalie]

does anyone here know what's going on in cornerstone? i heard the principal, mr burrows is on an indefinite leave and that there's an investigation going on. worse, there's nobody in charge of the school while he's away. and worst, nobody informed the parents! :mad:

[JC Guy]

Why don't you go into the school and ask the teachers or the office who you should talk to? Wouldn't that be more productive then putting a post on a bulletin board?

[natalie]

yes, i'll definitely do that. when i asked this morning the woman can't give me any answers and very few parents were aware about the situation.

[Nic]

Why don't you go into the school and ask the teachers or the office who you should talk to? Wouldn't that be more productive then putting a post on a bulletin board?

It seemed a reasonable thing to ask on the board to me...

[demiking]

Natalie, I would assume that you are a parent of a child that goes to the Cornerstone School. I actually have a very good idea of what is going on. Basically, Mr. Burrowes had disciplined a student (nothing inappropriate) and Mrs. Coppolla who in pursuit of her own interests called the Board members and exaggerated the incident. The child was suspended for one day and Mr. Burrowes has been suspended indefintiely pending the Board's investigation.

[natalie]

thanks for the info, demiking. i'm glad it does not have anything to do with child abuse or financial anomalies. just frustrating that the school kept it under wraps when the principal has been suspended for a week already. will definitely want to hear about what the board will say.

[demiking]

Someone has told me that a final decision will be made on Wednesday. I suggest that all parents who are opposed to Mr. Burrowes being removed as head of the school write a letter to the board of trustees.

[natalie]

so demiking, were you at the meeting last night? it was total chaos. the board was eaten alive - i guess they didn't expect the parents' reactions and overwhelming support for mr burrowes. this is what happens when you only look at the dollar amount in your reports. it was pathetic the way they answered questions especially when having to consult with a lawyer about things they should be able to answer quickly with a Yes or No.

[demiking]

I didn't go to the meeting because I had a class that night but I did send a letter to the board opposing Mr. Burrowes removal. I won't be at the PA meeting either that is scheduled for this Monday. Please tell me more about some of the parent's concerns. I would love to hear details.

[natalie]

well, you might probably know more on the details of what transpired between mr burrowes and the child than most of us in the meeting. the board wasn't helpful in that respect. esther winter (?) read a statement that was very general it didn't even say that mr burrowes is on an extended leave. one father asked specifically if there was anything physical (NONE!), if there was profanity (NONE!). it appears that there is more structural problem (from the top!) than i thought. looks like there's no policy/guidelines regarding boundaries. they're excuse is that this is the first time anything like this happened. bottomline, the board has lost the parents' trust. some parents were even chanting 'step down esther!' when the board walked out... after facing an angry mob of parents they walked out after an hour!

the board said they'll reach a decision today so hopefully we'll know by tomorrow.