Duane Tron re: 'That Dennis Leone...he's so anti-teacher!'

From Duane Tron, April 13, 2008
Subject: Re: That Dennis Leone...he's so anti-teacher!

As an administrator I only kept anonymous letters if I believed the LETTER WRITER had crossed the line and might be subject to some kind of criminal prosecution or civil action for defamation, libel, etc. I NEVER placed an anonymous letter in a teacher's personnel file. I placed them in an anonymous letters folder. Otherwise I ALWAYS discarded any anonymous letters I received. If they weren't signed they weren't credible as far as I was concerned. If you don't have the guts to place your name on a document then you shouldn't write it. As long as others have seen the letter and its contents prior to publication I believe it to be fair to withhold an individuals name on certain publications such as a blog. As long as the contents are accurate and based in fact there isn't any problem withholding a letter writer's name in certain matters. On the other hand when you write something with the prescribed purpose, or intention, of defaming said person, and in an attempt to cost a person their job then you should have the courage and integrity to place your name on the document.

Do you have any idea how many disgruntled parents we encounter every year because of their outrage over the fact that their child played less than another in athletic competition?? We hire coaches to coach and it is at their discretion who plays and how often. That's why we hire them! You have to remember that "every mother's child is the most beautiful child in the world." ~ Confucius. There is nothing worse than the wrath of a mother and her viewing someone as not treating her child fairly. Do you have any idea how many parents I have encountered over the years who think their child is going to be the next Michael Jordan, Hank Aaron, or Brett Favre? I coached in one school system for 20 years and do you know how many athletes we had who made it to the professional level? ZERO! NADA! NONE! Do you know how many made it to a D-I school to play? Maybe twelve. The son of a former player made it to the NFL but he attended another school growing up. I have never had a student I actually coached make it to the professional level in any sport. That might be a commentary on my coaching, and on the other hand it might lend itself to the genetic predisposition of the students I coached. I'll leave that your call! I served as an administrator in the school the Heisman Trophy winner, Charles Woodson, came from. I can't take any credit for his success in any way shape or form. This kid possessed all kinds of God-given talent and he was going to become great in spite of coaching and not necessarily because of it. He was fortunate to have some great high school coaches as well. You can kind of get the drift! I have been where Dennis was and I fully understand.

I left one job because I was accused of unfairly disciplining two students in a vandalism incident. I caught them in the act and a weak superintendent didn't have the guts to back me. I wish I had been working for Dennis as I know he would have had my back in this incident. Note! I caught the students doing damage in the boys restroom as I walked in and observed them in the act. I was defamed, called a liar, accused of being out to get them "ever since the day I arrived" (since the day I arrived? I didn't know these guys before I arrived), and even had a board member side with the two parents as she was friends with them. That was about as ugly as I have ever seen. I was the principal, I caught them, and I wound up being the one on trial and persecuted for doing my job. They tape recorded the proceeding and my superintendent allowed this circus to happen. And it was truly a circus! I was placed on trial, convicted of picking on these two boys, and had to look for employment elsewhere. That worked out well as I went to the finest school I had ever worked at and had the most outstanding staff I have ever been associated with. The school? Fremont Middle School, Fremont, Ohio! The staff were the finest group of people I have ever known in 38 years in education. My superintendent, Kent Watkins, and the entire staff ALWAYS supported and backed me. For this I am forever grateful! What a difference a little geography can make! I remember getting the memo to keep every piece of correspondence during Dennis's encounter. I still threw it out and filed the anonymous garbage in an anonymous folder! My contention? If it wasn't signed it wasn't credible! I would always look into any allegations of wrongdoing but I never found a single one to be factual or credible! Imagine that??!!

When people assert that building principals don't earn their money I assure you that the GOOD ones do! I know Dennis Leone ALWAYS earned his paycheck! I actually had three school systems refuse to hire me because they heard I was too tough on kids and they shared this with me. Too tough? For what? Requiring students to be in classrooms on time, not talk back to teachers or staff, to show respect toward everyone, not smoke or bring drugs and other contraband into our school, for prosecuting a couple of older students for bringing a gun to school, for backing teachers when parents attacked them on petty issues, for placing the safety and welfare of students number one, for placing quality education ahead of everything else, and for standing up to people who tried to bully staff or administrators? Yes! I'm guilty on every count and proud of it!! Did I set the bar high for students? Guilty! Did I require them to behave in school? Guilty! Did I refuse to allow the students to run the school? Guilty! Did I hammer them when they crossed the line? Guilty! Do I have any regrets? None!

Duane Tron