Kinkaid Principal and Headmaster asked to resign over canceled Pep Rally

Pimphand24 · Nov 23, 2009

AkeemTheDreem86 said:

Kinkaid Class of 2004 here.

Let me just say the "skit" in question is a yearly tradition where the football players dress up in cheerleading uniforms.

Saltman (the principle) OK's the skit like he does every year. Some people complain more than usual for some reason, so he cancels it. Not the pep rally, just the skit.

So the pep rally goes on and all of a sudden here come the players in drag. Saltman then proceeds to go ballistic in front of the entire student body.

So some of the football players' parents (on the board of trustees) are now calling for his head for loosing his cool.
Click to expand...

Perhaps it is as simple as that, let me try this idea out.

Principal loses his cool, one day, at a short pep rally, based upon a spur of the moment decision, and deserves to be fired, though he apologized many times over.

Hmmmmm.....
1) How does firing the Headmaster fit in?

2) How does mentioning a lack of heterosexual coaches fit in?

3) Why are some demanding that the Chinese Club be shut down over this? I love Yao Ming.

4) And what would they do to Yao if they got hold of him?

5) How do parents demand future broad control over the school's core values over a pep rally?

Hmmm... this is not about a principal losing his cool.
Even if some new nitpicky facts are brought up, it won't answer many questions. However, if someone does in fact try, please answer Question #4 first.

I think this is the overarching point that should be relevant to ALL Houstonians that live and work here.

This school is filled with the children of many powerful business leaders in Houston. And many of them are advocating discrimination for the sake of their children.

How are your chances of high promotion in Houston if you are a minority?
For many of you Clutchfans, they are your employers.

If you don't have pep rallies at your work place, I guarantee you that they'll hide their agenda behind something else.

OrangeRowdy95 · Nov 30, 2009

http://dealbreaker.com/2009/11/barclays-global-head-of-invest.php

OrangeRowdy95 · Nov 30, 2009

Here is the context of the previous post's link:

Barclays Global Head of Investment Banking Writes Tear-Stained Letter To Son’s School, Demands Teacher’s Firing For Trash Talking Barclays, Making Son Cry
Posted by Bess Levin, Nov 30, 2009, 1:45pm

Hugh 'Skip' McGee II.GIFHugh “Skip” McGee III is not happy. The former Lehman Brothers head of investment banking/current Barclays employee of the same title is specifically not happy with the hippies at The Kinkaid School. You see, kids, The Kinkaid School is an institution Skippy spends good money to send his children to and lately? The commune seems to be poisoning the McGees’ minds in a dangerous way. And to be honest, Skip has had it. He’s held his tongue ‘til now but not anymore. So what’s going to happen, is Skip is going to sit down and lose his **** in a letter to the school, demanding the dismissal of a whole buncha personnel, and come seriously close to giving himself a hernia. You wanna know why? Skip’s got three reasons:

1. The school made a bunch of high school boys very upset (not just upset, “humiliated”) when it wouldn’t let them dress in drag for a pep rally.

2. Something about “a gay female coach” (Skip’s original draft: “****ing dyke”) who The Skipper wants fired.

3. (The pièce de résistance History teacher Leslie Lovett should also be fired because she injects her ‘leftist invective’ in the curriculum and said mean, hurtful things about investment bankers, particularly those working for Lehman and Barclays, and made Skippy’s son cry. Luckily, Skip Jr. wiped his eyes, stood up to Ms. Lovett and said, you are wrong about my dad! He wanted to save Lehman. He wanted to save Lehman so bad!

Screen shot 2009-11-30 at 1.35.06 PM.png

Skip is deadly serious about these charges (if his demands are not met he’s threatening to pull his third child out of the school and send her to another Houston prep school), so we strongly suggest you read the entire thing. We almost didn’t post this because it starts off kind of slow and we got distracted by other stuff. Then something, I don’t know what— the ghost of Dick Fuld, with whom the Skipper has some beef— told us to give it a second look. Thank god we did, or we would’ve missed gems like:

* “So this letter is about much more than a cancelled pep rally—it’s about taking back
control of the Kinkaid School.”

* “Mr. Saltman finally appeared at the back of the theater and, pointing with his finger, yelled at the top of his lungs, ‘I told you not to do this! This pep rally is over!’”

* “I have never seen the air taken out of a room like that.”

* “My wife Susie spends time at the school nearly every day on something, and I have never seen her so mad at Kinkaid.”

* “The pep rally incident is just a symptom of a broader problem. As I said in the opening
paragraph of this letter, this is not about a pep rally.”

* “Many are concerned about whether they can change schools - I am not, as I know St. Johns will take another McGee in a heartbeat.”

* “On behalf of the ‘silent majority,’ I tell you that this cancelled [sic] pep rally is the ‘tipping point’ for many families.”
Click to expand...

Two Sandwiches · Nov 30, 2009

WTF is a Kinkaid?

Iverson.

WhoMikeJames · Nov 30, 2009

Letter PDF doesn't work, anyone have it?

OrangeRowdy95 · Nov 30, 2009

Here's his letter in its entirety:

Re: The Tipping Point

Dear Kinkaid Board of Trustees:

I am writing to you today with a heavy heart but also with a strong sense of obligation. I am sad that things have gotten to the point they have at Kinkaid but feel I must speak up on behalf of the “silent majority” before the situation gets to a point of no return. To whom am I referring as the “silent majority?” The parents, students and families that provide 90+% of the volunteer time and funding for this school. While it has been a very slow and gradual process, I submit to you that the values, methods, beliefs and actions of the current Administration are not in synch with those of the majority of your students, families, alumni, with the original charter of the school, or with the views of this Board. So this letter is about much more than a cancelled pep rally—it’s about taking back control of the Kinkaid School.

The Catalyst

(see attachment 1 – my email to Don North the afternoon of the pep rally)

I have never seen a group of parents come together as nicely as the parent group did this year around our football team. We had a great team mom and dad in Peggy Rathmell and Kevin Snodgrass. When we “won out” and got some help with a Casady loss, we qualified for the SPC Championship. Peggy and Kevin carefully planned a full week of activities leading up to the big game (In case you hadn’t heard, we got killed 52-7).

A key event in the week was the Friday afternoon pep rally. Being her usual super-organized self, Peggy met early in the week with Mickey Saltman and went over the pep rally in detail, including a typed script. At the end of this session, I am told Mickey “high fived” Peggy and told her all was OK. One of the skits involved the classic routine of the seniors on the football team dressing up as EHS cheerleaders and doing a brief cheer followed by some clumsy cartwheels. Teams of moms went to work on making skirts big enough for the boys, while others fanned out across Houston in search of wigs, pom-poms and megaphones in the correct shade of blue. Seeing the boys practice all week in the gym, in the hallway and outside in the courtyard created a sense of anticipation for Friday afternoon (and gave everybody an idea of what the skit would be).

Friday afternoon arrived and the theater filled up with students, parents, grandparents and faculty, all eagerly awaiting the show. Just minutes before the skit was to begin, Andrew Edison (Governing Council President and Master of Ceremonies) came backstage and told the boys that their portion of the skit was cancelled. The assembled moms pushed back and said “you have got to be kidding.” The seniors posing as cheerleaders was the punchline to the pep rally. Andrew said no, that under the order of Mr. Saltman, the act was cancelled. Another mom said “such an order can only come from the Administration. Where is Mr. Saltman?” After all the effort and preparation and with the crowd anxiously anticipating something, and no “official” word from Mr. Saltman, the boys shed the balloons from their shirts, exchanged their skirts for khakis, and proceeded to the stage. After getting through one line of their act, Mr. Saltman finally appeared at the back of the theater and, pointing with his finger, yelled at the top of his lungs, “I told you not to do this! This pep rally is over!” The boys were humiliated as they milled about on stage and the crowd murmured in disbelief. The parents and grandparents were shocked. What a way to send the team off to the championship game! I have never seen the air taken out of a room like that.

Even worse, many of those in attendance assumed the boys had done something wrong. That evening, our son, John Edward, went to basketball practice after the football team dinner, and the basketball coach, although not chastising the football players, felt the need to bring up the event and their seemingly insubordinate actions. For him, it was a “teachable” moment to point out what he thought was disappointing behavior.

My wife, Susie, and I were very distressed. She spends time at the school nearly every day on something, and I have never seen her so mad at Kinkaid. The same is true for many others who give enormous amounts of time to that school. Susie and I decided to talk to Mr. Saltman. Not allowing him to wait us out, we waited for an hour as he met with Ms. Lovett, Andrew Edison and Scott Lambert. (What was that meeting about?—getting “the story” straight?)

When it was finally our turn to talk with Mickey, he informed us that a “select few” teachers (Ms. Lovett) and students (Andrew Edison) had expressed concern over “negative gender stereotyping” and Mickey had become convinced they had a valid concern. He said that despite the fact that he was originally OK with the skit, he had evolved his thinking. We told him he had no right to change his mind at the last minute after having given approval earlier in the week and a large group of moms had put in a ton of work based on that approval. We told him that his decision was just plain wrong. How many approvals do you need? What is the process? The biggest issue in that skit is getting the football players to get up the nerve to make fun of themselves by putting on the costumes. Our cheerleaders certainly had no issues and, in fact, feel they are a big part of the overall team. (See attachment 2 – an email from a cheerleader parent, commenting on the closeness of the team and how included the cheerleaders felt). Nobody in their right mind could claim these boys were trying to make somebody feel bad.

So Saltman’s decision clearly was wrong, but his execution of that decision was abysmal. He sent in a student who has had previous issues with football players and was part of the group complaining about this skit to do his heavy lifting for him? His excuse for not appearing himself was that he was too busy ringing the school bells? This excuse is lame at best. With his years of experience, Mickey had to have known the chaos his decision would cause backstage. Then he chose to literally shout the team off the stage like they were a bunch of misbehaving thugs?!

The Governing Council President

Andrew Edison serves as Governing Council President, and by virtue of that position, serves as Master of Ceremonies at pep rallies and assemblies. He supposedly was among the students who complained about the skit. This week, he met with our son, a senior football player, and told him that he “personally had no issue with the skit.” If true, then he was poorly positioned as Saltman’s messenger. If false, then his worries about “negative gender stereotyping” seem a bit hypocritical when one looks at the clever campaign video he used in his campaign for President. Click on the following link to see Andrew – yes, that is him dressed in drag: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNV7iqOLRws

The Teacher

Ms. Leslie Lovett is regularly ranked among the least desired teachers (at least on the parent “whisper circuit”). Good students are afraid they will never get a decent grade from her because they represent the conservative viewpoint and literally dread having to be in her class. Her leftist invective is neither accurate nor part of the approved curriculum. Last year, she commented to an 11th grade history class including my son that somehow both Lehman and Barclays made a bunch of money on the Lehman bankruptcy, and that all investment bankers were “sleazeballs” and dishonest. With tears in his eyes, John Ed called her out in front of the class and said his dad worked for Lehman Brothers and had been working around the clock trying to save 11,000 jobs and that she had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. She later sent John Ed an email apologizing for her behavior saying that she did not mean to attack his dad but that she was just stereotyping (emphasis added). Yet when it serves her political agenda, she is the first to complain about stereotyping. What hypocrisy!

Last year, Ms. Lovett suggested that Homecoming should be at a girls’ field hockey game rather than at a football game. She also complained that there were no women on the football team and poked her nose into the yearbook with nonsense issues that she has no business raising.

So it should be no surprise that Ms. Lovett (Head of our Diversity Committee) is the aggrieved party who complained about the issue of “negative gender stereotyping.” She (and perhaps Andrew) got to Mickey and he caved at the last minute, after he had already given his official sign off.

* Why are we tolerating teachers like Ms. Lovett?
* Why are we allowing one or two highly motivated, highly politicized individuals to control our agenda as a school?
* Why is Mickey so ready to pounce on good kids? (Earlier this year, Mickey called the peer mentoring group together to berate them for hazing freshmen on a retreat, only to learn later that he had his facts wrong, and he had to apologize to the entire group).

Conclusion

The pep rally incident is just a symptom of a broader problem. As I said in the opening paragraph of this letter, this is not about a pep rally. When a small group can force their agenda on the whole school, we have lost control of our school. In our rush to be “politically correct,” we have become obsessed about pacifying even the most extreme of views—even if they are far from representative of the core values and character of Kinkaid families and alumni. By standing for everything, we actually stand for nothing.

What happened to our ability to laugh at ourselves and have fun? What happened to common sense and good judgment? Why is a married, heterosexual coach considered an oddity at Kinkaid? Why is a gay female coach telling high school girls on her team that she was disappointed in them for belonging to the spirit club (SOK) and that by doing so they are just pandering to the football team?

The number of parents who have been talking about this particular pep rally is enormous. It is not because they care about football or pep rallies, it is because they have all encountered the same issues in some form or fashion. We have lost our way.

My own view is that this all boils down to leadership. That is always the case in “people businesses,” and certainly the business of education is a “people business.” I don’t think the current Administration’s world view is consistent with the vast majority of Kinkaid parents, families and alumni. I think the Board of Trustees has been too passive as the school has shifted farther and farther away from its core values.

So, if it were my decision, Leslie Lovett should be terminated immediately. Absent an informed view by the Board that he is the best man for the job going forward, Mickey Saltman should be encouraged strongly to retire at the end of this year. I think the Board should have a hard conversation with Don North about the direction of the school. I like Don personally and would hope that meeting would be a productive one. However, I think that both the Board and Don should also be open-minded as to whether it is time for both sides to move on.

It is time for a change of direction, and it is time for the Board of Trustees to act. Like many other families, the McGees will be watching closely. We pulled our oldest child (Katie) from Kinkaid years ago due to concerns over the middle school experience, and she subsequently flourished at St. Johns (she is now a senior at Princeton). John Ed’s group of friends is what has kept us here at Kinkaid. They are now all graduating. Sadly, we may find ourselves forced to leave Kinkaid once again for the benefit of our third child, Lizzy, who is currently an 8th grader, as four more years of “status quo” is rather unappealing. Many, many parents have expressed the same concerns I have but they are worried about getting their seniors into college—I am not. Many are concerned about whether they can change schools – I am not, as I know St. Johns will take another McGee in a heartbeat. So on behalf of the “silent majority,” I tell you that this cancelled pep rally is the “tipping point” for many families.

I hope and pray the Board reacts responsibly.

Respectfully submitted,

Hugh E. McGee III
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CrazyDave · Dec 1, 2009

What a paradox. On one hand, I truly hope there's more to this story, because everyone getting so worked up that they'd act like this about what I've seen here is just pathetic. On the other hand, it's so lame and uninteresting that if there is more to the story, I just don't want to hear any more.

Oh, and it made me think of revenge of the nerds too.

persian hoopa · Dec 1, 2009

At least y'all didn't go to Second Baptist. I am always embarrassed to mention where I went to high school. Luckily, it does not come up that often since I graduated more than 15 years ago.

juicystream · Dec 1, 2009

soadrules said:

As a member of the school right now:

The principle OK'd the pep rally in the beginning of the week, including the skit in question. However, a little bit before the pep rally, a few students and maybe a teacher or two (Nobody knows who) apparently made a strong enough case against the pep rally for the principle to feel strongly enough to cancel it. The skit was supposed to be about a 'gay' kid, and all the football players dressed up as women. Apparently, the principle thought it was offensive to women. He acted on what he thought was best to the community.

Once he realized the fiasco he had created, the principle came to all the advisories and apologized personally. This was not the headmaster's decision. I don't understand why the parents are mad at him over the pep rally. He himself has stated he does not agree with the principle's decision to cancel the pep rally. Obviously the problem is more deep-rooted as some feel the school is putting pressure on those that are not minorities by promoting 'too much diversity' (Some even want clubs like Chinese Club, Greek Club shut down).

We've been having optional meetings after school where a LOT of students have showed up and voiced their opinions about the whole situation. Everything should be under control about now if this were a different school, but this is Kinkaid, and it won't blow over until 'something gets done'.
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Perhaps the teachers should be fired. The word you were looking for is principal. Remember he is your pal.

Pimphand24 · Dec 1, 2009

OrangeRowdy95 said:

http://dealbreaker.com/2009/11/barclays-global-head-of-invest.php
Click to expand...

I had a feeling this would be published in the media, but I didn't think nationally. More like Houston Chronicle.

I don't suggest reading the letter, 4/5 of it is all bs, to cover something else.
In sum, these parents write a 5 page letter, 4 of which talk about a canceled pep rally, then they say it is not about a pep rally.

So what is it about? According to them, its about core values.

Well, how were the core values violated? Two sentences about two gay coaches.

Two sentences?! After 5 pages you finally say what it is about, and you give it two sentences?!
Obviously there is more to this agenda than two sentences directed at two coaches. The not-so hidden agenda is that its a movement to change the whole Diversity Initiative that was enacted in 2002.

Racial and religious diversity are under attack here, by people too coward to wear traditional KKK attire.

But despite what some of you are suggesting, this is a big deal in Houston even though it may not seem like it at face.

Pimphand24 said:

This school is filled with the children of many powerful business leaders in Houston. And many of them are advocating discrimination for the sake of their children.

How are your chances of high promotion in Houston if you are a minority?
For many of you Clutchfans, they are your employers.

If you don't have pep rallies at your work place, I guarantee you that they'll hide their agenda behind something else.
Click to expand...

This hidden agenda is exposed because they have to rally people against the school board. However, when they are your employers, they just make the decision for hire/promotion without having to give their reasoning.

Thank goodness this got more attention. There will always be racists, and those who hate diversity. But it is necessary to expose their hidden agendas and shame them so they won't try these things again. They will eventually die out, and be replaced by their children who will likely be more tolerant. And that is what we call social progress.

I can't support my school if they cave in to these bigots. However, they are getting leaned on by some very powerful people. If they win, this would really be a step back for the city of Houston in general, as I quoted above.

OrangeRowdy95, so far we haven't named any names of children or wives for that matter. Please remove the names of those students, to ensure their privacy, especially because this is a movement by parents mainly, and not the children. But we can keep the names of the school officials.

Oski2005 · Dec 1, 2009

So my sister was one of the earliest students to go to KIPP Academy here in Houston. Their goal, at first anyways, was to teach kids from 5th-8th originally and help kids get scholarships to good private schools. My sister ended up going to Miss Porters in Connecticut for example. She tells me that kids who went to Kincaid, the minority ones, were made to feel so unwelcome that they ended up not eating in the cafeteria there and the place where they would eat became known as "the black room."

Does that sound familiar to any of you Kincaid students or alums?

YaosDirtyStache · Dec 1, 2009

HINT: If it aint STH SJ SAA IWA DUCHESNE then no one cares.

HombreDeHierro · Dec 1, 2009

high school drama lol

LScolaDominates · Dec 1, 2009

Oski2005 said:

So my sister was one of the earliest students to go to KIPP Academy here in Houston. Their goal, at first anyways, was to teach kids from 5th-8th originally and help kids get scholarships to good private schools. My sister ended up going to Miss Porters in Connecticut for example. She tells me that kids who went to Kincaid, the minority ones, were made to feel so unwelcome that they ended up not eating in the cafeteria there and the place where they would eat became known as "the black room."

Does that sound familiar to any of you Kincaid students or alums?
Click to expand...

I was friends with some of the first KIPP kids to come to Kinkaid. Before that, you could count the number of black and Latino kids in our class on one hand, and most of them were upper-middle class to upper class. I guess it was a culture shock to some people.

In a way, what's happening now is a good thing; the racists and bigots are exposing themselves and giving everybody a good lesson in the importance of tolerance. I'm proud of Kinkaid for forcing the issue with the Diversity Initiative just before I graduated, and I hope they remain committed to it in the face of the traditionalist onslaught.

LScolaDominates · Dec 1, 2009

HombreDeHierro said:

high school drama lol
Click to expand...

BabyClutch · Mar 29, 2010

I heard that Mr. Saltman has decided to resign due to this pep rally mess. I found this article: http://us.hadnews.com/did-highest-p...kaid-school-culture-war-white-mans-burden.htm

I also heard that the head of the Kinkaid diversity committee, the teacher who helped me start the annual "Culture Fest" at Kinkaid, has been removed from her position.

What a shame.

DonnyMost · Mar 29, 2010

This is why I would never work for a public school in any capacity, ever.

BabyClutch · Mar 29, 2010

Oski2005 said:

So my sister was one of the earliest students to go to KIPP Academy here in Houston. Their goal, at first anyways, was to teach kids from 5th-8th originally and help kids get scholarships to good private schools. My sister ended up going to Miss Porters in Connecticut for example. She tells me that kids who went to Kincaid, the minority ones, were made to feel so unwelcome that they ended up not eating in the cafeteria there and the place where they would eat became known as "the black room."

Does that sound familiar to any of you Kincaid students or alums?
Click to expand...

Never heard of that. And I was friends w/ all the black students in our class. That is sad though, if true, but I'm pretty sure I would have known about anything like that if it occurred while I was there. The KIPP kids I knew really liked Kinkaid.

D-Lite · Mar 29, 2010

DonnyMost said:

This is why I would never work for a public school in any capacity, ever.
Click to expand...

Kinkaid is a private school

rezdawg · Mar 29, 2010

DonnyMost said:

This is why I would never work for a public school in any capacity, ever.
Click to expand...

Kinkaid is one of the most prestigious private schools in the city.

Edit: Sorry, didnt realize the post above mine mentioned the same thing...I was too quick on the trigger.

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