The Queen of Hearts, Act 1
Real Job Stories strives for selections of around a thousand words. This post relates my recent experience with an admin in a school district in SE Alaska. To do justice to the principal I, we, suffered through in school years 2020 through 2022, RJS needs two parts to properly depict this specimen.
Act 1
She was like an evil character from a Brother’s Grimm scary fable and in fact actually dressed up as the Queen of Hearts for Halloween. Imagine a witch who reveals her true nature at select moments and then only to those she allows to see. For example, a child is naughty and has displayed some silly behavior as children do. The witch waves her wand and turns the child into a mouse. She quickly steps on the mouse’s tail, trapping it. Raising her other foot she hisses “Do that again I vill crush you!” She waves her wand returning the child to human form. Bewildered by this sudden and fearful occurrence, the child doesn’t comprehend what has just happened. Although the room is full of other people, parents, staff and kids, no one else witnesses the same event. What they saw was the Queen of Hearts leaning over and kindly whispering guidance in the child’s ear. And that is the nature of an abuser. An abuser can be seen as charming to some while causing trauma to others. No one in the room would believe the child claiming to have been turned into a helpless mouse. If the child told the truth the adults would no doubt admonish the child for lying about the nice lady. The ones who have been charmed can’t believe what they are hearing about the abuser.
The Queen of Hearts was possibly the most mean spirited person, admin, that I’ve ever encountered in my professional work. Short of homicide, we witnessed her commit pretty much every infraction possible in a school setting.
Such a colorful character. One thing I am grateful for is providing her character as a model for a nasty narcissist. It is unlikely I’d be able to conjure up a personality so thoroughly grounded in bad behavior. From having experienced this nightmare up close and personal I now have an awesome portrait of criminality I plan on featuring in a novel. So, thanks for that Queen of Hearts you wonderfully malicious individual you!
Getting a bit dramatic here but, at realjobstories.com we know and you do too, that you can’t make this stuff up. Truth is … well you know.
Directly conveying the first-hand experiences of myself and colleagues who underwent the years of ill-treatment seems like a good way to document the facts. So let’s do that.
The Queen of Hearts left a trail of destruction behind her. A google search of her professional track record yielded a goldmine of malicious nuggets describing her behavior as admin. These are actual quotes compiled, names omitted.
2003-letter from district administrator
“Ways must be formed to bring all staff members into the communication/decision loop,” (District Administrator’s name) wrote. “There exist strong feelings among veteran staff that they have little access to you.”
“…is the need to be more cautious of conversations overheard in a disciplinary setting.”
“These issues tear at the fabric of harmony, goodwill, cooperation and sound management decisions.”
As I write this memo (insert Queen of Hearts name), understand that I have major concerns regarding your ability to address the issues in a satisfactory manner.”
2015-Letter from superintendent
“Unfortunately, there are areas in need of improvement,” (Superintendent’s name) wrote.
2016-letter from school board president
“Your actions continue to create deeper division among staff and parents.”
“The conditions you have placed on the day to day communication between the management team and for meeting with your supervisor have created an unworkable situation for the safe and efficient operation of the school.”
“At present time, there are complaints related to inappropriate interactions by you with students and parents of a harassing and bullying nature.
“misuse of federal grant monies”
(Letter from attorney regarding performance) “Additional problems outlined in April 20 (2016) letter include (insert Queen of Heart’s name) employment outside the school, transporting students in her personal vehicle, a variety of communication issues, problems with a license, and communication about pay increases.”
All before she was somehow hired in 2018 to be admin on the island in SE Alaska where we found ourselves living.
In 2020 a teacher had had enough and challenged the Queen. Around that time I recall waiting my turn to use the copier in the common area. The Queen had her phone tucked behind her ear and was chatting in her normal loud voice. She didn’t notice me. For some reason she was not using the copier in the office. She finished, I went to use the copier and discovered copies of a disciplinary action against the teacher. Open violation of professional confidentiality. Upon comparing notes with a colleague we discovered that this had happened multiple times.
The Queen was manipulating the situation. She wanted it known that retaliation was a consequence of defying her. Leaving confidential info on the copier was her way of undermining her enemy. Enemy, that is how she treated anyone who went against her even in a small way.
For this teacher the end came in the spring of 2021. This was during covid in a time of quarantines, rampant student absenteeism, constant pivoting back and forth from in class and remote instruction, sudden school closures and enforcing the wearing of masks. A crazy time in the world and to be a teacher. Many of the staff were new and had little experience with what good leadership should look like.
We were already stressed out and feeling high anxiety.
Evidently the staff person in question had crossed some line and had been put on administrative leave.
The Queen decided to summon the staff to a meeting. Not an email, no subdued conversations with staff that needed to know, nothing downplayed. Instead she chose, a behavior that emerged as a pattern, to escalate the situation. Drama, drama, drama.
It was during a character building SouthEast Alaska storm, dark clouds, wind advisory, rain blowing sideways pelting the windows. End of the day about 4 pm. We gathered in a classroom.
“I have a special power,” she began the meeting. “I already know what you are thinking. When I come in a room and the conversation stops I know what you are saying. We’re in the middle of the wilderness with the Pacific Ocean all around us. Look outside, you can see what’s happening.”
At that moment there was a power outage and it was lights out. The reserve generator kicked in and turned on a single ceiling light above the Queen. She shook us all with a villainous cackle. Ok, I made that last part up, but think Wicked Witch of the West. That was the vibe.
The Queen, instead of deescalating and reassuring staff, she chose to foment fear and amplify our angst. Given the setting, it was a like a scene from Macbeth.
Unfortunately for us staff it was only the first act.