Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

A principle from a high school in East Harlem has come under fire for sending a memo to teachers that basically tells them they've failed their students if they aren't passing over 65 percent of their students. But here's how Principal Bennett Lieberman worded the memo: 

"If you are not passing more than 65 percent of your students in a class, then you are not designing your expectations to meet their abilities, and you are setting your students up for failure, which, in turn, limits your success as a professional."

Then he goes on in the memo to communicate what seems to be his reasoning for lowering the the standards: "Most of our students come from the lowest third percentile in academic achievement, have difficult home lives, and struggle with life in general. They DO NOT have a similar upbringing nor a similar school experience to our experiences growing up."

The principal has been called on his memo by the media, and now by the Department of Education which has sent a letter to Lieberman with orders to specifically clarify what he was saying to his teachers, especially if he was demanding they lower the standards in order to pass.

So far the principal hasn't responded back, but he did tell one newspaper that he "confidently stands by" his words. If he's so confident I wonder why he hasn't got back to the Department of Education yet? His memo was sent sometime in November, so he should have responded by now.

One local station covering the story reported if the school improves, teachers would receive $3,000 bonuses.

This is terrible leadership no matter which way you look at it. If the principal was indeed pressuring and ordering his teachers to lower their standards, he should be relieved of his job. He doesn't belong in that position with that attitude.

Second, if we stretch it and give him the benefit of the doubt, then it's worse, because he refuses to make it clear as to what he meant. Now even some of the students are upset because they are concerned they may be cheated if these words are followed up on.

It's a terrible thing to pressure teachers with, and worse to make your students think they have to get special treatment because they're unable to do what others are able to do. He's the one socializing them to believe their environment and surroundings is an excuse for failure. That's the real crime here.