Rationale for Petition
Mr. Shon Joseph came to John Tyler in the spring of 2010. That fall we had experienced the fatal stabbing of one of our colleagues and had floundered with no leadership or direction for most of the school year. Within two weeks of Mr. Joseph’s arrival, chaos began to transform into order. The students recognized immediately that he meant business. Teachers finally felt that we had someone supporting, encouraging, and leading us in the right direction. First the first time for many of us, we ended the school year anxious for the next school year to begin.
As our school was in Stage 4 of AYP, we had special training (SPA) in July . He invited the faculty to the Woodlands Retreat Center for two days of intensive planning. The collaborative sessions resulted in “buy-in” for those participating. Our back to school in-service was just as inspiring as the SPA. Teachers were excited about the journey on which we were about to embark!
For years, a standard of dress had been discussed, but, knowing that the parents were against it, no one was really willing the tackle the issue. Mr. Joseph believed it would have a positive impact on student learning and behavior, so he boldly initiated a standard of dress. The first day of school was the smoothest many of us had ever experienced. The year continued with marked improvement in student discipline and faculty morale.
Once a week, Mr. Joseph led professional development in the library during conference periods. No one complained about going to the sessions; in fact, most of us looked forward to it! Teachers did not dread professional development days because they knew it would be inspiring, practical and useful encouraging us to work hard. With discipline under control, teachers were free to teach, resulting in incredible testing gains. Amazingly, we ended the year without being exhausted, and once again were looking forward to what a new school year would bring.
During his entire tenure as principal, never once did Mr. Joseph degrade or demean his faculty in meetings or correspondence. If a situation needed to be addressed, he did so with the individuals involved, not with the faculty as a whole. And once the situation was addressed, it was over. The only time it was difficult to work with Mr. Joseph was if you were not doing your job; however, he was very willing to help anyone in need of assistance get the tools they needed to be successful.
There has been lots of speculation why Mr. Joseph left John Tyler, but we really don’t care. All we know is that under his leadership, we were inspired to be the best teachers we could be. We desperately need to get back on the journey to success we had begun. We have had enough transitions. Mr. Joseph returning would not be a transition, but rather simply getting back on course. He knows and understands John Tyler, and you will not find anyone more committed to the success of the school than he. If there is any possible way that Mr. Joseph could return to John Tyler, we are positive that the results would be even more amazing than those previously gained under his leadership.