Staff/Laura Moon
DALLAS — A veteran Cobb elementary teacher who is fighting to keep her job amid what she says is discrimination from a new principal woke up Sunday to find a threatening message written on her car windows.
Elizabeth Nilsen, who just completed her sixth year teaching at Hayes Elementary in Kennesaw and 12th year as an educator, has filed two complaints against Hayes Elementary Principal Teressa Watson. She believes those complaints prompted someone to write “will Watson win — U will lose if you don’t back off” on the passenger side of her car in what appears to be a white paint pen.
“Whoever did it kind of knew how to do it the right way,” she said. “We had also been seeing for about a week and a half a red van around the neighborhood and parked in front of my house twice Friday night.”
Corp. Ashley Henson with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office said the vandalism happened between 10 p.m. Saturday and 7:20 a.m. Sunday. Pictures of her vehicle were taken for evidence and patrol officers were notified of potential vandals or suspicious vehicles.
Watson and school district officials declined to comment for this report.
Nilsen filed her first complaint against Watson in March, claiming the principal was discriminating against teachers based on their age, race or disabilities.
Nilsen is a 43-year-old white woman who is legally blind. She lost her sight in one eye and has a retina implant in the other.
She filed the second complaint in April, accusing Watson of falsifying documents after she allegedly signed and dated her teacher evaluation April 2, nearly a week before she actually signed the document.
Nilsen said her problems with Watson began last November after she was given bad marks on her classroom evaluation.
“When I went for my feedback, she chewed me apart,” Nilsen said. “The way (principals) can start a paper trail is to attack us on our performance.”
She said Watson was supposed to schedule a second evaluation but instead showed unannounced one day and gave her another bad review.
“After that, she came in once or twice a week … (and) put me on a (Professional Development Plan),” she said. “I wasn’t given a choice not to sign (the PDP). It was a stressful situation.”
Nilsen said Watson gave her articles to read, study and report on to help come off the PDP, but eventually Nilsen’s health got the best of her.
“My doctor put me on medical leave March 6 because I was at a heart attack and stroke level … due to malignant hypertension induced by (Watson),” she said.
According to an Open Records Request, which Nilsen had to file in order to learn the ruling of the complaints, the principal was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Nilsen will have a hearing about her teaching contract and Watson’s recommendation to not renew it at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the boardroom off Glover Street in Marietta. Board members Kathleen Angelucci, Alison Bartlett and Board Chair Scott Sweeney will preside over the hearing.
The hearing was canceled early Wednesday.
Nilsen said she was advised by her doctor not to attend the meeting due to her high blood pressure. She is at risk of losing her remaining eyesight in her good eye if she undergoes any more stress.
John Adams, executive director for Educators First, which is representing Nilsen, said, “The investigative report indicated that Watson essentially admitted falsely backdating Nilsen’s annual evaluation form.”
“To my knowledge there have been at least a half a dozen other principals or administrators who were demoted or worse for similar infractions.”
Watson was named the principal of Hayes Elementary in mid-June after the district combined the Intermediate and Primary schools for next school year.
Adams said he does not think the Cobb school board was aware that Watson was under investigation when they approved her reassignment.
He also said a number of teachers at Hayes have contacted him since June concerned about her being named the sole principal.
In 2009, a group of protesters from a Fayetteville-based teachers union, Metro Association of Classroom Educators, picketed outside Hayes, calling for Watson’s removal because of her approach to education.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, two callers said teachers were being micromanaged and forced to spend hours on unnecessary paperwork, leaving little time to teach, the Journal reported in October 2009.
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As far as the vandalism, at the risk of sounding like CSI, did anyone notice all of the writing is on the windows where it could be easily removed and not where it could damage the paint?
P.S. I see writing on the paint between the panes of glass. The vandalism doesn't seem to intentionally avoid painted areas.
Are other people aghast at the spelling & grammar mistakes in these comments? :)
Lets see, this article has 9416 views | 90 comments. Can someone investigate what has happened to this wonderful School and how our previous school board representative destroyed it.
Well stupid me! I came back to Cobb more than 5 years ago. My 1st year was great then a new principal that did not hire me came in for her reign on the throne. This cream of the crop school has lost many excellent teachers due to the playing of favorites while those that watch movies, TV shows, shop on the computers, and text their friends sit in their offices and do not even go out to half their classes get to maintain their jobs. There is a lot of bullying of those that do not hang out with their departments or the "A listers". Cobb County had better get a grip on what some of these administrators are doing to drive out outstanding teachers and then not being able to bring in young, new teachers who have heard about the games being played by too many.
Someone has been watching CSI.
If the Cobb County School Administration isnt paying attention to this blog they are putting their own jobs on the line.
I have spoke with several upper level government officials and they are outraged that the school system operates in a manner that is Gestapo in nature.
Be assured that an investigation is coming and heads are going roll and the new school superintendent is going to take the blame for his subordinates mistakes.
In the end the news is going to have a heyday with this and many people are going to be outright embarrassed when the news crew shows up at their doorstep demanding an explanation.
Also, Human Resources needs to get off their butts and do their jobs in relation to employee rights and harassment.
Your department is going to get hit severly because your not aware or have not reported and taken action in the abusive nature of the administration. Surveys about individual management has a way of finding out who and where your problems reside. .
I have heard rumor that past upper management Cobb County Administrators resigned because of Cobbs way of doing business and they are willing to tell all to State Investigators.
If your looking for an upper level job in the Cobb County School System start getting your resumes together.
More than likely, vacancies will be coming if not already come Monday morning.
I am a good educator; I love the children. I work hard to produce positive academic and social growth as well as instill in them a life long love of learning. In my classroom I strive to create a safe environment for my students to speak out, ask questions, feel welcomed and respected. Many, many times I have spent extra money, time, and other resources to make certain children have snacks, coats, socks, etc that some children are not provided at home. Additionally, I have spent many hours outside of school assisting students with concepts they struggle with. Most teachers at Hayes use their personal resources to provide the same for their students.
As teachers create the classroom environment, the principal creates the school environment. Watson micromanages her teachers and does not create an environment where her teachers feel respected. This type of climate is unhealthy and undermines a teacher's positive attitude. I will continue to smile, work toward my students' success, do EXACTLY what I am told, not bring any attention to myself, and "fly under the radar."
It seems like a good idea to start with a clean slate. She could start the year off at a new school and Hayes could start off as the revised 'whole school' again with a new principal.
I've seen principals lock teachers in their office for HOURS to berate and mock, all in an attempt to get a resignation. Most administrators using this approach were up to their eyebrows in brown-nosing suck-ups. If a teacher didn't play politics, chances were pretty good that you'd be targeted. God forbid that a teacher might actually want to have a loving, nurturing environment for her students. THE PRINCIPAL SETS THE TONE FOR THE SCHOOL!
After a long, successful teaching career, I'm thrilled to have my FIRST principal that treats students, parents, and teachers with respect. She doesn't "play favorites" and treats everyone the same. She attacks problems with staff in a fair and calm manner. The regular brown-nosing gang have finally met their match and for the first time in many years, they are following the rules and meeting responsibilities. I'm thankful to be going out with a quality leader that understands her job and supports my effort to have a quality experience for my students.
My heart goes out to the students, parents and teachers at Hayes. I don't know what is going on there but I do know, the environment sounds poisoned. CC central office needs to get in the trenches and spend time there. The situation is sad.
Has anyone pursued this?
You have brought this event out and into the open for all to see. Now it just gets better as the News Agencies are getting their fill on just who Mrs Watson is.
Being a strict and hard line administrator is one thing but undermining the teaching staff is a whole different situation.
If it comes to light that Mrs Watson was just following orders from the Cobb County School Administration to chase off some of the current staff, that is about to come to the surface as well.
Again, job well done Idiot Vandals as you have definitly got the attention of the Governors Office as well.
You have to remember, the county does not give teachers the opportunity to "evaluate" their administrators and to speak out against one openly can lead to retribution, so many teachers keep their mouths shut. The principals are evaluated by their superiors and lets face it they are rarely at the schools and have no clue what is going on in them.
What happened to Ms. Nilsen's car is sad and unwarranted and makes Hayes look bad in general. I am proud of our school and the staff that work there and I hope this does not put a damper on our school year.
Cobb School Superintendent, Dr. Michael Hinojosa, please help this school. Make some changes that will heal this community.
The Cobb County School system is setting themselves up for law suit after law suit.
The three great and awesome teachers that left was because of her. BOTTOM LINE!
Are some of you that nieve?
More teachers are now looking to leave Hayes to avoid this woman. Even the black teachers admit that she is racist.
The investigation that was performed resulted in a recommendation that she NOT be put into this principle position. Cobb School System decided otherwise.
I can't wait for the picketing and the racial lawsuits to ensue.
Parents, so much for peace and harmony amongst the teachers this year. Thank your Cobb County School admin for ruining the year.