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Cambridge elementary school launches investigation into principal
Kathleen Smith, who previously worked at Newton Public Schools and Lawrence Public Schools, will be subject to an "impartial external review," according to Cambridge Public Schools.
The Graham & Parks School in Cambridge launched an external investigation into their principal, the school confirmed, allegedly due to a toxic workplace environment.
Kathleen Smith, a principal at Graham & Parks since 2022, was previously a principal at three other school districts since 2009, according to her LinkedIn. She spent eight years with Newton Public Schools and three years with Lawrence before joining Cambridge Public Schools.
The school, north of Harvard Square on Linnaean Street, enrolls about 400 students in Pre-K through fifth grade.
“The district has contracted with an impartial external review of all the concerns raised and allegations made by this small, yet vocal group of parents,” Cambridge Schools spokesperson Sujata Wycoff said. “The district does not, has not, and will not comment or respond to inquiries involving personnel matters. Following the completion of the confidential review, the matter will be addressed in a manner that aligns with the appropriate employment laws and district policies and procedures.”
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The “small, yet vocal” parent group is the G&P Caregiver Coalition, which submitted a petition to Smith in early December. Their petition, which garnered more than a 100 parent names, called for transparency regarding topics including new policies, hiring, and the status of the school’s traditional project based learning curriculum. Parents are also wondering why Smith is no longer requiring two adults in every classroom.
The coalition followed up their petition with an 11-page letter, which alleges that Smith isn’t available for dialogue, takes “little interest in getting to know the students,” and won’t commit to the school’s project based learning curriculum.
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“From our observations, you do not seek to reinforce the school’s open, collaborative culture and employ it to achieve better and more equitable outcomes for all students,” the coalition wrote. “Rather, you seek to dismantle it and unilaterally impose your own authority.”
The letter also said Smith’s “top-down” management style is toxic to workplace morale and the school’s “collaborative and democratic” culture.
Parent Anna Shin said after incidents involving school resources officers at the school and removing an end-of-year survey, she was inspired to add her name to the petition. She is not officially affiliated with the coalition.
Shin said end-of-year surveys, which are no longer used since Smith became principal of Graham & Parks, included any special notes about the student and any friend requests for classroom placements.
“I see it as she took my (child’s) voice away,” Shin said, adding that her child struggled without a support network in early elementary school.
In early January, Cambridge Schools Superintendent Victoria Greer acknowledged the coalition’s efforts, according to emails obtained by Boston.com. She told the caregivers that the investigation would also look into Smith’s hiring.
“Your concerns will be a top priority in our upcoming discussions, and we will work diligently to ensure the safety and well-being of the Graham & Parks Elementary School community,” Greer wrote. “We value your partnership in addressing this critical matter.”
Smith’s ‘mean-girl mentality’ at Underwood Elementary School in Newton
The G&P Caregiver Coalition cited a report detailing Smith’s previous role with Newton Public Schools. She spent eight years as principal at Underwood Elementary School, from 2011 to 2019.
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In 2019, an internal human resources investigation, which was released to Boston.com redacted, found the principal at the time fostered a toxic workplace environment.
The NPS investigation found reports of fear and intimidation, along with problems with bullying, professional boundaries, and “climate,” noting “no empathy for staff.”
While the environment was not one of discrimination, “it did rise to a toxic working environment. It is my recommendation that the school needs new leadership,” the report’s author wrote.
According to the report, teachers were in fear of getting fired. There was a high turnover rate, surprise evaluations and observations, and a fear of Smith “thinking that they are weak.” The report also said there was a clear “in-group” and “out-group.”
Newton Teachers Association President Mike Zilles filed the complaint that prompted the report on behalf of the teachers and staff at Underwood, who he said were “terrorized.”
“She used intimidation as her supervisory technique. She would find somebody at any given time, and she would humiliate them in public meetings,” Zilles told Boston.com. “She would belittle them. She would pick somebody to write bad evaluations for, and you never knew if you were going to be the person targeted.”
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Zilles claimed that after the report, the administration helped Smith relocate to another district.
“No discipline would have been adequate other than firing her,” Zilles said. “Anybody that had engaged in the kind of behavior that she was engaging in, would have been fired long ago. They tolerated it for years, and I don’t know why.”
Smith did not return a request for comment.
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