After a group of teachers at Silver Spring’s Springbrook High School raised concerns about Principal Stephanie Valentine allegedly bullying and retaliating against staff, the school will be holding several listening sessions to address the concerns, according to letters from the school’s staff and Valentine.
One letter dated March 11 was shared with Bethesda Today on March 21. It was written by several Springbrook High staff members and sent to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) administrators, school board members and others with the aim of bringing “to your attention the very harmful workplace culture at Springbrook High School that has been fostered under the leadership of Principal Stephanie Valentine,” the letter said. “Over time, a pattern of bullying, intimidation and unprofessional behavior has developed, creating a toxic work environment that significantly affects the morale and well-being of the staff.
In response, Valentine told staff in an email on March 28 shared with Bethesda Today that listening sessions will be held at the school to help develop “action plans to improve school climate and culture.”
Valentine has served as the principal of Springbrook High since 2022, according to a 2022 school board document. Prior to serving as the principal of Springbrook, Valentine was the principal of Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring from 2021 to 2022, principal intern at Westland Middle School in Bethesda from 2020 to 2021 and as assistant principal of Francis Scot Key Middle School in Silver Spring from 2016 to 2020, according to the board document.
Valentine did not respond to a March 28 email from Bethesda Today for comment. A teacher representative at Springbrook also did not respond to a Wednesday email for comment.
MCPS spokesperson Liliana López declined to comment on March 28.
Concerns raised by staff
The March 11 letter outlined several concerns about Valentine’s behavior, including “aggressive communication and bullying,” retaliation against staff, abuse of power, inappropriate nicknames and a lack of clear communication.
Valentine allegedly frequently used a “negative and aggressive tone” over the school walkie-talkies, which could be heard by staff, students and families, according to the letter. Staff who have spoken against Valentine’s decisions allegedly have been subjected to “excessive scrutiny,” the letter said.
“Observations in classrooms and meetings are used as tools of retaliation, creating an atmosphere of fear where staff are reluctant to voice concerns or offer constructive feedback,” the letter said.
The letter alleges that Valentine has made schoolwide decisions without consulting the school’s leadership team or those impacted by the decisions, used inappropriate nicknames for staff and students such as “babyface” or “trouble” and has not used preferred names or pronouns for staff and students.
Valentine also allegedly has requested an “overwhelming amount of repetitive, additional” documentation surrounding student grades, micromanaged staff, not clearly communicated decisions and has applied “inconsistent transparency for student discipline.”
“Valentine has been known to suspend students verbally, use the suspension as a threat to the student — and then excuse or not document the suspension at all,” the letter said.
The letter noted that results of questions on how positive the school’s working environment was on the MCPS 2023-2024 school-based staff climate survey for Springbrook, which collects staff opinions on the culture and climate of the school, saw 20% less positive responses compared to the previous year.
“We believe these issues, if left unaddressed, will continue to have a very negative impact on the working conditions at Springbrook High School,” the letter said. “Staff members (and some students) are feeling unsafe, demoralized, undervalued, and trapped in an environment where our attempts at professionalism and collaborative discourse are met with punishment rather than support or collaboration.”
Valentine’s response
On March 28, Valentine sent an email to Springbrook staff that said “a number of important school climate concerns” were brought to her attention. According to the email, the school’s leadership team met March 25 and began reviewing the concerns and hearing from staff. Valentine said she held another meeting March 27 to discuss climate and culture concerns.
The email said the school would be holding listening sessions to provide an opportunity for staff to “express their thoughts, experiences and suggested solutions around a particular topic in a structured, judgment-free environment.” The listening sessions would help the school develop an action plan and ensure staff, students and families can feel “welcomed, affirmed and safe.”
According to Valentine’s email, the school’s restorative approaches staff would offer 20-minute one-on-one confidential listening sessions. While participation is voluntary, the email said all staff were encouraged to participate.
“Staff will be asked to provide their feedback on what may be working well, what areas need to be considered for upgrades, and potential solutions or ideas to address these areas,” Valentine said in the email.
Valentine said the details of the listening sessions would remain confidential, and that only patterns and trends would be shared with the school administration.
“I want to emphasize that I deeply value the voices and feedback of all staff and that improving the climate of our wonderful school is a priority for me as the principal,” Valentine said.
