Saving Promesa

We are a founding family at Promesa, it has been home for the past 4 years and provided such a safe space for us during uncertain times in 2020. We have been so saddened by all of the negativity that has occurred this year. We will not be returning next year due to the many changes that will be implemented next year. What made Promesa special were the incredible teachers and staff that loved my babies indescribably. They felt safe going to school so it is incredibly heartbreaking to hear how poorly those teachers have been treated this year. It is also disheartening to know that many will not be returning next year. The thing that solidified our decision to not return next year was the firing of Mrs. Sammis. She is an incredibly valuable educator and there was no reason for her to be forced to resign days before her medical leave. Although we are not returning next year, we still love and care deeply for the Promesa family and wish it the best.

I am a staff member at Promesa. I loved this school, its mission, the staff, and the children. Over the years though, what made Promesa sparkle started to dull. This place had a unique culture and I felt seen and appreciated. The walls were filled with teachers who loved their jobs and had close connections with each other. This school had something special and everyone who visited it could feel it. This year, our culture was loss. Staff were viewed as nothing but a position and we were easily replaceable. We used to feel valued, but now our value is only determined by a dollar amount. Many of our staff has either felt pressured to leave or have had to leave to protect their mental health from a toxic work environment. We want to protect the original Promise and bring back our Promesa. Help us keep our passionate teachers and supportive families.

Founding family of promesa but we been Done sad part will not be a returning family for nxt school year too many changes unanswered questions of incidents involving my kids no communication nor response from leadership

I want to begin by saying that I am a current teacher at Promesa who does not intend on coming back next year. I have long debated whether or not I wanted to sign my name publicly for fear of backlash and retaliation I may face, whether that be now or going into any future positions. The school that I knew is no longer here. The only thing keeping the school together is the community of parents who continue to come together, and the teachers whose love for students has stopped them short of leaving before the year’s end. It is insanely difficult being a teacher at Promesa, and I have heard the same sentiment from others who I work with. Our superintendent has made us feel replaceable and undesired in a profession that is already emotionally taxing. He has stated that he feels Promesa teachers are overpaid. He has implemented curriculum that consists of nothing more than STAAR problems, then left teachers with nothing once STAAR was over. He has told teachers not to let students who don’t show growth be a distraction leading up to the goal of raising STAAR scores. And unfortunately, he is not the only one who has displayed behaviors and ideals which go against the once vibrant and loving culture of Promesa. The shift in culture is tangible from the moment you walk into the school, and other members of leadership have truly followed under Mr. Williams’ regime. We are now a school divided; the love that once ran through the veins of each hallway is now only caught in the glimpses between children who’ve been shielded long enough to know anything has changed. But even they are starting to feel it. My students have mentioned that something is different. I am a believer that things happen for reasons and that we as people are meant to find places we fit into. I am not saying that Mr. Williams deserves shunning or hate. But I do believe that this is not his right fit. Friction can be helpful when it moves you in the right direction, but the friction we’ve experienced a

Started in kindergarten during the founding year. Not only we were we made welcome, but the amount of good hearts walking the halls and pivoting to online and inperson schooling was amazing. Not the fu fu fake love and equality that runs rampant among a narcissistic society. But real meaningful planning, work, and 3 am emails built the most rock steady community. Fast forward to absolutely full school of all kinds of kind people willing and excited to work together for our children. This school year, and more so the past few months I’ve seen bright faces grow dim and disappear all together. Both staff and families have been silenced and justifiably leaving. Music- gone Special education iep interventions- gone Chicken grant money-disappeared without a peep I can say that I fell short this year speaking softly in hopes of things getting better. But after hearing the things said to parents or about parents or to staff and about staff- that literally make up the foundation of school principals being mocked and harassed. When these issues were brought up they were silenced by both the administration and the board. I have no confidence in things improving due to the lack of personal accountability and transparent communication.

Our community is built on positivity not manipulation, harassment, and toxicity. All three have been in abundance since Mr. Williams has taken on the superintendent position.

Seeing how Promesa has gone from a thriving, growing school to ruins of unhappy staff and students is heartbreaking. The superintendent is not interested in helping current families, but would rather push our questions to the side and continue on as if he is a savior. The firing of an award-winning teacher, Ms. Sammis, was the last straw for us. Leadership continues to lie to us and not be transparent, or even communicate. When I talk to other parents in my child's class they are all feeling the same: tired, frustrated, and left in the dark. Staff is amazing because they haven't said a bad word about leadership to my family, BUT I CAN SEE IT. Our teachers aren't loved the way the were. Our students are hurting. My child is constantly in tears because of the environment at the school. Why does leadership want to see so many kids hurt and backtracking in their social and educational strides? And, the principal...she is the most dismissive leader I've ever met. We cannot even talk to her without an eye roll. We aren't simply holding on to what Promesa was, we are holding on hope to common decency and the board doing the right thing. Be warned, without some serious steps your resumes will reflect the collapse of this school. Media will be next.

Although I am a parent of a student that attended last school, my child and I still care for the Promesa community deeply. The stories of how staff and students have been treated have broken my heart. I’m in full support of this petition.

Such a sad year for promesa. Almost looks like Isaac is trying to purposely ruin what we once a beautiful school.

good luck at your next new place

Please save the school for the future of our children.

Please let us keep our school this is the only place we're I can be non Binary and be loved by my school -Skyla Smith

I feel he needs communication to family n staff

This man has dismantled a beautiful school. He wants to turn it into a boot camp for underprivileged children with the bare minimum. He cuts out music, his team think that autistic/ neurodivergent children ( distractions as they call them) should have little effort put into their education. If you stand up to him he forces you to resign or terminates you. He bullies staff and does not care about the well being of the children.

We first toured Promesa in February of 2023 after applying for the lottery. What stood our was a welcoming feeling since you walked in the front office. We got a wonderful tour of the school. I was impressed bu the kindness and the engagement of the teachers, noise canceling pods throughout the campus to work with neurodivergent kids. I thought the pods are a wonderful way to provide a calming environment for kids with auditory processing issues to receive therapy and pull out instruction in one of these pods so they can better concentrate on their work. I thought that the people that were in charge of Promesa as well as teachers really cared about their kids. During the tour, I saw Ms. Sanchez science room and I asked about having a code word for neurodivergent kids that might need movement during class and I was told that I asked the right person. Ms. Sanchez had come up with the idea of coming up with a code word a neurodivergent kid could tell her when that kid needed movement and or “stimming.” Once the code word was said by the student, the student would be allowed to pace un the back of the classroom during class while paying attention to the class. Why a code word, you might ask? Because she had found out that some neurodivergent kids were too self-conscious to voice aloud their need for stimming in front of the whole classroom. This code word was brought up and implemented during once of the staff meetings and I thought it was a brilliant idea and showed the genuine care leadership and staff had for all students. One of the greatest selling points of Promsa was its two 30 minutes recesses. Our local public school offers 2, 20 minute recesses. I don’t see the point with all the new changes to stay at Promesa if they get leas recess than our local school. School day is longer plus if you add over an hour of driving a day, the free time of our kids to be kids is greatly diminished. I don’t understand how adults in corporate America are entitled to

Our worst fears came to fruition once Ambika left. When you finally have a glimmer of hope in the future of education, you get a tyrant, who leads through fear and he is actually being applauded for 'saving' the school. When in fact he has dismantled the beautiful vision that Promesa was.

Please don't close the school!

I'm a strong believer in prayer Let's pray for staff student faculty board members n administration

need to keep school opened for all the bright students that you have there and all the great teachers

No comment… it’s all been stated in the petition