Finally a public response from James Flanagan, who is principal of Saint Saviour's School in Park Slope.
June 17, 2009,
Dear Parents,
As most of you are aware, Fr. Murphy has refused to renew my contract for next year. I am constrained from providing detailed information on this issue, as this matter is in mediation. With the school year coming to a close, however, I wanted to thank you for your support & provide you some information about the situation.
Fr. Murphy’s informing me on April 3, 2009 that he would not be renewing my contract came as a complete shock. Last April he told me that we had had the best year yet working together. My contract required five formal meetings to discuss my performance and major school issues. No meetings occurred. This is why when I appealed the non-renewal, the Office of the Superintendent ruled in my favor. The ruling in my favor, however, did not overturn Father’s decision. This is why on May 13, 2009 I requested Diocesan mediation.
Fr. Murphy has stated that I am not the type of principal who can implement the changes called for in the Preserving the Vision Process. In its review of the four schools of our cluster, the Preserving the Vision Committee commended St. Saviour for its strength and urged it to keep growing stronger.
I have taken part extensively in the meetings of the Park Slope Advisory Board for the four schools of our cluster. The Board developed the marketing campaign for the cluster that resulted in ads for our schools on the sides of 15 Park Slope buses.
Over the last several years, I have instituted the program where several of our eighth grade students study French I at St. Saviour High School; worked with the Friends of St. Saviour to guide the library renovation (which begins Monday, June 22nd); hosted two very successful Art Fairs and several seasonal concerts; restarted the concept of a Science Fair & oversaw the installation & implementation of Smart Board technology & LCD/Laptop instruction. Not bad for a person supposedly opposed to change.
Father Murphy’s major criticism of me concerns Tuition. He wanted at one point to charge the actual per pupil cost as tuition. This would have meant families of two would be paying $10,000 in tuition next year. I stressed to Fr. Murphy and the School Finance Committee that such an approach would seriously hurt our enrollment. Ultimately the Tuition was raised $300 per child. Through fundraising & donations, we were able to raise sufficient funds to bridge the gap between actual tuition & per pupil cost without financial assistance from the parish. Father Murphy considered my advocacy on behalf of the school as my being insubordinate.
Your phenomenal support has kept me going during this very difficult time. I have been truly blessed to have served as principal at St. Saviour’s for 25 years. I look forward to returning as your principal in September. I thank God for you and your wonderful children & our faculty.
Sincerely,
Jim Flanagan
I hope everyone connected with St. Saviour’s Church and St. Saviour’s School will take a moment today to salute James Flanagan and thank him publicly for all the great things he’s achieved during his tenure as Principal. He’s positively affected us, our children and our community in countless ways over many years of faithful service. Though he won’t be a daily presence at our school this year, I know I speak for many when I say that, regardless of the merits of those who succeed him, he will never be replaced.
To Mr. Pierce: It comes as no surprise your attacks on Father Murphy and Catholic Church in general, that you have mantained a friendship with Jim Flanagan for 30+ years.
The whole story about Principal Jim Flanagan being fired by Father Murphy is disgusting and something that should just not be happening. I am an outside observer to the goings on and not from the St. Saviour’s Parish, but I know the man as Mr. Flanagan was my teacher back when I was in the 8th Grade at Our Lady Of Angels elementary school. His positive guidance and wisdom as an educator found him remaining in contact with my family and I for thirty years. Together we have watched him lead St. Saviour’s as a respected and admired principal since he began his tenure there about twenty five years ago. If a man as dedicated to the institution of Catholic School education as much as Mr. Flanagan is and can remain in his station for such an incredible amount of time is not in the “vision of the future” that Father Murphy sees, what the heck kind of vision is this in the first place? Does the parish not want a continuing success story on the job, or a respected leader whose students, parents and faculty are able to form lasting and memorable friendships that last as long as I have experienced myself. That does not sound like much of a vision if you asked me and I must admit that I am rather suspect of Father’s motivations and don’t think that they are as forward thinking as he might want everyone to believe.
In the end the school suffers which means the children suffer and their parents have to deal with the abrupt and unnecessary change. The faculty should worry as well lest they also find themselves out of line with Father’s very unclear and densely fogged “vision”. Mr. Jim Flanagan is the true visionary and should recieve the proper respect he not only deserves but has earned after so many years. I am hard pressed to find anyone that I know who has remained in one job for as long as he has, and much less a principal of a school. The parishoners who support Jim should really hit Father where it hurts and that is in the collection plate. Toss a sticky note in the basket instead and let Father know that he was wrong and that his time in the role should be enjoyed while he still holds it. I doubt the Arch Diocese would leave him there when they see no cash coming in week after week after month after month.
Good luck Mr. Flanagan, you are an incredible human being who is a positive service to the job and your students. We are all pulling for you.
As an alumna of St. SAviour’s school, I have always been proud of the academic performance of the students, including my grandson Henry.
Having accredidation as a teacher and administrator and degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, with thirty yesrs experience licensed and teaching in New York and Princeton, New Jersey
(see Who’s Who in America for further resume),
I have closely followed the work of James Flanagan, Principal of St Saviour’s School, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
I served of the Board of St. Saviour’s for many years, and received their highest honor.
Jim Flanagan is a superb educator, open minded,intellectually astute,
and eager for change where appropriate. Together we visited many schools, including
highest level St David’s in NYC,along with the Convent of the Sacred Heart, 91st Street NYC, and St. Ignatius Loyola, NYC. Here the most prestigious Headmasters,teachers, and students met with Mr. Flanagan, and their observations and suggestions
were the basis of many innovations and changes in curriculum and policy.This was all done within the constraints of frugal funding
and limited support from the parish clergy.
Mr Flanagan served for many years as education representative for the parochial school teachers and administrators before the NY State Legislators’ committees in Albany. He won the admiration and support of all those he represented, and was able to influence legislation and funding for the benefit of Catholic schools statewide. Through public monies, grants, and private philanthropy he was able to upgrade facilities, replace decaying windows, heating systems, and other necessary improvements for the health and safety of the children, with NO help from the parish clergy, who have never been willing to pay their fair share of expenses of the parish school, with one notable exception, Fr. Nagle.
The present pastor has no training or experience in management, as demonstrated by his style in personnel matters,
and no academic history that would make him a respected critic of a professional educator. His abuse of power, ignorance of protocol,and denial of rights of an incumbant to hearings before peers is unacceptable.
The historical position as an elite school because of their graduation performance among parochial schools testifys to Mr. Flanagan’s competence, creative thinking, and professional excellence.
I trust that he will continue to administer St. Saviour’s until he chooses to retire, and then receive the honors and thanks of a grateful community. His 25 years have been exemplary, as many pastors have come and gone, and the diplomacy of serving so many different personalities
proved his professionalism.
Thank you, Mr. Flanagan.
I think Rufus’s question is right on target. And what’s interesting to note is that the information that’s “leakable” is already damning to the decision. It will be enlightening to see the whole enchilada. Boiled down to its core, transparency is really the issue here. We may never hear all the details that led to the firing. It may not be our right to know because of the protocols already in place in the diocese – but the church is already suffering from lack of transparency and due process. In fact, its nearly bankrupt because of it.
Rufus makes a fair point. The answer is that while Mr. Flanagan does not want to get into a point by point refutation in public, he feels compelled to make some broad statements, as he did in his letter. I spoke to him about this. Fr. Murphy has not held back at all – he has alluded to “6 pages of documents,” and that Mr. Flanagan does not fit into Fr. Murphy’s famed unexplained “vision of the future,” and has spoken to the press numerous times. I asked Fr. Murphy myself about his vision – he refused to answer – but there is no legal reason to withhold his answer. Fr. Murphy, I believe, wants this all to die down and then put in one of his friends who will “play ball” with him — that’s his “vision” and that’s why he can’t articulate it. There’s no mystery here. As for Mr. Flanagan, it’s not easy running the only successful Catholic school in Brooklyn West, watching 35 of your fellow schools get shut down, and at the same time stomach watching Fr. Murphy spin nonsense to the press. So, I think he needed to say something, and I believe he did so with dignity, as opposed to Fr. Murphy’s “nastygram.” Thanks Rufus.
I don’t want to fight. And I don’t want to knock a man fighting for his job. But I need to ask an honest question. The letter more or less begins saying, “I am constrained from providing detailed information on this issue, as this matter is in mediation” and then goes on to give 4 paragraphs of detailed information. Aren’t his critics going to think that he is saying one thing and doing another? If they think this, would they be somewhat right? Is it possible that the Father is holding back because the matter is in mediation?
Please don’t bite my head off. I just want to understand this.
Just re-read this letter for the fourth time today and THANK YOU Mr. Flanagan for the first official and fact based explanation addressed to the parents of your students in SSES. I need no convincing that you are the better man in this sad situation. Your letter clearly explained, didn’t point fingers, and was right on topic.
The “other” letter we parents finally received from the opposition evaded the topic, and was full of unrelated nonsense. What does visiting sick babies in Methodist Hospital have to do with our situation? That’s between his conscience and the sick children in the hospital.
Keeping totally positive that we WILL see you in September, and we hope you don’t retire until the day after our 2nd grader graduates from SSES…unless it’s YOUR decision to leave us prior to that.
“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~Margaret Mead
We hope to see you back in September. Our older child has been very anxious wondering if “any principal could be as nice as Mr. Flanagan”. I sincerely hope you will be lead St. Saviour into another successful year.
Note that Mr. Flanagan’s letter discusses the school and substance, while Father’s letter discussed himself. I think that says it all.