Embattled principal to leave Madison for Puerto Rico school.
Wisconsin State JournalMATTHEW DeFOUR | mdefour@madison.com
The Glendale Elementary School principal who was accused by some teachers of being a bully while praised by others as a visionary is leaving at the end of the year to take a principal job in Puerto Rico. In a statement, Mickey Buhl said he knew sometime last school year that this would be his last year at Glendale. "The stage we are at makes it a wise time for a change for the school and for me," he wrote to parents last week.
Superintendent Dan Nerad praised Buhl as an "innovative instructional leader who has played a key role in improving the educational results for Glendale students." During Buhl's six years, test scores among Glendale's low-income and minority students have improved as changes were made to foster more collaboration between teachers. But Buhl's aggressive management style rubbed some teachers the wrong way, prompting a district investigation last fall.
The investigation found Buhl could have handled some situations better, which he acknowledged, but did not violate any district policies. The conflict prompted the School Board to develop a workplace bullying policy, which it reviewed Monday and could approve at its March 28 meeting.
The proposed policy defines workplace bullying as "repeated, unreasonable actions of an individual (or group) directed toward a peer, co-worker or employee that is intended to intimidate and creates a risk to the health or safety of the target." Examples include name calling, excluding someone from work-related events, shouting or using vulgar language, unwarranted criticism or excessive monitoring of a person's work. Buhl had been accused of some of those behaviors.
The proposal does not include under bullying "a demanding supervisor" whose "primary motivation is to obtain the best performance from his or her employees through the establishment of high but reasonable expectations that are appropriately conveyed and applied." Under the proposal, employees who engage in bullying behavior after being warned for a first offense could be subject to discipline, including termination. The human resources director would also conduct annual workplace bullying training.
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