Re “Sheila Silver and Her Heart Cruise to a Happy Landing, in Orange County”
Having bumpily departed Culver City High School during spring break under a cloud of illness, fired drama teacher Sheila Silver says she is much better today than she was the last two months of the school year because:
• “I had a wonderful medical team,
• “A great support team” and
• A new fulltime job, as of last week, in southern Orange County as the Creative Director of Theatre at San Juan Hills High School.
“It took me a good few months to get back to myself,” she said.
Stressed out and utterly empty by spring break, Ms. Silver exhaled and said, “I did not know how hard it had been on me. I kept focusing on the kids, the kids. I kept trying to make it work. But I was powerless.”
Although departed Principal Dr. Pam Magee was blamed by Ms. Silver’s vocal supporters for her ouster, that is not the teacher’s perspective.
“From the time that a decision was made by whomever that they wanted me out, they made sure I was out,” the teacher said.
“I have come to understand a lot.
“I have actually come to agree that I am not a good long-term fit (at Culver High) because I treat people differently.
“I don’t think there was a clash (between Dr. Magee and me). I think a decision had been made. However it was done, what needed to be done was done.
“In the end, when it came to politics, I was in over my head. I just don’t have it in me to have anticipated what they were doing would happen.
“I didn’t even see it coming. I sincerely believed in, okay, it was a hard situation. We are all adults. Of course people want to move on. But clearly, I never was part of that plan. I never was seen as…
“They wanted me out.”
(To be continued)
