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Islington Tribune - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 24 July 2009
 
Parents want an apology from disgraced ex-head

• I WAS simply appalled at the snivelling whine of Jay Henderson (Sacked head tells of suicide bid in woods, July 17), particularly the way in which he sneered with his “Tarquin” etc jibe, implying that caring parents were out to get him.
He presumably would prefer to be in a job where low aspiring parents and children’s needs would not interrupt his porn fest in school time.
He presumably was sacked not only for such a total disregard of probity, but also for the fact that he is quite prepared to take teachers that have been removed by another school.
I think that £80,000 is a marvellous wage whether it be a private or state school.
And as for killing himself this smacks of brattish behaviour in the “they’ll be sorry when I’m dead” mould.
Thank goodness the school governors knew what they were about!
Good riddance.
B Knight
Percival Street, EC1


Architect of his demise

• WHEN will disgraced former headteacher Jay Henderson realise that what parents want to hear from him is an apology and an admission that what he did was wrong?
I don’t know about your other readers but I am getting a bit sick and tired of his “not my fault gov” whining on the pages of your newspaper (Sacked head tells of suicide bid in woods, July 17).
It’s understandable that loosing his job has caused him some distress but rather than face up to the fact that he is responsible for his own downfall not anyone else’s, he prefers to lash out at parents, governors, the council and anyone else he can find.
I am sorry, but no one made him work excessive hours – his sense of responsibility to the school should have told him that “living over the shop” wasn’t appropriate – and most certainly no one made him watch porn on a computer while on school premises.
Mr Henderson needs to take a look in the mirror to see if he can spot the real architect of his demise.
Sandra Laing
Kelvin Road, N5


PR ‘spin’

• AS a teacher in Islington I cannot understand why Canonbury’s former headteacher, Jay Henderson, has been allowed to run a PR campaign through your newspaper without your journalists apparently questioning any of his claims.
Did they talk to parents, teachers and members of the local community for their perceptions of events?
Now Mr Henderson plans to write a book about his Islington experiences. If it resembles the spin he’s been allowed to put on these events it should be classified under “fiction”.
Mr Henderson’s reputation among the borough’s teachers is not for overwork but for frequently swanning off to conferences.
We heard, too, how he would boast to other local heads about what most people would see as questionable management practices.
He behaved as if he thought he was untouchable.
Many people who encountered him considered him arrogant.
For all his barbed comments about over-demanding “middle class” parents, he was seen as building the Canonbury Empire with them and for them.
It was on his watch that some Canonbury parents raised unbelievable amounts of money through auctions for services donated by the school’s super-rich friends. How does he imagine poorer parents felt about this?
Having been caught red-handed watching porn on his computer, he trivialises it and tries to justify it as a reasonable response to the pressure of his work.
If, as he claims, he couldn’t cope, then he should have refused to take his disproportionately large salary and found employment he could cope with.
Name and address supplied

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Islington Tribune, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@islingtontribune.co.uk. Deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld . Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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