Has Director April Swenson been fired? 

I hope so! I hear she is a raging b*tch. Also ever since she became director (from what I understand) the fillies have gotten much more sexual with their dances. 

Mods, don't let this turn into a personal attack by a bunch of anonymous people. 

Yes she has been and the sad thing is this brutal act can be "acceptable" since her job is only part time . I love Swenson so much and will NOT be returning to fillies next year if she is gone. 

Yes. April Swenson was fired today. This is an outrage. To @Mommyofthe281, while you may perceive the fillies as dancing "more sexual" since Swenson has been director, please keep in mind that she has been coaching the Kingwood Fillies for 22 years. In a culture that is always changing she has had to adapt to new forms and techniques of dance that would insure a win. Do not blame April Swenson for the way youth culture is headed simply because she did her job and put a pelvic thrust or two into a dance. In her 22 years she has brought home 19 national titles, almost double that in state titles, she has won director of the year, she has girls dancing in college and professionally, and she has managed to take a speechless art, like dance, and move mountains. Many people can teach the fundamental subjects that have not changed in centuries like math, science, and english. But Swenson was tasked with working in an ever changing industry, with a different team every year, choreographed over 200 dances, and instilled expression into young girls minds. She has pushed boundaries by having dances about abuse, rape, and so much more. She is a role-model, artist, mother, world changer, friend, and a tough lover. SHE is the Kingwood Fillies. 

What happened? She's been there forever. 

So why was she fired? people don't just get fired from the school district during the school year unless there was something flagrant going on. 

I was a Fillie and let me be the first to tell you that that woman is a genius. She loves her girls. We love her. She is the best at what she does. Don't talk sh*t about her unless you have been a dancer under her leadership. She's tough, no doubt. That's why the fillies are WINNERS. If you want to join a dance team that teaches you everyone gets a trophy, don't join the fillies. They work HARD and if we don't get first, we might as well have gotten last. You join fillies to dance and WIN. Standards are high because of April Swenson. She teaches discipline and is tough as sh*t on her girls. She taught me to always strive to be the best in all I do. I love Swenson and hope this isn't true.

Don't talk crap about someone who isn't here to defend herself. She's the best of the best. And I've been a dancer of hers, so I'm allowed to have an opinion. 

She was something special, alright! 

I think we will find out in time.

in all honesty, she was the best choreographer anyone will ever see, anywhere. She's a winner, she thrives on it, shes a top notch motivator. This town is not your run-of-the-mill dance community, they have real talent here, year after year. With her skill and their talent, a dynasty was born. They REALLY are amazing. I never got tired of watching them...its a pretty awesome experience for the girls. They practice 4 hrs a day, travel, compete, perform, bond, work their buns off and win national titles.

But, year after year there are numerous complaints, about various things. Some are legit, but its political and there are standards that the district holds to and they are very broad imo...I think its safe to say, something unacceptable has happened. Lets wait til we get the facts. What has happened now, doesn't negate or degrade the grand times of the past that the teams have experienced and enjoyed. 

Odd timing. You think this type of action by KHS would take place at the end of the school year. Apparently they didn't even wait until the end of the school day to fire her. She just came into her 7th period class and told the girls she had been fired. 

@grannysmithson Quick question- are you educated? Last time I checked, math, science, and english are actually ever changing fields. To say that Swenson can move mountains with her "always changing" choreography- that, mind you, adapts to "youth culture", is like saying that Donald Trump is a visionary who is going to better this nation.

This women is un-feminst, and un-wililng to adapt to today's culture. Teaching young girls that it is okay to do a burlesque-type sex dance is completely inappropriate and degrading towards women and does not teach young girls to be strong, empowered women who contribute positively to our society.

She is an educator and a total disgrace to the profession.

She has burned her bridges and deserves what was coming for her. 

She just came into her 7th period class and told the girls she was just fired.

Well, that right there is pretty unprofessional. Teachers shouldn't be discussing that kind of thing with their students.

I don't care out great she is at the dance part, she didn't get fired because of some hip twitching dance moves IMO. Unless she was told to change some of that and she threw it in her bosses faces.

If they didn't want to renew her contract they would have handled that quietly at the end of the school year. Teachers get fired during the school year only when legal counsel has been consulted. 

Soooooooooo, that's all folks... 

The comparison of her to those teaching history, math and English is hysterical!! To call her a "world changer" lol...what world? The KHS world? The world of competitive dance at the high school level?

She isn't Gandhi or Mother Theresa, people. 

From my experience as a dancer, drill team dance is not what makes a professional dancer.

I don't know anything about this teacher or situation, but I will say (from experience) that high school drill teams are often more about "exotic" dance then actual technique/talent. 

She has pushed boundaries by having dances about abuse, rape, and so much more.

Dances about abuse and rape? How do you even do that and why? Is this even an appropriate thing to be doing in some kind of interpretive dance in the school setting?

I looked at her public facebook. I was sort of taken aback at how she posts her dance related pictures and activities along with her very strong political views. Maybe I'm old fashioned (no doubt, I am!) but I always thought educators were supposed to keep their political and religious views to the themselves if working for the public school system.

I realize it her personal social media but when she is posting all sorts of videos and information about the fillies, her job, the school district, etc then I think it is in poor judgement to also post negative things about people with different political views than her. Maybe that is all okay today and I'm just not keeping up with the times! 

"She has pushed boundaries by having dances about rape, abuse...."



Do you mean she used SONGS with references to those things?? That's true, but there were no dances about those things and no themes specifically. Some of her costume choices were a bit much, IMO, but the school KNEW, due to parental complaints and it was afterall, done in public, but its been many years of that and nothing was done so scratch that from the list. 

"Don't talk sh*t about her unless you have been a dancer under her leadership."

Pretty sure Al Gore created the internet for the sole purpose of sharing uninformed opinions. 

Internet bullying is apparently okay to do if your a 50 year old housewife who hides behind a computer screen so nobody will know your real identity. I Can tell you one thing... Swenson is a better role model than you old, bitter women and men are. Nobody on this thread has any idea what they are even talking about. I hope you all feel good about yourselves. 

Wonder if this has anything to do with the cop cars & news van outside KHS this morning...? 

^^And that my friends is how rumors get started 

As A student of KHS I know a little bit but not a lot. As far as I know the timing she got fired is odd. Being 7-8 weeks left of school something terrible would have had to go wrong to be fired there. thats all I have to say. 

Who's bullying?? C'mon, we're discussing here, she's a teacher and community public personality.This is newsworthy in our community.

It's ok to be hurt and-or upset, but we can talk about it. 

I doubt Swenson would have been allowed to return to her class to tell the girls she'd been fired if something illegal was going on.

She probably pushed the powers that be one too many times or pissed off the wrong parent.

And yeah, if people knew the lyrics of some of the songs she chose, they would have a SERIOUS problem with her. 

But the complaints about lyrics and costume issues have been going on for years, I don't think it's that. It has to be a violation of school ethics somehow...its next to impossible to fire a teacher w/o serious cause. Look at the cases we've heard about previously where a teacher is actually fired...it's always abuse of some kind or criminal. I truly hope not but if one looks at past history... 

LOL
Her post on military members going door-to-door in the "dorms," looking to find any excuse to kick members out is hysterical. 

But the complaints about lyrics and costume issues have been going on for years, I don't think it's that. It has to be a violation of school ethics somehow...its next to impossible to fire a teacher w/o serious cause. Look at the cases we've heard about previously where a teacher is actually fired...it's always abuse of some kind or criminal. I truly hope not but if one looks at past history...

This is true but on the other hand like Dorothy said, if there was something really criminal she would have at the very least been escorted back to her classroom to get her things IMO. Of course, usually these people are not ever "fired" on the spot. They are given the opportunity to resign, are suspended with pay depending on the outcome of an investigation. At least that is how it always stated when you hear these things on the news.

She may be extremely talented at what she is doing. Obviously the team or whatever you call it has been successful.

I know teachers are not usually fired on the spot without just cause. Usually there has been a paper trail of documentation to support the concerns that need to addressed.

There is always the chance that she resigned but told the kids she was fired. Or she was told to do or not do something and she refused to comply. She may have been told she needed to agree t do XYorZ or be terminated and in that case she would be terminated immediately.

Of course I'm just speculating. And btw to the person getting their skirt all in a ruffle over the discussion, that is the nature of the internet and a community forum. It used to happen at the corner market, the PTA and the town newspaper. Now it happens on community forums. Like it or not, teachers are public figures. 

From another site:

Per HISD:

"She (Swenson) remains employed as a dance teacher. She was informed on Tuesday that she will not be the Fillies director next school year." 

LOL
Her post on military members going door-to-door in the "dorms," looking to find any excuse to kick members out is hysterical.

What a loon.

I didn't read that. But I found her memes mocking the president, comments regarding liberals, religious comments, etc a bit concerning since it is all mixed in with Fillies information and pictures and videos. I don't think she should mix the school business and her personal political views on the same social media page that is open to anyone.

If I were a teenager with more liberal leanings or my parents were, or I was of a different faith, I might feel a little intimidated when she is so vocally opposed to those views.

Not that she isn't entitled to her opinions, I just think there is a time and a place for airing one's personal views when you are a teacher in the public schools. Just a bias of mine, I suppose, but I would have used some discretion in posting some of those things. 

Per HISD:

"She (Swenson) remains employed as a dance teacher. She was informed on Tuesday that she will not be the Fillies director next school year."

Then she wasn't fired. Her contract wasn't renewed. It was unprofessional to discuss that with her students, if that is what happened. 

According to the Kingwood Observer:



Kingwood High School Fillies Dance Team parents and dance team members were fired up after the school announced the reassignment of longtime director, April Swenson.

The parents arrived at the school early Wednesday morning, with signs in hand, in an effort to have the school overturn their decision.

"As Fillies Booster Club members, we support Swenson and our team," Joan Clinton, a Fillies mom said. "They are trying to take someone who has been here for 22 years, brought home 19 National Championships and our girls and parents adore her. We very much disagree with the decision to reassign her somewhere else and we want to know why. There are people who move to this school just to be a part of this team."

According to a statement provided by Jamie Mount, Humble Independent School District public information officer, "The Kingwood High School Fillies absolutely are continuing as a dance team. The only change is that they will have a new director next school year. Schools make coaching and sponsor decisions on a yearly basis.

"She (Swenson) remains employed as a dance teacher. She was informed on Tuesday that she will not be the Fillies director next school year," Mount followed up with Wednesday morning.

Despite their eagerness to have their voices heard, the parents were asked to sign up to speak to the school's principal, Dr. Ted Landry, at specific times during the day and were asked the leave the premises.

"This is my third Fillie I would have had, my youngest daughter is a Freshman," Sandra Martin, a concerned parent, said. "I would never have let my first or second daughter be a Fillie if I had an issue with the director."

Several other parents echoed these sentiments by adding that being a part of the Fillies had taught their daughters leadership skills and the huge influence Swenson made on their daughters" lives.

According to the Kingwood High School Fillies website, Swenson has been nominated as "Director of the Year" three times by fellow directors and dance educators and was named "Director of the Year" in 2007 by the Texas Dance Educators of America.

The ultimate goal of the Kingwood High School Fillies' parents meeting at the school was the have the decision overturned, but no further decisions were made at this time. 

Please, lets keep it classy and NOT go with personal insults or they will be edited. We can discuss without slandering someone or just attacking their whole life or opionions, its not pertinent. Until we have factual info, lets stay away from personal attacks. She isnt here to defend herself either.
Thanks 

So that is why there were news trucks out at the school this AM. Obviously the booster team got busy right after the news was shared with her students and someone contacted the media. I saw the sign carrying parents this morning. Apparently the fillies were protesting in the halls. 

Maybe it was just time for a change? Everything in life has an expiration date. Shes very talented, she can make new choices now if she wants... 

This sounds like a script for a movie like Pitch Perfect 

What an ego boost for her! Lol!

I wonder if the district will say why they didn't renew her contract? They're certainly under no obligation to do so. Maybe Sconzo retiring has something to do with it? Out with the old, in with the new, sort of thing? 

Please, lets keep it classy and NOT go with personal insults or they will be edited. We can discuss without slandering someone or just attacking their whole life or opionions, its not pertinent. Until we have factual info, lets stay away from personal attacks.

Sagacious, that wasn't personal insults that was true facts. No one has felt able to speak up for many years, for fear of repercussions. I've been there!