FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS & COMMUNITY MEMBERS

This was the number one answer by far. There was a strong feeling that there is a lack of discipline and teachers don’t feel adequately supported in the follow through. This is creating difficult learning environments for the students that do want to learn.

 My Perspective: Students will live up to the standards you set and hold to. It starts at home and we as parents need to be aware of any misbehavior by our kids so we can reinforce the rules set by the school. While kids will say they don’t like structure and discipline, being clear in the rules and following through on discipline make kids feel more secure and safe and fosters an atmosphere where students can thrive academically. 

Lack of busing for students and athletes creates additional challenges for parents already juggling hectic schedules. When busing is available parents aren’t comfortable with what they are exposed to on the bus (kids are physical, foul language, etc).

 My Perspective: On discipline, see above! As for bus drivers and available transportation, we have felt the pain. I would need to understand more from the district about what they are seeing as the root causes to then provide perspective on potential alternatives. Also see below on staffing.

There is a perception that classrooms have become excessively influenced by social and political issues, and there is a growing call for neutrality. However, individuals often hesitate to express their concerns when they notice these influences. The classroom is not the ideal setting for discussing such topics, and if they are included in the curriculum, they should be presented in a balanced manner, ensuring that all perspectives are equally represented. 

 My Perspective:  An integral component of the District Mission Statement is the creation of a secure environment that nurtures critical thinking.   Achieving this goal starts with upholding ideological neutrality and providing students exposure to a spectrum of perspectives and sources, without bias or favoritism towards any particular stance. This principle extends to the physical environment as well, ensuring its free from sociopolitical and religious imagery or slogans. 

During my service on the Districts Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity committee I have raised concerns about the Goals of the committee and have presented a set of Guiding Principles for consideration.  These principles are designed to establish a framework that ensures our approach aligns with our Mission/Vision, promoting full inclusivity, unity, and empowerment for students, families, and the district. 

Numerous parents have shared that their children feel bathrooms are physically unsafe and uncomfortable due to the lack of access controls and usage monitoring. These concerns primarily arise from incidents of fights, exposure to vaping, and discomfort around usage by students of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, without an available alternative (given the closure of the family bathroom), students are left with the only option of holding it in throughout the day.    

 My Perspective:  it's hard to fathom the idea of having to endure an entire day without using the bathroom while also trying to maintain focus on academic activities. Every student deserves the right to use the bathroom without feeling fearful, and it's important for us to collaborate with families to understand their concerns and find solutions. For more information on my perspective on family partnerships, please see the section below 

There is a sentiment that many occurrences take place without parents' awareness or input for potential solutions.  There is a broad range of concerns ranging from in-school drug usage, vaping, discipline issues, general disruptions, bathroom access, matters related to sexual identity and gender, curriculum content, inappropriate teachings, and access to content without parental consent.

 My Perspective: maximizing the academic and personal development of each student starts at home and it is families, not institutions, who can best care and make decisions for their children. Open communication and disclosure is not only fundamental to parents’ and guardians’ ability to make appropriate decisions regarding their children’s education and health, but essential to building trust between schools and families while avoiding putting teachers in uncomfortable situations.

There were a handful of concerns have been raised, reflecting the sentiment that a significant portion of teaching is overly focused on testing, which places excessive pressure on students to achieve high scores. This perception suggests that once testing concludes, the learning process stagnates. Behavioral issues further compound the problem, resulting in reduced learning time and diminished focus. Additionally, there appears to be an undue emphasis on college attendance and career commitment, particularly at a young age, leaving less room for exploring alternative pathways like trade careers. Lastly, there is a concern that valuable classroom time is being consumed by sociopolitical discussions.

 My Perspective: Education is the common pathway to opportunity that leads to empowerment and success. The primary purpose of education is to provide students with knowledge and academic skills and we as parents play an important role alongside the school in supporting values that expand students’ ability to think for themselves, to fulfill their academic, social, and human potential, and to live a life of meaning. Parents have the right to advocate for or against books and curricula that are appropriate for children based on grade level. Such decisions should not be made unilaterally and should result from meaningful and robust discussion among all parents/guardians and educators in the community. Also see below on School Facilities and Athletics.

In addition to bus drivers, there are concerns about retaining administrators, counselors, and substitute teachers.

My Perspective: Recruiting and retaining great people is not easy. Based on my professional experience, people don’t leave employers, they leave managers, and it’s not typically over compensation. The work environment and culture are typically a key part of this.

Mixed feedback provided with some concerned about maintaining property values and others wanting all new schools to attract people to the area. Others were concerned that our latest levy is focused too much on athletic facilities and not enough on academics.

 My Perspective: Academic excellence is what fuels our future. We chose to live in the district based on academics and wanting a safe environment for our children. If our top priority is creating a physical environment that is conducive to learning and supporting academic excellence we’ll continue to attract families to our community. Aesthetics are important and make us feel good about what we have and if we maintain academic excellence we’ll have the support of the community to continue to invest in our facilities. Everything costs more and there is no one size fits all solution. In my professional career I would be focused on maximizing the return on the investments based on the budget available. What are the needs of all our stakeholders, what options are available to meet those needs, and what will give us the greatest benefit now and long term based on the available resources - tough choices have to be made.

Multiple concerns were raised about athletics. Fair treatment over facilities access; overly burdensome and year round overlap with multisport commitments that impact mental health and academics; recruiting and retaining of high level coaching.

 My Perspective: All sports should be treated fairly with appropriate access provided to facilities. If the goal is to win then we should develop well rounded athletes that play multiple sports. If we want to look back and see if we were successful, we should have athletes that excel in academics and are physically and mentally healthy. Winning and achieving success starts with keeping the right priorities (family and academics first) and maintaining balance in what kids are required to commit to when playing multiple sports.  We should also consider how we are attracting and retaining great coaches that are high in character and appropriately compensated.