That is the school board's job. Under Policy Governance, all they really do is monitor how well the superintendent carries out policies on our behalf.
Tuesday was set up for evaluating the superintendent's performance on "EL-10" - an Executive Limitation requiring her not to fail to see that board members have the information they need to "be adequately informed."
It was nice to have the Herald present. See
9-R board questions early-release plan
The superintendent thinks a "reasonable interpretation" gives her a pass on this, despite board member concerns that teachers (parents and students) were not appropriately and adequately involved in the District's new early release plan. The board president allowed an additional policy to be read into the record by a parent whose ongoing concerns have made her well versed in 9-R's intricacies. That policy clearly establishs the need for the superintendent to involve "affected parties." But Barter played the well worn and ultimate "Policy Governance" card: maybe none of this is really "board business" at all. The board was working hard for us (especially for our teachers) trying to do its job: monitor the superintendent's performance. It is their responsibility to find out how well she followed District policies in involving those affected by this decision. Is there real support from teachers for Friday afternoon? Early release is a way to get them some planning time. What were teachers' thoughts about Wednesdays? Friday afternoons?
Board members decided to continue their discussion of this until next time. If you have ideas about the Friday early release discussions, let us know in the comments.
16 comments:
As the parent of two school-aged children, let me start by saying no one asked me what I thought of early release...we just got a flier asking if we were going to pick our children up or have them go to kidtime. With this administration, public participation means being "sold" the programs once they're put in place.
From what I've heard, PLC's were studied last year and thought to be of great benefit. There were several presentations, including one in Whalen Gymnasium that was attended by educators from all over the four corners region. Initially these PLC's were to be "site specific" and the people championing them were primarily elementary teachers and administrators. The people I spoke with said they couldn't remember seeing any 9R middle school or high school people there. In fact, the middle and high school scoffed at the idea because they already have planning and collaboration time built into their schedules.
These elementary teachers did all the leg work, and were ready to put PLC's into place this year but Donna Deeds freaked out because no one had brought Mary up to speed and Mary needed to do her own research before agreeing to anything. Another example of asking the staff to make recommendations and then ignoring their requests. The people I spoke with said Friday was NEVER seriously considered for the early release day, and that Wednesday was their day of choice. They were flabbergasted to learn Mary had choosen Friday. Elementary teachers are livid that the high school had so much influence on early release when they hadn't really even been involved.
Of course this is where Mary will get all smarmy and claim that absolutely all schools had been involved from the very beginning, but that ain't the way I hear it.
Mary's stories are so hard to check out. She always begins with, "Well, on my planet..."
Now that PLC's and early release are set in place, teachers are worried they won't actually get the time they need to collaborate...that their time will be filled with endless meetings and inservice-like presentations. In a word...they don't trust administration to do what they promise.
As my daughter said, "They want us to learn more... so they're letting us out an hour early? COOL!"
You were lucky...you got a flyer after the event. We didn't get asked anything, and we are involved parents in the school district. It was definitely a well kept secret. EL-10...failed....again...and again...and again.
Surprising though, one member of the school board felt the superintendent had passed.....I can never work that out. How the school board can pass the superintendent even when she fails. I wish that happened to our students!!
Teachers are just not high on the priority list. And if you think you can speak out without fear of retribution, think again. Be very careful.
"They have their ways."
Ever wonder why so many teachers have retreated behind closed doors? We really need a safe place to talk.
We are going to have to talk together and present a unified front, but even that is very hard to do at DHS.
Teachers, does Gene Young ring a bell?
He was sent packing when the staff gave a unified vote of no confidence. Just think if you could organize and do the same to MFB (or Greg).
I would hope those in the position to make change and monitor progress would not lie.
This was not the case last night at the Key COmmunicators meeting. A group of hand picked members of the community 5 out of 40 showed up. These people really have no idea of what is going on in the district, but bless their little hearts. 5 people showed up who care. Whoo hoo...
They were lied to, in my opinon, over and over again last night. MFB to MM to MS. What were the rest of the School Board doing? Nothing. Once again not standing up for what is right. Lie, lies lies.
I attended the same meeting described above and concur. It was a challenge sitting quietly while the truth got mangled. I came away impressed with the small group of "key communicators" who lasted through 90 minutes of presentations, ranging from a powerpoint of factiods about 21st Century technology to an indepth look at 9-R's math program. With 5 minutes left for "discussion" one asked about the "elephant in the room" - i.e., "What is 9-R doing to restore trust?" .. "to change people's perceptions about 9-R?" Another noted that they haven't had input into their own agendas. I'm glad they showed up and hope they'll come back. No one should blame key communicators for 9-R generated problems. In fact, they may be our only hope. As long as 9-R avoids public engagements that would bring them face to face with "ordinary citizens" we might look at them as our new representatives! Wonder if 9-R will publish their contact information - and at the same time, explain exactly how they are selected.
Does anyone wonder what happened to the rest of the Key Communicators? If I recall there were 40 people contacted. Every meeting less and less.
What does that tell us? Only 5 at this latest meeting. Over an hour of presentation on Math while Key Communicators seem to be falling asleep. And what about the big fib from Mary? The community didn't want 2 schools when the bond issue was voted on. What? Of course we did. Mary convinced us we couldn't afford it. Speak the truth. Quit spinning it. 2 smaller schools would have been great. One large school is one large problem.
We need a larger base of understanding and we must remember until now the only source of information (other than word of mouth - fleeting snippets of stories) about 9-R, is spin and spittle, fed spoon by spoon by the Press Office into the public's little baby-bird like mouth, through the 9-R website and upside down press releases to ordinary readers who have no children in school, and then constantly to Chuck for slow news days (of the many variations of glowing CSAP reports).
All the spin makes me furious, and our best strategy is to offer the truth, plain and simple.
It's all about control. Of topics and participants... carefully screened. Still, on Tuesday night it backfired a bit because when the dog and pony show was all over and out of time and clearly everyone could see this ridiculous waste of resources with 18 of "them" talking at 4 of "us" with the big slideshow and Celtic music blaring about The World is Flat as if none of the rest of us know what is going on... Good grief, it was insulting. Well that's when Dee Dee DeHaro Brown and Mike Elliot, kept making these points, quietly, and "they" all got on edge and allowed the lies (half truths the PO calls them) to flow. I was thrilled to know the board could see the lying!
I too, was at the Key Communicator work session on Tuesday night, and...well....only 4 Key Communicators came (not 5!). (7 board members, 5 administrators, 6 teachers, and 6 members of the public).
I think the absence of our Key Communicators spoke volumes.
Anon (for my protection)
I've witnessed the "spin" 9-R can create. I sat in a meeting about CSAP scores that showed 33% proficiency in reading, but when the administration got done with its presentation, suddenly we were at 88% proficiency with the same exact test scores. What? Huh? They used all sorts of double-talk to show us poor, uneducated, and clearly illiterate parents what the numbers really were and that what we saw in front of us--the 33%--really didn't exist. I knew then that the lies and half-truths were abundant in our district.
The best thing we can do for Durango 9-R is to find a different superintendent. One who truly cares about the kids, the parents, and the community. We need someone who can repair the enormous rift we currently have and begin to restore trust. We need someone who will listen and work with us instead of against us.
Early Out on friday is great if you are wealthy. Ski, play sports, take dance class, study with a private music teacher,have church classes(great for the specific churches that have pushed for this), go to the Bahamas for the weekend.
Or regular Durangoan...pay for Kid Time out of your already limited income and figure out how to pick up your child from the kidtime program they don't want to be in because it is boring, there are bullies, and or the child simply wants a stable environment/and stable routine because that is the only stability there is in their lives. School time for children needs to coincide at least remotely with parents work schedules. In an ideal world we could all just stay home, home school all children (ideal?) or have them in public education. Something many people fought for. Something that makes our democracy work.
I wasn't aware that were any meetings for us parents to attend? Were there? It would be easier for me to take my child in late than pick her up early. Do we have an option? I'm already worried about what her friends are up to after school.. What happened? I am trying to understand this.. and want her teachers to have time to meet because I know they have their hands full! But is this decision final? What happened?
I have recently been entrusted with the responsibility of exploring, researching, asking questions and responding to the needs of your (our) children after each school day. I began meeting with parents and observing KidTime at each site 3 weeks ago, in some cases 3 or more times. It has been an enlightening journey these past few weeks. I have heard both positive and negative experiences. I have worried more about what is happening with your kids and listened carefully to what your vision for what is possible for them.
I apologize to the first anonymous writer who just got a flier asking what their plans were for after school. Each school is trying in their own way to reach parents to determine what their needs are. I am trying to get a feeling for what parents need, want they want, and what they have to say about every day after school, as well as on Friday early release days.
I am trying to spend as much time as is needed to hear parents' concerns and desires before beginning to develop plans for what I hope will be an enriching, safe, supportive time for your kids next year--every day...
What I know is that I can't accomplish all I want to do or what I hear needs to happen by myself. I need parents, community members, and child-centered agencies to join with the school district to develop, implement, and continually assess and improve the enrichment activities provided during after school hours.
After reading much of what is in this website, I know there is little trust for anything the school district initiates. I hope that you will give me a chance to show that I will listen to your concerns, take them seriously, and respond to the best of my ability.
There is a meeting planned for March 13th at 10:00 for all community organizations or individuals who work with our elementary aged kids. If you know of groups that work with your kids, please let me know who the contact person is for that group. If you have suggestions for what would be good for your child, please tell me. I hope you will join us in a conversation and in a plan about what is possible. If you have any questions or comments, please call or email me.
Libby Culver
247-5411 ext. 1427
lculver@durango.k12.co.us
Thank you Libby.
I hope parents who are concerned about early release and what their children will do, will approach you. You couldn't be warmer!
Great letter.
Anne
Post a Comment