Randall School listening session reveals strengths and weaknesses

 

By Gail Peckler-Dziki~Correspondent

Nearly 50 parents and staff filled the Randall Grade School library on March 26 to air some opinions and ask some questions. Board members Jan Brockway and Randy Nolan had volunteered to run the session.

First topic was to explain to parents the procedure for handling problems and complaints. Nolan stated that the procedure was outlined in school policy.

“If you have an issue, you address it first with the teacher. If that doesn’t help, then you see the principal,” Nolan said.

He said the next step is to contact the administrator and the final step if you are not satisfied, is to go to the school board.

The question surfaced after a parent attended last month’s school board meeting and during open session raised a complaint about a teacher and mentioned a student by name.

Neither of these items can be legally addressed in public. Staff has the right of due process, Nolan explained, noting it’s a state statutes. Also any topic regarding individual employee performance must be done in closed session. Minors are also protected with confidentiality by law, he said.

Staff members who attended the meeting expressed concern about how the matter was handled. Nolan admitted that the board should have stopped the discussion before the names were made public but failed to do so.

The parent, who was present at the listening session, claimed she was instructed by several different individuals to go immediately to the school board if she was not satisfied with the teacher.

One topic that arose at the listening session concerned the newly formed Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program.

Parent April Kulovany recently introduced this program, which is nationwide.

This K-12 program puts fathers, grandfathers, uncles or other father figures in the classroom of their student at least one day, all day, during the school year.

One goal of the program is to help provide father figures for students who may have no father in the home.

The program was presented at the February board meeting. With 45 days of school left, Nolan said parents were scheduled to be in classrooms for 21 days. “That’s almost half the days left. I think that’s good.”

One parent was upset that while the teacher of one of her son’s welcomed her husband into that classroom, the teacher of her other son said no.

“I want both my sons to feel special,” she said. “I don’t want my other son to feel like he’s not good enough.”

There was some disagreement over how the program was presented in February. Some believed that the program was optional and sprang to the defense of the teachers who chose not to participate in that option.

It was also mentioned there are issues in some classrooms depending on the student composition. Some special needs students may not respond well to the introduction of a stranger in the classroom and chaos can ensue. It was pointed out that there are options other than the regular classroom. For instance, the dad could attend music or gym.

Some parents that attended the listening session talked about communication issues with the school board and the administration. One parent claimed that the school board didn’t respond quickly enough to staff requests.

The possibility of having an outside source evaluate the administration was raised. That option had already been considered and the costs were prohibitive.

Erin Tassone demanded that the teachers be allowed to evaluate the administration and Brockway explained that a process to make that happen was underway.

Staff members present were quick to back Nolan’s statement regarding a meeting between the staff and school board.

“We meet once a month,” Nolan explained. “We did have a meeting with staff and made a list of about 55 items. We have already addressed a number of those and are moving forward.”

The nearly 15 staff members present agreed with Nolan that a number of the staff issues had already been dealt with.

The issue of trust, according to one parent, was not caused simply by that last board meeting but by neighborhood gossip that created distrust between parents and teachers. “If one parent has an issue with a teacher, it goes on Facebook and then everyone has an issue,” said a member of the audience.

Some expressed concern that there is a negative climate in the school, a claim soundly disputed by teacher Janet Bruner. “ (Gov.) Walker hit us hard but we keep doing our jobs. This is a phenomenal school with a phenomenal staff.”

“So much was taken out of our control,” she continued, “but when someone has a problem, our staff addresses it above and beyond. We keep fighting with a passion because we love our job and we love our kids.”

“We have an incredible staff and there is a lot of laughter here,” Bruner continued. “You can’t have such a great school if you have a dysfunctional administration.”

Kindergarten teacher Tina Collins commented, “A rise in taxes is the same as a pay cut.”

Other issues discussed were a perceived lack of technology available and curriculum gaps.

Several parents stated they would like to aid in the creation of a survey to help assess the school and communication issues. Nolan said he would bring the request and ideas to the next school board meeting.

The Randall School Board meets the second Wednesday of the month, with a business meeting at 5:30 and the regular school board meeting at 6 p.m. For more information, call (262) 537-2211 or visit the website, www.randall.k12.wi.us.

 

 


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