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Presentation before the AISD
School Board Good evening, Dr. Hansen, Board Members, and Dr. Stoerner. Tonight, I am bringing you an informal “Progress Report” of the 2007-2008 school year so far - - based on the perspectives of some of your employees. I’m going to share some of their responses to this survey with you, because I believe you are fundamentally interested in the well-being of your employees and you recognize the correlation between their well-being and the quality of the educational environment of their students. Since August 20, I have been contacted by members from all levels and job descriptions about their concerns with the new school year and the many changes that occurred. In response to these comments, we sent out a quick survey to get a more accurate snapshot of the situations facing our members. Over 260 members responded in the two-day time frame in which it was offered. The survey asked them to focus on their perceptions of the quality of their work environments so far. And we asked them “With all the change, how is this school year going for you?” Their responses are interesting and should be informative for you. When asked to check their TOP CONCERNS from a list of 14 (taken from those which had been communicated to me since the beginning of school), the results were: 61% - - Not enough time to plan and grade 40% - - Excessive paperwork for detailed lesson plans 28% - - Meetings held during planning time (more than once weekly) 24% - - Evaluators (campus & district) looking for what you are doing wrong (“Gotcha”) 17% - - Unprofessional or insensitive treatment by administrators When asked how they rated their STRESS LEVEL at this point, the results showed: 68% - - Higher than any other year When asked if they were considering LEAVING THE DISTRICT as a consequence of these concerns, they responded: 29% - - Yes definitely 47% - - Possibly The secondary respondents (approximately 64% of total responding) commented that they liked the 50 minute periods for their students - - but found the single 50 minute planning period to be not long enough to get their teaching jobs done - - planning, preparing, and grading. The overwhelming consensus is that teachers and paras are exhausted and tired. This kind of stress is going to take a toll on all of us - - and the district will continue to have problems in two important areas: retaining quality, experienced teachers, and high absenteeism. We ask that you alleviate these problems and begin planning for a 7 period day with 2 conference periods. Once again, I remind you: Employees are the most valuable asset any organization has. Productive and encouraging work environments result in productive and encouraging employees. And that results in retaining quality employees and decreasing high absenteeism. Everyone wins - - the district, its certified employees, and most certainly its students. My officers and I will be happy to meet with you and discuss the survey and its results. Thank you.
Mary Ann Reuter October 16, 2007 |