PRESENTATION MADE AT SCHOOL BOARD                      
April 17, 2007
by Mary Ann Reuter, President of Alief-TSTA/NEA

I want to talk to you tonight about something that is happening in our district which affects all of us at the campus level - - teachers, paras, administrators, and even more importantly, students.   I want to first talk to you about this growing problem and one example of it - - and then I want to make a recommendation for you to consider.  

The “growing problem” that I refer to is the dangerously low staff morale showing up throughout the district and at all levels.  I believe low staff morale is a crippling condition for all concerned because it threatens to undermine every positive outcome we seek as we try to provide a quality education for our students. 

And what are some of the more noticeable symptoms of this condition?  You’ve heard me and others bring these to your attention at this microphone in the past:

* high absenteeism
* subs refusing to work at certain campuses
* increasing complaints from employees against supervisors, & from   supervisors against employees
* high teacher turn-over rate, from campus to campus & out of district
* more complaints brought to you by professional associations

So, what are some causes of this serious condition?   Well, we believe it results from a number of things, some of which are:

* abuse of administrative power at certain campuses
* breakdown in discipline procedures at campuses
* failure of some supervisors to treat staff with professionalism
* counter-productive and/or inept management styles
* general breakdown in communication between all parts of the educational community

These several “causes” have  one common thread:   Central administration is failing to communicate and collaborate with those of us in the classrooms and hallways of our schools.  The voices of the teachers and paras all over the district are not sought and those who speak up are ignored and often punished.  Central administrators make crucial decisions about our daily schedules, our curriculum, our use of planning time, our discipline procedures, our staff development needs, our very jobs.   We in the classrooms are not included in those decisions made by those in the boardrooms.  True professional learning communities cease to function, and become an embarrassment to the district.

A prime example of the resulting collapse of communication & collaboration is the situation at ALC.   10 teachers and paras came forward and voiced increasing alarm at administrative practices which split up successful teams, corrupted student discipline procedures, and encouraged great discontent among staff.   When two professional organizations brought forward these very real concerns to the central administration and the superintendent, the result was a 5 minute confidential interview for each person - - and a public report sent to all individuals interviewed  and their supervisors.  The outcome of this investigation? - - no redress for the teachers and paras,  and support for the administrators.   Those who complained were advised to seek a transfer if they didn’t like it.  The problems identified by so many remain at this campus.       

I have two recommendations for the Board and Superintendent at this point:

1.       Open up meaningful lines of communication between central administration and teaching professionals and paras, not just an on-paper Site Based Committee or EEIC.

2.     As a Board of Trustees, set up a series of continuing hearings in which you encourage open dialog on teacher/employee issues.

 Remember one thing, always:   The  classroom includes more than simply a desk and a student and a teacher.   The child’s learning environment reflects the teacher’s work environment.  And if that work environment is hostile or even unsafe, then so is the environment of that child.

Please feel free to call on me for further discussion.   Thank you.