Body language says it all
On Tuesday night, the SESD school board welcomed representatives of Students First to present their ideas for attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers to the district. Traci Stauffer, a parent and former teacher in our district, spoke for Students First and presented research from several studies that reveal the costs (in dollars and cents as well as program continuity and school climate) when experienced teachers leave a district. (Harvard University, ...for Teaching and America's Future)
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While the school board members in attendance listened attentively and followed the presentation with interesting comments and questions, the superintendent and business manager sat with their backs to the audience for the entire presentation and the Q & A that followed. Dr. Tracy Shank, the school superintendent, even refused to turn around to answer a question directly addressed to her. At first, I was upset with the school board for allowing their employees to behave so rudely to members of our school community. Then I realized that they must have been embarrassed by their employees as well.
After all, the board members are elected to represent their communities and to work collaboratively with school administration to decide what's best for our students and families. The information presented by Students First regarding a plan to increase teacher retention was brought to the board for that purpose.
Is it possible that some of our school administrators have forgotten whose taxes pay their salaries? There is no requirement that ideas brought to the board be accepted outright, but there is a requirement for common courtesy and a willingness to listen.
With the second year of approximately 14% of SESD teachers resigning or retiring, reasonable people might assume that the board would welcome ideas to attract and retain good teachers.
Monica Reinsfelder
New Park
Jo Ott · June 30, 2008 10:38 PM
If the facts as stated above are correct, I'm appalled that adults would behave in such a disgraceful manner in a public forum. It is incomprehensible that administrators of any school system would present themselves to the public this way. Whatever happened to professionalism, respect, sincerity and all the other great qualities we've come to expect in the educators of our children. What terrible examples these individuals have shown for those children and their parents.
When members of the community--all of York County--wake up to understand the current system of so many school systems, each with its own set of administrators, is no longer working, and that the quality of education being foisted on the children of York County is so terribly deficient, only then will residents begin pushing for one county-wide system, one county-wide school board and one county-wide tax base to adequately fund public education for all children in York County.