Communication is not only the exchange of information, but also connotes a respect for the other person and a value placed on the information they can convey.
Until major personnel changes are made, we will not be able to change the attitude that 'outside' input has little to no value. But, we can make suggestions to at least open the communications so that SOMETHING can flow both ways. We can also make suggestions to modernize District communications to best fit today's family and community lives.
To that end, I propose we jot down ways to improve communication in local school districts - including, of course, MSD Decatur Township - but also input from anyone around here for their district.
I'll start off. On school board meetings alone, I can think of a number of improvements.
Allow citizens to sign up to receive email, tweets, facebook posts, whatever - to get notice of upcoming school board meetings, including special sessions.
Post on line a detailed agenda with items that will come up for a vote clearly noted and described.
Allow public comments after board/administration discussion of the issues involved and before the vote - not at the beginning of the meeting.
The board members should respond to the public input, unless to do so would take an enormous amount of time (highly unlikely) or would involve private matters of employees (somewhat likely).
The minutes of the meetings should be more detailed so that when somebody reads them, they actually know what was being voted on, how much it cost, or who was newly hired or fired.
That's my quick list. What would you change or add that would improve communications? Don't limit it to school board, but also parent-teacher, school-community communications are fair game here.
Posts
The Pollyanna Approach
13 hours ago
41 comments:
Have an attorney present at all Board and special meetings.
Excellent point !
Pat, when you was on the board, were the meetings run in the same fashion. Specifically, the comments at the beginning of the meeting?
anon 11:50 - As I recall, that was the case. I know we would respond to the public, though.
I have more experience now with public testimony at the City Council and such, and would suggest that the way others do things is better.
Pat,
The Perry Township superintendent and board publishes detailed information for viewing by everyone before the board meetings occur. Decatur may need to see an example of what might provide improved communication. The Mooresville board minutes are much more detailed than Decatur's. There are probably lots of examples on the different school district websites. Maybe other bloggers can visit these websites and let you know what they like/dislike. There is just so little information available on the Decatur site as compared to others. Sort of surprised that Susan Adams has not made Decatur aware of what can be done since she was on the Perry board and she lives in Perry Township
As a teacher in Decatur, I would like to see administrators, including people at CO, spend a week in classrooms around the district each school year. I think they have been away so long that they have forgotten what we are doing on a daily basis. I would hope then, that they would listen more to our ideas on everything from home-school communciation to positive teaching methods in the classroom. We are the ones with the students everyday. To figure out where we need to go in this District our 'leaders' need to know where we are now.
RISE could post their meeting notifications in a better place than a exit that is only a fire exit of the building, and on very tinted glass where you cannot see that something is hung up on the door.
Teachers in Decatur Township are subjected to unrealistic ideas from Stinson and Pals at Central Office has lead to unpromising results on ISTEP. The results show that Stinson has sugar-coated the tests just enough to pass No Child Left Behind act standards to keep things under wrapped til his big "payed by the Taxpayers" juicy retirement along with his assist-superintendent Jeff Baer,Susan Adams,and friends. I know that the Teachers just in the schools have to be frustrated by this because it reflects very poorly on them due to the asinine teaching requirements that Stinson Administration has placed in all the schools. I believe that teaching comes from the hearts of dedicated Teachers committed to their work to give these children a hopeful and brighter future. Decatur Schools are heading down the road to "NO WHERE" due to recklessness of the obtuse School Board, "pretend to care" Stinton and Pals.
Susan "Dragon Lady" Adams as some call her, was once on the Perry Township School Board. The Voters kicked her out for reckless behavior for acting like a Nazi control freak. Now she about to take over Jeff Baer's job as part assistant-Superintendent. She has already rolled up her sleeves and began charging the Bus Drivers for seats that have been damaged by the kids on the bus. COME ON, no one can control a Bus load of kids. She has no commonsense to be running part of Decatur Township Schools. Susan is one extremely obtuse and imbecile individual. She'll cost taxpayers millions for all the lawsuits she brings on herself for breaking Federal and State labor laws form harassment, sexual harassment, hostile work environment,and unfair wages. Real smart Stinson, you'll need to cut more school employees to bail her out. She more trouble than she worth.
Has anyone heard how the security officer is that got beat up in the hallway of the high school this past week? He was one of the new people hired, not one of the school police officers. They had to come over after the assault and arrest the kid that did it, because the security guard could not do it.
The Martinsville superintendent was in Plainfield at Coachman's before he was arrested for DWI in the school's vehicle. Does Jerry Springer know if he was with his administrator friends from Decatur who live in Plainfield? He used to be a principal in Decatur. He told Channel 8 that he had some wine in Plainfield and Broad Ripple - sort of far from home to be alone.
Could board meetings be videotaped and placed on the district website? If not, could board meetings be videotaped and placed on hadenoughindy?
anon 8:54 - any public meeting can be video or audio taped. Yes, the School Board could have their meetings video taped and published on the Distric website.
Yes, with some technical issues involved (likely the use of YouTube or something like it) a digital video recording could be published and linked to from hadenougindy. The biggest problem would be the 10 minute limit YouTube imposes. So a meeting would have to be cut into 10 minute segments and posted serially. Unless somebody in our community has a access to another site, or 'director' status from YouTube.
If somebody thinks I am incorrect, please advise.
Anyone notice the Decatur Times coverage of the existing Board members Kind of makes me gag how much coverage the existing 3 got compared to the others. Makes me think they're all in the bag.....
Re 3:48 pm.
Are you serious? That is a stretch...are you some kind of conspiracy theorist?
anon 6:50 - I did see the Times coverage. I didn't compare side by side, but I thought the length was merely due to there being 3 incumbants.
RE 8:38...
Actually, there's no conspiricy. There won't be a new School Board. Decatur residents are all about drama. Nothing will change; all 3 will be re-elected.
anon 10:02 - you keep repeating that, but it doesn't make it true. Two years ago Doug Greenwald ran against two incumbants - Huffman and Taylor - and got more votes than the other two combined. The voters have already embarked on changing the School Board. And, that year there was no drama, to boot.
OK Friends and Neighbors! GET READY. April 13th is the next School Board meeting! It's posted on the MSD Decatur web site (as with the rest of the meetings for the year!). GO GO GO! Tell everyone GO GO GO. Last month, the Gang of 5 rammed through something that cut 3/4 of a million dollars from the transportation budget. What did they cut? WHO KNOWS! Here's the bottom line. April 13th, they will be making final decisions on the RIFF'd teachers. GO GO GO! Tell your friends and neighbors. Get out from behind the computer screen. Postpone that other commitment you had for that night. GO GO GO! Instead of about 100 people lets see if we can have 500...600...700 people crowd the CO? NO EXCUSES! NO GRIPING! GO GO GO! If you do go remember:
1. GO EARLY! The Board room only seats 54. Standing room for maybe twice that up to 100. If you're late you might have to stand outside and there is NO repeat NO sound system used in the meeting! You won't be able to hear unless you're in the Board room itself.
2. If you wish to speak, SIGN IN AS YOU WALK IN THE BOARD ROOM DOOR. You won't be responded to but you will be able to speak.
3. GO GO GO! Go to the meeting on April 13th. NO EXCUSES! Get out from behind the computer and show them you mean what you say!
And wear pink!
It was great to see parents wearing pink armbands in support of the laid off teachers at the last meeting.
How could we get the Board Meeting moved to a larger location to accomodate a larger group in attendence?
anon 12:24 - you can make that request of the Board President, Dale Henson (dhenson@msddecatur.k12.in.us ). It is the Board's meeting and he can indicate what room the Board feels is best for the meeting to Don Stinson.
When is the board scheduled to discuss the recommendation that teachers take a 5% cut? Hopefully when Susan Adams got her $15,000 raise, they were smart enough to realize that might just look like a slap in the face to those who actually impact children.
Why is Stinson going around giving Adolf Hitler (Susan Adams) a promotion and raise while Teachers are losing their jobs? Whose more important, Teachers or Susan?
Pat - an email has been sent to Mr. Henson requesting the next Board Meeting be held at an alternate location.
I have found nothing in the board minutes that give Susan Adams a raise or even that of $15,000 and refering her to as Hitler just shows the mentally of some people. If you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all. As a teacher in the system we may like what is going on. but at least we can be a little nicer. How about just the facts and not the fiction!!
Try to be a little nicer? That's the problem--residents/teachers have been TOO nice and too trusting.
Stinson, Baer, and the Board have not been "nice." They have taken advantage of any and all "opportunities" for their personal advantages and advancements. Times have changed. They are angry and directing their anger at others. There has been no apology. Baer's wife continues to take advantage - her salary would pay 2 or 3 teachers. Stinson needs to resign - his salary would pay 4 or 5 teachers. Need a new board to hire a new superintendent who has a conscience. It is time for them to say good-bye.
Anon 7:24: Herein lies the problem. "I have found nothing in the board minutes that give Susan Adams a raise or even that of $15,000..." What CAN YOU FIND in the minutes!? You can find nothing. You see the problem? Somewhere somehow a story got started that Susan Adams got a 15K bonus. Is it true or isn't it? Ask a Board Member. You won't get an answer. Ask the Super. You will get Gary Pelico telling you it's a personnel matter and he can't answer. Look in the minutes and you won’t find anything in detail! The problem is communication communication communication!
Don't think salaries of public school employees are confidential so it is not a personnel matter????? Might ask Pelico if he was directed not to answer the question? Who directed him - superintendent??? Oh, the secrets. Ask for Jeff Baer's retirement package??????? Ask for the most recent audit????? Seems, there is much to hide???????? Might ask the board?????????
Each motion of the Board to employ or reemploy a staff member shall include the name of the individual; the position title; and the compensation to be paid as prescribed in a contract, in a negotiated, collective-bargained agreement, or by a wage guideline.
This Board Policy 6510. The position and compensation to be paid to Susan Adams is public information per board policy!!!! When you speak with Pelico you might refer to this board policy.
New hires, fires, layoffs, raises, contract details, etc., are all buried in the 'staff report' of the Board meeting. Unless someone calls out a specific instance within the report, AND, somebody chooses to include mention of it in minutes, you cannot tell anything of this type from the Board minutes. Unfortunately.
Any change in salary to go with Adams' change in position would not go into affect until July 1. So, no sense asking for her salary now, it would not show the raise. A request in July, on the other hand, compared with what we know she makes now, would give us the information.
But, like anon 4:40 says - communication, communication, communication. That is definitely lacking in this district.
Susan Adams has NO business being in a position to supervise other human beings. To her, anyone who can't help in enriching her career is a flunkie deserving zero consideration beyond, say, 8 bucks an hour and no benefits. My niece works as a custodian under Susan Adams, and all I can say is I would not tolerate the degrading conditions the "dragon lady" puts on her those little people unlucky enough to be under her charge.
Someone mentioned that Susan offers a gift certificate to Wal-Mart for any custodian who has perfect attendance at work. They neglected to add that the custodian has to have perfect attendance for the entire year year to be eligible to get one of Susan's gift cetificates. Also, if the custodian in question has dared to take any of his or her earned vacation at any time during the year, then he or she no longer has "perfect attendance" in Susan's mind and is thus no longer eligible for the gift certificate. That's right. If you use any of the earned vacation that the school district's employees get each year, then your attendance is no longer "perfect". I wonder if the dragon lady holds herself to the same "perfect attendance" standards when she's off on all expense paid trips to exotic places courtesy of guess who...?
I've stopped by the school to drop lunch off to my niece and found her wringing wet in sweat during the warm months of the year. I found out that Susan Adams turns off the air conditioning in the buildings after the teachers and administrators leave for the day. Susan's view seems to be if the $10 an hour flunkies have to sweat as they earn their money, well, too bad for them. Same thing in the winter months. Susan turns off the heat in the buildings and the custodians have to wear hooded sweatshirts to stay warm.
Just as bad is Susan Adams decreeing that her $10 an hour flunkies can only take their vacations during certain limited times of the year, depending on Susan's needs from month to month. If your son is graduating from basic training at Camp Pendleton for example and you want to be there to watch, too bad, you can't be off and you'll be fired if you dare to go be with your child. Same thing if a family member has a serious illness. The dragon lady's needs come first.
All the while, the custodians clock in to work on time clocks that read their individual thumbprints so they don't "cheat" the taxpayers out of a penny of their lowly salaries. Is anybody following Susan and her high-dollar administrator buddies around to be sure we're getting all we're supposed to get from them? The performance of our school system by state standards seems to indicate that Suan and her big shot buddies making the big salaries aren't doing what they were hired to do. All they can think of is to get every penny's worth of sweat out of the custodians. God forbid that those low level scrub ladies "cheat" Susan and the administration out of a nickel.
Suggestion: Sign up to speak at next board meeting. It is now documented that questions to Stinson and the board will not be answered so don't ask questions. Instead, state facts (maybe the media might ask questions later).
Fact: We are very fortunate to be residents of the United States of America. We have the right to freely speak our disagreements with the superintendent and the board regarding expenditures of tax dollars - yes, tax dollars are being used to pay this superintendent almost $300,000 per year in salary and benefits. We have the right to state that Candice Milhon Baer was to be hired for two years (grant money) and we do not want her position funded with tax dollars. We have the right to state that Susan Adams has not performed to our expectations and that the position should not be paid this amount of $$$. We have the right to state that we do not support the move of the superintendent's office to the Concentra building. We have the right to state that we immediately want improved communications regarding board actions - list of employees hired, fired and their rates of pay.
State the problems in non-threatening terms. Do not use anger that is like that used by the superintendent. State the facts of why opposition is being expressed. They may not do anything about it BUT they will hear it. Everyone needs to attend because numbers do speak. The lack of numbers allows them to say that no one is in opposition.
Sign up to speak and give the facts. There have been many facts given on this blog. State the facts clearly over and over and over.
Susam Adam's position should have been eliminated long ago. We don't need her as an added layer of administration sandwiched in between the custodians and the principal of each school. For years we did just fine having the shift custodians answer to the head custodian in each building, then having the head custodian answer to the school's principal. Didn't cost near so much, either. Stinson created Susan's current administrative director's position in payment for favors she had done for him. Her job is just another layer of administrative lard laid upon the teachers and taxpayers.
You are correct. The favors and favoristism is huge in Decatur township. Adams and the Baer are favorites. The Board members continue to ignore the obvious.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20100401/LOCAL1804/4010392/-1/ARCHIVE/Decatur-Township-to-scrap-intermediate-schools
I'm confused. Which of the following reasons has led to the 52-card-pickup of grades 1 through 6?
1. Lynwoood's low test scores and the supposed subsequent state takeover
2. The overcrowding at Valley Mills and West Newton
3. Intermediate concept "just wasn't working" - the district's latest chapter of the blame game, courtesy of Sheila Corbin. Funny - that hasn't been mentioned during all these months of drama. Did someone at Blue or Gold piss off someone at Central Office? Is this how Corbin pays for her new principalship, by trash-talking other schools?
I guess it's official: Every man, woman and child for themselves in Decatur Township Schools.
Corbin might have other ways of paying for her new principalship. Really did not reduce or eliminate a building level position so will have to get another explanation?????
Re 11:16 am
Comments like yours are the reason people refer to this blog as Jerry Springer-ish. That is very nearly crossing the line and is suggestive and extraordinarily derogatory in nature. This blog should be for people to share facts and voice legitimate opinions, not create real life soap operas through unspoken rumors.
Maybe you should get your mind out of the gutter - their quote was not necessarily suggestive. And it's not your blog - why should you get to make the rules? If the administration did its job this blog wouldn't have much school politics to vent about.
I would hold school board meetings at the schools.
I would let the teachers talk to the school board without the superintendant or principals present.
I would get the high school students more involved.
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