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Kathy makes some excellent points and really gets to the heart of
the issues. Crucial Conversations training is excellent and
several of us current board members have gone through the
workshop. In a perfect world and as perfect people, we would all
use the tools all the time, but we don't. We try, sometimes
succeed, sometimes fail.
Natalie pointed out the different avenues that the teachers have to
address the board. She never said that a teacher, speaking as
a taxpayer should not use the public comment forum, some people
have jumped to that conclusion but I certainly didn't take it that
way. What she was referring to was speaking as the WEA and taking
up public comment time when there are many other avenues that they have
to address the board. We do welcome dialogue but the public
comment period is not a place for dialogue, it is a one-way avenue and I
think it is always better that there can be back and forth dialogue, two
way communication.
Communication in this district has always been an issue. The
question is how do we move towards having better dialogue.
Emotions have been high and I think people are having a harder time
speaking and being heard. I had the opportunity to attend a
diversity workshop this past week that WSU had put on. There were
some things that I learned there that I thought so well explained a lot
of what I believe is going on here. The presenters, Joyce Shabazz
and Robert Dungy from NCBI explained how we all have these "internal
records" (like a musical record, cd,...) that we have a tendency to
play around people. Our records are impressions and beliefs that
we have and they are created as a result of past hurts, mistrust, past
experiences. Our prejudices. Sometimes our records are
playing so loudly that we cannot hear, or we hear but it sounds
different because our record is providing the background. We
need to stop playing the records and start really listening. If
you look at Linda's post, that's a very good example--" stopped going to
school board meetings years ago, I couldn't take the stress of being
talked down to and not even listened to when addressing the board.
Rude? I think every board we have has been rude to the
public. " Linda has felt devalued in the past, along with
other people, as they have indicated here. I would further
speculate that it didn't include every board member but now it has
become a description and belief of every board. Maybe I'm not
explaining this very well, it's late and I'm tired. Anyway, there's a
lot of hurts all around and they are playing very loudly. Let's
first try to stop listening with prejudice but be willing to listen with
open minds and get the dialogue moving forward.
Susan Brown
-------Original Message-------
Date: 05/21/06
16:46:07
Subject: Re: [Winona]
School Board
You are at the heart of the issue there,
Tom--we do need a way to assure that all citizens value public
education. All of the bad press and disagreements don't help us create
that reality, I'm afraid.
There does appear to be quite a lot of
conflict within our district system and between Board, Teachers,
and Administration. Conflict is natural and predictable in public
education. How is it being managed?
I'd suggest that any board members and
administrators and teachers that are able, attend the WSU Leadership
Center's "Crucial Conversations" training. Right now I think that many
are in the "fight or flight" mode which doesn't lend itself to peaceful
resolution of differences.
I know that many institutions are availing
themselves of this model of workplace communication--our Winona Health
and Franciscan Skemp are two I know of personally. What I sense is
that folks on all side of these issues are not feeling understood or
like they have an avenue to voice their concerns. I didn't see the board
meeting in question, so you can take all this with a grain of
salt. I just know what I'm aware of through personal
observation/conversation and some of what's been in the paper. These
conflicts are hurting our community and something needs to happen to
resolve them. Silencing stakeholders can't possibly be the answer and I
don't even know that that is what was being done--is it possible that
the board is trying to provide a structure for civil discourse? I would
hope so. it is in their interest to do so. It is their job to obtain
community input, but that doesn't mean that the community should not
have to follow some orderly way of giving unput, just because they are
angry about some decisions that were made.
What is really going on? I can't even tell
any more.
Kathy Seifert
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2006 11:53
AM
Subject: RE: [Winona] School
Board
[Winona Online Democracy]
Dick, my apologies for not including you.
Your approach is one to be respected. I am big
on getting input from the teachers to improve the system.
However there is a problem in getting the true feelings out without a
facilitator. The other issue that enters in is work duties, hours
and pay. It seems this tends to cloud the education issue.
Check out www.tordahl.com
and his work with I think it is the Chaska school district.
Teaching is difficult enough, but education of those who want to
learn is easy. We need to find a way everyone will realize the
value of education. Tom
I too served with Paul and Ruth for many
years and did evaluations for at least 3 superintendents. While I
agree the evaluation should and will be done in private, I also believe
the criteria for such an evaluation is a public matter and the public
should be able to give their input to the board. If the board does
this evaluation, generally it was done with a committee of the board
that reported the results to the entire board.
Also, evaluation criteria change
over time. It seems the current trend in the business world is to
do 360 degree evolutions. This means the super does a self
evaluation and those around him including his staff, teaching staff, and
others he would supervise give input into the performance of the
person. This is common practice done in the professional world by most
employers. It gives the person evaluated the opportunity to give
goals and suggestions for the future and receive ideas from
others.
I hope the board
will consider this method. It is always difficult to evaluate
an employee and leave the emotional factors out and just look at
performance issues. Did the person meet their goals? Were
the employees supervised performing as expected? I trust the
board will be direct and impartial on all counts.
I agree with Tom. If this was a
public forum, it would be a witch hunt. We don't need that.
We elected the school board to be our voice. Let them do
their job. If we don't like what they do, we have 4 seats up for
elections this fall. Dick Gaffron
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2006 7:15
AM
Subject: RE: [Winona] School
Board
[Winona Online Democracy]
Ruth and Paul were on the school board for a long time and
has been very involved if my recollection serves me well. I always
respect her opinion.
The rest of us who want to criticize the school board for not
listening need to run for the board and get involved.
I may disagree and think there is a better way, but if I am not
willing to commit the time to the board or running for the
board. Things like evaluating the superintendent are
private events which we as the public cannot evaluate effectively. A
public evaluation would be the equivalent of a public flogging,
especially in light of how many people seem to be upset with the system
and the current superintendent.
What good could come of a public evaluation?
Very well said Ruth. I stopped going
to school board meetings years ago, I couldn't take the stress of being
talked down to and not even listened to when addressing the board.
Rude? I think every board we have has been rude to the
public. They are supposed to be representing us but too often they
either do what the superintendent wants or have their own agenda.
Yes, we should be given the chance to
evaluate the superindentent in a forum besides letters to the
editor.
Linda Fort
[Winona Online Democracy]
I've noticed that they act in many ways
like we who foot the bill are just little unspanked children who don't
understand as much as they do. But, then we rally don't because all the
intelligencia on the board think they know best. Sorry in advance if I
again stepped on someones toes. Bob Kaldunski
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 11:47
PM
Subject: [Winona] School
Board
[Winona Online Democracy]
How many of this group watched last
Thursday's school board meeting? I thought Natalie was very rude
to the people who got up and spoke their minds on what is going on in
this school district. Mr Ramsdell was the spokesman for the group,
but was not representing the WEA, just the teachers and other staff that
were there for support. They were not talking about any contract
things, just trying to get people to realize how this administration is
trying to keep them quiet about things many of us disagree that the top
people are doing.
All of the speakers are citizens, taxpayers
and have a right to speak in the 5 minute time allowed as I do. It
is good for the people watching on television to hear the side of the
people who are responsible for teaching our children. We need more
people to get up and tell the board we are not happy with some of
the decisions that have been made. The fee schedule that has
now been passed is not about the $20.00, but that anyone that is doing a
service project will now be charged to help other people. National
Honor Society, HOPE, Student Council just to name a few that will now
have to pay to be in these groups. When will the survey to the
community be sent out so we can all give our opinion of the school
board. Some are doing o.k., but remember there are 4 members up
for election this fall. I also have said at a board meeting that
I, along with many others, believe the community should also be given a
chance to evaluate our superintendent. Good, bad or whatever the
board would then have more to go on then the few people who are getting
to do an evaluation. Ruth
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