Superintendent Greene says she supports staff, but her actions often speak louder than her words.

 Superintendent Green recently sent me a note. She was replying to something I had sent to the school board about the frustration so many teachers are experiencing. 

Thank you for sharing the posts you are seeing on Facebook. I understand how difficult this year is and the impact recent events have had our teachers and other staff.   We will continue to seek ways to support them throughout the year.  

It’s funny/not funny because I am not sure if she really understands how difficult it has been for some. If she did, that makes many of her choices that more inexplicable. Likewise, I haven’t felt the support from the district either something many of my peers can also relate to. 

Willfully out of touch, painfully ignorant, and disingenuous came to mind after I read her note. That being said, what if she was being sincere, what if she really thinks she understands how difficult the year has been for so many and thinks she has been supporting staff. What if?  

So being the helpful guy I am, I sent her some suggestions. If you have anything you think I have missed and I am sure I have, please let me know.      

- Pay teachers without class responsibilities what you would pay teachers to sub. If they have enough time to cover without taking care of their responsibilities then put them in the classrooms on a full-time basis.  

 

- Stop pulling elementary resource teachers from their classes to cover absences. That robs Peter twice, they aren't teaching their classes, and other teachers miss out on their planning to pay Paul. 

 

-Stop having service providers cover classes. This may also be illegal if they aren't able to provide services. Likewise, stop having bookkeepers and office staff do it. I spoke with the union, and this violates the contract. 

 

-Hire subs preemptively, have every school put in for a number; if it turns out you have too much coverage, well, that's not a bad thing, but likewise, stop switching sub assignments. Many don't like taking one job and then being told they have another when they get to the schools.  

 

- Cancel common planning, teachers are already overwhelmed, and anything you can do to take things off their plates is a good thing. 

 

- Improve contact tracking. This is my biggest concern what we are doing now is reckless and blaming it on the DOH is unacceptable. All you have to do is let teachers and families know when there is a case in the room; you don't have to  give names, but letting people make decisions to protect themselves is just the right thing to do. 

 

- Cancel all-district testing; I get for the EOCs and FSA the state wants to make people come in, but just because they are heartless and ignore science doesn't mean we have to. 

 

I believe enacting these measures would show people the district cared, which we all know is better than telling them. That’s been the problem all year, the super and board say they care, they just haven’t shown us that they do.