A spring survey of Faribault Public Schools students and staff appears to indicate an overall trend of decreased morale, frustration and dissatisfaction, with more students and teachers indicating that they do not feel they have consistently been treated with respect.
Growing disconnect between teachers and administration appears to be among the negative trends indicated in the survey, with the share of teachers feeling that administration involves them in decision making dropping all the way from 73% to 55% since just the fall.
Just 53% of staff said that proper follow-up is given to ensuring that new programs are achieving their intended goals. Included in Mental Health Coordinator Janet Lewis Muth’s presentation were quotes from staff criticizing administration for a perceived lack of communication.
“We had a lot of staff changes that happened quickly and with no notice,” wrote one staff member on their survey. “It has caused staff to feel uncertain and mistrusting of district administration.”
More staff members also appear to be concerned about the impacts of years of cuts on the classroom. Just 62% of staff indicated a belief that the programs and resources available are sufficient to meet the learning needs of their students, down from 68% from last fall.
Other teachers expressed frustration with a lack of discipline and growth in rogue behaviors among their students. Just 60% of staff indicated that they believe discipline is fair, and several comments were shown to the board by Lewis Muth from teachers who feel many of their students have not been good learners.
“The kids make it extremely difficult to give my best every day when I am constantly being told, both verbally and nonverbally, that what I am trying to do does not matter in any way to them,” wrote one anonymous staff member. “It is hard to be constantly disrespected and still give my best every day.”
From the student perspective, a lack of respect is an even greater concern. Just 42% of students agreed with a statement that “students treat each other with respect,” even lower than the 44% who agreed with that statement in the fall.
During the presentation itself, Board Vice Chair Chad Wolff strongly rebuked his colleague Richard Olson for a comment he felt was very disrespectful.
The exchange centered around Olson’s suggestion that the district should look to implement fewer programs, given the large number of staff members concerned about whether new programs are being implemented effectively.
“Aren’t we confusing the staff with all of these programs, all of these grants?” Olson asked.
When Lewis Muth responded expanding programming can play a vital role in enhancing the education of students, Olson pushed back, arguing “It’s time to get back to the basics.” When Lewis Muth responded that Olson was free to have his own opinion, Olson responded “Thank God I’m on this side of the table,” drawing a sharp rebuke from Wolff.
“I do not believe that any board member should ever use that language in public or private to a staff member,” Wolff said. “That is not our job as board members, that absolutely should never be said. I’m appalled, Mr. Olson, that you said that.”
While student satisfaction appears to generally be higher than staff satisfaction, both have shown a significant decline over the last two years in a majority of areas. Still, large majorities of students responded that they feel safe in school and respected by staff.
Particular gains appear to have been made in the area of cultural sensitivity. The share of students who said that materials in school reflect their culture has surged from 66% to 74%, and more staff also said they see emphasis on respecting the cultural beliefs and practices of all students.
Several board members expressed concern about the data and a desire for a more in-depth, school by school analysis. Superintendent Jamie Bente offered to break the numbers down for the board, though as Lewis Muth noted, the survey was voluntary, not scientific in nature.
Board Chair John Bellingham said that he had given many similar satisfaction surveys over the years in the classroom. Though they tend to be well worth their while, Bellingham said the challenge is in figuring out how to use the data to improve.
“One of the most difficult things to do is to do a self-evaluation, or to ask other people how you are doing,” Bellingham said. “The difficult part is, once you get that data is, ‘How do you move the needle? Are you understanding the data?’”
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