06/09/2026
A year ago, we were celebrating three years of growth in math and reading after eight years of decline. A year ago, we were celebrating academic growth in every building district-wide. A year ago, we had a full cabinet. Since this board has taken over, the same people who led our staff to that level of success are resigning.
These losses result from the tone and tenor of this board. Their exit interviews would be revealing. No board member has their level of educational experience or expertise. We are not nearly as important to district success as the people doing the work. To repeatedly micromanage these experts, or to doubt and dismiss their work, is short-sighted and arrogant. The fact that you went to school doesn’t mean you know how to run one.
I keep hearing, “No more business as usual,” and “We need a new vision.” Why? Where is your data? Is it observational, statistical, or qualitative? The results of their work are evident in student achievement. What we need is to focus.
There is nothing more frightening than a board member with an idea. We are not the ‘idea’ people. We are each one-seventh the boss of one person, the superintendent. The absence of a superintendent does not give us a magic wand that lets us do whatever we want. When the board stays out of the way, the results are impressive.
Hopefully, we’ve all learned our lesson on how our words and actions affect staff. We need to stop prioritizing personal feelings over district success. We keep saying that we need to improve culture and climate, and that needs to start with us.
