"Respect: Whether it's a teacher, your child, a politician, another parent or whomever; remember that all deserve respect. Not sarcasm or name calling."

I just have difficulty understanding your thought process here. I vividly remember attending a school board meeting where you openly put down a teacher at Northview, identified him by name, and requested his dismissal. You dragged his reputation as a teacher though the mud before a large number of people. I don't see that as being respectful.

You bring up an interesting point. You are confusing respect with going up the chain of command when you don't get a response to correct a situation. I remember complaining about a teacher who was not teaching, was unable or unwilling to get across the material, and was out of the class room more than in it during the class periods, at a board meeting. I remember it being very uncomfortable for some to hear but I also remember a teacher and a few parents THANKING me for speaking out. The problem was not limited to that school year but had been experienced by an older daughter as well in a previous year. He had become such a poor teacher that a former school board member and teacher had had his own grandson take the courses this teacher taught at ISU over summers so he would not have to be in his class YEARS earlier. Both of our daughters took this teacher's second course he taught at IVY Tech for same reason, but how many can afford paying for courses at college when they are already paying for them via taxes in Clay County? This problem needed correcting once and for all! My husband repeatedly explained formulas to my daughter who then went back and explained them to the class as the teacher could not or would not take time to do anything but give the final answers and not break down formulas if they were not understood. Both my husband and I went to the principal in mid fall and again in December as the problem did not improve and the teacher kept leaving the classroom. Again during spring semester nothing was done even though by that time we had also contacted assistant superintendent and superintendent. I had even contacted board members about this long standing problem. It was only at late spring/early summer meeting after nothing was done to correct the situation that I made the public statement. I believe I still have what I said in my computer files. There was no name calling and no sarcasm. Just that he was not doing his job and that I had gone up chain of command to get it attended to. Had I let it drop at ANY level I would have been negligent as the principal, assistant superintendent, and Superintendent all had been. I do want to put all at ease however as it was later at that same meeting that I found that the problem teacher had resigned from the corporation and neither the principal nor the assistant superintendent are part of the corporation any longer. Proof that the system wasn't working all the way up the chain of command. I honestly do not remember if it was under our current superintendent as we've changed those in that position so frequently as well. He might have just come on board or may have been a former one in that position as well...

My speaking out at that meeting was not only to go the next step higher in that chain of command, to the tax paying public, to point out not only the problem teacher but the fact that NONE of the ascending administration were doing their jobs at the time. In that same paragraph you just quoted to me, read a little further on to the part that says "don't assume that you know the motive of an action". I was NOT using a public forum as my first means of correcting a very bad situation for all of the students that had gone on unchecked for years. It was clear that SEVERAL people weren't doing their job at the time as the teacher should have received an improvement plan and put on notice and there was absolutely NO change in his performance the entire year. What arrangement there was between the principal and the teacher I can only guess but it would be conjecture so I have to only go upon what they did or did not do, not why.

Is this not proper procedure when trying to deal with a teacher who is not doing his or her job?

What else would you have suggested that I do? Why do you think this teacher was not corrected long before this when so many students, parents, and administration knew about his down hill performance over the past 6-8 years? Was it a physical illness? Was it a family issue? Does it matter when he was cheating the students over and over, year after year? While the principal was working in a good ole boy network to that teacher he was being just the opposite to the students in his care.

Again this is an isolated instance and the great majority of teachers in the corporation are not like this but if we let the few who are not doing their job remain, we are cheating the students and are WASTING our money besides.

What would you have done? Would you have left your son/daughter in this person's class? Would you have had them not take his courses? Would you have sent them to local college and paid $500-600 plus gas, books, etc to take same course? Would you have gone through the proper complaint process or does your position in the community make your status more important than the rights of the students? You are a teacher yourself Russ, correct? Isn't quality education a priority with you?

Yes it was uncomfortable for some who were present at that meeting. It had been unpleasant for my children and others for an entire year and I felt I had no other option but to make it uncomfortable enough for multiple people in the corporation to want to avoid this in the future and start to do their jobs. I cannot begin to take credit for the changes in administration as there are many things that factor into the changes that have been made in past few years, but I am happy that teacher is gone and happy that the principal is gone as well as it was obvious that neither were really doing their jobs. About the assistant superintendent...that one is confusing as it is my understanding that that position had responsibility for human resources and personnel so would also have involvement with personnel evaluations and discipline. Obviously a break down there as well, either in the way the description was written or some other way. Hopefully the current person in that position or the position description has been made more clear at this time. Maybe something I should look into...but hope I never need to again.

One more thing to ponder however. How respectful to our students were the people [parents, teachers, administration, former board members]who knew about this problem but did nothing? Though we are a community that contains people of various religious beliefs, we are a majority of Christians. Is it really Christianity we are practicing when we know a problem exists but do nothing, or is it Christianity to say nothing and let the problem continue because it avoids confrontation and on the surface has a facade of "all being well"? There is even another possible definition...Is Christianity only taking action when a problem concerns someone in our personal clique but not other children of God?

Now, not to disenfranchise other religions, the little I know about Judaism and the Islam faith also include rules about helping our neighbors when in need etc so really my appeal to the "Good" Christian doesn't even exclusively apply to only the Christians, but to the Good Jews and Muslims, Buddhists, etc etc. We all have our own jihad [inner battle to do good or bad deeds if given the true religious meaning]to work out within ourselves and it is a continually evolving process.

Again it was that teacher's actions that I was seeking to have corrected. I was not stating that the person was inherently a bad person. Just not doing what he was paid to do. How can that be sarcastic or disrespectful?

Jenny....please understand that I am NOT Russ. Twice you have referred to me as Russ. I am merely a teacher born and raised in Clay County and presently working for our school system. I'm also a teacher smart enough to know that using a pen name is "safe" in such a small school system where "people of power" can be vindictive. I am a firm believer of "following the chain of command" and admire those that do. My point is that I question the intent/necessity of throwing out the teacher's name in a public meeting. I just don't see what good would come from that. The Board was aware of your concerns. The teacher, principal, and Central Office administration were also aware. Was the intent to encourage a public stoning or what? I hope such was not the case. However, in light of the fact you had followed the chain of command, what "good" did you expect to come from mentioning his name? Sometimes, after exhausting all avenues, it is simply better to bury the dead horse.

I haven't done research on how many years the teacher was at Northview, but I am pretty sure he was under the direction of at least four different principals and most likely three superintendents, so one might question how it is that all of them failed to see such serious teaching inadequacies.

Big Pappy and Virginiagrace:

First my apologies to BP as he seems to have same nomdeplume as another. I fully understand vindictiveness as I have been "flamed" openly in this forum but it's effect is lessened by the fact that those who do are nameless and their convictions are not backed by their true identities. Never mind the prejudice I and my children may experience for my beliefs. While not pleasant, adversity will make them better able to tackle problems head on in the future and not lead them to suffer in a denial of silence and helplessness as so many do today. Besides except for a very few in our schools, I have found that the overwhelming majority of the people my children come in contact with in the schools have the intellect and professionalism to know that my children are not my clones and that they are not responsible for what I say and do and do not judge them based upon what I say or believe. We need to give our fellows a little more credit. Fear of the unknown is a greater fear than the fear of the actual possibility of any repercussion. Do you not see that unless open honest opinion is not totally truly open and honest with identities revealed that it will retain a clandestine and rumor like quality that promotes distrust and skepticism? It is fine with me that some teachers and community members disagree with my opinions/methods. Why are they afraid to admit so in public? I hear from a certain few anonymous individuals that my openly challenging people to correct the behavior of a few ineffectual teachers is a "lone wolf" concept and that I should leave it alone. Others like BP state they are afraid of repercussion as they have family members who work with or for the school corporation. Don't people realize that if all would speak up that this would then be the norm and no repercussion could be made? This would have more credence to me if it were coming from real people with real identities as then I would know that they cared enough about the issue to take full responsibility for what they said. I still am surprised though as a teacher you would "bury a dead horse" if you didn't get results from going up chain of command. You indicate that the administration did know of complaints about the aforementioned teacher. Are you indicating that all were ignoring the situation or that they were trying to do something but hands were tied, or something else? I am sorry but the E for effort doesn't work in the real world. I tell my kids this all the time. We need to be rewarded for our results. The response that "we tried" is not enough. Try telling your boss, "I tried to get to work on time, really I did" Yes I now am beginning to see some results in that the current administration is more willing to document a complaint but in order for the process to work, we need to keep working it. If someone's personnel file has in it "Complaint from one parent" little can or maybe should be done as that is one person's take on the matter, but if multiple documentations are in there, it should be perceived as an actual problem. Again as I said, the system is in place. No teacher who is doing a good job should have any fear as the system protects them from the overzealous parent as well. It's the documentation of a trend that will change things and if people don't start to speak up when there is a problem, the trend cannot be established.

V: My main goal is not to "get along" with the majority of the community as you state. Don't assume my motives. My goal to to act upon what I feel is the right thing to do. Yes there are many very nice hard working people in this community, but there are some who need to get off their rumps and not be dragged along in life by the current with a fatalistic attitude that they cannot make a difference. THIS is the reason for my writing. I have made some very good friends here. They know that I am upfront about what I feel. I am not going to say one thing to them and another about them behind their backs. There are others who are polite to me and listen but never say anything or just nod....Do I know what they are truly thinking? No. Would I like to? Sure. Then I would know their true opinion and maybe understand more why they feel as they do, even if we disagree, but they do not seem to know how to disagree face to face with someone without a civil war atmosphere. It's sort of like looking at the north and south ends of the county. When I moved here I thought it a joke that it was so civil war like. Now I've learned about some of the history and the actions that have occurred to cause so many silly misunderstandings so we seem to have people working at cross purposes in the same county where we could do so much more working together. Maybe I still don't know all that made our county this way?? I've only been here 13 years...Still an outsider to many. All I can say about your family members and their dismay at the teaching conditions where they work...If going up the chain of command give them the realization that the administration and school board is supporting what they ethically cannot, it would be better for them to seek a teaching position in another place. After enough good teachers leave, it will send a message that change is needed. The same is happening here. We've lost some good teachers, and no it's not because Jenny Moore alone has driven them off. Only they can tell you why for sure. I only know what's been said to me about polarization, work overload, compensation, etc. Things I have heard is dealing with incompetent co workers, contract issues dragging on, changes in benefits, over load of committee work. All legitimate reasons for hunting a better deal, especially by those teachers who are doing double duty when another on faculty or staff may not be pulling their weight. They don't like to see the student short changed. The good teacher will leave instead of just burning out and remaining employed without the spark that makes them a good teacher. But beware every place has problems and eventually each individual will have to take the bull by the horns and tackle them. I worked in the academic environment for years. My mom was a public school teacher. My husband is a teacher. There is no perfect place but you have to be true to yourself and look at yourself in the mirror. You can't do that if you have given up and are compromising your ethics/standards. Hopefully some will find it but I suspect that some will not if they are solely looking for monetary gain and have lost that "spark" to go above and beyond. This is just my conjecture however and not based on any trend or factual information. Take it as it stands. Both my husband and I have been asked to run for school board. I do not feel that I could compromise my ideals to be able to be effective. Furthermore, too many make promises in order to be elected and it seems many time is more of a popularity contest than a vote for the one most qualified or least prejudiced for the position. I could not promise that I would never close a school as it would be irresponsible to make a promise without knowing what the population trends of the future would bring. I could not promise that I would never change elementary school district lines for the same reason. Population statistics change and that reflects a need to change educational set up. How much room is left to build houses in the city of Brazil?? How much room out in the county? Which schools have room in their classrooms? We need to increase taxes to better prepared our students to compete in the world. We need every child to take a foreign language as that will give them an edge over the other candidate for a position. Which are over crowded? You see I will not make statements that are irresponsible just to get elected so I frankly don't see wasting my time and money on trying to get elected. It's popularity contest and I don't exist to win them.

That's not saying I am discounting what board members are working to accomplish. With the pittance the position pays, it's a labor of love to try in there own way to improve education here. I commend them. I don't always agree with them but that's ok too. I voted for some of them. Even those I sometimes disagree with but I still respect what they have committed to for their reason of trying to better education. I am just not school board member material as I cannot work under the same unwritten rules. Thankfully some can.

A teacher "giving up" because of their working conditions is only an excuse; a cop out. Just like parents who do not discipline their children because other's kids aren't disciplined. I'm not saying the true solution is an easy one. Enough teachers leave that corporation and speak out honestly why and things will change. They might not change for the benefit of your relative but they will for those who come after her.

Jenny

Why are you so "Hell Bent" on people using their names? There are screen names for a reason and if people feel deeply enough about issues they will go to meetings and write letters to the editor.

I think you are way off base with some of your thoughts but they are yours and so be it

Here we goes again! She does an article that involves other things besides education and then we turn around and makes most of our (and hers) comments about the schools. We have so many problems before the kids even get to schools and that is what she (and we) needs to talk about instead of unquantified (and quantified) negative perceptions of the schools. I would challenge Mrs. Moore to tackle the problems that persist in society before they get into school. We must address those problems before we can tackle quantifiable problems in our schools. Our welfare system that rewards lack of personal responsibility, mistakes, apathy, and a sense of entitlement for doing nothing has got to be altered. We need to get people out of that cycle and to want better for their kids instead of institutionalizing them in a system of despair and lack of individual responsibility. What can you do to help those who do not value education to see the light! What can you do to help the economic level of our community! How can you educate people to want better for their children! I have personally seen teachers committed to preaching these values throughout their lives (not all but most). We once had a country in which people wanted their kids to be more successful then they were! How can you help us get back to that.

Until some of those changes are made I do not think we will make measureable gains. If you noticed I said all that without bashing the schools because I believe meaningful change will not happen until other problems are dealt with first.

rdevil8,

I was watching a TV program lately when a man made a comment that you probably appreciate. The comment was that "America is one of the few places in the world where poor people are fat."

We have many problems in America, that is true, but where does society have any chance to affect a person until the person steps into one of our schools? Unless there is a serious, life-threatening problem, the government cannot step into a family's home and say "you will do this or that". Privacy! You cannot make a person attend church. You cannot make a person work, there are so many reasons not to. You cannot make a person teach their children. All you can do is try to teach the child that there is another way once they step into the school. But you are entirely correct, many children in America are taught early that success, i.e. having a roof over their head, food in their belly, a bed to sleep in, and a TV to watch, etc., is not dependant on actually going out and working.

Now, point blank, I do not work for a living. I draw VA disability and Social Security. I have days when I can function almost normally and others when I can barely move. If I could just predict when those occur, I would work. It is boring not to work and leads to all kinds of things like asking questions and looking for answers. But I don't work because I can't say when I'll be able to meet a certain deadline, not because I do not know how to work or I won't work. There are people, I know of several within my own family, who cannot be made to work with a whip and a few, also within my family, who just don't know how to work......to the point that to have them sweep a floor or rake leaves takes constant supervision. In balance, there are others in my family that work so hard that it makes me tired just being around them, they are constantly in motion even when they are doing things that I had left undone so that I would have something to do at a later date.

The bottom line is that we can't teach the child until he comes to us and the point of meeting is school.