Teacher Morale

During the May 12, 2010 Alexandria Township Town Council Meeting, a member of the Alexandria Township Town Council indicated that morale could be improved between the teachers, administrators and Board of Education in the school district. While I am always open to feedback and improvement suggestions regarding the district, I would suggest that we need to consider all viewpoints within the context of the current environment.

This district is morally obligated to constantly improve the educational experience that is afforded to our students. Significant changes and improvements have been implemented during my tenure within the district. These changes focus on; coordination, partnership and consistency among and between the classrooms, staff development, and accountability. The Administration and the Board of Education have actively solicited input from the community and the staff, and have been transparent in the communication of our approach. We are beginning to see the fruits of our labor as evidenced by the quality of our programs and the other metrics that we are tracking.

Unfortunately, change can also cause discomfort. Often times it can elicit resistance. As transparent and effectively we have managed the change, there are always those who are unwilling to accept the change, regardless of how well it is managed. I acknowledge that there are staff members whom are not happy with the changes made in the school district. Some degree of autonomy has been reduced in favor of increasing the coordination and consistency among and between classrooms and grade levels.

The totality of the changes in our school district has evoked feelings of fear, uncertainty and sometimes skepticism. Some staff members may wonder if they will be able to meet these expectations. Many staff members will feel overloaded and overwhelmed. On the other hand some other staff members are excited by the possibilities and look forward to the opportunities for personal and professional growth. The same change initiatives can be viewed very differently by different people, depending at least in part upon, how much they see it as a break from the past.

While being encouraged to teach what and how you want may provide adults with comfort and satisfaction, it does not always produce positive results for students. After all, we are a "school system". We have implemented changes to ensure that students in two classes at the same grade level will not have a fundamentally different experience depending upon what teacher they had.

In addition, accountability for the professional behavior and collegiality of staff has been raised. The administration and Board of Education have high expectations for our staff. I make no apologies for this attitude. Education is an honorable profession that has a major impact on the future of our society.

Make no mistake we are in the midst of making planned, thoughtful changes to our school district. The world has changed, expectations have changed, and we will be forced to change if we do not take the initiative to do it ourselves. However, I would argue that while morale may be suffering for some, it is not a universal problem among our staff.

I suggest that the implication that the Board and administration need some external event to focus us on the issue of staff morale is off target. Nothing could be further from the truth. Examples of efforts from this school year that are designed to promote morale among staff include:
* Having a veteran staff member address the staff at our first staff development day.
* Presenting every teacher that earned tenure, had 25 or more years experience in the district, or was new to the staff with a gift.
* Providing breakfast on both days of our initial staff development meetings.
* Having AMS teachers recognize a colleague or team for their efforts at school staff meetings.
* Every administrator has provided staff members with positive notes, cards or token items to reinforce positive things they have observed.
* Providing staff members with a small gift during teacher appreciation week.
* Sponsoring a breakfast for the entire faculty prior to winter break.
* Hosting an ice cream social for all staff members prior to spring break.
* Establishing a box at the front of each office for parents to leave compliments for staff members.
* Improving the appearance of each school's faculty room.
* Providing a preschool program that our staff can use.
* Having decision making teams that consist of representative staff members at each school to discuss school related issues.
* Having district committees to develop or revise observation documents, curriculum guides and the district's strategic plan.
* Providing staff members with an extraordinary amount of technology (laptops, laptop carts, SMART boards) and the training and support to use them.
* Providing an extensive offering of professional development opportunities in district both during and after the school day.
* Being understanding and flexible when staff have health or family related issues that require their immediate attention.

Upcoming events include an Alumni Social and our very first Employee Appreciation Dinner. I wish that I did not have to highlight these things, as they are not being done for that purpose. I just want to make sure it is clear that the Board and the administration have cared about employee morale and are making sincere attempts to improve it.