Parents present concerns to school board, again

MT. PLEASANT—Two parents addressed the Mt. Pleasant Community School Board again Monday evening with concerns about student behaviors at Lincoln Elementary.

“I am here again speaking on behalf of a group of concerned parents wanting to seek changes at Lincoln Elementary to better support students and provide assistance to get behavioral challenges of students under control,” concerned parent Aaron Williamson stated.

“I’m here to remind the board’s minds of this dire situation and that you act with urgency by addressing it at your next work session and perhaps place an action plan on the agenda for the next board meeting,” he continued.

Williamson is a part of a group of at least nine parents that began addressing the board with their concerns about Lincoln Elementary in November 2022.

“While action plans and assurances have been shared with the parents from the central office, this problem and the proposed corrections as well as evaluation of current leadership need to be overseen by the board to ensure a swift and effective plan is put in place,” Williamson continued.

“There is much at stake if big changes do not happen,” he said. “Not only is a safe and equitable learning experience for all children being a threatened, but a going number of teachers and families are very close to leaving the district.”

“We cannot afford to lose anymore teachers, and we most certainly cannot afford to lose the funding that would go along with the students that do leave,” Williamson added.

Despite reaching out to the board, the Williamson reports on behalf of the group that they have not seen any positive changes.

“What is being reported by the teachers isn’t news of positive changes, only the development of a more toxic environment in which they are being told not to talk to this group of parents,” he said. “We will not allow our valuable teachers to be treated this way or go another day without seeing signs of increased support from the community and its school board.”

“Perhaps a shift of funding priorities should be made by the board to better support behaviors in the classroom instead of a new central office building.”

Following Williamson, Sarah Donnolly spoke for the third time.

“Parents are growing frustrated,” she said. “I see little to no updates on the action plan and teachers have the added pressure of having to be in a negative environment and admonished for speaking to parents.”

“It’s really unfortunate that it has gotten to this point, but we’re still here,” she reminded the board.

Due to the lack of action, Donnolly and her family have discussed what school will look like next year with three in grade school.

“Our biggest fear is that the problems at Lincoln aren’t being solved now and are just pushed elsewhere,” she said. “That leaves us without a safe and conducive learning environment for at least one of our kids.”

“We’ve seen the impact a positive environment has,” Donnolly said.

She spoke of her experience with her first grader.

According to Donnolly, while at Lincoln her child qualified for summer school aftercare learning, and was told at her first conference that her child lacked confidence in reading. She was encouraged to work with her child.

“She’s now starting TAG [Talented And Gifted] after being at Harlan for just two months,” Donnolly stated. “She is excelling personally and academically.”

After seeing the difference switching schools made in her own child, Donnolly questioned the school district’s contemplation of moving to grade-level schools.

“At this point, we cannot support grade level schools,” she said. “I urge parents to seriously question grade-level schools and what it means for your kids.”

“I would urge the board to be very involved with the issues at Lincoln and slow down talk about grade-level schools until you’ve shown positive change,” she said.

During the Superintendent’s Report, John Henrikson touched on the topic of grade-level buildings.

“I met with elementary principals last week,” he said. “I sent out a survey to all the elementary teachers today for input.”

According to Henrikson, the survey included questions developed with the School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC).

The SIAC provided a list of advantages and disadvantages and then Henrikson then asked teachers if they agreed or disagreed.

According to Henrikson he also asked teachers what other advantages or disadvantages they saw.

“And then where are you at personally on a switch to grade-a-like buildings and please support that, whatever your personal position is,” he said he included at the end of the survey.

“I am getting that information from teachers and then I will meet with the Building Leadership teams at each elementary to talk about that data.”

While the board did not address these public comments directly, they did later discuss the importance of those wishing to see change needing to attend committee meeting sessions, not just the school board meetings.

The topic came to the board in the form of a discussion on adding an admendment to board policy that would place a time limit for public comments at board meetings.

The board discussed what an appropriate time limit would look like.

“I think a lot of these need to remember they need to go to committees and sharing concerns there first,” School Board President Jennifer Crull said.

“When we have committee meetings, show up,” she said. “You know, if got a complaint about something that is happening, that is the first place to go.”

Board member Chuck Andrew, who voted against the proposed time limit moving from two to three minutes, said he was against the idea due to a variety of other avenues being available for complaints and comments.

“This [the board meeting] is a business meeting,” Andrew said. “There are several opportunities to say things. You have emails, committee reports, phone calls, call the district office, corner me when I am checking out at Walmart. You know, there’s a lot.”

“How many emails have you received from community members or anybody and three days later we’re hearing the very same thing that they emailed us,” he said. “To me, it’s a presentation that they’re reminding us.”

“I would like the public to realize that our committee meetings really are the best avenue to start having good discussion,” Crull said. “I think that needs to be pushed.”

The board voted to approve adding the extra minute for the proposed modification to public participation in board polices.

The board will read the proposal for the second time at the next school board meeting. They did not enact a policy change at this time.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com