Wednesday, January 25, 2012 |
The next Reynolds School District superintendent should respect teachers, be a knowledgeable educator and, most important, not already be working for the district. |
That was the message delivered Tuesday afternoon by about two dozen teachers who spoke anonymously to the consultants hired to conduct the superintendent search.
"I am begging you, don't hire anyone in the district," one teacher said.
Reynolds School District has been in turmoil for several years, and the next superintendent will be the fourth in less than 10 years. The district and its teachers have been locked in a bitter contract battle since May (2011). The dispute is currently in mediation.
Superintendent Joyce Henstrand, who was promoted from interim superintendent a year and a half ago, is retiring in July.
Bill Dean, working as a consultant for McPherson & Jacobson, asked the teachers to describe the aspects of the district and the community that would attract candidates.
The teachers cited the dedicated and passionate staff, the rich diversity in the student body, and the balance of big city and outdoor fun that is the Portland metro area.
"You can go mountain biking by day and attend the opera at night," one teacher said. "And you may not even have to change clothes."
But it's clear that the next superintendent will have a big job repairing relationships with the employees.
"We had one who said, 'I've driven two districts into strikes, and I don't mind doing that again,' " a teacher said.
"They will be walking into a real mess. There is a profound lack of trust and respect," another teacher offered.
Still another commented that if a superintendent could recapture the trust of teachers, "they would be worshipped."
One teacher said that when they talk to the administration or the school board about the poverty and language challenges faced by their students, they are told, "that's just your excuse."
Another teacher charged that administrators don't understand education.
"If I get one more person who doesn't know anything," she said, "I am going to explode."
