Since I knew our time would be limited today, I previously sent
you a bit about who I am and what I work on when it comes to public
education. As you’ll remember, my
involvement in the school corporation is not limited to just my own child, but
others I’m responsible for as their CASA as
well.
I’ve spent many of my working years as a front line manager
for various service industries. My days
were filled with giving direction to staff members who encountered problems,
and to a lesser extent, addressing issues brought to me by customers.
Over time I learned techniques to prioritize the challenges
brought to me; differentiating between what was urgent vs. important,
identifying where a partial solution would mitigate the immediate problem,
allowing for further study for complete resolution, and the like. I would imagine it is a lot like that for
you.
In fact, you’ve had one of those thorny issues presented to
you recently. I believe that the community is going to need some better account
regarding the issue of grade changing at Washington
High School. I’ve read the lengthy South Bend Tribune
article multiple times and, as a community member, I don’t feel any confidence
that I know what happened. The Board
cannot allow the article to stand as the public record of the matter. There must be an investigation and there must
be a report. There also needs to be a
policy adopted on whether grade changing is ever appropriate, and if so, when
and how. A proactive approach would make
a repeat of this sort of issue unlikely, and could serve to reassure citizens
of the school corporation.
I know that your particular challenges have been made much
more difficult by injurious decisions made in state government. Failure to restore past funding levels,
instead choosing to lower taxes and making Indiana’s
voucher program the most expansive in the nation certainly makes clear the lack
of regard for public education by our decision makers. I want to work with you to change these
priorities.
I do think that the community needs its school board to at
least challenge these policies. And
maybe this board should join with other boards in large communities to issue
some joint resolutions expressing dissatisfaction with the state. They are, after all, financing their priorities
at the expense of our children’s needs.
It’s hard to calculate what the cost of that will be.
But here’s where you’ve distinguished yourselves, in my view. We know that the two most significant
indicators of student success are first, the family situation of the child, and
second, class size. You folks can’t do
much about the former, but you have held the line on the latter. I read about class sizes of thirty to
forty-five kids elsewhere and wonder how teachers can possibly be effective in
those situations. I am grateful you have
not allowed that to happen here, and would pledge to stand with you to keep
that the case.
So I am here asking to join you. I understand the degree of difficulty, but it
is work I wish to do. And for anyone who wishes to know what I would like to
accomplish as a member of the Board of School Trustees, it would be this: Up to now, our daughter has had a fantastic
experience as a student in the district.
She runs up the steps of the bus every morning – she’s that eager to get
to school. I want that for every
parent’s child.
Don Wheeler
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