I am responding to Brenda Holmes Stanciu’s guest editorial published April 14, 2022.
I have two children in Manitou Springs School District 14 schools. When my family “choiced in” to the district in 2014, we were excited to be joining a community where relationships came first.
This kept us in the district even as we moved farther from Manitou. The teachers and principals knew and cared for our children, and we always felt that our viewpoint was being genuinely solicited, listened to and — when it reflected the majority view—acted upon.
I trusted MSSD14. I trusted the district in their pursuit of genuine collaborative action, I trusted their decisions and I trusted that they were appropriately leading and supporting the school leaders and teachers, all of whom play such an important role in determining what kind of educational experience our children receive.
My trust in the district is not where it once was.
I am told that decisions are “evidence-based,” yet the evidence on some key decisions (e.g., masking at Ute Pass Elementary) has been missing, partial or selectively applied.
I have been told that families will be fully consulted on decisions (e.g. Late Start Wednesday), only for there to be a couple of poorly promoted online meetings with very low attendance and no apparent desire to go beyond this or consider other ways to give teachers the time they need to meet and plan — an early release, for instance, which would arguably be better for both teachers and families.
I also see the many experienced and talented teachers who are leaving MSSD14, not to mention the respective early retirement and resignation of two of MSSD14’s most inspiring and experienced school leaders. I wonder what is really going on behind the scenes.
We must do better.
In her piece, Ms. Holmes Stanciu touched on many important points, not least, the potential power of collective action and the important responsibilities associated with it. Civic society benefits greatly from effective K-12 education systems.
Such systems require that districts, schools, families and the wider community pull together to address the challenges of the day and enhance the prospects of tomorrow.
Collective action is difficult work. We are not one unitary body nor one collective mind. Viewpoints and opinions are diverse and, on some issues, downright divisive. But this does not and should not make the challenge of change insurmountable.
Of course, families must engage. If families feel their viewpoints are respected and play a genuine role in policy and decision-making, they are far more likely to continue to engage in future policy discussions and decisions.
The opposite also holds. In my own experience in speaking to district leadership, leadership had clearly already made its mind up on the issues I mentioned. The offer of a phone call with leadership was merely a gesture designed to give the impression of listening.
This experience made me reluctant to participate in subsequent MSSD14 discussions as I saw my involvement as a waste of my time in which leadership would point to my and others’ presence as proof of participation and involvement without genuinely listening to and acting upon our concerns.
I would like to stress that my major concern here is not so much with final decisions, but more the processes (or lack thereof) that are used to support such decision-making. In my own work researching and writing about how Olympic and international sport is governed, I see many problems of governance or leadership where the politics of perception trump reality.
In these cases, leaders are more concerned with shaping the narrative and crafting perspectives, rather than genuinely focusing on the reality of decision-making, the rationale for decisions, who is genuinely involved in decisions, why and the effects that these decisions have. I have been dismayed to see similar patterns in the leadership of MSSD14, where shaping the narrative and crafting perspectives appears to be more important than the reality.
Leadership is critical in getting MSSD14 back on track. We need transformational leaders, people like Principal Chris Briggs-Hale and Principal Jesse Hull who are dedicated to preserving what is special about our schools and looking to build on this rather than tear it down.
We need leaders who care about and are committed to teachers, principals, families and the wider community. Leaders who mentor, support, listen and inspire.
Ultimately, we need leaders who will cultivate a shared vision and who recognize the power and responsibilities of genuine collective action. Leaders matter.