LISTENING TOUR RESPONSES:

Following are the responses recorded during the ten Listening Tours that just ended. Thank you to all who took time to come to these meetings to let me know what you think! When a comment was made numerous times it is listed here only once and remember…these are comments from you and your fellow community members…not mine. Many I agree with and some I would have issue with but the point of the activity was for you, the public, to have your voice heard and noted. Thank you again! NZ


1. What would it take for you to see our public school system as EXCELLENT?

High ACT and SAT scores
Teachers who are truly interested in kids and their achievement
Current technology in all schools
Documented student success after graduation
Higher graduation rate
Consistently high level of parent/family involvement
Foreign language classes in elementary school
All students would have qualified and motivated teachers
Students would be eager to go to school
All staff would be Expert in their field
Knowledgeable
Enthusiastic
Motivated
High levels of support from community and businesses for district initiatives
Great meals served for breakfast and lunch
Fewer prisoners in the jails
High number of scholarships earned by students
Low pupil/teacher ratio
More attractive facilities (including landscaping)
Students would consistently earn high grades
More advanced and challenging curriculum for K-8 students
More professionalism shown by staff to members of the community
Fewer families sending their children to private schools
A concentration on academics instead of sports
Race would not be an issue
A value/morals based curriculum that addresses character
Lots of information would flow to the community
Excellent marketing of the schools
Greater breadth of secondary and elementary curriculum
More labs (especially science)
Metal detectors and cameras in each school
More flexible scheduling of school…perhaps a quarter system with breaks throughout the year
Increased security (entrances locked at all times)
Class offerings based on interest
Well-behaved, motivated students
Students taught critical thinking skills
Too much money to spend
Current texts, software, and materials
Auditoriums in all schools
Full time teacher assistant in every classroom
Each student with a computer to use (laptops?)
More extracurricular activities (athletic and non-athletic)
More parent volunteers than we know what to do with
A clear, enforced dress code (uniforms?)
Lockers for students
Larger libraries with complete book series
Better PE/physical education opportunities
Increased arts instruction
Inclusion population well served
Teachers are present in the classroom 95% of the time
Low teacher turnover
Reading teachers would come to the library with their elementary classes
Libraries open before and after school day
We would being in future parents (with toddlers) to help those children get ready for kindergarten
Adequate way to meet the needs of children who have needs from home…cleanliness, nutrition, etc.
You would see smiles on the faces of staff and students

2. If you could change two things in the Jackson-Madison County School System, what would they be?

Get rid of old ideas that are getting in the way of progress
We are seen as behind other districts…we need to benchmark ourselves to other systems
Take the politics out of education
All schools need to be state of the art in technology
Shorter bus rides for all students who ride
Ensure that ALL schools are good so parents don’t have to worry about where they live
Kids would go to school closer to home
No student would have to wait in the dark for their school bus
Greater access to academic and technology magnet
Get rid of block scheduling at high schools (but one person wanted it to stay at Madison)
Get teacher salaries high enough to lure good teachers here
Improve the Human Resources process
Increase the diversity of the teaching staff
Teach reading until they master it…don’t stop just because they reach a certain age
Better public relations program for the district
More emphasis on basic and less on social engineering
Uniform starting time (8:00 a.m. for all)
Replace/refurbish old school buildings
Ensure that all staff really believes that all kids can learn
Greater variety of courses offered
Replace current breakfast with healthier options
The attitude of employees should be one of fairness for each student and parent
Student accountability and higher expectations for students even if it means Saturday school
If something isn’t working…change it
Highest test scores in the south
Expose students to world experiences…more field trips
All learners would be motivated
Equitable resources for all schools
More time between bells at high schools
Discipline regardless of the cost
More than adequate funding
Put the 5th grade back at the elementary level
Make high school administrators not afraid of students
Teachers would all be able to control their classrooms
Teachers should not feel they can just get by – remove tenure (another person said keep tenure)
Create schools that are less structured – alternate settings needed to meet the needs of all students
More time to focus on academics – fewer disruptions
Behavior oriented curriculum strong in K-8 to avoid future problems
Uniforms required
Or a uniform dress code
Schools should be a safe haven regardless of what happens at home
Kids and parents should feel welcome at school
School resource officer in every school
More labs
Neighborhood schools
Smaller schools (2 classes per grade in elementary and intermediate)
Lower fuel costs
Competitive starting salaries
Access to the state test after it is given
Unitary status
PE and Art for every student, every day
More interventions by guidance counselors
Do something to raise the morals of students and teachers
Find a way to deal with teachers who are frequently absent (incentive programs for teachers who come to work all the time—cash in sick days)
More mental health services for elementary students
Special needs testing more responsive
Alternative school for elementary students
Smaller classes
Effective after school tutoring
Students stay together from K-12 (cohorts)
Every room handicapped accessible and every gym should have heat and air
Everyone in community values the school system and there is a free flow of communication between district and the community


3. How do you think the state of the school system impacts the community?

We are surrounded by people educated by the system…it’s important that they be well educated
Affects industry coming to the community
Has a significant impact on crime—educated people are less likely to engage in criminal activities
Realtors sometimes tell people school system isn’t good which makes people not want to live here
We need to get out from under the court deseg. order so people wanting to live here don’t think we are mired in the past and racist
School contribute to the employment base/teach basic skills required of employees
Dropouts cost the community money
Affects whether new teachers want to come here to work
When schools look bad it affects our relationship with the county commission
A strong system is economically advantageous to the community
Strong impact on growth (economic and population)
Produces good leaders and doesn’t drain the community
Good public education is the leveler of the playing field
We are raising our future leaders
High crime rate linked to the quality of the school system
Better-educated citizenry leads to a higher quality of life


4. What are the most important qualities you want to see in the staff we hire?

TEACHERS:
Know their discipline
Know how to manage a classroom and their curriculum
Enjoys teaching and likes kids
Will be sure that ALL kids are learning the material
Feels responsible to teach ALL children
Is approachable and not dogmatic
Knows where their students live
Teaches the material in different ways to accommodate kids’ learning styles
Makes lessons relevant
Is fair and consistent
Willing to listen to parents
Has the child’s best interest at heart every day
Does not hold grudges against parents/children after a problem has occurred
Lets parents know they are appreciated
Nurturing of all students (even in HS)
Willing to try different ways of working with child and parent (no “we don’t do it that way here”)
Flexible
Causes students to maintain and exceed expectations
Professional at all times
Has a good attitude
Uses positive reinforcement more than punishment
Love their work
Culturally sensitive
Highly educated themselves
Able and willing to communicate with parents
Respects confidentiality
Is a role model for students
Engages all students in class activities
Personally interested in all students (cares about them)
Focused on the job at hand
Good communicator at all levels
Advocates for the schools and supports public education
Sees the potential in every student
Sends their child to public schools
Is excited about teaching
Able to talk with ALL parents
Thinks out of the box – innovative and creative
Measures their success by the success of the students
Well organized
Teaches values proactively
Willing to teach the whole child
Stamina of a Clydesdale and nerves of steel
Able to let reasonable boundaries
Enthusiastic, confident, competent

PRINCIPAL:
Good student management techniques
Good relationships with teachers, students and families
Only hires teachers who like kids
Ensures that teachers are at the “level of their calling”
Looks at teachers’ ability to interact positively with all students-even difficult ones
Understands the programs at their school
Parent friendly
Trusts the staff
Technologically savvy
Not a micromanager
Approachable by students, staff and parents
Respectful of parents, teachers and staff
Able to balance that support
Willing to maintain a school’s unique identity
Has verifiable competencies and qualities and good administrative skills
A good fit for the school
Consistent
A listener
Interacts with students positively…even when handling a problem
Supports staff
Not too far removed from the classroom
Disciplinarian – fair, firm, consistent
Keeps up with current educational research
Takes time to know kids who aren’t in trouble or on an athletic team
Is present at the job site almost all the time
Is trustworthy
Professional looking – “not too scruffy”
Experienced at the appropriate level – i.e. level where he/she is principal
Visible in the building
Chosen for their ability
Can delegate wisely
Not in position because it is their turn or who they know…qualified, experienced and credentialed
Supportive of bus drivers
Would assemble an administrative team that is balanced in terms of race and gender
Would be required to submit to psychological testing for the purpose of determining attitudes towards groups of people (i.e. race and gender and socioeconomic levels)

SUPERINTENDENT:
Pay attention to parents/be responsive to parent concerns about a school
Be fair – demonstrate integrity
Be a person of your word
Look at every school equally and treat them equally
Make decisions based on what the right thing is to do
Ensure a diverse staff
Not micromanage
Be entrepreneurial
Try something different
Be an advocate for children
Bring / Accept new ideas
Use policies to guide decisions
Keep the focus on the child
Use data to trigger decisions that need to be made
Hold everyone accountable
Be a Listener
Don’t make assumptions
Be bold
Be a planner – a leader
Talk to the community and come back in two years with what has been done to act on those suggestions
Respond to e-mails
As you build programs, listen to staff and teachers
Hire the best
Do the right think in a timely manner
Don’t be too quick to judge students in matters of discipline
Willing to be open minded
Have high expectations of faculty, staff and students
Respect individuality
Be supportive of schools in the area of student discipline
Continue to be available
Maintain your beliefs – stand up for what you believe in
Be responsive to all of the community
Be visible in the schools
Be a good marketer
Good manager of staff
Strong disciplinarian
Integrity
Supportive of principals
Motivator
Replace lost positions and be receptive to communications from teachers
Provide more creative activities for students

5. What would it take for you to be willing to pay a special tax for our public schools?

Assure that the money wouldn’t be wasted
Be accountable for how it is spent
Allow parents to have their tax dollar go to their child’s school
Show that it would be spent on facilities and technology
Help us understand the current budget first
Conviction that my child is treated fairly by staff
Results, feedback, performance
Confidence that my child is learning
Would pay for direct student activities
Know that dollars are going into curriculum and technology
Money couldn’t be used for “curb appeal”
Be transparent
Would pay for technology
Adequate textbooks should be in place
Would want to monitor the spending as time passes
Responsible leadership
Money isn’t issue
To see the faces of the children rather than buses and buildings
Being willing to cut back administrative fat and not teacher salaries
Joint meetings between county commission and school board to share decisions about how money would be spent
No more fundraisers for school necessities

6. If your child is in a private school what would it take for you to move them into a public school?

Keep parents’ and students’ concerns addressed
Improved relationship building in the schools
More concern given to student results
Better classroom management – too many disruptions that interfere with learning
Better test scores
Access to current technology for every student
Increased perception of safety
An emphasis on the values we teach at home
More attractive facilities
Assurance that high achieving students receive the same financial support as low achieving students
Consistent parent involvement (in private settings 100% of them are involved)
Smaller classes
Teachers, principals and administration must hear parent concerns
Choices other than zones schools
Single start time and schools closer together
Strong involved teachers
Fewer transitions – grade to grade/school to school
Need to publicize where we outperform private schools
Teach study skills
Have higher expectations of students
Show that students in public schools have same scholarship access

7. What do you perceive as the biggest issue for the school system?

Unitary status – should try for it
Not the time to step out of court monitoring because JCM is still an old school
Student discipline
Poor perception of the district in the community
Politics
Truancy
Lack of parent involvement
Communication between teachers and parents
Lack of trust
Inadequate, unpredictable funding
Schools aren’t parent friendly
Perception that schools aren’t safe/School safety/additional support for children who are bothered by other children
Defensive teachers
Ineffectiveness of suspension as a consequence/need better alternative
Teachers need more backing from principals
Student achievement
Inadequate technology
Textbooks
Busing to remote locations/too much busing
Lack of curriculum freedom/NCLB/teaching to test
Lack of character training for those who need it
School choice
Need a district newsletter
Lack of funding for social services
Need for universal Pre-K

8. How can we help parents to become more engaged in their child’s education?

Better communication from schools
Let parents know what you need
Help parents know how to help their child achieve in school
More paraprofessionals in classroom
Have Saturday events for parents to attend
Have parent/teacher conference times in mornings and evenings
High school teachers need to communicate consistently with parents like teachers in the lower grades do
Use email to communicate
More opportunities for students and then parents to get involved with small activities
Teachers need to provide copies of tests and work so parents can know what their child is and isn’t getting
Give parents something free to get them to school
Reward students for parental involvement
Use technology like Lesson Line/Homework Hotline
Academic blog (teacher moderated)
Schools MUST be family friendly
Classes for parents of children entering kindergarten
Make parents feel valued…and NEVER make them feel stupid
Standards education for parents
Provide transportation to meetings
Provide babysitting for younger siblings
Staggered days for parent/teacher meetings…over a week
Partner with community resources that help with better communication with parents


In addition to these 8 questions, at some meetings there was time for me to ask folks to tell me what they want me to know about their position regarding Unitary Status for the school district. Unitary Status means that the Federal Court steps out of the managing of how staff is hired and students are assigned and other administrative decisions and leaves those entirely to the school board to handle. Following are the comments that were taken down during these discussions:

Until we get unitary status the focus will remain on two groups of people which will
cause us to not realistically deal with a more diverse community and the related issues
Keeping the issue in the forefront causes us to continue to deal with it and not more important issues of the education of our children
Board members need to be listening to more of their constituents to work on trust and communication
How could the community work together – Possible long range planning committee for parents, board, educators and commissioners? Survey the community?
Build schools that kids can walk or ride bikes to – to build on donated land, creating neighborhood schools
Don’t undo the progress regarding integration that we have achieved
Many current safeguards would prevent a return to old ways (i.e. separate but equal…that wasn’t)
Unitary Status – What’s the big deal?
This is our problem…not our children’s
Racial balance is off in schools…Need to recruit qualified black teachers