Raising the academic bar

A few teachers represented a concerned and proactive group of Kimball educators at the recent Board of Education meeting following a discussion last month about increasing academic standards.

Cynthe Staehr addressed the board regarding the desire to increase scholastic expectations.

“Conversations began at the end of school with an unusual amount of uneasiness being voiced on several issues,” she said. “We felt an urgency to take action and move forward with our conversations.”

Teachers at both schools met to discuss concerns and followed up with meetings including Principals Mike Mitchell and Eugene Hanks and, ultimately, Superintendent Marshall Lewis.

“We have become embarrassed. We need to expect better at all levels,” Staehr said. “We realized that we, as teachers, are a good part of the problem and we are here to take responsibility. We want to be a part of the solution.”

Staehr added that the teachers desired more leadership, increased accessibility, accountability, communication with all stakeholders and staff and increased collaboration and respect.

“We want to work together to address these concerns in the attempt to best educate and affect our students, promote a safe learning environment and recapture the pride of Kimball Public Schools,” she said.

Consistency and accountability including all phases of professionalism, appearance and condition of the facilities and equipment, and qualified and quality personnel.

“We addressed a few action items such as addressing handbooks and needed items such as the drug policy. In this process we expressed a need for a clear plan to be presented and understanding how it would be implemented with consistent consequences in a timely manner – emphasizing consistency of accountability” she said. “We asked for a clear plan of action in communicating, implementing, enforcing and making parents, teachers and students aware of new and old policy details with that consistency of accountability.”

Staehr called for effective communication of policies and information to students, parents, staff and all stakeholders.

“This means communicating at all levels, that are well planned out, clearly explained, effectively implemented, enforced consistently and fairly wit clearly stated consequences in a timely manner,” Staehr said. “This also takes into consideration the manner in which and by which the communication takes place. We need to lead by example at all levels.”