One very interesting thing about speaking during the Public Comments portion of a BOE meeting is the letter one receives a few weeks later from the office of the Superintendent. At the May working BOE meeting, a parent begged the BOE to "Ask the Teachers" before making their decisions. That parent received the customary "we heard you" type letter. That letter contained the following paragraph:
"During your comments, you suggested that the leadership use teachers as consultants as a cost-saving measure and before making any major decisions. You may in interested in knowing that our Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Committee serves to provide a systemic process for problem solving for staff and leadership. Using teacher input is one of the action areas within our Strategic Planning initiative, as well."
So, the question(s) is: Teachers, have you ever heard of the "Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Committee"? Have you ever been a member of that committee? How long has the Superintendent had this committee in place? How often do the members change? How are the members selected? Who selects the members? How often does the committee meet? Where does it meet? Is the meeting open to the public? Where are the meeting dates posted? Who are the current members of the committee? At which schools do they teach? What grades do they teach? What subjects do they teach? Are the meetings of the STAC like the "Parents' Advisory Committee" at which the parents are never actually asked for advice? Which staff member is responsible for STAC and what does this staff member(s) do with the "advice" the teachers provide?
I searched the DCSS website: "Your search for "teacher advisory committee" returned 0 results."
Does "Using teacher input is one of the action areas within our Strategic Planning initiative, as well" mean more surveys stacked with questions that only lead to favorable outcomes?
Teachers? Help us out ... been on this committee? Know anyone who has?
