School district needs stability

A Spectrum, by Carol Lowery

I have learned with deep regret that Pat Chesbro and Don Chicarell have both decided to retire from our school district, rather than continue to tilt at the windmills of this district's politically motivated foolishness. We are losing two dedicated educators!

They may have made some mistakes during these first years as superintendent and assistant superintendent … after all, none of us were perfect when we began a job, especially a job as vast as overseeing a school district the size of this one. It does, however, appear that most of their detractors are coming from supporters of one specific school, and that seems to be because they made the "mistake" of holding the previous administrators of that school to President Truman's policy that "the buck stops here!" When two serious instances of child abuse take place in one school in one time period, something is very wrong. I'm sure the administrators really did not have any idea what was going on, because they are both professionals whose focus is usually on the children with whom they work. A strong message needed to be sent to all staff members of both that building and district-wide -- this type of behavior could not be tolerated here -- and that the administrators of a building must take full responsibility for the actions of staff within their building. This policy has been clearly established for more than 20 years, and all staff members, including teachers, custodians, secretaries and administrators have had yearly mandatory training about the gravity of abuse and our absolute and vital responsibilities to protect our children.

They have also been faced with a school board that is tenaciously unwilling to give their teachers a fair and just contract, and is asking the teachers to give up negotiated benefits that were earned and agreed upon. This board has also not supported teachers or administrators in politically motivated situations, nor in implementing new educational procedures needed for this district's children to measure up to the tough new exit exam and state standards. It is not poor leadership when a superintendent is dealing with a board that is unwilling to listen to the needs and concerns of the educational staff, since they are the ones who are doing the work of educating the children. MSEA should be supporting Ms. Chesbro and Dr. Chicarell, not giving them a vote of non-confidence because they can't lead a group of people who aren't willing to be led! The principal's association should remember how willingly and strongly these two people supported and led their association during some rough times. I am disappointed in both of these groups' actions, even though I know that the actions were not supported by many individual members within the two groups.

It would be hoped that the district will seriously consider just what they have done with their actions. They have lost two fine administrators who know this district well because they have been teachers, principals, and Mrs. Chesbro has even been a parent of children who have been taught there. These two administrators have always put the welfare of the students of this district first in any situation, even when it hasn't been politically expedient for them to do so. The school board has also just added to the Mat-Su's reputation of being impossible to work with, because it attacks and rejects any administrator who actually tries to lead the district into educationally sound practices, or to administrate strongly in a serious situation. It is going to be more difficult every time to find someone who is willing to come up and try to lead a district known for annihilating its administrators. We were very fortunate to have Norm Palenske for many years, and he was absolutely wonderful, but I'd bet he may have made some errors early on that he wouldn't have made in his later years.

The next step will be to go on a wide search for a superintendent, then they will hire a great guru from Outside who sounds just terrific on paper and in interviews, that person will come up and try out his/her ideas, someone will be offended, the board will non-retain them without fully giving them time to try, and the cycle will repeat … again, and again and again. In the long run it is the children of the district who suffer because of a lack of continued programs and policies.

Carol Lowery is a Wasilla resident and a retired school teacher.