Letter to the Editor:
How many people would not read a survey conducted, regarding them directly, immediately? Joyce Phillips stated that after receiving the survey at the Monday board meeting, she had not had the time to read them as of print day, Thursday. How likely is that? Especially since, according to her ‘guest column’ in which she was running damage control she is trying to blame the MPS employees of being afraid of change. Quite the contrary. Change is welcome when it is in the best interest of our students, community and staff. Marshall deserves a superintendent with a better overall rating than 1.7%. This is still an overall rating of poor. Read the guest article again - apparently Joyce had read the survey. When 218 surveys are sent out and 153 returned, that shows a great desire for change. Why are you trying to make this seem so insignificant? Are you afraid of change? Maybe that is the real problem here. What was Joyce’s overall rating on the survey? On a one to five did she receive an overall of 2, 3, 4 or 5? No, her overall rating was 1.7%. With 218 being sent out, 110 returned them on Joyce. The other personnel had no dealing or knowledge of what the superintendent does or what that position entails. This was a return on Joyce of 50%. Does that not show a need for change? It would seem to me that if any other school employee received all overall 1’s (poor), they would be dismissed. The survey scale was as follows: 5=superior, 4=adequate, 3=average, 2=below average and 1=poor. Does Marshall deserve a “poor superintendent” running our schools? I would hope each and every one reading this would say ‘no’. This is going to require a lot of change on Joyce’s part. Talk of doing a survey began in late March through early April. Staff, after reading the board’s yearly evaluation of the superintendent (Marshall Chronicle, May 15, 2006) began talking about letting their opinion be heard through the survey tool. It was decided to do the survey during the summer months when attention could be given to it. The MPS staff did not feel the board was accurate in their opinion of Joyce Phillips’ performance. According to Vic Potter, saying, he “thinks employees would be happy we believe in our leader.” Is it not important for approximately 300-plus MPS employees to believe in their leader or just seven school board members? Are seven school board members not elected to represent the whole community? According to the Oct. 9, 2006 Chronicle, Vic Potter is quoted as saying, “they say there are no names on it (the survey). Give me some people to talk to. The board has always been open to anybody to talk. No one has called me. With no names, I won’t know what to think. I guess I have to see what the contents are. Are they upset because she is making some people do their jobs and they don’t want to?” Answer: How often do you take part in a survey and are asked to submit your name? Vic, you could begin by talking to any school employee regarding the concerns evident in the survey. MPS employees have been told for years that they are not to take concerns to the boar - they are to speak to the superintendent first. As far as employees not wanting to be made to do their jobs, over 300 employees have been and will continue to do the excellent jobs they were hired to do before Joyce Phillips came to Marshall and for decades after she leave this area.
Lynn Griffin, Marshall
Published 10/23/2006
The Marshall Chronicle
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19 comments:
The survey is extremely important! It exposes the complete loss of trust, confidence and support in Supt. Phillips from almost the entire MPS staff. The Marshall School Board would be very foolish if they did not take this survey as a "wake up call" that they have to take action to hopefully replace her. If they fail at doing their job, the MPS will pay the price for years to come as the bond will not pass and the district will be the laughting stock of the county.
How can she keep her job after getting such a bad evaluation from her staff?
How can she effectively govern when all she has left is her authoritarian power?
The Marshall Public Schools needs a competent leader, a motivator, a good communicator, someone who truly cares. Not a dictator!
The Marshall teachers and support staff have strong support from the students, parents and the community. We need to get more vocal. The school board needs to listen and take action.
I think it is time for the Board to realize the whole process of evaluating the superintendent, starting with the use of the overhead projector showing each administrator's evaluation of the superintendent to the HUGE TRUST FACTOR given to B. Metcalf when he compiles the information and gives it to the Board. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NO NAMES....(now I wonder if the whole process might not be credible...those missing signatures) I am sure it would be feasible to do this process without each administrator knowing what the other wrote (as well as supt). Maybe a program on the computer or something. At least it would be a fair process.
I think it would be a nice time to put her on the employee improvement plan. Give her about 30 days...then tell her sorry...her efforts just weren't enough...no one trusts her....bye bye now
You would think parents would be alittle outraged here. I have read the survey - why do we keep her as superintendent? Why would over half the Marshall School staff make up their dissatifaction? They are pleading for this communities support. Call board members - email from the side of the page above.
There should not be any personal relationships or close friendships between the school board members (the bosses) and the top administrators (their employees).
If there is this creates a huge conflict of interest and it is highly unlikely they will hold the Superintedent or others at the top properly accountable. I think that is exactly a big part of the current problem. A new school board may be needed because of these conflicts fo interest that are obvious to all!
I once worked for a woman that worked at Schuler's for 40 odd years. She said "you cannot be a good supervisor if you are a friend to those you supervise".
Confucious say: "The wise man or woman does not listen to a fool from Indiana. Trust your staff, as they are wiser than she."
Our board and their spouses should not be struting about town cowtowing to Joyce. They are Joyce's supervisors - how can they reprimand her when needed if they are socializing with her. We didn't elect them to be attending the Marshall Ball with her...they are her bosses for goodness sakes. Act like bosses here - not party partners. And Vic, stop with the flowers to soothe her 'hurt feelings'. Every time she harms or offends any of the 300 MPS employees are you ordering flowers. Those employees are the ones who have direct contact with our children. Joyce is supposed to be running the business of the superintendent's office - she is not hired as some kind of PR representative for herself. Good superintendents do not need PR columns...they just do the job they are getting paid to do. This is becoming a misuse of our tax dollars with her sitting in that office writing all her vision, publishing her health updates, and sharing her personal input on books read. Joyce: join a book club! I give you a "D" on your last book report!
How does your wife feel Vic about you buying flowers for another woman?
The Marshall school board has clearly engaged in bad and unprofessional conduct. As a whole they have become an embarrassment to Marshall.
So you feel the flowers were in bad taste? Because as an employee I felt personnally kicked in the gut with Vic bringing flowers to Joyce knowing the survey results were being delivered that evening. How impartial does Vic look? Is he at all a "check and balance"? Or is there more here than we see? I wonder how the other board members felt about the flower delivery. I sure hope it was not a collective effort by all!
That has to win the "Marshall School Board Member Moronic Decision of the Year Award"! ;-)
Buying Joyce flowers showed everyone that saw it that Vic is Joyce's yes man! That is wrong and is one more reason Vic should be recalled. He also stated in late 2005 that he would vote how he knows the supt. wants him to vote. Just another reason! Too bad Vic - you had a chance to do something good for Marshall...instead you chose to do something good for yourself!
I like the award idea above. So I will start the new awards for dumb things done by a Marshall School Board member. I will call this award the "Vic" in honor of its first recipient.
Congratulations Vic! You get the first "Vic Award" for buying Joyce a bouquet of flowers the day the teacher surveys were turned over!
I am sure there will be more Vic Awards in the future!
Here is another one, we will also start a new award for "creative versions of the truth" or "not letting the facts get in the way of a good story."
This will be called the "Joyce Award" in honor of its first recipient. Remember when she was asked about the expelled "BB gun" students and whether they had posed any threat to any Marshall students. JP said in the Chronicle that they had not posed any threat and we had to "trust her" on it. It was later found out that they shot at least one student at MHS with a BB gun. So Joyce, you get the first "Joyce Award" ... congratulations!
Any nominations for a "Joyce" or a "Vic" award?
Amy should definately get a "Joyce" for the way she tried to cover up the insurance scandals.
Joyce gets another "Joyce Award" for her Chronicle columns. Her pathetic attempts at trying sound like a normal human being do not hide the ugly truth behind her nasty reign and actions as the MPS Superintendent.
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