Saturday, December 09, 2006

Is there a High Road?

Hello All! This blog was created so USEFUL thoughts could be exchanged. It was created so the public could hear concerns from MPS staff regarding leadership at the top. It was created so people could share GREAT things happening within the district. As the title to this entry states - Is there a High Road? The answer is YES. Can't we just state the problems we are facing in this district, and leave the low personal remarks out of it? The majority of posters here on this blog can't stand the personal attacks that come from the Superintendent's Office. Why must some of us stoop to that level? SO - pull the road map back out - FIND THE HIGH ROAD - let's all get back on task.

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Marshall teachers, administrators and support staff are awesome! They have taken the high road in dealing with Dr. Phillips, Amy Jones, Brian Metcalf and the Marshall School Board. I wish I could say the same about the other side. Some school board members have, like John Coulter, Dan Stulberg and Chris Varvatos. But they need to do much much more! The other board members have done nothing or worse towards the staff in return. I hope they also take the high road and work with the staff and other administrators to hold the Superintendent accountable for her actions.

Anonymous said...

The whole town is waiting now to see what the Marshall School Board will do, or fail to do, on Monday December 11. 2006.

If they show that they clearly and emphatically recognize that there are major problems and explain how they will immediately start taking concrete, serious and positive steps toward a solution, then we can all work with them in this process. If they do little or nothing, then I and many others will have lost all faith in them. I hope they do not let us down again.

Thank you to the dozens of parents who have been sharing their support and appreciation for the Marshall teachers, support staff and building Principals. We need your support now more than ever!

Anonymous said...

Being a student, It makes me upset to see what is going on. How am I supposed to be a leader and do things to better the school when it seems the uppers in the system have no respect for it at all. If it was not for the fact that we have such great building administrators, Ron Behrenwald being one of them, Im not really sure what the state of our schools would be. At least we have the Principals doing over and above what they need to do to keep our schools running smoothly. They deserve all of the gratitude in the world for the countless hours they put in and for how much they really care about our schools.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to the administrator of this blog site. This is a terrific site where people can feel free to speak out and not fear actions against them. I wish that it were not that way. All should feel that they are free to speak to those in charge to voice concerns. That is the way at my job and I don't have to worry that tomorrow I won't have a job or I will be suspended or have my job made miserable because of it. The title of the this "Is there a High Road" I agree, we need to stay away from the back biting, name calling and do what we need to do. The staff at MPS have done that, I feel I can say that as I have been active with the system for many years. The only problem is finding the answer that will help without stooping to that level. We can't just sit by and see what happens, that is what it seems that the school board is doing. And others on this site have said that is not what the board is doing but when you don't know different then this is what you have to assume. I have talked with staff and they have never been confronted by a board member to talk with them, there are no members walking around the buildings asking questions, when is someting going to happen. Please lets all pray that the board opens up and sees what is happening. There has to be some validity to what is being said on this site. So many can not be wrong, now if the board could see it. Or if the administrators could see it and make some changes. This is a majical time of the season, lets see some majic.

Anonymous said...

I do wish to point out something that we all need to keep in mind....we do not want to have Phillips fired!! If we do that then we have to buy out her contract. She needs to be demoted. She would still have her unbelievable pay, but I don't think she would last long if we gave her a mop and a bucket. Bellvue demoted their superintendent when she failed miserably to do her job....we should too. As far as keeping to the high road it's much easier to keep a positive attitude when your voice doesn't fall on deaf ears. Let's hope Monday provides a much needed shot in the arm to the beleaguered staff.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the high road. This is the approach the MTA took with the survey in the first place. A survey tool used to expose the deficiency of JP as superintendent. Perhaps JP as superintendent and MPS just IS NOT A MATCH. Like alot of relationships - this appears to be the case. Maybe we can find a different position which she can perform up to expectation. As far as the Board doing what they have been elected to do. We will see Monday Dec. 11th.

Anonymous said...

Supt. Phillips can be fired with no further compensation if wrongdoing occured. Since there is strong evidence of many instances of wrongdoing, then this is a viable option.

Anonymous said...

I hope the Marshall School Board publicly states something along the line that they recogonize the problems and concerns of the MPS staff and will be initiating actions to resolve these problems ASAP. We will find out at tonight's (Dec06) board meeting!

Anonymous said...

I say give the Marshall school board a chance, I think some positive things may be happening soon! They will be evaluating Supt. Phillips again in the very near future. Please stop all attacks on school board members. Instead contact them with e-mail, phone calls or stop and talk to them about your concerns.

Anonymous said...

To the MPS staff and Marshall school board:

I think there is very strong support in the community for the MPS staff and the school board to work together. I am pleased to hear some progress being made in this area. We need to increase communication and cooperation to resolve this crisis in the Marshall schools.

Anonymous said...

Progress???? Where???Communication is not possible due to the fact that trust has been irreversibly shattered by the jackboot policies of JP. Cooperation is what happens between the staff,students, parents and most building level admin.JP has literally ruined the livelihoods of many people!I am thankful that there is community support, I am hoping that there is support from the board. However, the damage has been done to many and every day they pay the price.
The road to hell, in this case, is paved with JP's intentions.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone happen to catch Ali Web's comment during the board meeting about cheerleaders not being very bright? If I were a cheerleader, or the parent of a cheerleader, I would not be happy!
That was in very poor taste.

Anonymous said...

Oh boy, Ali put her foot in her mouth this time, "At least we know that they're not cheerleaders". I guess that Ali thinks that cheerleaders lack talent. Smart comment Ali, real smart. It's a good thing that you don't despise minority students or special-ed students, that could have made the nightly news.

Anonymous said...

There is behind-the-scenes stuff going on and everyone needs to start contacting school board members to share their views. Set your anger and outrage aside and contact them one way or another, especially Vic, Paul and Janice. There are reports that they may be coming around, but lets not put them on the defensive any more than they have been. They will be evaluating Joyce in a closed session, I think on December 21st. They ALL need to hear from a variety of people. MPS staff should be safe to contact at least some of the board members. Don't let Joyce scare you, she is on the defensive now.

Anonymous said...

There is only one good solution and that is for Dr. Phillips to be removed from being the Superintendent as soon as possible. There is no fixing the huge mess she has created. She does not deserve anything but termination, or at least a demotion. She has done way too much damage already!

We need a good Superintendent whom the MPS staff and parents can work well with. The sooner the better!

Anonymous said...

The most disturbing thing is the fact that she threw in, at the closing moments of the board meting, a request for an UNSCHEDULED eval in December with the intent to get another favorable evaluation from a "sympathetic" board. WITHOUT THE FAVORABLE EVAL SHE WILL NOT GET THE PAY RAISE! The board did not even bat an eyelash. These are the same tactics she used when Sam Ramon and Bob Lyng were due to step down from their school board posts. She stalled on things just to wait until a more favorable board was in place!! The public really needs to step up here!!!!!Time is running out and we taxpayers will be paying for her raise!!!!

Anonymous said...

If the Marshall School Board gives her anything close to a good evaluation in the face of overwhelmiing evidence to the contrary, there will be a recall for sure! The ONLY way the current school board can save face is to give her the bad evaluation she deserves and move towards removing her from the Superintendent job. Some critics argue that the board knew how bad she was last spring and gave her the two year extension and pay raise to protect her. If this is not true, then the time has come for them to publicly withdraw their support for her.

Anonymous said...

What perfect timing. After JP tried to lead everyone into her newest spin. For instance, her school email to staff about her past 16 years of being her recently deceased father's caregiver. I believe the nursing home he has lived in in Indiana would be the caregiver. Secondly, her vision. I was under the impression she works for the board which is elected to represent the community that elected them. If we were to have a new vision by each new leader wouldn't this affect our educational system? JP has very carefully orchestrated all the superintendent corners to pave her way to this 'surprise' evaluation. Please open your eyes and write to your school board members. They must not be aware of some of the issues that are truly affectly our system. Email the board members now. Ask to be kept confidential. Be accurate in your examples that you present. This is of great importance. It is truly worth five minutes of your time.

Anonymous said...

If this is another school board/Phillips charade it will surely backfire. The truth is out, the problems are well-known, the community is expecting a solution.

Anonymous said...

We should definately pay attention to what Marshall Voice has to say!The school board already accepted JP's request for an unscheduled interview! Outrage needs to happen now!

Anonymous said...

At this time the Marshall School Board know exactly what is going on in the Marshall Schools. They must now choose between Joyce on one side and virtually everyone else on the other side (MPS staff, parents, community members). There are no more excuses! If they truly care about what is best they will take action soon to replace the problem.

Anonymous said...

Ali owes the cheerleaders an apology!

Anonymous said...

The school board can regain the respect and trust they once enjoyed by holding Dr. Phillips accountable for all the problems she caused or contributed to currently afflicting the Marshall schools.

Anonymous said...

I admire the Marshall teachers, building administrators and other staff for clearly taking the high road! I also know from many sources that Mrs. Phillips has been taking the low road for a very long time. I hope the school board recognizes the "real Dr. Phillips" and come to the conclusion that the only logical and realistic solution is new leadership at the top.

Anonymous said...

I am questioning why the board will grant a request by joyce for a yuletide evaluation...you know the giving time of year...but back in April of 2004 a project of much importance to the support workers at the school began. I believe there were 25 job descriptions updated and submitted for approval. These job descriptions had not been updated in years (some were dated 1986, - back before computers were being used - typed on the old typewriters). To date only seven of those descriptions have been approved and given back to the support union. This was one of the items the support union had met and requested in Joyce's first four months here that really needed attention. Alot of work was put into the updating of these descriptions. Administrators worked on making the updated changes and then they were submitted to the union for typing and then submitted to the superintendent for approval. This group really felt the updates were important to their people. Were the descriptions not important to joyce or were the people not important enough to joyce? This is just another example of how the employees are treated at MPS.

Anonymous said...

Having talked to numerous MPS staffers, I have not found any evidence that JP cares anything about anyone except herself and pleasing the school board. She must think as long as she can keep the majority of the school board happy, or at least not challenging her, that she is safe.

Anonymous said...

The upcoming school board evaluation of Dr. Joyce Phillips is soon. What does everyone think she should get on a scale of A-E, with "A" being "excellent" B "good" C "fair" D "poor" and E "terrible." Here are seven categories:

1. Relations with the MPS staff (trust, cooperation and support)
2. Relations with other administrators (trust, cooperation and support)
3. Community relations- respect, trust and support
4. Knowledge of effectively running a school district
5. Honesty and integrity
6. Active in the building and classrooms
7. Relations with students

Let's start the community evaluations! Just list 1-7 and your letter grade for each (comments optional).

Anonymous said...

1. E
2. D
3. E
4. D
5. D
6. D
7. E

This is my eval, I was a generous as I could be.

Anonymous said...

Straight "E"s.

Mrs. Phillips has earned it! I know her well!

Anonymous said...

She has very poor staff, student and community relations, if any at all. She also has very bad relations with her building Principals and most other administrators. She tries to do PR things like her column and occasionally acting nice and caring in public, but her actions demonstrate the opposiite. Her honesty is often in question on many issues. She seems to even be losing her previous strong support from the current school board members. It looks like a clear "E" overall.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if the results of the board evaluation on Monday will be made public? From what I read in the paper it looks like it is mostly just miscelleneous feedback. That could be good if the board properly holds her accountable for her actions. Everyone, call or e-mail the school board members before Monday night.

Anonymous said...

I am also being generous:
1 = E
2 = E
3 = D
4 = E
5 = E
6 = D
7 = E

Anonymous said...

Any "D" is being generous. She is the worst Superintendent by far in the history of the Marshall Public Schools.

Anonymous said...

1. Relations with the MPS staff (trust, cooperation and support)
2. Relations with other administrators (trust, cooperation and support)
3. Community relations- respect, trust and support
4. Knowledge of effectively running a school district
5. Honesty and integrity
6. Active in the building and classrooms
7. Relations with students

I've worked in close quarters with JKP, here are my grades for her:

1. E-
2. E-
3. E(she puts on a good face for the public...very phony and shallow)
4. E- (non leader of people, dictates rather than leads, book-learned leader, nothing substantial)
5.* E is too high of a grade for her here. She has NO honesty nor integrety, not even with herself.
6.E Only if there are cameras or a way to make her look good does she show up in the buildings. She wants to show up for "events" so that she can look good.Kids don't know who she is nor do half the parents in our building.
7. E see above statement, see too if she can name some non-employee, non-board member students in our school system that she has personally met and knows on a personal level. Again, very shallow person.

Just thought I'd share

Anonymous said...

Is anyone reading this site as suspicious as I am about the 'request for an evaluation' being made at this time? Could it just be coincidence that jp has been running some major PR campaign to convince her supporters that she is truly trying to make changes? Is it possible that she is running out of PR moves? Has anyone spoke to the community she left behind and how they covered up her problems and sold Marshall a great ticket of leadership? Could she be wanting a favorable evaluation before her possible defeat in the Jody Foreman tenure charges? This whole evaluation request stinks? I am not aware of ANY other school employee that can be evaluated when they think the timing is favorable towards them. Just my opinion...there's alot to be said for how the spirit feels this time of year!

Anonymous said...

If Joyce gets anything short of a very harsh evaluation then it may all be a scam. If the school board truly holds her accountable then her days are numbered.

Anonymous said...

I think the board is slowly coming around, at least 2-3 of them understand the seriousness of the problems and the harm and embarrassment that Joyce is causing for the Marshall schools. But I expect that she still has some Board supporters (maybe Vic? Janice? Ali? Paul?) that will likely try to block holding her responsible for her actions.

Anonymous said...

Obviously holding joyce accountable didn't happen...I was hoping! Time for some petitions?

Anonymous said...

We should know soon, one way or another, what happened during Joyce's evaluation. If she still has loyalists who are working against the Marshall Public Schools best interests (and for Joyce!), then petitions will certainly be needed to recall them. We also need good strong people to replace them. I think something big will happen after the holidays.

Anonymous said...

At least a few board members should be recalled soon.

Anonymous said...

Needed: Good and courageous leaders to run for the Marshall school board in the spring. Deadline to file is Feb 13th. We need leaders who will:

- work well with the mps staff
- work well with the building principals
- put the kids, not Phillips, first!
- be willing to hold the Superintendent accountable for her actions, maybe the Asst. Supt. and Business Manager too.
- someone who works well with the parents and listens to them too
- someone not affiliated with any cliques and their hidden agendas.

Anonymous said...

I hope we find at least two like that! I still think at least a few board members need to be recalled now. We cannot wait until they may get off the board in July. They can do a lot of damage to the schools through their strong support for Phillips between now and July. They may also lead an effort to give Phillips another huge raise and extend her contract, not too mention another "good" performance review. Should we allow that to happen?

Proud Marshall Teacher

Anonymous said...

I suggest someone contact Joanna Johnson at the Calhoun County Road Commission. She would be a perfect choice if she would consider running. Very positive involvement in this community. Served on the Site Needs Committee also. Ian Schnaitman? Stan Wolk? Any suggestions? Thoughts? How does one get these people interested?

Anonymous said...

Spread the word, we will need good strong candidates to file by February 13th, or maybe sooner if there is a recall. The small radical pro-Joyce clique will likely be recruiting "sleeper" candidates to run too. Those who act like they are not part of the clique and then pull a 180 once elected. Can you think of any board members who have pulled this stunt before?

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be nice if Bob and Sam decided to run and get the two seats back from Janice and Vic. Vic cannot be trusted. I have proof. Possibly Chris and John could turn around if Bob and Sam replaced the 2 do-nothings!

Anonymous said...

Last spring Sam and Bob were the "voices of reason." I admit I was not their biggest supporters a few years ago but I have great respect for them now! They were absolutely right when they started questioning Joyce and calling her on various issues where she was not being forthright and honest. They were active in the buildings and respected everyone. It was a huge loss to lose both of them at such a critical time. If we could swap them for Vic and Janice that we be an excellent move toward real school improvement.

Anonymous said...

Bob? Sam? What do you say....give it another try! Let's get those two seats back...oust vic and janice>

Anonymous said...

We need new school board members. The "Joyce first, kids last" policy of Vic, Janice, Ali and Paul needs to come to an end.