SHAWANO, WI- A survey that was administered by the Shawano Educators Association (SEA) President Matt Brunette is showing that a large number of staff members in the Shawano School District are frustrated and shows a lot of turmoil in the district.

115 of the 169 teachers within the district as reported by DPI responded to various questions on a scale of 1 to 5 with (1) being a negative response and (5) being a positive response. The lowest responses were given mostly to questions about Communication and Support.

Brunette said the purpose of the survey was to provide an anonymous way for staff to have their opinions brought to the school. “We did not feel that there was a vehicle for them to do that and we felt that it was a chance to do that.”

The staff had an average of 1.39 when asked if they feel they can communicate openly with district administration without fear of retribution, and 1.88 when asked if they feel they can communicate openly with any school board member. The staff had an average of 1.33 when asked if they feel the administration communicates in a thorough fashion, and 1.39 when asked if they feel the administration communicates in a timely fashion. The staff was also asked which school board members they feel comfortable communicating with and Mart Grams received most of the mentions (23). Alysia Pillsbury and outgoing board member Diane Hoffman did not get any mentions, while Board President Michael Sleeper and Chuck Dallas both got one mention. Some of the comments that were included in the survey were:
“I don’t trust the board members”, “no one” and “at this time, none of them.” Other comments included “Mart Grams only”, and “Typically Mart Grams and at times Michael Sleeper.”

In addition, the survey showed that staff members are keeping their options open when it comes to employment. An average of 2.28 was given when asked if they feel they are going to remain as a staff member. When asked what they would do if they leave, 62 said “leave the profession”, 20 said “move to a different district” and 10 said “early retirement”. Some also left comments including, “I regret wasting time receiving this degree” and “It’s sad to see how bad things have gotten here in such a short time.”

Staff members were also asked to explain what needs to happen to be convinced to stay as a Shawano School District Employee, with most of the responses requesting a change in communication and salary. Of the 99 comments, 28 focused on compensation and salary concerns, 16 addressed poor communication and 14 addressed a lack of support from administration and/or the school board. 10 addressed how they have been treated by the superintendent needing to change for them to stay. Other issues addressed, centered around technology, appreciation, staffing cuts, central office hirings, smaller class sizes, and job security. 8 said they feel nothing can be done to fix their concerns.

SALARY
Staff members were asked if the lack of salary structure has changed their career plans with the average response being 3.91. A 1.39 average was the response if they feel the district will have a fair and equitable salary structure in future years.

TREATMENT AND SUPPORT
Staff members were asked if they feel like they are being treated as a professional and had an average score of 2.63. An average score of 2.24 was given when asked if they felt supported as an educator, and 2.76 was the average when asked if they feel they have enough support to engage students in quality learning.

TECHNOLOGY 
The new technology rollout was also given a low average score of 1.80 when asked how it has been working from them.

The survey also asked staff members to leave additional comments, and 93 more statements were made addressing all the concerns. “Lack of honest communication and micromanagement is killing this district,” one staff member responded. Some addressed job security. “Will I have a job in a year or two,” one staff member asked?
“I have concerns about how top-heavy and micromanaged this district now feels,” replied one member.  Quite a few commented on the concerns of closing a building and others addressed technology. “The change to Apple products should have been researched before deciding that Shawano School District will be an Apple district.”
The respondents also made a lot of comments about Superintendent Randi Anderson. “I want to see Randi and Kurt (Krizan) spending time in the classrooms to see how we are not under capacity,” one staff member said. “Value your staff,” said another. “The District Administration has created an air of mistrust and manipulation.” One respondent called the school year a “nightmare”  and one said the superintendent needs to “treat staff in a more respectful way.” Some of the comments referred to the school board’s lack of support and quite a few criticized the idea that Shawano can be a “Destination District”. “The thought of becoming a destination district has now become nothing but a joke,” one comment read.

One staff member gave multiple reasons for concern. “The way information is shared is less than transparent.” A bad leader can take a good staff and destroy it,” was another comment from that staff member.

The full survey can be found here