Published: June 20, 2009 11:36 pm      

MPSD teachers speak out about district problems

Editor's note: The names in the following article have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals interviewed.



By Ida Brown

ibrown@themeridianstar.com



"It's not a good place to be – professionally or personally."

Some Meridian Public School teachers these days appear to share the sentiments of their fellow educator Nicole Washington, who made the above-mentioned comment about the local school district.

Clandestine discussions about issues within the district have now been brought to the surface, and have come to a head in two recent public meetings. 

Discipline problems, violence against students and teachers, teacher morale, the uniform policy, the drop in accreditation status are just a few of the concerns of not only teachers, but also the community.

Bearing the brunt of the criticism is district Superintendent Charlie Kent, who, in a few weeks, will have held the post for one year. Others blamed: the Meridian Public School District Board.

"Meridian Public School District has been revered (in the past) ... (Meridian) high school used to be called 'the high school' and people knew what you meant," said Tamara Bell, who has taught at MHS for more than 20 years.

Unfortunately, this is no longer true, Bell said.

Several MPSD teachers recently spoke candidly with The Star about the black cloud that currently hangs over the local school district – and some even expressed hopes of a silver lining.

Fact: All school districts encounter problems and they don't just happen overnight.

"We've always had kids to do things, but they have not been able to get away with it," said Linda Culpepper, who has taught for more than 20 years.

"I think the way things have been handled (by administration) is what has caused teachers to be so unhappy. A classic example: There seems to be a push for not having so many discipline issues (referrals) reported to the office. So, if you really want to be viewed as a 'good teacher,' a lot of things that you really should address, you don't."

"Because then you're seen as having poor class management skills," said Washington. "Why have an administration and steps in place for referrals if you cannot use them?

James Davidson, who retired from MHS after 20 years, added, "I guess since (Kent's) the ship's captain, that's who it would all fall back on ... But we had some administrators that did not have experience and discipline.

"I felt griped that I could not ensure the safety of my students ... (I had a problem) with the lax discipline, and that they were not prepared so often. They would just say one thing and revise it."

And while some acknowledge that problems existed before Kent became superintendent, many of the teachers say they have escalated since his arrival.

"Teacher morale has plummeted. We have had discipline issues that we've never had before. We've had academic issues that we've never had before. It just all seems to come to a head – It's just a big feeling of frustration," Bell said.

Kent has been criticized for showing little respect for teachers – belittling and even bullying them during meetings.

"His attitude toward teachers is horrible; he has called us all but incompetent," Culpepper said.

"On the first day teachers met with Kent, he told us if we couldn't back the system 100 percent, we need to find ourselves another job," Davidson said. 

"Every time that people would try to talk to him, he would threaten that you need to leave if you don't like it," he said. "You need a leader that builds character and makes you want to do the work. But his way of getting things done is to attack you."

Kent apologized at the Wesley House forum for having offended teachers. But some, like Bell, did not feel it was a sincere gesture.

"He gave that apology, but he qualified it," she said. 

Bell said when a teacher at Northwest Junior High School was assaulted by a student, Kent made no attempt to contact the teacher.

"He did not contact her that day. He did not contact her the next day ... He hasn't contacted her to this day," she said.

Culpepper said Kent's lack of respect for teachers is also shared by the school board.

"The administrators make decisions about things without asking our opinion – the ones who have to perform," she said. "We've been told the new building (Ninth Grade Academy) may or may not be ready. Has it been considered that you're trying to merge two schools (Kate Griffin and Northwest) that have always been rivals? We know that children don't deal with change well ... You're about to bring 600 students to a campus that already has 1,200 students and you haven't worked everything out as far as classes, lunch and other issues."

Several teachers criticized the administration for hiring and promoting unqualified people for key positions.

"We have a lot of administration that is elementary based and special education based, but I feel like that we are lacking in our administration with secondary background and academic background," Davidson said.

Culpepper added, "We have so many administrators who do not have the background to be in positions they are – they may have the academics, but not the classroom experience. And as a result, we are setting our children up for failure."

Like many parents, the teachers also are concerned about the district's accreditation status – which was prompted by a recent test violation. They also expressed concern about how the situation has been handled.

"One of the things that has bothered me in the last day was the way he (Kent) linked the two test coordinators to the lost accreditation and they had nothing to do with the wrongdoing," Davidson said.

"I would have felt like he was actually smearing my name (were I one of the test coordinators)."

Washington expressed concern about what motivated the act.

"Did this person feel so pressured about test scores that they felt that they 'had to do whatever necessary' to make sure the kids passed?" she said. "And felt that they could get away with it?"

Davidson said the recent testing violation is just one  example of how academics have been compromised in the district.

"One of the things was that you had to give the students a 60 (grade)," he said. 

"Teachers were told they had a choice about not giving below a 60, but had to fill out 15 pages of paperwork whenever they gave a student under a 70. 

What ensued after the policy was instated was that teachers began to give 70s to everybody; so they would not give an F and have paperwork to do. 

"We were told the 'No F's' policy was state policy, but found out it was not," Davidson said. "You could not count on the facts you were given to be true." 

A big fear of many of the teachers is a major loss of teachers in the district.

"I'm afraid we're going to have a mass exodus of teachers," Culpepper said.

"We're just very discouraged," Bell said. "It's very discouraging to know that the board is not willing to take a vested interest in us." 

Davidson said the effects of Meridian Public School District's problems go far beyond the classroom.

"It has to look bad as far as attracting future businesses here, as far as people bringing their children here and enrolling them in school," he said. "You have to be concerned, even if you don't have a child in it, as a member of the community."

Still, some remain optimistic about the district's future.

"Meridian Public School District has been a good district and still is to a degree," Culpepper said. "The fact that people care enough to be angry speaks volumes.

"The good thing that has happened is that the public is now aware of what has been going on for years. My hope is that the public and parents will not let it continue ... I hope the situation can be worked out quickly."