OK, lets be real here. No faculty or staff member wants to talk one on one with Miller. She can't be trusted for one and the majority of the ones laid off spoke out against her to begin with.
Miller said she doesn’t believe it’s appropriate to use them right away
with this year’s large number of laid off or resigning faculty and
staff.“Given our current situation, I think it’s better for some of the tensions to reduce before we ask them for feedback,” she said.
Now why is that? I think its very important we start using them now and copies be made by those who do use them and kept to further ensure they stay accurate. I also think that these interviews need to be done by the school committee and need to be made public as well. To much under handedness has gone on in this school since Miller has arrived and it needs to end and this SC needs to ensure more openness with the taxpayer and parents. As it stands our school has basically been black balled due to her under handedness and it needs to end here and now. I am sure that these teachers have alot to say and I also think we should have Dupreys , Jones and Wehrli as well. Its time the truth comes out and these past administrators and teachers and other staff know they have the full support of the people and parents. Maybe a member of the dept of ed should also be in these interviews to enure that things are handled properly, its bluntly visible to us all that unless you read it here we have been kept in the dark.
Its clear to everyone Miller is not a good addition to Pioneer nor is Bacon or Perry. People who have spoken out against them are now unemployed and will fear retaliation if they speak out. For the sake of our school and those who remain , the Dept Of ED needs to be involved. This abuse of power also needs to end and they all need to be removed from the Education system for the sake of other schools down the road. It ends here.
Speak out and speak up. You chose this profession to educate kids and protect them. Your words now matter more than ever.
NORTHFIELD — The Pioneer Valley Regional School District curriculum
and personnel subcommittee approved exit interview forms, answering
requests community members voiced repeatedly last year.
Subcommittee
members agreed that given a large number of layoffs this year, it was
particularly important to have an exit interview procedure established
to conduct with all faculty and staff who retire, resign or are laid
off.
The curriculum and personnel subcommittee released a copy of
the exit interview form, which includes nine questions such as, “Do you
feel you were given adequate support to do your job well?” “Did you feel
that you were provided good opportunities for professional growth?” and
“Were you satisfied with the working environment?”
Faculty and staff will also be asked if they have suggestions for changes to the work environment, or if they have concerns.
Once
forms are done, faculty and staff will contact their respective
principal to arrange an appointment to go over the completed forms.
Interviewees are also invited to call, email or make an appointment with
Pioneer Superintendent Ruth Miller to share concerns or comments
regarding working in the district.
Form vs. conversationsHowever, according
to Miller, the practice of conducting exit interviews isn’t new, but the
use of these forms is new. Miller said she routinely conducts
interviews with some, but not all departing faculty and staff,
preferring face-to-face conversations.
“Typically, if someone has
left or is going to leave, they come in and meet with me at some point,”
she said. “If you can catch them and have a conversation and take notes
about what they said, I find that more purposeful.”
Miller said she believes faculty and staff might not be interested in filling out forms.
“I
find that people, in all my years, 99 percent of the time they’re not
filling it out,” she said. “But if you ask them for a conversation,
they’re willing to have a conversation that doesn’t require them to
write and analyze. And you get what they want to talk about, rather than
on a piece of paper.”
Miller said she plans to meet with the
five district principals to discuss how the form will be used. However,
she said she doesn’t believe it’s appropriate to use them right away
with this year’s large number of laid off or resigning faculty and
staff.
“Given our current situation, I think it’s better for some of the tensions to reduce before we ask them for feedback,” she said.
Miller said she will likely start using the forms and conducting interviews “closer to September.”
