November 9 , 2007

Parent Post

Note to the smart aleck that THINKS they have all the answers:  don't be rude to the parents in DC.  I did check the website when I heard rumors of a new principal being hired.  I wanted to know about the person who will make decisions that will affect my kids.  It was posted AFTER I let the administration office and PTO President aware and asked around and no one knew. I was told it would be posted and it was....on Thursday after he was hired Monday night.

WE WERE NOT GIVEN ANY KIND OF NOTICE!  The new principal had been introduced in many classrooms already before the "paying district" even knew about it.  Mistakes happen - we are human.  Maybe instead of griping and belittling others we can offer solutions to avoid the same problems: What about minutes being posted from the Board Meeting?  Is there a place for that?   The new marquis should help somewhat with communication. 

Hopefully, the new principal that has already experienced this type of growth will offer some advice.  However, shouldn't it be part of someone’s job to keep us informed?  It would hopefully alleviate so many questions and rumors!

October 25 , 2007

Parent Post

Toni Jones does an incredible job of keeping parents informed.  It is not difficult to do once it is set up and she never fails to send the weekly emails.  More schools should learn from this and reapply it in their schools!  I wish that it would be a deercreek policy!

Our Reply

Yes, Toni does a wonderful job and kudos to her entire staff for their effort in communicating as well.

October 24 , 2007

Parent Post

In reference to the post "Deer Creek High School Failure to Communicate", maybe you should read the District's web site once in a while. It was clearly posted and announced on the website.  Did you expect a personal phone call from someone?  A letter perhaps?  Wake up!  The district is not 1a anymore.

Our Reply

There is no doubt that the district is growing and past practices will have to be abandoned because of the growth.  With that said how does the Middle School find the time to communicate with their patrons on a weekly basis as important issues arise?  They do it because it is important to them to make it happen.  It would be nice if the High School would value the importance of communication with their patrons as the Middle School does.  So let’s not blame a ‘lack of communication’ on growth when other schools in our district have found a way to make it happen. 

On a side note, if communication is so important to the School Board and Superintendent, why are they not taking any steps to ensure that the entire district is communicating with the patrons?  It obviously can be done.  All they have to do is go to the Middle School to see how it happens.

October 22 , 2007

Parent Post

From an e-mail I received today:  "I trust that you all received Becky Wilkinson's e-mail regarding the change of leadership at the High School.  Mr. Bradley, the new principal, will..."  

Let me stop laughing...  Due to my understanding of how "well" our Super and Board inform the patrons, I discovered this info on my own a few weeks ago. I have yet to have been "properly informed" by anyone. It seems that none of the parents I have asked about the subject knew anything either. Another reason to call into question the actions or lack there of from those members who are making decisions for our children.

Our Reply

Mr. Bradley was approved by the Board at last Monday’s Board meeting.  A message was posted on the school district’s website last week as well.  Though I do agree they could have done a better job of disseminating Mr. Bradley’s hiring.  Hopefully he will cure the communication problem at the high school.

October 7 , 2007

Parent Post

I have heard about the problems in High School, but it wasn't until I had a Freshman, that I realized the problems were true.  I have never been in a school, where information is so hard to come by, forget about asking a question because no one at the High School knows the answer.  I have yet to meet with my counselor (and it's October), she has been in a meeting, out of town, or just unavailable.  Answer an e-mail?  Ha! She's not overworked, she's overpaid!! 

The Principal is gone (contract?) and recently I found out that there was no teacher serving as the Freshman sponsor. So there has never been a "go to" person for students, class officers, or parents.  I want to know why we never had a teacher sponsor assigned????  Who dropped the ball here?  The ridiculous Freshman orientation was a joke.  Everything that I still don't understand was during the day with everything else. Parents that worked didn't get to go.  It was complete chaos from the time we met in the Alumni Hall to the time we went home.  Important information regarding Flex time (which for Freshmen is a waste of instruction and time), driver's ed, ACT testing, orientation, and school tours was offered at the SAME TIME as finding your classes, lunch ticket payment, getting your books, and getting a locker.  What idiot thought this was a good idea? SHE obviously wasn't in the long lines and oh yes the lines were looooonnnnnng!  I'm really surprised a fight didn't break out in some of those lines.  You could forget about changing your child's schedule because (in my case) the counselor wasn't available.  All that information should have been offered on a separate night so that all could possibly attend.

If teachers, office staff, and administration don't want to be bothered with a multitude of questions from parents and Freshmen students then appoint liaison(s) made up of booster members, PSG, PTO, Alumni and StuCo members .  Anything is better than what we have now.  Someone needs to ease this transition from MS to HS for parents and students. It's not just the Jr. and Sr. class that have needs and concerns.   If there needs to be more Class counselors then hire them!  If there needs to be Class principals then hire them also! Other schools do it that way and it's working.  The superintendent - board members need to quit thinking that Deer Creek is still a small school.  I'm sick of hearing "that's the way it's always been" or "that's the way it was last year also."   Be afraid 8th graders....be very very afraid. 

It's a shame that the superintendent doesn't read this website.....she might learn something.  But then again, learn - superintendent???? Those two words would be oxymoron wouldn't they?

Our Reply

As parents of a freshman, we've run into the same issues. Deer Creek Middle School raised the bar. We were expecting the same set of meetings that were given when we were sixth grade parents.

Right now I'm trying to get my hands around what is needed for the ACT and SAT tests. I wasn't thrilled with having to track down the counselor instead of them coming to to the freshman class as a whole with the information.

I'm not sure I feel that the advice given was as complete as possible. As an fyi the tests are not given on campus but are done via other schools. For more information see www.satcollegeboard.org and www.actstudent.org.

The lack of information and the disorganization is astounding. Has it always been this way? Isn't the final goal to prepare our children for the world? You have to wonder at the end of the day what the school's priorities are.