School Board meeting erupts over question on exit interviews

There was only one question from the audience at Monday’s regular meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education.
But that question set off a commotion that had the board members yelling over each other and members of the audience calling out.
Barbara Rogalle Miller filled out the required card to speak, turned it in, and waited until the end of the meeting when she was called upon by board president Brent Mikulski for her question, which was written on the card.
She asked what it would take to have the board agree to have exit interviews for employees leaving the district.
President Mikulski said they would have School Supt. Michael Van Tassel and the staff come up with a report on that for the board and for the public.
Then he said there was going to be a culture and climate survey of employees in October.
Board member Sherry Frazier said she was surprised at this information.
“I didn’t know we had decided to do that,” Frazier said and Mikulski referred to memos that had gone back and forth among board members on the internet.
Supt. Van Tassel said the survey will begin in October and it will include parents and administration and it is exactly what is needed.
“My question was about doing exit interviews,” Miller said. “It’s not clear what you are saying.”
Mikulski turned the reply on the survey over to Jeff Moore, the new director of instruction. Moore started to reply and then there was confusion over whether he should be answering a question from the audience and then he was allowed to continue.
Moore said this is the first year this has been done. “We have not done this before, although in the past there was a climate survey but … not a lot of action was taken in the past as a result.”
He said this new survey is from the National Center for Climate and Culture. Then he revised that to National School Climate and Culture survey.
“When did the board pass this?” Miller asked, noting she had been to the last several meetings and doesn’t remember the survey being mentioned. Mikulski said it was not brought to the table, but it was discussed in a memo to the board and no board action has been taken.
“Is there an expense to it? A cost? Was it authorized?” she asked and she was told it was not authorized.
“It’s always paid in accounts payable,” said Board Vice President Martha Toth, referring to similar expenses.
“I submitted a question,” Miller pressed, referring to asking about exit interviews.
Mikulski said he didn’t have details and Van Tassel will provide details to the board as well as to her.
“There is a perception in the community,” Miller began. She said it appears there is low morale in the teaching staff, precipitous departures, abnormally low retention rate of staff.
She said she would like the board to put exit interviews on the agenda and discuss them openly.
“I hear from the community and there’s the perception of so much darkness in the schools,” Miller said. “If you don’t know, I’m telling you.”
There was no reply to her comments.
The board then turned to hear Van Tassel list what would be on next Monday’s work/study session, which he wanted to be a special meeting instead so votes could be taken.
Frazier asked that exit interviews be added to that agenda.
She said that a couple of meetings ago Richard Rytman suggested exit interviews and he recently sent a letter to the board members asking if any had reached out to Kelly Villa after her resignation. She said she called Villa right away.
(In his Aug. 4 letter to board members, Rytman presented information on the climate survey of teachers he had suggested. He said he would try to attend the Aug. 10 meeting of the board to discuss this professional survey, but his work schedule is very busy. He was not present at that meeting.)
“Ms. Miller represents a good portion of the 79% of people who do not have children in the schools,” she said, pointing out these are voters the district needs, as the recent survey of voters pointed out.
“We need to address exit interviews,” Frazier said. “We need to not sweep it under the rug, but discuss it openly. Professional exit interviews can be very beneficial to the organization that uses them.”
Then, Frazier said 80% of people leave their jobs because of management and Trustee Kathy Kovach interrupted her to question that figure. While Frazier started to explain her source, Toth began talking over her comments.
Toth said what the board is doing in discussing exit interviews is misleading to the public because, she said to Frazier, “You’re never going to get a second for your motion.” Toth had told Frazier at a previous meeting that no one on the board will support her motion to discuss exit interviews.
“We want to find out what is the root of the problem,” Frazier said, while Toth talked over her.
“You’re not addressing the question,” parent Jayme Schellenberger called out from the audience, referring to Miller’s question.
Everybody started talking at once and Miller asked Toth if she was speaking for the whole board in saying there was no support for discussing exit interviews.
When board members criticized Frazier for mentioning exit interviews, Miller said, “The community is grateful when board members speak up.”
“It’s not going to go away until we address it,” Frazier said.
Also at Monday’s regular meeting, the board:
• Ratified the Van Buren Administrators & Supervisors Association (VBASA) economic reopener contract change that gives everyone a 1% raise for the 2015-16 school year. Budget implication is $21,973.62;
• Ratified the Van Buren Association of Educational Secretaries (VBAES) economic reopener contract change that gives everyone a 1% raise for the 2015-16 school year. Budget implication is $12,798.59. Also, a part of the tentatively approved language is personal business days to remain in sick bank (to match the rest of the district’s contracts), Owen secretaries to move from 203 days to 210 days per year, and vacation days for 261-day employees will change from five days to ten days in the first year;
• Heard board vice president Martha Toth ask if it was correct that all the employee contracts now are addressed except for the executive secretaries and the superintendent and Director of Human Resources Shonta Langford-Green said that was correct;
• Approved replacement of the lift (hoist) for the burned out bus garage by Allied, Inc. in the amount of $55,035.06, including installation, covered 100% by insurance. The district received three bids and this one is neither the highest nor the lowest, but is an exact replacement of what was lost in the November 2014 fire, said James Williams, Director of Plant Operations. He said the structural steel is in place as rebuilding begins at the bus garage site and the bus garage is expected to be ready for use next September;
• Approved purchase of the K-7 Science Kit/Curriculum at a total cost of $112,576.57, which already is budgeted for the 2015-16 school year out of general funds. Costs to replenish the kits in future years are estimated to be $29,000. The purchase of the Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center Science Curriculum Kits was recommended by Jeff Moore, Director of Instruction;
• Approved the milk and bread low bids for the 2015-16 school year, as recommended by the Southeast Wayne County Buying Cooperative Group. The milk bid was awarded to Sun Valley/Berkshire Dairy. The bread bid was awarded to Great Lakes Bakery;
• Approved the bid of Domino’s Pizza to provide fresh-made pizza to the schools for the 2015-16 school year, as it did last year. Cost is $6.65 per 14”-16” pepperoni pizza and $6.99 for a veggie pizza. Papa John’s Pizza bid $6.50 for all pizzas. Food Service Supervisor Karen Waller recommended Domino’s, which she said is within district boundaries, has a baking/delivery crew in place, and the district did not experience any problems in the past. Papa John’s proposal is for a store on Washtenaw Road between Golfside and Carpenter roads. She said there is a concern if pizzas will be delivered on time and pizza quality. Also, Papa John’s was not able to provide any school references in the state;
• Approved the resignation of Sandra Hutchins, who served in Food Service for a year, for a new job opportunity, as of July 31; and the retirement of Diana Soderberg, a custodian for 21 years, as of July 31;
• Approved hiring Nancy Begely for Payroll at the Administration Building, as of Aug. 10;
• Approved the McBride 8th Grade Washington, D.C. deluxe motor coach trip in spring 2016, on a date to be determined based on 2016 M-Step Testing. Teacher Jason Strzalkowski said they would like to have the eighth graders gone on the trip while the seventh graders are taking the test. There is no date set for the testing, as yet. Cost to each student for the trip is $689 with some scholarships available;
• Heard State Rep. Kristy Pagan give a brief report on educational matters at the state legislative level;
• Was informed the special meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, at the administration building and items on the agenda will include Rawsonville parking and instructional changes; and
• Went into closed-door session, as permitted by Section 8(h) of the Open Meetings Act: “To consider material exempt from discussion or disclosure by state or federal statute.”