Comments on Recent Data provided by the BH School District on Reconfiguration

Recently, the District presented an infographic that demonstrates that the vast majority of families impacted by the reconfiguration “Strongly Agreed” with the following statement: “The community benefitted from the school district’s reconfiguration to implement a universal full-day program.”

What residents need to keep in mind that the survey only went to families who directly benefitted from FDK, which we all now know had nothing to do with the reconfiguration. My family and other families whose children were pulled out of their schools were not surveyed.  Additionally, that infographic is based on only 100 responses.

In my opinion, this is yet more evidence of the disingenuous use of bad survey data to prop a public relations campaign to improve the image of the Superintendent and the BOE members who voted for the highly unpopular change to our schools last year.

A serious approach to understanding the impact of the reconfiguration would certainly include surveys, but surveys that were appropriately written and went to everyone impacted by the change.  A serious approach would also have more objective data, including baselines that compare the potential impact on things like grades and behavior – items already being measured – in connection to children whose schools changed.

Our District appears to be allergic to measuring anything honestly for fear of public scrutiny.  I feel that if you approach these issues authentically and address the problems (if any) that arise through the data, the community will understand and respect your decisions more.  

When people tell me to “Trust the administration,” the natural response I have is they need to trust us first – and that begins with a serious approach to measuring and reporting on data – using surveys and other tools to gauge how things are going to help our kids instead of rigged marketing data from skewed samples and bad instruments that appear connected to public image repair than the best interest of our students. 

I respectfully ask that our Superintendent and our BOE take a more serious approach to operationalizing and measuring serious areas and to demonstrate greater regard for the intelligence of our community.

Video of Discussion in Connection to this specific survey during the BOE Meeting:

Infographic emailed to parents:
https://bit.ly/3IXmCuv

Timeline of the Reconfiguration:
https://bit.ly/2TlvsOF