oxford public schools community survey report

8/10/2019 Oxford Public Schools Community Survey Report

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Oxford Public Schools Community Survey Results

Conducted Summer-Fall 2014

Who We Are, Where We Need to Go


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Introduction

The importance of a high quality school system to a community such as ours cannot be overstated. How

we manage, lead and support our schools speaks to what we value and our aspirations for thecommunitys children and Oxfords future.

The Oxford Public Schools (OXPS) is committed to continual improvement and to meeting the needs ofthe community it serves.

To that end, and as a component of efforts by a newly appointed Superintendent of Schools to learn asmuch as possible about the districts history, needs and priorities, the district sought input from allmembers of our community.

The Oxford Public Schools Community Survey went live on August, 13 th , 2014 and requests for

participation in the survey were promoted using social media, during school Open House events, atSchool Committee Meetings, via local news media coverage and multiple other venues. Paper copies ofthe otherwise electronic survey were also hand-delivered to the Oxford Senior Center to facilitateparticipation by community members who may not have had computer access.

Over 200 survey responses were submitted between August 13 th and October 6 th when the surveywindow was closed. The survey asked respondents to identify themselves only by stakeholder role(Parent of school-aged child, Resident without children attending OXPS schools, Classroom Teacher,Support Staff, and Administrator). The survey did allow for multiple designations such as Parent andClassroom Teacher or any other combinations.

Additional open-ended survey questions were as follows:

1. Why is the success of the Oxford Public Schools (OXPS) important to you?2. From your perspective, what are the strengths of the OXPS? (i.e. what are those one or two

aspects of the OXPS that need to be preserved at all costs.)3. From your perspective, what do you see as the one or two key issues or challenges facing the

OXPS? Why these?4. From your perspective, how should the OXPS consider addressing the challenges described

above?5. Additional Comments/Concerns/Ideas


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Survey Responses Analysis

In November, 2014 the Superintendent issued a request for volunteers (from both the teaching staff andparents) to review the responses to the survey questions, categorize the responses as big themesemerged and then develop findings (statements of verifiable fact) based on those themes.

For example, regardless of the group of respondents being considered, the issue of communicationwas found to be a frequent topic of discussion for respondents. Those responses that spoke of concernsregarding communication would be grouped together. Those that offered suggestions aboutcommunication would be as well, but with a slightly more specific purpose. Any that spoke of the rolethat communication plays in leadership or school improvement would be then considered in that lightand so on.

From there, team members would talk through, Then, what are folks really saying (overall) about thisissue? and collaborate to develop findings (statements) that they believed were representative of thethemes identified. Team members were encouraged to support their findings with quotes (full or partial)from the responses. Those quotes (always italicized) are woven through the pages that follow.Sometimes they appear within the finding itself. More often they follow a finding as part of a list ofseparate responses.

Quotes selected were those considered strongly representative of the theme and are intended to bringvoice and credibility to the analysis. They were most often the ones that led team members to say, thisone really captures what others are getting at. They are not to be considered an exhaustive orcomplete list of responses related to the finding.

The Superintendent is extremely grateful to the members of the analysis teams. They were:

Amy Belhumeur Dena Caron Kim Davis Cassandra DayTom EthierPalmina GriffinKristen GustafsonEvelyn MwenyeLisa Pavilionis

While there are often themes (such as identified Strenghs) that are common across the respondent

groups, the following report presents findings for Parents and Residents followed by those for thedistricts teachers, support staff personnel and administrators.

We are sincerely grateful to all community members who took the time to participate in this survey. Wewelcome all voices as we work to provide ALL students the best education possible and as we strive toprovide ALL community members a healthy return on their investment in the Oxford Public Schools.

Thank you.


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OXPS Community Survey Findings

Parent and Resident Responses

When asked to describe why the success of the Oxford Public Schools is important to them ;

A number of parents cited the promise of successful futures for their children they saw as dependentupon the success of the schools. A number of responses focused on the need for quality educationgrounded in learning that prepares all students for college and future success.

Many parents and residents alike answered this question using words such as pride, proud andcommunity. They voiced a strong de sire to see renewed senses of both community and town pride

centered around the school system. Many decried the current Level 3 status and look forward to seeingthe district turnaround.

As taxpayers, parents reference a current lack of perceived value for taxes paid (i.e. Return onInvestment) when considering the education received. Conversely, many also posit that with improvedschools, Oxford will reap a more heathy return on that investment.

Likewise, a great many residents (including recent OXPS alumni) who do not currently have children inthe districts schools, also pointed to the role(s) that quality schools play in supporting property values,attracting new families to the Town and positively contributing to the Towns image. They too speak ofmatters of pride and the desire to be able to be proud of the successes of the Oxford Public Schools.

They suggest that a strong school system is reflective of a strong and desirable community.

In response to the question, From your perspective, what are the strengths of the OXPS? (i.e. whatare those one or two aspects of the OXPS that need to be preserved at all costs.):

Overwhelmingly, parent respondents speak highly of the dedicated, caring, talented,supportive, and professional teachers in our schools.

A number of parents and other residents also identified particular programs and/or courses as strengthsthat should be preserved at all costs (e.g. NJROTC, STEM, the Arts, Advanced Placement courses).

When asked to identify key challenges facing the Oxford Public Schools, parents:

Raised concerns about the schools being properly and sufficiently resourced. This resourcing wasdiscussed in terms of funding (by both the town and the State), technology, staff (as it impacts classsize), current curricular materials and staff reductions; particularly of support staff (IAs, TAs) in the lowergrades and special education.


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Many parents raised concerns involving matters of school safety the perceived lack of consistencydemonstrated by the schools in terms of the enforcement of policies. This was highlighted in particularwith regards to the issue of bullying and what they believed to be the inconsistent or inadequateaddressing of such by the administration.

With respect to curricular and instructional matters, many parents and some residents raised concernsabout the lack of challenge (rigor), the Common Core State Standards and teaching to the test. Anumber reference the number of students opting out of Oxford High School and cite the lack of rigorand perceptions about Oxford High s inability to adequately prepare students for success in college as astrong contributor to this opting out. A common theme heard from parents and residents was of theneed to raise the expectations for academic achievement and to expand the higher level offerings atOHS and bring back courses such as Art and Foreign Language at the middle level.

A number of parents also cited concerns with communication at all levels within and throughout thedistrict. By this they meant school to home, school to student and even between administrators and theteaching staff. Parents suggest that this lack of clear, consistent communication negatively impacts staffmorale, parental engagement, and ultimately student outcomes. As an example of school to parent,parents described not knowing how to assist their children with homework or otherwise supportimproved achievement.

Finally, a great many parents voiced negative perceptions regarding Oxford Middle School (OMS). Theyspoke of feeling, unwelcome and in some cases, unsupported by the school. They also complainedabout the offerings available at OMS feeling that they fail to challenge students, do not include Art andforeign language study and provide access to other advanced-level content.

When asked to offer their thoughts regarding how the OXPS might best address concerns that parents

have and/or improve in its ability to meet the needs of all students and the community, parents spokemost frequently of the need for greater communication from the district, building administrators andteachers, as well as for greater parent and community engagement in support of student learning andbroad, shared ownership for student success.

They also described what they see as the critical roles of consistent and strong leadership, open two-way communication and transparency needed to build confidence in the district as responsible stewardsof their investment in the OXPS.

A great many parents suggested that increasing the expectations for students, staff and leadershipcoupled with expanding course offerings (particularly in the arts and technology) at the secondary levelwould help to address the issue of students leaving OXPS via school choice.

Parents suggested ways in which they believe the district should work to ensure safe and productiveschools.


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They also made suggestions for working collaboratively with the Town, the State and the community toacquire needed funding. They also suggested ways in which the district can strengthen its owncredibility so as to support greater collaboration.

Suggestions are grouped by categories bearing bold headings. Headings are followed by summary

findings and sample responses (in italics) which support these findings.

Address the challenges of school choice and improve the degree to which OXPS is preparing studentsfor College and Career. Identify why students are leaving, raise expectations and the number ofrigorous (e.g. AP) and enriching courses and incentivize students taking them. Build in greaterexposure to technology and STEM at the secondary level.

Parents describe how academics expectations, available courses and other factors contribute to thenumbers of students exercising school choice, choosing to attend the regional vocational school orreceiving home schooling. Many speak of the need for more high level courses, enhancement of co-curricular and extra-curricular offerings and the delivery of more engaging instruction. Some speak ofwhat they perceive as a lack of high expectations for rigorous student work and voice concerns abouthow the system currently prepares students for post-secondary success. They speak of the need formore varied offerings and for instruction that engages.

Make the subject exciting ! Having more AP and Honors classes with enthusiastic knowledgeableteachers.

There needs to be more active learning in the classroom, especially in high school.

To be competitive, more AP classes should be offered in the high school.

More advanced/AP classes. Earlier tracking. A gifted program.

Advanced students should not be held at the same pace as the rest of the class and for allstudents, homework should be serious enough to require time, building study skills and criticalthinking.

My concerns happen at night as I review their homework. I don't feel they are being challengedand I'm concerned this will create bad work habits in the future. When a challenge presentsitself, I'm concerned they will not be equipped with the tools to take on the challenge andsucceed.

More arts and music.

OXPS should absolutely bring back the art program to the Oxford Middle School. It will certainlyhelp improve the experience at the middle school. My prediction is it could help students feelmore secure and improve their education by motivating them to succeed and strive.

In the Oxford High School, OXPS should hire another teacher for the music/theater program. Itwould bring stress off the current teacher in this position and potentially make it easier for these


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teachers to extend the program to more students. There are a mass of students that weredisappointed to find how difficult it was to enter the music program.

One more teacher needs to be hired to the music/theater program in the Oxford High Schoolwhich would absolutely improve the experience at the high school.

Children need a variety of experiences to find and learn where their interests lie. At every levelthere is a limited number of courses outside the " basics". When my child was in the middleschool there were no languages being taught, no technology class, no band or music as an 8thgrader, no art ...this needs to stop!

I also feel we need to bring back some special programs such as art etc. I realize some of thesemay cost money but we need to find ways to help kids love learning and express their interests intheir school.

Middle school is the key period in a child's life when they should be introduced to different

programs and try new activities that help develop their future. Without an art program, there isanother reduction in a creative outlet that is extremely important in a child's life.

For every student who leaves OXPS for school choice, we lose the tax revenue of at least 3households to whatever town that family chooses. Why does Oxford let this happen? A strong fight needs to be made for our students, because by improving our schools we improve the entiretown.

A small number of parents raise concerns regarding what they see as a flawed common corecurriculum and offer the following suggestions.

Get rid of the common core. I have been researching and it is all crazy. I along with a lot of otherswill most likely be pulling our children out to home school within the next two years.

Commoncore (sic) needs to change. It is ridiculous that you do not allow the more advanced kidsto be MORE ADVANCED. You cannot hold down the kids that need to be challenged, advancedkids are not allowed to grow because they are trying to standardize every child and it is absurd.

Get rid of Common Core and PARCS (sic) testing which I know will be coming. Have you reallyread what were (sic) teaching our children now then what we were teaching them in the 80's. Iknew my 50 states and capitals by 5th grade. I could write on(sic) cursive in 3rd or 4th grade andI knew the Real bill of rights not what common core is teaching our kids!!! Stop with this testing. All kids are not the same and learn differently!!!!

Parents also see the recruitment, training and retention of the best possible teachers and leaders as keyto OXPS students achieving greater success and improving the district. They see high expectations andaccountability for results as important drivers.

Raising expectations of teachers and students would be the first order of business.


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Perhaps a more in depth interview process should be required for all incoming educators.

Have in-services or meetings with teachers to help them remember why they are here, why theygot into teaching in the first place.

I would re-evaluate the teachers and what they actually teach. Perhaps actually checking whatthey're teaching is a good start. Reminding them that politics should not be discussed in class,that their personal feelings for certain tragedy's(CT) also should not be dwelled upon in class.That's what parents and psychologists are for.

Teachers need to be accountable for the success of their students. The evaluation system is agreat tool if it is implemented with integrity. A streamlining of this system is needed throughoutthe district.

Increase accountability of administrators for the teacher improvement.

The administration needs to work with the teachers and ensure they have appropriate lesson plans.

I feel very strongly that some of the teachers NEED to be evaluated.

Emphasis realistic assessment of where the system is today and resist hard the temptation inthinking that simply doing the best you feel you can means you've done enough in absence ofany evidence of progress. For administrators, teachers and students.

Support students and their families to make post-secondary education a viable option.

A number of parents raise concerns with the levels of support being provided by OHS and its GuidanceDepartment in terms of the provision of support for students and families interested in applying tocolleges and trade schools.

A post high school advisor is needed to help kids navigate the college search and trade schoolsearch. Many students will be the first generation to go to college and parents don't know howto help them.

There is absolutely no way to make anyone to go to college, but perhaps we could startencouraging it? Do something to show students the difference in the long term financial success

of those who attend college and those who don't. Quinsig and Worcester State are reaches forsome, but why does everyone assume those are the places for them? Let's encourage students toreach outside of the central Massachusetts circle.


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Strengthen school safety by being consistent with handling student discipline, actively addressingissues of bullying and developing and practice protocols for dealing with emergency scenarios.

Many parents offer suggestions for ensuring that our schools are orderly, safe and that administrators,teachers and students are clear on what is expected of them and that all are held accountable for

meeting those expectations.

The school needs to get a little bit more strict on its codes and policies and enforce them more

Follow the rules set forth to everyone staff and students. Be leaders not friends to the children.Hold everyone accountable for the errors done.

From my perspective I think there needs to be more discipline at the Middle and High Schoollevel. The students need to realize that school is not always a social event, and the teachers arenot there to be there friends they are there to do a job. Administration needs to be moreaccountable for what is going on in their buildings. I also think that the dress code needs to be

enforced; if that code is enforced I think that you will see a change in the students behavior.

Strengthen systems of communication between the schools, home and the larger community andactively promote the good work and accomplishments of the OXPS in order to counter negative pressand raise the districts p ositive profile.

Parents offered suggestions for strengthening communication so as to make the districts priorities clearand to build confidence in the districts fiscal and organizational competence. A number of parentsspeak of the need to raise the d istricts profile by sharing news of the good work happening and the

successes of its students.

Some parents also speak of the frustrations of limited communication of any kind and of the need, asparents and taxpayers, to hear from and be heard by the district.

The school should reach out to the community more, invite the community in to the school to seewhat is happening. Encourage the students to bring ideas on how to help, volunteer, andshowcase the school. Put the school out there.

If the news media could be a proactive rather than a negative force at our disposal within theOxford Community, once again involving students as well as staff and administrators, the

citizens of our community could be more in tune with our programs and events and have more ofan understanding of the direction we are headed as an educational system.

More communication from principals, teacher is needed. I know some teachers who emailweekly even if it is a sentence to let parents know how their child is doing, it is so well received.Good news is so refreshing.


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I have had several teachers not contact me (an involved parent) when there have been incidentsthat should be addressed. Teachers not returning calls/emails in a timely manner is a problemand needs to be addressed.

Listen to the parents and hear what we have to say and our recommendations. These are our

children.

Communication, Communication, Communication.

Transparency and open communication will be how you gain trust back within the community.

Engendering greater parent and community participation, support and ownership for student success.

Parents speak of the need on the part of the schools to creatively find opportunities for parents andother community members to engage in school efforts. A number describe a willingness to volunteerand/or advocate for the schools, but also a lack of awareness of both the districts priorities of needsand how to best support them. Some speak of the desire to assist in their childs school, but thechallenge of doing so during the work day. Others indicate that they feel ill-prepared to assist theirchildren with school work that may look different than what they themselves experienced whenstudents.

I almost want to say it should be a requirement for parents to help out on a rotation of somekind. It is always the same mom, dad helping out.

I would love to volunteer but work full time to provide for my children. If there is anything afterschool hours I volunteer my time, as well in send in donations.

I believe that if the senior citizens of our community could feel welcome and invited by theschools to more school functions through more extensive use of various news media, as well ascreating more volunteer opportunities within our town for students to interact with seniors in thecommunity, those seniors would be more apt to vote in favor of educational support ballotquestions.

Work more closely with the parents. Involve parents more and keep them better informedespecially as the children reach middle school and high school.

The understanding of the homework for the parents can be difficult. I think parents should havea couple of evenings where they can be instructed on how we can help our children with their

academics, homework, projects, etc. thoughout the year. The new math concepts are extremelyconfusing and without the proper instruction we cannot instruct the children correctly on how todo the math correctly.

We need to see the linear educational journey of our students and understand our part in each phase. Communication within the entire district (regular ed, special ed, principals, staff, etc.)needs to be better.


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Carefully consider all positions and expenditures so as to ensure that the OXPS is functioning asefficiently as it possibly can.

While some parents speak of the need for additional funding and express a willingness to support such,many also caution that the schools must be run as efficiently as possible, that any waste be identified

and that they and the larger community be shown that they are getting an appropriate return on theirinvestment. They need to know the administration and the School Committee have scrutinized allstaffing and expenditures, that they are competent in their dealings with budgeting and that the budgetprocess itself is open, transparent and credible. The district also needs to make clear its priorities andneeds.

I believe that the school needs to be more transparent of its needs/wants. I don't believe thatmany parents know what the financial shortfalls are and what they can do to help.

I think you really need to get a handle on the budget, and figure things out. I am also sick ofgoing to the school committee meetings and everything is shot down, and the town meetings aswell.

Understand where the money is being spent and how we can better use the money that is provided.

Advocate for adequate funding of the schools at the community, Town and State levels andaggressively seek additional funding opportunities.

Many parents describe a lack of adequate funding (regardless of the source of that funding) as a seriousimpediment to improvement. As described above, many also express a willingness to support theschools, but only when they feel confident that their investments are being used efficiently and tomaximum effect by competent, transparent school leaders.

Recently there was discussion on the budget for education, which I generally would support anincrease in budget for education. Clearly new methods and direction is needed, as based ontesting scores, we are failing our kids in providing a superior education and futures.

Really hoping that the town will put forth and pass a Prop 2-1/2 override. Not optimistic that thetownspeople will make the investment, but we have to try!

Clearly, OXPS needs more $$ from the Town to bring our schools to the proper levels ofstaffing/funding/technology etc.

Utilize the resources you have better, including getting more parent and businesses involved.

On the budget issues we need to push to get the state to update their outdated formulas forallocations of funds!!


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We have to get appropriate funding to service the students so that we can have smaller classsizes.

Reach out to companies in the area for support

Increase the budget. Invest in our children (present) for a better future.

I believe an override needs to be requested.

Budget has been huge issue but we have to invest in our kids for our future. Society cannotblame kids if we have not offered them the right tools to get the end product.

The OXPS needs to address the financial challenges by aggressively seeking grants that areavailable to school districts which other towns seems to be receiving. Perhaps the OXPS needs agrants man to be dedicated to the task.

Several times I have heard there is no money for new programs. This is an unacceptable excuse.

Many districts that have limited resources apply for grants. Would it be cost effective to hire agrant writer? It seems the town may never approve an override.

Seek out grants aggressively and continually stay apprised of special needs legislation being prepared to petition the passage of legislation that would support the town's effort financially.

Align Special Education supports so that student needs are met locally and out of district placements can be avoided.

Stop laying off the special education departments. These people are needed to keep the kids inthe "regular " classrooms. As a last resort sending these kids into other districts and schools sothey can learn, I think they should be able to receive their education in their own school districts.Or at least close to home. Our schools need to work within the budget set by the state. Salariesneed to be contained. Benefits for employees need to be looked at.

Parents also highlight the need to improve and strengthen the relationship between the schools (as adepartment of the Town) and the Town itself. It is believed that in doing so, the schools and the Townwill better understand the priorities and realities of each and will be positioned to work for thebetterment of the collective.

We need to build the relationship that has fallen between the town government and the school

department. Brainstorm together, but be unified.We need to develop unity for the district. Maybe a community/educational forum or evening assuch. Inviting the town officials to school related functions for them to see what goes on in theschools and also to see what the needs of the district could be.

Have a conduit to present to the town leadership at regular intervals and have a representativeat any town leadership meetings that could impact the school system


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Leadership is crucial. The foundation exists, but without the proper leadership, it will crumble.This discussion gives me hope that we are heading in the right direction.

A great education can be had here in Oxford but things need to change. We need the parentsand the town to get on board to help us. We have seen it cannot be done without them. Oxford

can and will be a better school system. We have not had an educational leader at the helm forquite a number of years. We want to increase the values of education in Oxford. We need to lookat all aspects of administration and to make sure they are doing the most complete job they are paid to do. Going above and beyond in the workplace pays off at the end. There are a lot ofsupport staff in non-teaching or administrative roles that work tirelessly for not extra pay... but for pride. Lets get the Pride back in Oxford!


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Teacher, Support Staff and Administrator Responses

When asked to describe why the success of the Oxford Public Schools is important to them ;

Teachers, support staff and administrators , as did parents, often reference the issues of pride and ofthe sense of being proud. They use these words to describe and discus s their work, their students andstudent successes and the community.

As many of Oxfords faculty and staff live in the community and are themselves products of the OXPS,they speak of being invested stakeholders in the successes of both the district and the Town.

A great many of the teacher respondents indicate that they, in large part, measure their personalsuccess by that experienced by their students. Many of these same educators appear to definesuccess in terms of emotional, physical success in addition to that of academic success.

As a teacher in the district, I would love the schools in our town to have a positive reputationinstead of a negative one that has seemed to develop. I, along with my fellow staff members, amresponsible for providing our students with a strong education and want nothing but the best forthem. I want to be proud of teaching in this town.

The success of OXPS is important to me because I have a strong desire to be a leader in a highlyeffective school system. It is also important to me because I believe that public education is anoble profession that provides students with an opportunity to improve their quality of life andto assist them in reaching their fullest potential as productive members of the 21st Centurycommunity.

I am committed to OXPS. I believe whole-heartedly that we can make the strides we need to

make in order to become and maintain an educational system built on excellence. I want to be part of the positive change and am willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen for mystudents, my staff, my colleagues and the community. We SO can do this!!

In response to the question, From your perspective, what are the strengths of the OXPS? (i.e. whatare those one or two aspects of the OXPS that need to be preserved at all costs.) :

Overwhelmingly, and echoing the sentiments of parent respondents, the districts educators identify thepeople, the staff (including support staff) as the districts greatest asset. A strong representativeexample response that speaks to this describes, A fully qualified staff, truly devoted to studentadvancement.

The strength that I have seen comes in the willingness of the staff and community members todo what is in the best interest of the students Admin. Response

From the elementary standpoint.... The staff and their commitment to do the very best for thestudents they teach.

The quality of the teaching staff in Oxford, unquestionably, is the greatest strength of thesystem. Oxford is very fortunate to have a faculty that is solely concerned with the success of its


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students. They are a team that exhibits great motivation and inspiration for the children ofOxford.

The most important strength of the OXPS is the hard working and dedicated staff. They go aboveand beyond to have their students not only be successful in mastering the standards but theytruly care about all aspects of their students' growth. I am honored to work with these people.

Many teachers also speak favorably about the districts provision of technology (described as ever -increasing) in support of teaching and learning.

The technology at the middle school is excellent. Students and teachers have the opportunity touse technology as a learning device.

Further, many reference programs and offerings and extra-curricular activities that they see as strengthsof the district. These include Theatre, Music, National Honor Society, NJROTC and more.

Responses from support staff largely echo those of teacher and administrator respondents. They

identify many of the same strengths and values.

When asked to identify key challenges facing the Oxford Public Schools, responses tend to clusteraround the following issues.

Climate/Professional CultureA majority of teachers, when identifying challenges, cited an atmosphere of distrust, a lack ofconsistency and lacking communication in district. They attribute these matters to ineffective, uneven oreven failed leadership from the administration at both the district and building levels. The describe theneed to;

Create a climate that is positive and supportive, not polarizing, hostile and defeating.

In order to support the creation of such a climate, many teachers suggest that leaders need to bevisible, accessible and willing to listen to staff members concerns and ideas for improving our schoolsand the district.

Listen to those in the trenches. Value the professionalism of the staff and treat them like professionals.

Provide more forums for OXPS teachers to speak out

Staff need to be heard. Not from a nagging point of view, but teacher's see the students daily.We know what they come from and where they need to go, socially, emotionally andacademically.

Ask for and value teachers' opinions in decision-making

Ask what we need to do our jobs and support and address those issues with sincere respect andunderstanding- that has not been present for a very long time.


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Trust that the teachers in the district are professionals. They should be part of the decisionmaking when it comes to the needs of the children that they work with every day. Majordecisions should not be kept top secret and staff should never be lied to for any reason.

Treat all the teachers in a professional and appreciative manner.

Expectations/Support/Accountability

They also believe that administrators need to be responsible for holding underperforming staff (as wellas each other) accountable for performance and results. District and building leaders should be clearabout expectations, provide needed support and address any shortcomings in a professional manner.Conversely, leaders should celebrate excellence in teaching regularly, often and publicly.

Administration should be in the classrooms every day!! The kids should not see the principal atteacher evaluation time only. Get out of the office and lead! Our students shouldn't even notice if

the principal walks in, nor stop working. They should be able to ask what they are involved withand be able to jump in and either participate or lend a hand.

Hold students, staff and administrators accountable and to high standards.

Raise expectations and really expect them to be met.

Holding teachers and students to higher expectations and having positive leadership.

Stop ignoring the teachers and then ream them once a year if you don't like what you see.Support them throughout the year with examples for change and the support to make it happen.

Dedicated professionals should be at least recognized, and supported. Ineffective staff membersshould be offered improved mentoring and increased assistance for improvement and if noappreciative improvement is made, they should be terminated, regardless of age or discipline.

Student DisciplineStaff feels that administrators must consistently enforce student discipline in accordance with districtpolicies and as described in student handbooks.

Follow the student handbook rules to the letter and discipline those immediately. Make the first punishment severe enough so the offending student will not want to do it again. Make it worse for habitual offenders even if it affects the graduation rate.

Have clear expectations for all of the students, make sure that there are real consequences andthat all faculty are following through with them.

Strongly enforce discipline at all levels.


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Communication/Clarity of Expectations/Roles Communication, as a concern, is discussed as referring to matters of direction, priorities and initiatives.This is a common complaint of teachers and support staff members alike. Respondents also describelack of consistent accurate communication between members of the administration themselves. Thisthey believe leads to contradictory messaging, confusion and frustration.

We need to find a way to better communicate ideas, changes, and updates. As a teacher it isquite awkward to have a parent ask me questions about the district and I don't know what theyare talking about.

Get all the principals on the same page.

Prior to fulfilling a task (curriculum mapping) directors or other administrative representativeshould demonstrate/model expectations, present sample or provide clear directives (at least tolead teachers and department heads). Also, the directive or plan must be consistent for all andcannot be constantly changing. Otherwise, nobody understands what to do. Even with leadteachers and department heads, it becomes "the blind leading the blind."

Support staff, in particular, also raise the concern that with so many staff in the district fulfilling so manyvarious and markedly different roles, there is a serious need for clearly understood job descriptions andexpectations specific to their assignments. They feel a need for clear roles and improved communicationto support this. This appears to be a concern for Teacher Assistants, Instructional Aides and specialeducation service providers as well.

There should be a continued fostered understanding of the role of therapists in the districts andtheir unique way of supporting students, with crazy schedules, interesting materials as well asimportant role in supporting students but ALSO staff (teachers, aides, administrators, etc). I feelthat the best way to address this is to just make sure our questions get answered and when you

hire title I staff in the future, they are made fully aware of what they will be doing, what theirhours will be, and how involved they will be required to be in the district.

Additionally service providers raise concerns about the spaces and supports available to them as theywork with small groups or individual students.

Space resources should be preserved to allow direct services to be provided effectively wheninclusion support is not indicated.

Many teachers feel that poor communication contributes to the silo effect by which OXPS can feel likea collection of disparate schools as opposed to a system.

There is a disconnect between the schools in that they are perceived as totally separate entitiesrather than parts of a whole. The lead teachers and department heads do not have clearlydefined roles and expectations, are not included in any decision-making and are not informed ofwhat is happening in the schools.


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Teachers believe that district needs to slow down, provide adequate time and training and help themunderstand clearly the whys and hows as well as how the new connects to and supports districtpriorities. They believe that doing so will make them more successful in the classroom, but will alsobetter position them to communicate the same understandings to parents and to enlist their support.

A number of teachers believe that what they perceive to be a high rate of administrative turnovernegatively contributes to the issue of initiative churn and also has implications for the clarity withwhich the districts mission and vision are communicated and promoted.

While many staff raise concerns regarding what they view change as happening in a way that theydescribe as too much, too fast, administrators cite,

"The Oxford Way" or "That's the way we've always done it." mindset and excuse making formaintaining low expectations, low budgets and low vision for how we are educating ourstudents.

as challenges to improvement.

District ProfileOXPS educators see a significant need to raise the positive public profile of the OXPS and that the OXPSand Oxford High School in particular, does not promote its successes or market itself well enough. Onerespondent captured this concern this way,

I think the other schools do a better job selling themselves to our students than OHS. We seem togive other schools/ recruiters more access to our middle school students than our own highschool.

A number point to this issue as at least partially explaining why Oxford sees, many of, our top students

leaving the district.

They tend to believe that the community too often hears about the problems or failings (based on bad press and rumors) of the district, but are often unware of, all the great things happening in ourschools.

Spotlight successes of everyone in the system, from students to programs to teachers. Let thecommunity know who is teaching here, where they've been and what they've done that makesthese schools worth a good 2nd look.

Restructuring/Retaining Top StudentsIn addition to raising the districts positive public profile, teachers describe a need to strike a betterbalance between focusing energies on struggling or underperforming students and supporting andcelebrating the achievements of our, best and brightest. They believe that this will better meet theneeds of top students, provide positive models and help with the retention of OXPS students in district.They also complain of schedules that prevent students from having access to Art, Theatre and otherofferings as well as rigorous academic courses and suggest that schedules need to change.


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oxford public schools community survey report

Documents