- In 2003, a parent poll was conducted by the SAU administration at CMS. The administration chose an ideal manner in which to conduct the survey: 100% of the parents would see the questions on the back of the class selection page sent home with all students. - The results of this poll were never made public, despite parents' repeated requests.
"unscientific".
create a scientific, unbiased survey for both parents and teachers. - The Cooperative Board and Hanson Administration refused to consider the results of this third-party, scientific survey. |
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Surveys
Surveys
| The parents and taxpayers of this community desire more parent and teacher involvement in the day to day activities of CMS/EHS, as well as any decision making process regarding major curriculum and philosophy decisions. |
| It appears there is a pervasive pattern of largely ignoring, or not soliciting, broad community input in major academic and curriculum policy decisions. |
| 2003 Independent Teacher Survey Results: Overall, teachers favored mixed ability grouping in the 6th grade in some subjects, transitioning to leveled grouping by the 8th grade in the core subjects of math, language arts, science and social studies. Such a logical ascent would tie mixed ability grouping at the elementary schools to a fully leveled high school -- preparing students for high school as part of the process. The Hanson Administration and the Cooperative Board chose to ignore the results of this parent generated survey of our teachers despite being designed in a professional, scientific fashion by the UNH Survey Center |
Copy of Teachers Survey This link will show a copy of the teacher survey
| Copy of Parent Survey The professional survey parents had the UNH Survey Center design. |
| 2005 Independent Communications Audit and Teacher Survey Link to the Griffin, Bodi & Krause Communications Audit Report. Completed in the fall of 2005, this comprehensive, independent report completed at the request and the expense of SAU 16, highlights the strengths and weaknesses in various areas of communication in our school district. The last 25 pages of the report include verbatim comments written by teachers who responded to the survey. |
| 2006 Co-op Teacher Survey Link to the SAU 16 in-house teacher survey completed in 2006. This survey was modelled on the teacher portion of the Griffin, Bodi & Krause audit of the previous year. This report includes verbatim comments from teachers. |
| Direct Quotes from 2006 Teacher Survey: CMS faculty: "A para/aide staff member made a suggestion to an administrator. Another administrator replied via e-mail and told my peer not to think." "Decisions are made on a regular basis without consulting teachers." "When opinions are asked, they are usually ignored." "I would support a massive effort to bring parents, teachers, and administrators face to face more frequently." "[Improve communication by] removing an institutional dynamic of paranoia." "'Retention' is a word rarely used in this SAU." "School board members should be more involved in the actual process." "It has been said that we have a dictatorship." "There can be no improvement as long as intimidation [is] a conscious or subconscious attitude on the part of administrators." "The leadership team does not represent a good cross-section of faculty." "CMS needs help!" EHS faculty: "We the teachers are the last to know what is going on." "I don't feel I can speak to anyone in the administration without being branded as insubordinate or a trouble maker by my immediate supervisor." "Input from teachers is just a show, not actually used." "Our concerns, thoughts, and input have been ignored repeatedly. Don't ask us to waste time telling our thoughts if you are just going to file them away without consideration. It makes the teachers no longer care or try to communicate." "Correct or not, the perception of most teachers is that our opinion is sought, recorded and then ignored." "The feelings of discontent and disorder are pretty prevalent." "Communication can make or break a school. I believe it is our weakest link." Regarding EHS comments in 2006, it should be noted that many positive comments are found that commend incoming principal Vic Sokul for improving the situation. But clearly challenges (and problem administrators) still remain. |
| Direct Quotes from the 2005 Griffin, Bodi & Krause Survey Report EHS faculty responses: "The very first thing necessary is mutual respect. At this point neither respects the other." "A new superintendent; a change in the current leadership to one that shares ideas and information." "All meetings are simply speeches by administrators... a list that is more or less read to us." "Faculty meetings should be a time of open discussion of issues." "Workshops haven't helped - courses haven't helped - we need administrators with people skills. Hire new ones." "There is a climate of distrust and anxiety." "Administrators and LAL [learning area leaders] vs. teachers = disaster." "I do think we have some administrators who don't like kids." "When important issues come up sometimes our opinions are asked, but the decisions have 'already been made.'" "Talk with, not to, the teachers. That means a cross-section of teachers with different views - not just cherry-picked 'suck-ups' - before implementing decisions and policies." "There is an incredible amount of administrative arrogance in this school." "The hidden agendas and sense of retaliation at this school are alarming." "We watch our backs." "Some of the administrators do not seem to like the students and do not foster a good environment trying to help them be successful. It's more like they would like to see them drop out." "You can administer all the surveys you want but until you remove the intimidating nature and controlling nature of this administration, you will not improve communication or teacher morale." CMS faculty responses: "Change the administration." "I do not trust the administration - mainly, the principal. I personally would not speak with my principal without someone else in the office, ever!" "'A new broom sweeps clean.'" "Trust has to be built / established first." "... all ideas are not welcomed..." "Many teachers... are afraid of being targeted." "Administration seems to have secret agendas sometimes." "We end up wasting time because we do not know what the administration is trying to manipulate us into doing." "I need to feel that my thoughts are valued." "I feel that administrators and some faculty have an inside clique - lots of inside jokes - some homosexual joking." "I believe our principal uses bullying tactics to scare teachers - 'intimidation'." "Administrators should receive input BEFORE wasting hours devising plans that do not make sense or are unworkable." |
| 2004 - 2005 Co-op Teacher Survey Comprehensive teacher research was performed at CMS and EHS in 2004 using a survey developed by "Education for the Future" at California State University, Chico. This organization is led by Dr. Victoria Bernhardt, who holds degrees in both psychology and statistics. They have administered over 1 million surveys nationwide. In this survey, only 1 in 3 (33%) of EHS teachers and less than 1 in 2 (43%) of CMS teachers agreed with the following statement: "Morale is high on the part of teachers." |
This website is independently produced by and for the benefit of parents and taxpayers of SAU16. It is not affiliated with and does not represent views or opinions of the Exeter Region Cooperative School Board or SAU16 Administration. |
| This website and all of it's pages and links is a good faith attempt to provide the community with a centralized location of background information about changes that have occurred at our schools, and namely, CMS. It is not intended to attack anyone personally. If anyone sees anything contained in this good faith representation to be factually incorrect or derogatory in any way, please contact us immediately and we will review it and change it if this has accidentally occurred. |