NSPRA's Communication Audit Report - Harford County Public ...

Information timeliness
■ Depends on whether they need a response.
■ Public gets info before they do. They need to be informed and have talking points to be
responsive.
■ “Don’t sweep things under the carpet.”
■ When something impacts schools county-wide, give them responses to use.
■ “If you can’t get something done, advise us as to why or when.”
■ They get calls when things are going on at other schools (i.e., MRSA).
■ Most central office personnel haven’t worked in a school so they don’t understand that there
are lots of interruptions.
Greatest challenges facing the district
■ Haven’t increased school district staff but haven’t decreased central office staff.
GROUP: ELEMENTARY TEACHERS
Strengths of the district
■ Teachers – strong and dedicated throughout the system.
■ District is willing to try different things; new strategies to stay on the cutting edge.
■ Support for new teachers; mentors.
■ Good clientele; even low kids are high.
■ Teachers are asked for feedback and administration listens.
■ Administration is a strength.
■ Information is shared and is research-based.
■ County builds capacity for administration internally. “Grow your own administrators.”
Lots of teachers were also students here.
■ Outdoor education is a valuable tool.
Improvements needed
■ Individual comments included:
• Salaries. Going downhill, teachers can’t afford to send own kids to college.
• Too many kids in some places, cap doesn’t catch up with where it should be. Some
schools are under capacity.
• Need to redistrict, but Board backs off when parents are vocal.
• Disruptive behavior of special ed kids.
• Not enough focus on gifted students.
• Assistants are with kids all day but not with every teacher’s class.
• Case load for special ed is overwhelming and they are held accountable.
• Unbalanced way of introducing new curriculum. Get lots of training on some and not
enough on others.
• New programs get dumped on elementary rather than on middle and high school.
• Some instructional facilitators aren’t in tune with what’s going on in classrooms.
Teachers have concerns about evaluation process.
NSPRA Communication Audit 77 Harford County Public Schools