By Brian Kelly
Herald Writer
MARYSVILLE — No fear or flinching here.
Despite a much-publicized "report card" that gave failing grades in leadership to the Marysville School Board and its top administrator, school superintendent Linda Whitehead vowed Thursday to continue the district’s difficult job of improving student achievement.
The Marysville Education Association, which represents roughly 685 teachers and other certificated employees, will meet to consider a vote of no confidence in the district’s leadership on March 12.
"I knew it was coming," Whitehead said. "That threat has been over my head for a very long time, and I’ve only been here six months."
In the survey results, most teachers said they lacked confidence in Whitehead’s ability to lead the district. Using grades similar to a student report card, most gave her an "F" in leadership, communication skills and valuing staff opinions.
The same survey gave the school board an "F" in leadership.
If anything, the survey seems to strengthen the superintendent’s resolve.
"My focus is on student achievement," Whitehead said. "My focus is for us to decrease the gap for students in Marysville" from those across the state who are doing better on test scores for the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, or WASL.
Whitehead said the recent controversy may help draw attention to the district’s primary goal of improving learning.
"OK, we have everyone’s attention. Let’s now look at the report card that matters," Whitehead said, pointing to a graph of 2001 WASL scores in the Marysville district. The number of Marysville seventh-grade students who met state standards last year in reading, writing, listening and math was lower than the state average. And fewer tenth-graders in Marysville were meeting state standards than others across Washington in reading, writing and math.
Whitehead said statistics show fewer Marysville students enrolling in college than students in neighboring school districts such as Everett, Edmonds and Snohomish. In Snohomish, 34 percent of the district’s students went on to four-year colleges, but just 18 percent of Marysville’s students enrolled in four-year colleges in 2000.
"We’re lagging behind," Whitehead said, and it will take everyone from administrators and teachers to school bus drivers and cafeteria workers to turn things around.
"It will take all of us to get our students to standards. Everyone has a part. The responsibility of educating children is one you must share."
Members of the Marysville Education Association have wondered how much to spread the blame for employee discontent with the district’s leadership. Budget cuts, personnel changes and other issues have left some feeling voiceless on issues that affect their jobs.
During discussions earlier this week on what the no-confidence resolution should say, the executive board wondered whether the vote of no confidence should center on both the board and the superintendent.
"We debated that for a long time," said Micki Cunningham, president of the Marysville Education Association. The 14-member board eventually decided, unanimously, to include both.
"There are people who feel the school board has painted themselves into a corner with the superintendent," she said. "They have, in essence, tied themselves to her decisions and have presented themselves as a unified group."
The school board’s support for Whitehead remains strong.
"We feel she is doing a very good job," said school board president Erik Olson. "She’s got the unanimous support of the board, and we gave her a vote of total confidence."
Olson said he would give Whitehead high marks for her performance so far.
"I’d give her an A-plus for the effort she’s done and her vision of how we need to get to where we need to be," Olson said.
You can call Herald Writer Brian Kelly at 425-339-3422 or send e-mail to kelly@heraldnet.com.
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