Superintendent Town Hall 8/30/22
Last week, WCSD Superintendent, Dr. Susan Enfield, held her first town hall. Dr. Enfield
introduced everyone to her entry plan, talked about the “Four C’s” (Coherence, Care, Communication and Celebration) and then took questions from the community.
She emphasized that we have work to do, but two things can be true at the same time:
Work needs to be done.
We can celebrate the good things that are happening.
The overwhelming theme of the night was SAFETY. Transportation safety and school safety were at the top of attendees' concerns. Regarding transportation, one mom asked that the traffic plans at each school be revisited due to the higher volumes of drivers in school zones, one week per month, due to no buses. Another mother expressed concern for her middle schooler leaving at 5:30am to make it to the bus pickup location by 7:00am. As daylight becomes more scarce, she is concerned about the visibility and vulnerability of not only her child, but all children. Many parents followed suit in their transportation concerns and frustrations. Dr. Enfield assured everyone, transportation is one of her priorities.
Safety intertwined with transportation deeply; however, concerns of safety in schools was also top of mind for many. One mother was hesitant to share her concerns because children were present, so Dr. Enfield offered to meet with her after. A father expressed concerns regarding the district disciplinary policies when a child defends themselves during a physical altercation/bullying, and others expressed concerns that varied from groping to physical assault and who or how to contact if and when there is an issue. Per Dr. Enfield, if there is an issue, you should contact the Principal of the school first. If appropriate steps are not taken and/or you and your child are still not comfortable with the outcome, contact your Area Superintendent.
More of these town hall meetings will be held throughout the year, and we are thankful for that. Keeping communication open and two-way seems to be top of mind for Dr. Enfield.