SACS CASI - Burke County December 2010 Monitoring Visit

7/31/2019 SACS CASI - Burke County December 2010 Monitoring Visit

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Mon i t o r in g V isi t Repor t

Bur k e Cou nt y Schoo l Sys t em

PO Draw er 98 9

Morgan ton , NC 28 680 -09 89

Dates of Visit:December 6-8, 2010


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Mon i t o r i n g V i si t Repor t

I n t r o d u c t i o n

This report summarizes the findings of the Monitoring Visit held on December 6-8, 2010 to the Burke CountySchool System. The purpose of the Monitoring Visit is to review the institutions progress toward addressingrequired actions from the Special Review Team visit held on August 2-4, 2009, and subsequent visits held onDecember 14-15, 2009 and May 10-12, 2010.

While only the high schools of the Burke County School System are accredited by AdvancED/SACSCASI. Theaccreditation standard on governance applies to each school similarly as the Burke County Board of Education isthe governing body for these schools. The system operates under the jurisdiction of a governing board that:

Establishes policies and procedures that provide for the effective operation of the school

Recognizes and preserves the executive, administrative, and leadership prerogatives of the

administrative head of the school

Ensures compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws, standards, and regulations

Therefore the performance of the Burke County Board of Education impacts the accreditation status of each andevery accredited school under its jurisdiction.

Act i v i t i es o f the Mon i t o r ing Team

In preparation for the monitoring visit, the Monitoring Team reviewed the institutions progress report and relateddocumentation. Once on-site, the team engaged in the following activities:

Meetings with the institution head, governing Board, and leadership team

Interviews with 67 stakeholders representing board members, administration, teachers, parents, communityand civic organization leaders.

Artifact review

Observations of board meeting broadcasts

Team deliberations and report preparation

The Monitoring Team used the findings from these activities and evidence reviewed to assess the progress theinstitution has made toward addressing the required actions made by the Special Review Team.

Find ings

The Monitoring Teams findings are organized by each of the required actions made by the August 2-4, 2009 SpecialReview Team. For each required action, the Monitoring Team provides a progress status rating and a summary offindings.


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REQUI RED ACTI ON 1 :The Burke County Board of Education must establish and implement a collaborative process to involvestakeholder groups in the development and understanding of a system-wide vision and purpose to guide thecontinuous improvement process, allocation and alignment of resources, and daily actions of all members of theschool community. Stakeholder groups must include school and district leadership, teachers, classified staff,parents, community and business leaders, students, civic and governmental leaders, ensuring representation of

all demographic and geographical areas of Burke County.

Progress Status: Please indicate the progress the institution has made toward addressing this required action.X Completed - All necessary and appropriate actions have been taken and evaluated. The institution has

documented evidence that supports fulfillment of the required action.In Progress - The institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement stepsnecessary to address and/or complete the required action.Has Not Addressed - The institution has not taken any action at this time.

Summary of Findings:

Stakeholders indicated widespread and active involvement of many groups in a wide array of school districtactivities, including:

The revised vision and mission were developed using input from all stakeholders.

The revised vision and mission are displayed throughout the school system, on e-mails, publications,stationery, and other correspondence.

Stakeholder groups were involved in the decision making process and execution of a school consolidationplan.

The 2010-11 budget process involved collaboration with staff and community.

The superintendent invites feedback on day-to-day activities at every meeting of the district administrativeteam. Likewise, all employees receive e-mails from the superintendent periodically inviting feedback andthese responses are posted on the website for additional feedback from stakeholders.

The Burke County Chamber of Commerce initiated meetings between officers of the Chamber and SchoolBoard members in an effort to facilitate a working relationship between the two factions of the Board andbetween the Superintendent and the Board.

Regularly scheduled meetings between county government and school district officials are ongoing. Thesemeetings were established to try to resolve the hostile relationship between the two organizations.

REQUI RED ACTI ON 2 : The Burke County Board of Education must be able to validate that all actions and behaviors of boardmembers are fully aligned with the official Board policies and all applicable AdvancED Accreditation Standards.

Progress Status: Please indicate the progress the institution has made toward addressing this required action.Completed - All necessary and appropriate actions have been taken and evaluated. The institution hasdocumented evidence that supports fulfillment of the required action.

X In Progress - The institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement stepsnecessary to address and/or complete the required action.Has Not Addressed - The institution has not taken any action at this time.


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Based on interviews with board members and stakeholder groups, as well as recently adopted policies and themultitude of artifacts and documentation provided, it is apparent that all actions and behavior of board membersare not aligned with board policies and AdvancED Accreditation Standards. Specifically:

Board member/superintendent roles regarding governance and management are not clearly defined or

adhered to which perpetuates the continuation of the strained relationship between the Board andSuperintendent and impedes their capacity to make decisions in the best interest of the students and staff.

Select meetings of a three-member group of board members with the board attorney, without involvementof the full Board, were documented and such behavior is a clear violation of the Burke County Board Policy2122.

Civic leaders noted improvement in the Boards adherence to policies, but expressed a belief that there isstill an issue of defining the roles of the Board and the Superintendent. Stakeholders expressed concern thatboard members were still involving themselves in the day-to-day operations of the schools. For example,board members requested staff personnel files for their own review and interjected themselves into theSuperintendents function of supervising system level staff. These examples show a lack of understandingand regard for clearly defined roles.

Interviews and documentation established that the Board does not fully grasp its responsibility for meetingthe required actions as defined by AdvancED Accreditation Standards and has not demonstrated ownershipof the governance issues and the required actions in the accreditation report.

Board members continue to utilize blogs and e-mails to their followers to encourage feuding between andamong other board members. This evidence also reinforces that the Board is not speaking with one voiceand acting as a cohesive unit, but rather, board members continue to cater to their individual agendas andconstituencies.

Board accusations that the superintendent is not keeping them informed of issues, and thus creatingsurprises at meetings, as well as the superintendent accusing the Board of creating surprises at boardmeetings, still exist.

According to stakeholders, favoritism by certain board members was expressed in making staff cuts with no

justification for bringing Reduction In Force (RIF) personnel back to work. Even though the Board confirmed in the Institution Progress Report that it is slowly moving in a more

productive direction, evidence, such as the Board getting involved in the directives of the Superintendentwith the staff, establishes board engagement in management activities instead of governance.

The Next Steps section of the Boards Progress Report to the Monitoring Team included a directive thatthe Board address alleged misbehaviors to reduce distractions. This demonstrates that the Board has notfully aligned its actions and behaviors with policies and Accreditation Standards.

Interviews revealed that board members requested individual personnel files for their own personal review.

Correspondence from the board chairman to the superintendent dated Sept. 28, 2010, cites the continuedanimosity between two factions on the Board, the disconnect of the Board with the required actionsenumerated by the AdvancED Special Review Team, and the assumption that the costs being expended inthe resolution of these required actions is misplaced and a misuse of funds. The chairman states in hiscorrespondence that All is still not well within Burke County Public Schools and morale is in the ditch.


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REQUI RED ACTI ON 3 : The decorum of all board meetings must reflect the professionalism required of all those who are defining thequality of education for the community.

Progress Status: Please indicate the progress the institution has made toward addressing this required action.Completed - All necessary and appropriate actions have been taken and evaluated. The institution has

documented evidence that supports fulfillment of the required action.X In Progress - The institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement steps

necessary to address and/or complete the required action.Has Not Addressed - The institution has not taken any action at this time.


While board meetings typically conform to expectations of common decency and appropriate decorum, incidents ofinappropriate behavior and perceived favoritism continue and were frequently cited during interviews.Documentation from board meeting broadcasts and examples of factionalism based on sides that exist on theBoard provide evidence that this required action is not yet being met.

A number of stakeholders expressed the opinion that while board behavior is not rancorous, gossip, rumor,and suspicion characterize interpersonal relationships among members.

A board member lashed out at a staff member and a community representative in an open session of aboard meeting demanding to know who asked them to present to the Board about the AmericanProductivity Quality Center (APQC) continuous improvement process and the reason they were presenting.

Stakeholder groups repeatedly voiced that two factions remain on the Board.

Although some characterized board behavior as in a state of repair, some interviewees described it as atug of war that continues among board members.

Stakeholders and board members confirmed that the Board continues to behave in a manner thatperpetuates the majority/minority mindset rather than as a cohesive team.

Relations between the Board and Superintendent are best described by stakeholders as fractured.

The Institution Progress Report establishes that board members periodically go at one another citing oldperceived injustices.

REQUI RED ACTI ON 4 : The Burke County Board of Education must develop and conduct an ongoing self-evaluation process using anapproved, professionally developed instrument, to determine strengths and needs for growth of individualboard members and the board as a body. Results are to be used to develop the professional development planfor the Board.

Progress Status: Please indicate the progress the institution has made toward addressing this required action.

X Completed - All necessary and appropriate actions have been taken and evaluated. The institution hasdocumented evidence that supports fulfillment of the required action.In Progress - The institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement stepsnecessary to address and/or complete the required action.Has Not Addressed - The institution has not taken any action at this time.


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The May 2010 Monitoring Team found that this required action had been met.

REQUI RED ACTI ON 5 :The Burke County Board of Education and district leadership must develop and implement a plan for the

professional development of all board members to include a timeline for deliberate and extensive training in theroles and responsibilities of the board, ethics, orientation of new board members, AdvancED Standards, andparliamentary procedure.




The Monitoring Team found that this required action had been met. Training was provided by both the NorthCarolina School Boards Association and the AdvancED/SACS CASI North Carolina office.

REQUI RED ACTI ON 6 : The Burke County Board of Education must develop and implement a comprehensive process and timeline forthe revision and communication of school district policies to review and update needed policies, garnerunderstanding of the policies, their procedures, and the impact for the Board and district leadership.

Progress Status: Please indicate the progress the institution has made toward addressing this required action.X Completed - All necessary and appropriate actions have been taken and evaluated. The institution hasdocumented evidence that supports fulfillment of the required action.In Progress - The institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement stepsnecessary to address and/or complete the required action.Has Not Addressed - The institution has not taken any action at this time.


The Board of Education had initiated an ambitious timeline for review and revision of the school district policymanual. Specifically:

Over 100 policies have already been revised and adopted.

A review of these newly adopted policies has already been initiated.

The Board plans to continue to update additional policies, review these updates, and establish a new manualreflecting current practice and applicable state and federal laws.

Revised policies are widely disseminated for review and comment before adoption.

Interviews with staff revealed that they now have updated policies and guidelines.

Staff and community indicate that the adopted policies are monitored and seem to be followed afterapproval; however, other evidence suggests that policies are not followed consistently by the school systemleadership.


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REQUI RED ACTI ON 7 : The Burke County Board of Education must develop, commit to, and individually sign an ethics policy and codeof conduct that governs the actions, work, and behaviors of the Board and staff, as well as appropriate stepswhen said policy is violated.

Progress Status: Please indicate the progress the institution has made toward addressing this required action.

X Completed - All necessary and appropriate actions have been taken and evaluated. The institution hasdocumented evidence that supports fulfillment of the required action.In Progress - The institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement stepsnecessary to address and/or complete the required action.Has Not Addressed - The institution has not taken any action at this time.


The May 2010 Monitoring Team Monitoring Team found that this required action had been met.

REQUI RED ACTI ON 8 : The Burke County Board of Education must engage in professional development for conflict resolution andteam building communication skill development, engaging a professional mediator to establish productivecommunication and professional working relationships among board members, staff and communitystakeholders.


documented evidence that supports fulfillment of the required action.In Progress - The institution is currently engaged in actions and processes but has yet to fully implement stepsnecessary to address and/or complete the required action.

Has Not Addressed - The institution has not taken any action at this time.


The May 2010 Monitoring Team found that this required action had been met. However, there is a lack of evidenceto support that the board members are systematically and consistently using what they have learned in the trainingto change their behaviors.

REQUI RED ACTI ON 9 : The Burke County Board of Education must establish a written process and timeline to resolve issues and re-establish collaboration with governmental and civic entities in the county, i.e., law enforcement, the countycommission, and chamber of commerce.




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REQUI RED ACTI ON 10 :

The Burke County Board of Education must expand the search for a new superintendent to include a process togather and utilize significant stakeholder input into desired qualities, characteristics, and qualifications for thenew superintendent, extending the search process to ensure national publication of the vacancy and to ensurequality applicants.




The May 2010 Monitoring Team found that this required action had been met. Although the board memberscompleted this action, they did not follow the guidance of the Review Team to wait until after the Board ofEducation election in 2009 to conduct the search. This decision to move forward has resulted in a lack of trustamong the newly elected board members toward the remaining board members and the Superintendent who wasnamed.

REQUI RED ACTI ON 11 :

The Burke County Board of Education must ensure that all conditions of the censure of board memberHairfield are concluded within 30 days of the receipt of this report by the district.






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When adults who are in leadership roles in a school system conduct themselves in an ineffective, unprofessionalmanner, students are impacted and their future progress is impaired. It is very apparent to the Team that staffing isnot the issue with Burke County Schools; the problem rests with all the members of the Board of Education. Boardmembers have failed to sustain any sense of working collaboratively as an effective team to improve the BurkeCounty School System. The most recent example of this behavior was exhibited when the board chair, representingthe majority faction of the Board, and the Superintendent changed the regularly scheduled monthly meeting ofDecember 6, 2010 to the morning of December 8, 2010, even though all board members could not attend. Two

board members who are part of the minority faction of the Board were not present, yet the Board proceeded tohold officer elections during this changed meeting, thus eliminating the opportunity for the absent members tovote.

The Team strongly feels the evidence gathered during this December visit and previous visits places the blame forthe tug of war in the Burke County Schools squarely on the shoulders of the entire Board and the Superintendent.Borrowing from the words of some board members and other stakeholders, the Team feels it is time for BurkeCounty to get the right people in place to fix this problem and start over with a whole new team. Several of theRequired Actions were noted by the May 2010 team to be completed, however the December 2010 team observedthat there is a lack of sustainable action by the Board placing those Required Actions now in question. The BurkeCounty Board of Education has clearly fallen backwards demonstrating a lack of sustainable effort to provide

positive leadership to the schools in Burke County.The continuing issues with board governance and leadershipwill result in a long term affect on the success of the school system and its students.

Based on an exhaustive review of all documentation provided, as well as review of materials and documents duringthe onsite review and information obtained through the interview process, the Monitoring Team finds that BurkeCounty School System has failed to fully and substantially address the required actions and therefore theaccreditation of the schools in Burke County will be dropped, effective, June 30, 2011. This decision is affirmed bythe North Carolina Council and the AdvancED Accreditation Commission.

If the Burke County Board of Education makes the commitment to resolve the current problems, providesevidence that the school system is meeting all the requirements for accreditation, and develops an effective systemicand sustainable process of continuous improvement, the Burke County School System, on behalf of the schools in

its jurisdiction, can seek reinstatement prior to June 30, 2012. However, if this deadline for reinstatement is nomet, the schools within the system will need to reapply for accreditation.

Additionally, please note that the school system has the right to appeal the decision of the AdvancED AccreditationCommission. The Appeals Process can be accessed on-line atwww.advanc-ed.orgor by request.

SACS CASI - Burke County December 2010 Monitoring Visit

Documents

Transcript of SACS CASI - Burke County December 2010 Monitoring Visit