Surveys sent out to thousands of employees in the Lafayette Parish School System to gauge their opinions on student-teacher ratios and a 2002 tax fund hit a few snags, prompting a number of crazy theories aimed at Superintendent Pat Cooper.
Surveys sent out to thousands of employees in the Lafayette Parish School System to gauge their opinions on student-teacher ratios and a 2002 tax fund hit a few snags, prompting a number of crazy theories aimed at Superintendent Pat Cooper.
Superintendent Pat Cooper admits the surveys didn't roll out as planned, but a Plan B has been hatched.
To avoid claims that the survey attempted to lead respondents in their answers, the school system got help in drafting the questions from Lisa Anne Slatten, assistant professor of management at UL's Moody College of Business Administration.
The survey asks employees to rate statements on a scale of one ("strongly disagree") to five ("strongly agree") and was sent in response to this year's $23.5 million budget deficit and the looming possibility of terminations of up to 300 school system employees. The survey's statements include:
The Instructional Strategist helps to build the capacity of our faculty to meet the learning needs of our students by enhancing our instruction practices.
Having alternative education teachers and alternative education classrooms provides better opportunities for all students to experience academic success.
Adding 2 additional students to my classroom will disrupt instruction and impact my students' learning.
Adding 3 additional students to my classroom will disrupt instruction and impact my students' learning.
Having a social worker that provides mental health counseling at my school is essential to enhance positive student behavior that supports student achievement.
Having a nurse to address the physical health of our students on my campus has made a difference in the success of our school.
Our guidance counselor is essential to the success of our students.
To maintain the progress my school is making I would be willing to receive a lesser amount on the 14th check' funded by excess 2002 Sales Tax Fund.
Yet the process hit a snag Monday when the school system's email system was hacked, causing many school system employees to not receive the survey in a timely fashion.
Another issue arose when the school system discovered that respondents could share the Survey Monkey URL hosting the questionnaire, meaning anyone could theoretically enter a submission.
Immediately, a number commenters on The Daily Advertiser's website - all former educators - cried foul, claiming this mixup was some sort of conspiracy hatched by the superintendent to garner responses favorable to his attempt at getting the school board to dip into its more than $60 million reserve fund, which would save those 300 jobs.
In an interview with The Daily Advertiser, retired teacher Debbie Hargrave - a vocal opponent of Cooper and his turnaround plan - called the process "unfair."
Here's what Hargrave had to say: "We know that all these things are good, but at this point, you have to prioritize. I think that it's kind of unfair without being able to give the priorities as to what you think is most important. I just think that the questions were put together with a definite set of answers in mind."
C'est what?
Hargrave's comments were just the tip of the iceberg, as the level of crazy hit new heights with several comments added to the story, starting with this gem from retired teacher Ron Bodin:
Hacked, this is another example of this central's [sic] office incompetence. Do you trust staff promoting a point of view to present nonbiased results. I do not! Bet results reflect exactly what Cooper wants them to reflect.
Bodin is echoed by Daphne Villemarette, another retired educator/conspiracy theorist and author of this recent TDA opinion piece, who writes:
I just spoke to a teacher who said someone who is not an employee was able to access the survey and take it. Right off the bat, the survey is questionable. How many non-employee buddies of Cooper's are going to weigh in and skew the survey results?
The IND spoke with Cooper, who admits that the online survey didn't come off as expected. But there is a workable Plan B.
"It hasn't worked out how we wanted, so we're going back to the old style of telling teachers [and other staff] to come into the central office, check their name off a list, fill out the survey anonymously and then put it into a box so nobody knows who did the survey," explains Cooper. "We'll run that for a week and then compile the results."