Climate, Culture Improving At GCHS, Board Is Told

Climate and culture change at Glenwood Community High School is real.

That was the message shared with members of the Glenwood Board of Education Monday night during a “Climate and Culture Update” presented by GCHS Interim Principal Lorraine Duitsman.

Just six months removed from an eye-opening survey in which GCHS faculty members voiced concerns about a lack of administrative leadership, direction and communication at the school, board members were presented with data that indicates the sentiment among teachers at the school has changed significantly since last spring.

Duitsman, who was named interim principal following the abrupt departure of former principal Cole Albright last May, said she believes teachers have a clearer understanding of what’s expected of them and they appreciate the opportunity to give their input on various matters, noting there’s a lot of collaboration and shared decision making that’s led to the expectations being clarified with teachers’ roles and responsibilities.

“A big thing about improving climate and culture, a building is not led top down,” Duitsman said. “A building is led through shared leadership and through input of others.”

Results of a Gallup “Engagement Survey” indicates GCHS teachers have a more positive view of their job and their role in 13 different areas, including “I know what is expected of me at work,” “There is someone at work who encourages my development,” “My manager or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person” and “At work, my opinions seem to count.”

GCHS Social Studies teacher Maria Jacobus shared her input during Duitsman’s presentation, saying the change in climate and culture at the school is “night and day” compared to last year.

“The type of support we have in the building is so much stronger this year,” Jacobus said. “I have to highlight the work of our instructional coaches.  I think you (Duitsman) said more than 40 percent of our staff already have worked with our instructional coaches and it’s not even fully the end of October, yet. That is amazing and astounding. It’s wonderful to have those resources housed within our own building.”

Jacobus said teachers appreciate having a voice on matters at the school.

“That is something else that has changed. The amount of times we as staff have been asked to give input, to give ideas, to provide feedback for things that are happening,” she said. “Teachers feel like they have a voice and a way to participate in the process.”

Duitsman said having everyone on the same page, working for common goals, is vital to the school’s success.

“A big undertaking is we have more common language. We have the same priorities.  We might each be working on an aspect of it, but there’s a lot more transparency between us,” she said.  “The 40 percent is huge. We had zero engagement, or closer to zero, the previous year.”

Duitsman noted that regular meetings are now taking place between the school district’s leadership team and the high school administration. Those meetings regularly include Superintendent Dr Devin Embray, Assistant

Superintendent Dr. Chad Lang, Director of Student Services Cindy Menendez, GCHS Activities Director Jeff Bissen and Duitsman.

“We’ve had a lot of meetings,” she said. “Dr. Embray and Mr. Bissen meet. We also have lead team meetings in which Dr. Embray, Mr. Bissen, Ms. Menendez, Dr. Lang all come to the high school.

“We just kind of talk about what’s important. ‘What are you working on right now?’ ‘How can I assist?’”

Embray shared his observations with the board following Duitsman’s presentation.

“The outside looking in, just from my meetings at the high school, things that I see are different from the last recent years, not just last year but the prior years, too, is clarity and two-way communication happening between teachers and leadership and leadership and teachers,” Embray said. “Everybody having clarity about what’s important to them and what they want to do.”

Embray said previously, GCHS teachers didn’t always have a “common definition” on how do something.

“Depending on who you listened to or who you talked to, that’s how you did it,” he said.  “I think it was a struggle for a lot of teachers. They felt like they were on an island. There was not clarity. They would see some doing something one way and others would do it another way based on something that was said.”

Glenwood Board Of Education President Matt Portrey said he’s encouraged by what he’s seen and heard about the changes taking place at the high school.

“It’s early, but it wasn’t that long ago we were having very different, unpleasant, more expensive conversations about the high school. It’s early, but I couldn’t ask for much better results this early. 

“All levels, thank you all for your efforts. There’s no way this just happens.”