Frustration Is Theme In School Meeting

Davidson Elementary School Assistant Principal Grace Dickerson appeared before the school board to get approval for the district’s test security program, which precipitated a discussion of testing problems. – Photos by Jack Gurner

Water Valley School District Superintendent Kim Chrestman helped school board trustees understand some of the many problems facing educators.

WATER VALLEY – Frustration seemed to be the theme of Monday night’s meeting of the school district board of trustees.
    Everything from new testing to lack of direction from state elected officials to problems with a pump in the heating system at Davidson Elementary School to claims made in media coverage of an incident at the high school was dealt with by trustees.
    DES Assistant Principal Grace Dickerson appeared before the board to get approval for the district’s test security plan which led to a discussion of the number of additional tests being added this year. Dickerson listed the assorted assessments, which she said “expands our testing quite a bit.”
    Trustee Pierce Epes asked: “How many additional days out of the classroom are we having this year versus last year?”
    Dickerson answered that she believed it would be twice as much time because there are now two assessments instead of one.
    Superintendent Kim Chrestman added that school officials would also not know how students did on the assessments until October of next year, which drew a surprised, “What!” response from Epes.
    “That is one thing our legislators have failed to address,” noted Trustee Taylor Trusty. “These tests happen first of May and we don’t have any information on them until after school has started (for the next year).”
    Epes speculated that the state was using the tests to hold the district accountable after the fact. “They’re just using it to beat you over the head with.”
    Chrestman explained that Mississippi is only one of nine states out of the original 24 who use the PARC assessments. “Even our governor has stated that it is a failed system.”
    Epes said that while the concept of Common Core is great, the implementation and the curriculum are horrible.
    “I can only amen that,” Chrestman said.
    “I agree,” added Dickerson.
    Epes concluded that if the rumored possibility of using the ACT test as the only assessment for graduation and allowing the school districts to determine the curriculum, “You could actually teach the students what they needed to learn to be successful in life, not exactly what they needed to have to pass a test.”   
    Later in the meeting trustees discussed the boiler at DES after District Business Manager reported a $2,046.87 repair bill from Tri-Star Mechanical Contractors of Batesville.
    “Did they fix it?” asked an exasperated Epes, referring to pump in the system that has been a recurring problem. “After changing it six times in five years, it is time to find a different pump.”
    Still later, during the Superintendent’s Report, Chrestman said this about the potential lawsuit facing the district: “I feel as if I must address some of the claims that are being made in the media about staff not responding and policy not being followed. The incident commenced without warning and staff in the cafeteria responded to the situation. School policy was followed and discipline was applied according to policy for the nature of the offense.  Based upon legal advice, this is all that I can address at this time.”
    The incident to which he refers is an assault in the school cafeteria that was recorded on cell phone video and turned over to television station WTVA in Tupelo.