EXAMPLE from a PARENT
Dear Brian,
I want to personally write and say thank you for taking action in addressing concerns about the MYD behavior program. Thank you for developing a committee of administrators, staff and parents that can actively look at MYD and see how it compares to other behavior programs across the nation. Being actively involved in three different schools over the last 6 years, I have seen a need for change with the MYD discipline program. I have come to many School Board meetings to express this concern. I am excited to see that a plan has been developed. I know that it is your desire to have the Wenatchee School District be up to date on the most current researched, evidence based, highly effective models available for a successful behavior program for all kids.
I am confident that as this committee is looking into positive based models, they will be convinced that many elements of these programs are a must for kids to be successful. I know that change is hard, but it is needed to have successful growth and positive outcomes in any profession. Thank you for taking this step and getting the discussion started in how best to serve ALL the kids here in the Wenatchee School District.
EXAMPLE from a COMMUNITY MEMBER
Dear Superintendent Flones:
We write to express our initial feelings of confidence in our children’s future educational experience in the Wenatchee School District. Although our children (ages 1 and 4) are presently too young to attend Wenatchee schools, we are very concerned about how the Make Your Day model would adversely affect their education.
We support the recommendations to the Wenatchee School Board regarding the need to review the evidence-based research concerning student behavior models and to allow implementation of more effective models such as Positive Behavior Intervention and support (PBIS). We appreciate the decision to create a committee to review current research to improve the Wenatchee School District’s student behavior support model.
At the same time, we anticipate that this decision to support reviewing student behavior models is more than a mere window dressing to placate the many in our community who oppose Make Your Day. We hope that these recommendations are indeed a sincere effort by the District to phase out and replace Make Your Day with a PBIS model.
Like so many District parents, we value our children’s education and view school discipline to be crucial in their development. We believe that a PBIS model will assist all children in the District, including our own, to appropriately define and meet their behavioral expectations.
Thank you for listening to our community.
EXAMPLE from a PARENT
Dear Brian Flones and School Board Members:
Our two daughters have greatly benefited from Wenatchee School District. Their experiences with Washington Elementary and now, with our oldest at Pioneer Middle School have been very positive for them overall. All teachers they have encountered have been good. A few have been exceptional!
One of the lessons they have learned through their teachers is the importance of lifelong learning. They've learned that learning is fun and that we should always strive to improve ourselves. They have learned that lifelong learning is one important way we grow as human beings.
That's why I wanted to write to voice my support for the reevaluation of the “Make Your Day” program. If there's something better out there – we owe it to our children to investigate it fully, and implement anything we find that can improve our already strong school system. Our systems can and should be lifelong learners too. We can and should continuously strive to make things better. If PBIS, or any other research based system, can help us have classrooms where more students, and as many students thrive as possible, please allow us to learn from it.
I have heard that there is some resistance to making changes in our existing classroom management system. They will always be those who feel threatened by change, or feel that to change is somehow to discredit the value of the way things have been done in the past. Such feelings are understandable – but I hope they will not stand in the way of us doing what is right and best for our kids. We can learn from the past, learn in the present, and strive to continue learning in the future.
Thank you for not only teaching, but modelling lifelong learning to all our kids.
EXAMPLE from an EDUCATOR
Dear Brian,
Thank you for providing key leadership and direction to form a Best Practices Committee to review current research and best practices for the WSD student behavior model. As superintendent, you have a responsibility to both listen and respond to all stakeholders in our public school system. Thank you for taking this responsibility seriously, especially in the context of the Wenatchee Learns process. I’ve often heard you state your goal to have a world-class school district, and this goal implies a willingness to continually learn and adjust, based on best practice research.
Your decision to from this committee aligns with the WSD mission statement posted on the website:
Our mission is to
• personally know and encourage students as individual learners and recognize their academic, citizenship and co-curricular accomplishments;
• assist students to learn and apply essential skills and values to be contributing community citizens with a global perspective;
• challenge students to continually stretch and grow while working with family and community as active partners.
The geographic isolation of Wenatchee often results in insular decisions, made without investigation into how other communities approach problems and seek solutions. Wenatchee School District needs move away from this approach and investigate how other districts use behavior models to encourage and assist students as their grow to be contributing adult citizens of our community.
Change is hard. I can understand that teachers and principals will find it difficult to think about using a new system. However, we must face the reality that the current system does not focus on teaching student how to behave, but instead makes the assumption that all students have fully-formed brains making conscious decisions about their behavior, without any input or guidance into learning alternative ways to get attention.
Thank you for taking action to implement a data-driven decision making process.
EXAMPLE from a COMMUNITY MEMBER
Dear Superintendent Flones:
I was excited when I read about the community interest in PBIS and your support for a student behavior model endorsed by the United States Department of Education. PBIS meets this requirement.
In addition, The National PTA endorses PBIS in their 2012 General Education Federal Policy Recommendations. While raising my children, I was active in PTA at the local, district, state, and then national levels. Consequently, I am familiar with the PTA process and value PTA recommendations.
Your leadership using the PBIS framework will provide a model for surrounding districts in Washington and enhance the behavior and academic performance for all students.
