The recent Tecumseh Middle School bomb threats, how Tecumseh’s Middle and High Schools deal with bullying, and the effectiveness of a new accelerated Math program at Donnelsville Elementary were discussed at the Tecumseh Board of Education meeting in front of a capacity crowd.
Donnelsville Elementary students Jillian Evans, Emma Crist, Isabella Fowler and Austin Soppe opened the meeting with a short presentation informing board members how the school’s new accelerated math program is working for them. Teacher Lahela Snyder oversees the program. Snyder says the program was started to give gifted math students more challenging work in order to keep them engaged in their learning. Students cited how they enjoy getting to work both collaboratively and individually, often using technology. They also mentioned how activities like building a “Capacity Man” provide opportunities to have fun with math while developing their own strategies for solving problems. “It’s a little hard, but not too easy,” said one student.
After another bogus bomb threat recently took place at the Middle School, Clark County Sheriff Deputy Scott Cultice addressed board members by commending and thanking Tecumseh’s staff for their response to the recent threats. Cultice said there are “minuscule things that need to be changed” but, overall, staff and student response was handled “extremely well.” According to Cultice, the Sheriff’s office uses Tecumseh as an example to other districts on how to properly respond to such threats. In an effort to support the schools, Cultice announced the Sheriff’s office will provide Tecumseh with a full-time, county-paid Resource officer beginning next school year. “The safety and security of every kid and staff member in the building is important, ”Cultice told board members and the audience, “Things such the way students change classes and even the language used in student interactions will need to be looked at and considered as we move forward.”
On the heels of an emotionally-charged February board meeting where Tecumseh parents and students demanded to know how to how the Middle and High Schools deal with bullying, Middle School Principal Brian Dixon, and High School Principal Ivan Gehret used the march meeting to give the board a lengthy overview of the types of bullying kids face today and how the schools respond to bullying in general. Dixon opened by explaining how things have changed from when students used to be able to get some relief from the “classic schoolyard bully” by going home after school. “Now,” said Dixon, “Bullies are called ‘Friends and Followers’ who students are unable to get away from at home because the bullies are on social media. There is little to no relief from bullying at home anymore.”
Dixon also cited a huge spike in “sexting” behavior among students as a key catalyst in online bullying, “You send an inappropriate picture to your boyfriend or girlfriend, and then you break up. The likelihood of that picture ending up online is pretty good,” says Dixon. He further states that many students don’t understand that such behavior is also illegal and can get students into a lot of trouble.
However, both Dixon and Gehret said tools to deal with bullying are currently in place and are being constantly developed to give bullied students the support needed to help them deal with and report bullying in order to help schools eradicate bullying as much as possible.
Gehret says the schools take an “evidence-based approach to bullying” in order to protect students from being falsely accused of abusive behavior. He also says the most important step in getting rid of bullying is to encourage students to be “up-standers” who are willing to report bullying when they see it.
Gehret says school staff members are “mandatory reporters” who are required, by law, to report any abusive behavior students are being subjected to. On the other hand, students who see bullying are not required to report the behavior. For their own safety, students frequently choose not to report. “A trusting relationship must be cultivated between the reporter, the victim, the administrator, and even the perpetrator,” says Gehret, “Something is happening in the young person’s life that is causing him/her to start bullying others.”
Dixon and Gehret say there are many ways to report bulling. Witnesses can make direct reports in person or send an email to school administration. They can also phone in a report or use the anonymous TEC Bullying hotline at 937-845-4483. However, Gehret warns of the problems presented by anonymously reporting bullying, “If we don’t have names, it is very difficult to correct bullying behavior because we don’t know the relationship history between the bully and the victim. It’s also impossible to follow-up on a tip if we don’t know everyone involved.” He also mentioned that Asst. Superintendent Paula Crew is the District Compliance Officer and is a good resource when it comes to correcting bullying.
In other business, the board was informed that Tecumseh CTC students have been doing very well. CTC Medical Assisting students recently volunteered at a soup kitchen, the CAD program received the designation of an “AIM Center of Excellence,” and the CTC received two A’s and two B’s on their state District Report Card.
Crew informed the board that the district settled on using Maxin Roofing to install a much-needed new roof on the transportation building.
District Superintendent Norm Glismann reported that the change-over to using Hilliard for custodial services is going well; with the company even complimenting the district on employing the appropriate number of custodians needed to keep the buildings in good shape. Glismann also reported that the track lines will be put down soon. The district is also working towards upgrading its technology with the goal of becoming a “Google District.”
The meeting closed with audience comments, during which time Tecumseh employee Susan DeLong read a statement to board members informing them that she felt there were unfair practices that took place which ended with her involuntarily leaving a Central Office position and taking an IT position in the district instead. Further discussion of the matter was taken into the board’s executive session following the regular business meeting.
